Finally, Adrian picked up.

“Baby, what’s wrong?”

His voice was hoarse with desire, carried through the phone into my ears.

Nausea surged, and I couldn’t speak for a few seconds.

“Baby, is the baby giving you trouble?”

“I’m sorry, work is just so overwhelming. I’ll be back the day after tomorrow to be with you.”

Listening to his voice straining to suppress his lust, my eyes locked on the big screen in the living room. I wanted to scream and demand what he was doing.

But the next moment, the woman in the video deliberately shifted her movements.

Adrian’s breath hitched.

“Baby, I’m a little busy right now. I’ll call you later!”

The call was abruptly cut. My body went limp, as if every bone was sinking into the sea.

Helplessness. Struggle. Pain.

“Isabella, I told you—you can have anything you want! But you must never let my wife find out!”

On the screen, Adrian’s eyes burned with anger.

His movements grew rougher, the car rocking violently.

Minutes later, the motion stopped.

Adrian pulled out a wet tissue, gently wiping Isabella clean, then picked up the emerald necklace and fastened it around her neck.

“I will never divorce my wife. You know that.”

“Other than that, money, houses, my career—you can have it all.”

He held Isabella close, lowering his head to kiss away her tears.

“But I don’t want those things. I only want you!”

Isabella sobbed pitifully, her chest heaving.

Adrian let out a low sigh. After a pause, he spoke again.

“I can give you a child.”

“Next time, I won’t use protection…”

His words exploded in my ears.

My vision darkened as memories flashed before me.

At eighteen, Adrian, wearing a faded shirt, had earnestly confessed under the oak tree at college.

He said loving me was the one thing he’d ever been serious about.

At twenty-two, in order to earn my family’s approval, Adrian worked himself to exhaustion, ending up in the hospital with a bleeding ulcer.

He told me to wait a little longer, until he was worthy of me, until he could give me the life of a princess.

At twenty-nine, Adrian, with his artificial intelligence company, skyrocketed onto New York’s billionaire list.

He filled the entire city with Calla Lilies to propose to me.

That day, tears had filled his eyes as he fumbled with the ring, failing to slip it onto my finger more than once.

He said he had finally fulfilled his promise to love me.

For eleven years, I endured every rumor and criticism just to be with him.

And I always believed Adrian would never disappoint me.

And he didn’t—at least, not then.

The most lavish wedding in New York.

Everyone knew I was Adrian’s wife.

But now, he so casually promised another woman a child.

A dull pain gripped my heart, like a blunt knife sawing slowly at my flesh.

“Ugh…”

I doubled over, retching dryly. Wiping away my tears, I suddenly saw a flood of anonymous text messages pop up on my phone.

[Mrs. Walker, Adrian and I are true love. Can you leave him?]

[I know you’re pregnant, but you won’t be able to keep this baby!]

[You’ve already had three miscarriages! I’m the one with a fertile body. Only I can give Adrian the children he deserves!]

My fingers went white as I gripped the phone tight.

Then another account messaged.

[Mrs. Walker, we have records of every time Adrian and I slept together. Do you want to see them?]

I didn’t reply. Before the messages could be deleted, I quickly took screenshots.

Then I sent them directly to Adrian.

After doing all this, I called my best friend.

“Emily, can you help me draft a divorce agreement?”

“And also a lawsuit to recover marital property.”

A rotten man, I would never keep.

And neither Adrian nor Isabella would ever touch my share of the assets.

After hanging up, I turned off my phone.

The next morning, sharp pain in my abdomen jolted me awake.

Then came frantic pounding on the door.

“Baby, are you okay?”

“Claire, please let me in. I can explain!”

Projected by the smart butler Lily, Adrian stood outside the villa, exhausted, disheveled, and panicked.

I rose and opened the door. Immediately, he pulled me tightly into his arms.

“Baby, those messages were all fake!”

“Please believe me, okay?”

The scent of youthful perfume clung to him, so sickly sweet it made me gag.

I retched, stepping back.

“Adrian, where is the emerald necklace my mother gave me?”

My voice was calm.

Adrian’s body stiffened instantly.

“I sent it for maintenance a few days ago. It’ll be back tomorrow.”

I stared at him silently, recalling last night’s obscene entanglement in the car.

That same necklace, sullied by filth.

“Adrian, I want to see that necklace today.”

Tilting my head, I didn’t mention Isabella’s texts.

Relief flickered in Adrian’s eyes as he relaxed.

“Alright, I’ll contact them right away. Just wait for me, baby!”

He didn’t step inside, rushing instead to his car and driving off.

At that moment, my phone buzzed.

[Mrs. Walker, let’s meet!]

Attached was a photo of the emerald necklace.

From Isabella.

Following the address she gave, I arrived at a newly opened café in New York.

As soon as I walked in, I saw Isabella’s pale, tired face.

She held a bouquet of Calla Lilies.

