Chapter 1

I took our family car in for routine maintenance.

The technician reached into the gap beside the passenger seat and pulled out a cat maternity handbook.

The cat was named "Rose."

The guardian signature was written in my husband's unmistakable handwriting: "Rose's Daddy, Derek Harrison."

I froze on the spot.

Our family had never owned a cat.

Just then, Derek called my phone.

I casually brought it up.

"I found a pet handbook in the car. Since when do you have a cat?"

He let out a light chuckle.

"There's a pregnant stray living outside the office building. I felt bad for her, so I drove her to the vet."

"She gave birth last month, and now the whole little family is being treated like royalty around the office."

I laughed along and told him how sweet he was.

After hanging up, I opened the booklet and read it carefully.

American Shorthair, two years old.

The stray litter at his company, which I had seen in his coworkers' social media posts, was entirely composed of scruffy alley cats.

I closed the handbook, noted the name of the veterinary clinic, and drove straight there.

1

It was the most exclusive and expensive pet hospital in the city.

I walked up to the counter and handed over the cat maternity handbook.

"My brother asked me to confirm Rose's due date."

The receptionist pulled up the file on her computer.

Rose's Daddy: Derek Harrison.

Rose's Mommy: Hailey Reed.

Last year, out of pity, I made an exception to hire Hailey as an intern in our logistics department.

She had poor credentials, came from a broke family, and seemed timid and helpless.

Now it seemed her internship had earned her a permanent promotion in my husband's life.

A heavy lump formed in my throat as I clutched the booklet and drove straight to the company.

Ever since I stepped back to raise our twin daughters, I had not set foot in the building.

Derek was not in the CEO suite.

His assistant followed closely behind me, stammering that Derek was in an important meeting.

Yet her eyes kept darting nervously toward the adjoining office.

That used to be my executive office, which sat empty after I became a full-time mother.

A cold dread washed over me.

Ignoring the assistant, I kicked the door wide open.

"Derek, you're back early!"

A young woman sitting on a plush bed smiled warmly, but the moment her eyes met mine, she shrieked and dove under the covers.

I stood frozen in the doorway.

My former executive office had been completely transformed with a lavish bed and a vanity table.

The walls were repainted in soft pastels, lace curtains hung over the floor-to-ceiling windows, and pink designer furniture filled the space.

It looked just like a cozy, romantic master bedroom.

Behind my back, Derek had built a secret love nest for Hailey Reed right next to his own office.

"Mrs... Mrs. Harrison... Mr. Harrison is still in a meeting, maybe you should..."

The assistant cowered behind me, too terrified to look up.

My gaze fell upon Hailey, who was trembling beneath the blankets.

My eyes narrowed as I noticed the massive bump protruding under the duvet.

"How many months along are you?"

Hailey curled in on herself even tighter.

I marched forward, ripped the blanket away, and stared straight into her face.

"I asked you a question! How many months?!"

"I... I..."

Tears streamed down Hailey's cheeks, and within seconds, she burst into hysterical sobs.

"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Harrison..."

"Jessica, you're terrifying her!"

A furious shove threw me off balance.

Before I could recover, Derek was already wrapping his arms around Hailey, gently stroking her back.

"Don't be scared, sweetheart. I'm right here. I'll protect you."

The contrast made my head spin.

Only this morning, Derek had nuzzled my cheek, thanked me for taking such good care of our daughters, and promised to take us to Disneyland this weekend.

Now, he was holding another woman, carefully minding her giant pregnant belly while whispering sweet promises of protection.

A crushing sense of betrayal suffocated me.

Dizzy and nauseous, I stumbled backward and knocked over a picture frame on the shelf.

It was a collage of nine glowing maternity photos.

Some were solo portraits of Hailey, while others showed her cradling the cat, Rose.

In the center photo, Derek was kneeling before her on one knee.

His large hands gently cupped her bare baby bump, gazing up at her with boundless tenderness and devotion.

That was pure, undeniable love.

I stared at him with cold detachment.

"Derek Harrison, care to explain this?"

"You knocked up another woman and had the audacity to move her into my office!"

Hailey flinched dramatically, clutching her belly with a pale, twisted expression.

"Derek... it hurts so bad..."

"Hailey! What's wrong?! Somebody call an ambulance right now!"

Derek went completely frantic, sweeping her up into his arms and screaming at his assistant.

He acted as if I were invisible, his entire world narrowing down to Hailey alone.

Unable to take it anymore, I grabbed his arm with all my strength.

"You don't take a single step until you explain this to me!"

Derek violently shoved me away, careful not to jostle Hailey in the process.

"What is there to explain? Isn't it obvious enough?!"

"Hailey is delicate! I spent nine months keeping her safe so she could carry this baby to term! If anything happens to my child because of you, I swear I will make you pay!"

With that, he sprinted out of their little haven carrying Hailey.

I was left standing alone in the ruins of my past.

Beneath my feet was a custom plush rug.

On the bed lay imported silk sheets, next to a medical-grade ultrasonic humidifier.

The entire room had a climate control system, every piece of furniture had rounded child-proof corners, and an entire wall was lined with luxury baby products.

He had indeed worked very hard.

He played the devoted husband and doting father at home while secretly pampering his pregnant mistress at work, ordering the entire company to keep me in the dark.

Gritting my teeth, I picked up the heavy photo frame.

I smashed everything in the room to absolute pieces.