In the pouring rain, Desmond carried the intern who had cut her finger.

He left me, eight months pregnant, stuck in waist-deep water overnight.

It wasn't until noon the next day that he finally called.

"Tessa is frightened. Make some calming soup and bring it to the office."

The young nurse held the IV drip, awkwardly staring at me, who was barely clinging to life after undergoing an abortion procedure.

Before I could respond, Desmond's impatient voice came through the phone.

"Didn't you always want me to name our baby? As long as you take good care of Tessa, I'll grant your wish."

My hand touched my flat belly. "Desmond, I don't need it anymore."

The line went silent for a moment before a cold laugh echoed.

"You're throwing another tantrum just because I didn't pick you up? I've already told my secretary to send you the auction bag from last month."

"No need!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. "I don't want either the bag or you."

My love, along with the business empire I handed you, I'm taking it all back.

——

When my mother-in-law rushed to the hospital, my face was deathly pale as I accepted the fully formed baby boy from the nurse.

I traced his facial features, which bore a striking resemblance to Desmond's and tears streamed down my face.

Couldn't bear to see me like this, Rosalie pulled me into a gentle embrace.

"My dear child, I'll have Desmond tied up and brought to you. You can hit him or scold him as you please. Just forgive him one last time, alright?"

I gently broke free from her embrace, saying without emotion.

"His heart isn't with me, so I won't force it."

From the engagement to now, I had forgiven him far too many times.

During our engagement banquet, Tessa crashed the party in a wedding dress identical to mine. However, Desmond shielded her and said casually.

"She just wanted to experience wearing a wedding dress. Why are you so angry at her?"

On our wedding day, the ring meant for me ended up on Tessa's finger. Still, Desmond said dismissively.

"You have so many nice things. Will you die without this one?"

On our wedding night, a single call from her pulled him from our bed. Then, he told me half a month later.

"Tessa just asked me to stay with her for a few days, but the title of Mrs. Grey was given to you."

Grief and disappointment welled up inside me. Looking at the lifeless infant in my arms, I no longer wanted to forgive him.

Rosalie seemed to age a decade in an instant.

She hunched over, her head drooping even lower.

"Amy, Desmond is immature. Please don't involve the Grey Family."

I looked up blankly, forcing a bitter smile.

"Back then, when the Greys were on the brink of bankruptcy, you used your life-saving favor to persuade my grandfather to help us. Then, fearing he wouldn't do his best, you begged me to marry Desmond."

"Grandpa said that as long as I was happy, the Grey Family would be happy as well. Now, it's Desmond who abandoned me and he's the one who's pushing the Grey Family into hell with his own hands."

My mother-in-law's face changed dramatically at my words. She knelt on the floor, trying to use the same tactic as three years ago to save the Grey Family.

Just then, the hospital room door was violently kicked open.

Desmond burst in like a madman. Without even looking at his mother on the floor, he reached out and grabbed me.

"All I wanted was for you to make some calming soup for Tessa and you tried to take her life? How could you be so vicious?"

Before I could react, he dragged me off the bed onto the ground.

I only focused on protecting the lifeless infant in my arms and my back slammed hard into the corner of the bed. The pain made me curl into a ball.

"Desmond, what's wrong with you? Amy just had surgery! What does Tessa's situation have to do with her?"

Rosalie hurriedly helped me up from the ground. The large scratches on my palm were shocking to behold.

Still, Desmond only glanced at her before looking away.

"Amariel Laveau is so powerful! She can get people to do things for her with just one phone call. Besides, the calming soup container was hers. How do you explain this?"

My heart was filled with bitterness, but Desmond's eyes followed mine to the food container on the table.

His expression kept shifting and his voice was no longer as confident as before.

"Anyway, only Amariel knows that Tessa is allergic to peanuts. Tessa's accident must be related to her."

As his gaze darted around, he finally noticed my flat stomach and the deceased infant in my arms.

His voice suddenly rose.

"Amariel, you really don't want to have a child with me."

Hearing this, I looked up sharply and unexpectedly saw a hint of reluctance in his eyes.

But in the next second, he said something that pierced my heart.

"It's better off dead anyway. A child you have would be just as heartless as you are."

My heart felt like it had a bloody hole gouged out of it.

When I first met Desmond three years ago, I knew he had a beloved first love.

But he? During moments of passion, he would repeat my name and swear that he would love me only for the rest of his life.

Yet after I fell for him, he let his secretary cross the line again and again.

Even after our son miscarried, he still cursed me to die.

The last shred of hope in my heart was utterly shattered. I calmly looked back at him.

"Let's get a divorce."

Desmond seemed taken aback that I would suggest a divorce. After all, he had done much worse in the past and I never considered leaving him.

"It's just a child; we can have another one. Why divorce me over this?"

"Or are you trying to use divorce to threaten me, so I won't pursue what you did to Tessa?"

I looked helplessly at the man I had loved for three years. I never realized how ridiculous he was before.

"I'll give you three days to settle the joint projects between the Grey and Laveau families. We'll meet at the City Hall in three days."

