Chapter 1

1

The day before our wedding, my fiancé gave me a sapphire ring.

I touched my swollen belly as I lay on the operating table, telling him I wanted a divorce.

Soon, his little secretary called, her voice thick with tears. "Mrs. Sterling, I was the one who picked the design. Please don't blame Alistair. It's all my fault."

Alistair held her in his arms, whispering sweet reassurances for a long time. He only left me with one sentence. "You're carrying my child. Do you really think you can leave me?"

......

"Ma'am, are you absolutely sure? You're four months along. Do you really want to end the pregnancy?"

"I'm sure," I said firmly.

The woman's soft sobbing and the man's gentle comforting continued over the phone.

I hung up and closed my eyes in silence.

The procedure felt like it lasted a lifetime. When I weakly opened my eyes, that tiny life had already been removed. It sat there, cold and still on the metal tray.

I closed my eyes quickly. But the stinging in my nose made it impossible to ignore the truth.

I had killed my own child.

All for a man who didn't deserve a single ounce of me.

My phone buzzed. It was a message from Alistair.

"Stop this tantrum and get home. You're not a child anymore, so stop acting like one."

"Don't think the world revolves around you just because of me, Autumn. Know your place."

Those cold words told me exactly where I stood in his life.

Gia Woods was young, beautiful, and a graduate of a prestigious Ivy League school with a wealthy family.

And me? I was the fading wife. Even though I had exhausted myself helping Alistair build his empire, all I got in return was his mockery.

I blocked them both.

Maybe now he'd stop saying I took myself too seriously. Whether I lived or died was my business now.

I had the remains cremated.

The funeral home staff looked at me strangely. They probably hadn't handled a case like this before.

The roaring flames reflected on my face. Even though the fire didn't touch me, my skin felt like it was burning.

The pain crawled along my nerves and settled in my heart.

When the small urn was handed to me, my mental walls finally crumbled.

Tears streamed down my face. I finally... had nothing left.

The husband who once loved me, the life I had nurtured, and the future I dreamed of were all turned to ash.

On my way home from the hospital, I saw a massive billboard for Sterling Group.

The two people standing in the center looked like a match made in heaven.

On Gia's neck, a bright blue light sparkled.

It was a sapphire necklace.

With my sharp eyes as a jewelry designer, I knew immediately. It was part of the same set as the ring I received.

I carefully pulled the ring from my pocket and let out a bitter laugh.

Compared to Gia's intricate necklace, my ring was incredibly plain.

It looked like... a free gift.

I tossed the ring into a trash can along with my dead heart.

"Alistair Sterling, I owe you nothing now."