“Mrs. Walker, Adrian said you liked Calla Lilies. I bought these just for you—I hope you like them.”

With forced humility, Isabella offered the flowers, lowering her head as if apologizing.

“Mrs. Walker, I truly love Adrian. Please, I beg you, let me be with him!”

“For him, I’m willing to give everything!”

After speaking, she covered her face and cried softly.

People nearby turned their heads toward us.

I held my stomach and glanced at the camera she had hidden under the table. My lips curved into a mocking smile.

“Fine!”

“I’ll grant you what you want!”

I snatched the flowers from her hand and slammed them against her face.

The Calla Lily petals scattered to the floor.

Red rashes spread quickly across Isabella’s face.

“Boss, are you alright?!”

A waiter carrying hot coffee hurried over.

Clutching her face, Isabella spoke pitifully.

“I’m fine. As long as she vents her anger, I’d even kneel and apologize today.”

“What the hell?!”

“In this day and age, who kneels to apologize? Who do you think you are?!”

“Do you know who our boss’s boyfriend is?!”

“Believe it or not, one call and you’ll regret ever stepping foot here!”

Several waiters cursed and shoved at my shoulder.

I lowered my head, glancing at their brown uniforms.

[Pearl Café]

“Heh…”

Adrian, you even opened a café for your mistress right near our home.

My hand tightened into a fist, and I slapped Isabella hard across the face.

Smack!

The crisp sound echoed.

Then, suddenly, one of the waiters kicked me in the stomach.

Bang!

I collapsed to the ground, my abdomen cramping violently.

Before I could react, several cups of hot coffee were poured over my head.

“I knew it! You’re the mistress!”

“Damn homewrecker, how dare you come into the shop and attack the boss’s woman!”

The scalding coffee burned into my scalp, pain searing.

Just then, Isabella Reed suddenly rushed forward and fell to her knees with a loud thud.

“I was wrong! I won’t do it again!”

Her forehead slammed against the wooden floor, leaving her looking utterly pitiful.

I sneered at her, but then the sound of familiar footsteps reached my ears.

“Baby, are you okay?!”

Adrian Walker hurried over, frantically pulling me into his arms.

His eyes darted up and down my body, panic written plainly on his face.

“Baby, I already got the necklace back. Let’s go home.”

Adrian spoke quickly, but his gaze never once fell on Isabella.

I noticed instead how his other hand, hidden under his suit jacket, was clenched tightly into a trembling fist.

Little details like this couldn’t fool me.

In the past, whenever Adrian feared something had happened to me, he always reacted this way.

But now, as I stood right beside him, he was anxious only for another woman.

The pain in my abdomen made everything feel utterly meaningless.

“Adrian, let’s go!”

We’d go back, sign the divorce papers, and be done with each other.

“Okay, let’s go home.”

Adrian froze for a second, then pulled me toward the stairs.

Downstairs, he slipped into the driver’s seat without hesitation.

I hesitated for a few seconds before opening the passenger-side door and climbing in.

Just then, a panicked waiter rushed down.

“Mr. Walker, something’s wrong!”

“Miss Isabella passed out from her pollen allergy, but she refuses to go to the hospital…”

Before the waiter could finish, Adrian’s grip on the steering wheel tightened, veins bulging in his hand.

His jaw locked, teeth grinding as he spat out,

“Are you all idiots?!”

“If she won’t go, then drag her there!”

Afterward, he struggled to calm himself.

But the next second, a commotion broke out inside the café.

“Someone’s on the roof! They’re about to jump!”

Adrian couldn’t hold back any longer.

His eyes widened in panic as he slammed his fist on the steering wheel, threw open the door, and ran out without hesitation.

His frantic figure fading into the distance looked exactly like every moment from the past eleven years when he feared for me.

But the man who once promised to love me forever, to give me everything, was already gone.

Clutching my stomach, I stepped out of the car, tears finally running dry.

My heart was numb from pain, my mind blank.

Suddenly, someone shouted at me.

“You—your stomach!”

“Call an ambulance, quick!”

I looked down to see blood streaming down my legs, pooling beneath my feet.

How wonderful…

The pain was finally gone.

My vision went black, and I was rushed to the hospital by strangers.

Outside the emergency room, a nurse handed me a surgical consent form to sign.

Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice from a distance.

“Adrian, I was so scared I’d never see you again.”

Isabella curled weakly in Adrian’s arms, crying softly.

Adrian soothed her gently, but as he adjusted his bag, the emerald necklace slipped out and shattered on the floor.

After signing the papers for the abortion, I smiled faintly and turned to the nurse.

“Could you please call that man over?”

“Why? Is he your relative?” The nurse looked puzzled.

Smiling coldly, I explained,

“He’s my husband. If I’m having a miscarriage, shouldn’t he be here?”

Without waiting for her shocked reaction, I sat quietly, waiting for her to fetch him.