I picked up the child and walked toward the door, only to find Tessa standing there with a smug expression.

She blocked my path and whispered in a voice only the two of us could hear.

"The rain was so heavy and it still didn't wash you away. You really have a strong will to live. It's a shame I had to cut my finger to get rid of this little brat."

My body trembled and I nearly fainted.

Ignoring the weakness from my miscarriage, I raised my hand to slap Tessa across the face.

But before I could touch her, I heard a shriek.

Desmond rushed out just in time to see my raised hand and Tessa lying on the ground.

"Tessa!" Desmond roughly pushed me aside and rushed to help Tessa up with a look of concern.

I lost my balance and tumbled down the stairs, throwing my son in my arms far away.

"Amariel, apologize!"

Desmond was furious, but his words went unanswered for a long time.

He looked up impatiently and saw me lying at the bottom of the stairs, my face covered in blood.

"Amariel." His voice shook as he released Tessa and ran toward me.

I shook his hand off, forcing myself to endure the pain all over my body as I crawled towards my son, who was nearby.

Desmond's expression suddenly changed, his reluctance giving way to annoyance. He tugged at his collar and yelled at me.

"You caused Tessa to have an allergic reaction that nearly killed her. Now you're trying to kill yourself and put on a sour face just because you fell."

"No wonder you can't even save your own child. You deserve it."

Desmond's words were piercing, but I suddenly burst into laughter.

He looked at me with a frown on his face, then grabbed my neck and asked me what I was laughing at.

I suddenly didn't want to explain anymore and just wanted to leave with my son as soon as possible.

As my hand touched my son, Tessa suddenly snatched him away from me.

"I heard that eight-month-old stillborns have the strongest malevolent aura. The company and I have been experiencing a lot of bad luck. It must be because of this stillborn, right? We should burn it and be done with it."

With that, Tessa gave a look to her bodyguard, who quickly took the stillborn and left.

I lunged forward to stop him, but Desmond held me back with a firm grip.

"Either you or your son must pay for the harm done to Tessa. Either he gets burned, or you … kneel and apologize to her."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. He wanted me to kneel and apologize to Tessa. It was clear that my kindness over the past three years had made him forget who I truly was.

I pulled out my phone to make a call, but as soon as the number started dialing, Tessa knocked it out of my hand.

"Mr. Grey told you to apologize to me. Didn't you hear him?"

Tessa's arrogant voice rang out just as a deep, aged voice came through my phone.

"My dear girl, you finally called your grandpa?"

I didn't cry when Tessa humiliated me. I didn't cry when my son miscarried, but hearing my grandfather's voice at that moment, my tears couldn't help but fall one after another, hitting the ground.

"Grandpa … " I choked out, but Tessa lifted her high heels and stomped down on the phone with all her might.

The screen shattered and my grandfather's voice cut off abruptly.

I glared up at her angrily and demanded.

"Desmond, that was your own son! Do you want him to die and not rest in peace?"

Desmond was frightened by the blood and tears on my face. He walked towards me uncontrollably.

He cupped my face and wiped it gently.

"Tessa is about to secure a three-billion-dollar contract, which is crucial for the company's development in the year's second half. Don't be stubborn, just apologize and I'll pretend nothing happened."

Desmond always thought I was being stubborn.

When I insisted on changing my wedding dress because it was identical to Tessa's, he said I was being stubborn.

On our wedding night, when I refused to let him go to a drunken Tessa, he said I was being stubborn.

Now that our son was dead, he still thought I was being stubborn.

Even more ridiculous was that he was willing to let our son die for a mere three hundred million contract. What did the tens of billions of assets I had worked so hard to get for him even mean then?

Thinking of this, I laughed sarcastically.

"Desmond, forget about your three billion dollars. This marriage is over."

Desmond was stung by the disappointment in my eyes. He clenched his fists tightly and gritted his teeth.

"Do you really think I'm afraid to divorce you? I'll see if the Greys can really survive without you."

After saying that, he left with Tessa.

I couldn't hold back any longer and fainted.

When I woke up, I was back at my family's residence.

I faintly heard an argument coming from the study. As I approached, I saw Rosalie with a grim expression and Desmond saying nothing.

Seeing me, my mother-in-law quickly stood up.

"Amy, I went to handle your discharge procedures that day and only heard about Desmond's foolish actions when I returned."

I remained silent and Rosalie stammered, unable to continue.

"I've already decided to transfer all of Desmond's shares into your name."

Rosalie observed my expression. Seeing that I remained unmoved, she quickly pushed Desmond in front of me.

"You ungrateful son, do you really want to push Amy to her death and destroy the company our family has built over generations?"

Desmond seemed surprised by her words.

He finally looked at my ghostly pale face and my body, which was slightly hunched in pain.

After a long moment, he let out a soft sigh and said with certainty. "Amariel can't live without me, so she wouldn't dare to die."

I stared blankly at the hand he reached out to me. The same hand had pulled me out of the icy lake three years ago, yet now it felt so cold.