The day before our engagement, Stellan Graves came shopping with me, but his mind was clearly elsewhere.

I bought a chili dog from a street stall and held it up to his mouth only for him to swat it out of my hand, sending it flying to the ground. Fury flashed across his face as he snapped, "Ivy Stein, the Graves family needs a woman who can actually show her face in public. Stop buying cheap trash like this. You're embarrassing me. How do you expect my parents to accept you like this?"

I picked up the food in humiliation, threw it into the trash, and nodded meekly for the sake of our four years together in college. "As you wish."

…

However, the very next day, he switched his fiancee to Amelia Lane.

"Ivy, Amelia tried to kill herself just to marry me. She's in the hospital now. Once she's stable again, I'll come back and marry you."

Four years later, he showed up at my tiny apartment with a diamond ring in hand. "Ivy, Amelia has already agreed to divorce me. We can finally be together. I told you before—once Amelia lets go of her obsession with me and stops hurting herself, I'll come and marry you."

I frowned at Stellan's so-called heartfelt expression. I must have had terrible luck that day. Who'd have thought I'd run into this wacko when I'd come back to my place on a whim?!

"Move," I demanded, shoving him out the door. "You're blocking the way. I need to pick up my kid from school."

Four Years Too Late

Stellan followed close behind me, his voice sharp with accusation. "I already checked. No other man came to this place in the past four years, so how could you actually have a kid? I know you're angry. I'll take you home now. Even if your family's poor and only survives by raising chickens, I've already convinced my parents. They won't look down on you anymore."

I turned and frowned at him. "I already told you. My family doesn't just raise chickens. We've got several mountains full of them."

Stellan scoffed. "Chickens are still chickens. Don't ever bring that up in front of my parents. It's small-time and embarrassing."

I gave up arguing with him.

There was no point trying to reason with a city snob like him. He had no idea what free-range, all-natural chicken raised across entire mountains was actually worth.

We'd made our fortune off it years ago.

I picked up my pace. If I were any later, I'd miss picking my son up from school.

Stellan kept following. "I can take you to my family home right now. The villa's huge. Amelia hasn't moved out yet, but there's more than enough space for you. Just be polite to her. She's sensitive, so give in to her a little. Don't upset her."

"Excuse me?" I stared at him in disbelief. "You've come to bother me before divorcing, and you expect me to live with you and your wife?! What do you take me for, a mistress? Are you out of your mind?"

I yanked the car door open and got in, eager to put as much distance between us as possible. Alas, he opened the passenger door smoothly and climbed in after me.

"I told you before—lock the doors as soon as you get in. It's safer. How are you still this careless?" His tone was so familiar, as if the past four years had never happened.

Watching Stellan refuse to leave my side, anger surged straight to my head. "Get out. Now."

Lo and behold, he buckled his seatbelt, looking smug, like he was about to expose a lie. "Aren't you going to pick up your kid? Hurry up, then. You'll be late."

I glanced at the time. He was right—I was cutting it close. If everyone else had already left and only my son was still there, he'd be heartbroken. With that, I stepped on the gas and drove out of the garage, frowning. "When you see my son later, don't say anything stupid."

Stellan agreed casually. "Fine, I won't say anything. Ivy, you're really putting on a good act. I'd love to see where you plan on pulling a son out of thin air."

As I drove, I forced myself to calm down. When we stopped at a red light, I watched the crazy traffic ahead and asked, "Stellan, why do you think that after four years, I'd still be waiting for you?"

My low voice made him freeze for a moment, a flicker of unease flashing through his eyes—only to be quickly replaced by his usual certainty.

So Certain, Again

"Surely, no one can measure up after you've been with me. Who else could you possibly meet that's on my level? If you weren't waiting for me, who could you even turn to?"

I let out a long sigh. So that was it. In his eyes, I was never someone who could end up with anything better. That was why he'd walked away so casually back then—and why he now felt so justified coming back.

Just then, the light turned green. I stepped on the gas and, after clearing the intersection, spoke quietly. "Stellan, I'm not joking. I'm married now. I have a child. Once we park, you should leave. I don't want you interfering with my life."

Stellan frowned slightly. "Ivy, do you really think that's enough to fool me? I know you're angry. Throw your tantrum however you want—I'll indulge you until you've had enough and come back to me willingly."

Since words clearly meant nothing to him, I decided to let reality do the talking.

…

"Mommy, why were you so late today?" My boy, Ollie, ran toward me with his arms wide open, smiling sweetly.

"I went back to our old place to grab something. Did I make you wait too long? How about some fries later to make it up to you?"

"Yay!" My son hugged me happily.

Stellan hadn't expected me actually to return holding a child's hand. His expression turned grim instantly. "Ivy, even jokes have limits. How can you just grab someone else's kid like this? If we're being serious, this counts as kidnapping. You could go to prison, you know. Hurry up and return him."

Fuming, Stellan reached out and grabbed Ollie's arm, trying to pull him away. I immediately slapped his hand aside and pulled Ollie into my arms. "What are you doing?"

Just then, a kindergarten teacher noticed us and walked over. "You must be Ollie's dad, right? I've only ever seen Ivy before. Nice to finally meet the father."

Stellan stared at me in shock. "He's really your son?"

