Chapter 1

1

On the hundredth day of our silent treatment, his little protegee got pregnant with his child.

I packed my bags in silence. I decided to listen to my parents and apply for my visa to move to Europe.

His friends sat around, laughing and whispering.

"Selene, your boyfriend is about to start a family with someone else. Aren't you going to beg him to come back?"

I dropped to my knees, pleading for his forgiveness.

He looked down at me with an arrogant smirk.

"It's good that you know you were wrong. We'll get our license in three days. I'll let you be the legal mother of the child."

But he didn't know that in three days, we would never see each other again.

……

On the night of the hundredth day of our cold war, Xavier Thorne sent me a restaurant address.

"Dinner is on me."

The moment I saw the message, I grabbed my keys and ran out. I carefully tucked a luxury watch into my pocket.

I had begged my family for a long time to help me get that priceless piece. It was meant to be my peace offering.

But when I arrived, I only saw a table full of leftovers and a room full of people laughing.

No one noticed I had entered.

At the center of it all, Xavier had his arm around Zia Quinn's waist, laughing loudly.

"I choose Truth!" he shouted.

"Actually, the baby in Zia's belly is mine!"

As soon as he said it, Zia leaned in and kissed his cheek.

He held up a medical report and finally met my eyes.

The room went dead silent for a moment.

Their eyes finally drifted toward me, filled with nothing but contempt.

Someone spoke up with a snicker.

"Selene, you're finally here. Your boyfriend is starting a family with another woman. Better hurry up and make nice."

"If you're too slow, you won't even get to be the kid's step-mom on paper!"

Xavier sat up straight, watching me quietly.

I took a deep breath and lowered my head habitually.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

Xavier didn't say a word.

He wasn't satisfied.

Someone else yelled out.

"Did you not eat? We can't hear you! A big girl should speak up!"

Under the mocking gazes of everyone there, I dropped to both knees and shouted.

"I was wrong! Please forgive me!"

The room erupted into a roar of laughter.

"Impressive! Selene is really something else!"

"That's our Xavier. He's got two women devoted to him. She'll stay even if she's being cuckolded."

Xavier's ego was fully stroked.

He curled his lips into a smug, condescending smile.

"It's good you learned your lesson. We'll get married in three days. I'll let you be the mother of my child in name only."

He tossed the bill in front of me.

"Pay the check and go home. I have things to do."

I nodded.

Completely satisfied, he handed me a packed takeout container.

I took it, and my expression softened slightly.

At least he still thought of me.

I waited until he walked out holding Zia's hand before I slowly stood up.

As I walked out, I heard his friend asking him over a voice message.

"Wasn't that takeout container for Zia's Border Collie? Aren't you afraid the dog will be mad if you give it to her?"

Xavier's calm voice drifted back.

"It's just a temporary reward because she behaved well. I already ordered a special meal for the dog."

"Besides, she should be grateful. She didn't contact me for three months. She's lucky I'm giving her dog food."

I froze and opened the container.

Sure enough, it was mostly scraps and bones. It wasn't a meal meant for a human at all.

It was sickening.

I slammed the lid shut and threw it into a nearby trash can before walking up to them.

Maybe seeing my pale face, Xavier actually walked over to explain.

"What happened between us was an accident. You know Zia is fragile. The doctor said she can't go through with a procedure to end the pregnancy."

Of course, I knew.

He used to tell me to treat her like a sister. He said her health was poor and asked me to look after her.

I used to prepare three medicinal meals a day for her, tailored to her taste.

Looking back, I realized how incredibly stupid I was.

Because I loved him, I believed every word he said.

I believed him right up until he got her pregnant.