"Of course." I was about to leave with Ollie when Stellan suddenly blocked my way and fixed his gaze on the teacher. "How old is the child?"

"He's three, of course."

'Three?!' Stellan grabbed my arms tightly. "Ivy, he's my son, isn't he? Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant back then?!"

"If I'd been carrying your child back then, would you really not have married Amelia?" I questioned, looking at him evenly.

"I…" He faltered, then lowered his head and frowned. "If I hadn't married her, Amelia would've died."

I sneered. "Well, thank goodness I never had your child."

"Ivy, I'll take you and our son home right now. My parents have been waiting years for me to have a child. If you bring him back, they won't care about our different backgrounds anymore."

I nearly rolled my eyes into the back of my head. "Who said anything about leaving with you? I already told you—this isn't your son. Do you not understand human language?"

"Ivy, stop messing around. There's no way I'm letting a Graves grow up outside the family. Why didn't you tell me sooner? How could you let our boy attend a school so old and crowded? What decent education can our boy here?"

I looked at the kindergarten, then at Stellan. This was a state-level affiliated kindergarten. From here, he could feed straight into top-tier elementary, middle, and high schools.

Clearly, Stellan had no clue what that kind of placement meant. His so-called aristocratic schools, full of trust fund babies killing time, couldn't even compare!

I'd specifically asked my husband to transfer our son here because I didn't want him picking up the arrogance and entitlement those trust fund babies were known for. I never imagined Stellan would look down on it like this. It only made me more grateful that I hadn't married such a shallow man back then.

"Stay away from us," I said coldly. "This has nothing to do with you."

"If he's not my son, then whose is he?" Stellan grabbed the teacher's arm. "You tell me—who's listed as the father in the child's records?"

Their Version of the Truth

Because I didn't want to expose our identities, the father's name was never filled on Ollie's kindergarten records. So the teachers had never known who his father was.

The moment Stellan heard that the father's column was empty, his certainty only deepened. "Ivy, you've had it hard all these years raising a child alone. You've been stubborn long enough. Come home with me."

Ollie didn't understand what we were arguing about. He only leaned close to my ear and whispered softly, "Mommy, are we not eating fries anymore?"

As if he'd heard something unforgivable, Stellan exploded. "Ivy Stein, how could you let my son eat that kind of junk? You used to love those cheap street foods, and now you're dragging my son along to eat filthy food like that too?! What if something happens to him? Can you take responsibility for that? He's my family's sole heir!"

I couldn't believe him. Since when did having the nanny make fresh fries at home for my baby count as unhygienic now?!

I ignored Stellan completely and carried my son toward my car. But Stellan stepped in front of the door. "Don't put my son in your beat-up car. Don't make him suffer."

To avoid drawing attention, I'd deliberately chosen an unremarkable car. It wasn't flashy, but the entire back seat had been modified for Ollie's safety and comfort.

If Stellan had bothered to glance inside even once, he would've seen that I did have a child—and that I'd protected him well. But the entire time, he'd never cared about anything related to me and only pointed smugly at his Mercedes-Benz. "Only I can give you the best life."

Just then, Amelia walked over in a formal evening dress, completely out of place amid the noisy street. Even she lifted her heels slightly in distaste and frowned. "Stellan, didn't you go to pick Ivy up? Why are you still here? After this, you're supposed to come with me to meet the mysterious Mr. Calloway, who just took over the family business."

The moment Stellan saw her, his expression softened. "I remember, Amelia. Don't worry. I won't forget your things. Something came up with Ivy, and I need to sort it out first. I'll go with you to meet Beckett Calloway in a bit.

"You're so beautiful; he'll definitely like you and make you his missus. The Calloways are the most powerful family in all of Northbank—far stronger than my family. You'll surely have your happily ever after, Amelia. I'll be quick. Just wait for me, okay?"

Their conversation stumped me for a moment. 'Are they saying what I think they're saying? Lane's fine with Stellan reuniting with his ex, and he's helping her find her next husband? And most importantly, the Beckett Calloway in their conversation… My husband, Beckett Calloway?'

I gazed grimly at Amelia. 'This woman brings me nothing but trouble.'

"What can I say—I'm irresistible," Amelia said smugly. Then, she turned and saw me holding a child, and her voice shot up in shock. "Ivy, who's this?!"

Stellan panicked and rushed to explain. "He's my son, Amelia. Hear me out."

Amelia clutched her chest as if she'd been dealt a devastating blow. "Stellan, you had a child with her behind my back? You could've chosen not to marry me back then—why betray me like this? You refused to touch me all these years—is it because of her and that child?"

Seeing her in distress, Stellan hurried to comfort her. "Amelia, it's not what you think. This was before we got married. She was so done with being poor and didn't want to lose me that she got pregnant, using it to tie me down. I only found out today. Amelia, don't stoop to her level, okay?"

Amelia pointed at me with trembling rage. "Ivy, how can you be so shameless? I can't believe you secretly gave birth to Stellan's son! Do you have any sense of decency at all?"

My son didn't understand what she was saying, only that she was attacking me. He immediately pointed at her nose with his tiny finger and shouted angrily, "You bad woman! Why are you scolding my mommy? You're a meanie!"

Amelia raised her hand to strike him. I instantly turned sideways with Ollie in one arm and caught her wrist with the other.