Chapter 1

Every woman in Strathaven's high society wished they were Harper Vaughn. She wasn't born into anything special, but she became the one Callum Colter—the younger son of the rich and powerful Colter family—fell for. They said the Colters shot down the marriage because of their outdated ways. Callum got down on his knees in the memorial hall, took a brutal beating, and nearly died for it. But he never gave up on Harper. In the end, Callum even agreed to be cut off from the family to marry Harper. But just days before the wedding, Quentin Colter, the Colters' oldest son, died in a car accident. That made Callum the sole heir to the Colter family, and he was forced to go back. Word was, they were pushing him into an arranged marriage with someone from the "right kind of family". People were speculating if Callum would dump Harper when he went online and made it official. He announced their marriage under the Colter family's name. Strathaven was buzzing again. Their love story was praised everywhere, and Harper was every woman's dream come true. Only Harper knew the whole thing was a lie. Callum was sleeping with Sienna Prescott, his late brother's wife. Olivia Holden, Callum's mother, had Harper on her knees in the memorial hall and made her recite their family rules. If she so much as stuttered, Olivia would smack her back with a wooden ruler. After what felt like forever, Harper was finally allowed to rest. As she walked past one of the rooms, a woman's breathless voice reached her ears. "Please go slower, Callum. I can't take it anymore." Callum's husky voice followed. "Be good, Enna. Just relax and give me a son." The words struck Harper like a knife straight to the heart. She subconsciously grabbed the front of her shirt, her nails digging into her skin through the fabric, as if that could stop the ache inside. One month ago, Harper had just found out she was pregnant and was glowing at the thought of finally getting married. Then, Callum was forced to return to the Colter family. Quentin had died, and Sienna had chosen to stay a widow. Olivia was desperate to keep the family line going, so she pressured Callum to make Sienna pregnant and told everyone it was Quentin's son. Callum stood his ground, so Olivia took Harper and forced her into an abortion. On the fourth day after Harper lost the baby, Callum showed up in the ward at the hospital. He was bruised and limping as he wrapped her in his arms. "I had no choice, Harper. It's for your safety. I promised Mom to get Sienna pregnant. That's the only way she would leave you alone." Harper nearly collapsed after hearing that. She grabbed Callum's arm just in time to keep herself on her feet. Her nails dug deep into his flesh. Her voice was so hollow and cracked that it sounded like it had clawed its way out of a broken heart. "I'm not afraid to die. We just lost our baby. How could you go and have a child with someone else?" Callum just held her tight. "We'll get another chance at a baby, so let's just bear with it. Mom has already agreed to let you marry into the Colter family." That was the first time Harper was ever allowed through the doors of the Colter residence. She watched with her own eyes as Callum went from dreading being with Sienna to wanting more. He even murmured Sienna's name in his sleep. Eventually, he moved into Sienna's room and left her alone in theirs. She wasn't welcome in the Colter family. The housekeepers, who kept an eye on her, deliberately made snarky remarks about it. "Mr. Colter is really putting in the work. I wouldn't be surprised if Mdm. Prescott is pregnant already." Callum was still on Sienna's bed when Harper was hit with the memory of her lost baby. Blood rushed up her throat and spilled from her lips. She somehow dragged herself back to her room before completely backing out. Harper didn't know how much time had passed when she faintly heard the doctor speaking to Callum. "After Ms. Vaughn's uterus was removed, her hormones went out of balance. She'll need time and care to recover." Her heart skipped a beat as Sienna giggled. "You're so cruel, Callum. All Olivia asked for was an abortion, and you told the doctor to remove her uterus." Did Callum tell them to take out her uterus? Why would he do that? He knew how badly she wanted a child and a family. Harper felt like she was being torn apart. She tried to open her eyes as she needed to hear it from Callum. How could he be so cruel? But she couldn't move, as if she were held down by something she couldn't see. Right then, Callum calmly added, "As long as Harper couldn't have children, she would never be a threat to the Colter family's next heir." Callum sighed. "Quentin died in that car crash because he was out getting me a wedding gift. I swore at his grave that the next head of the Colter family will be his child. You're the one who will carry it." That reason broke Harper, and she cried tears of blood in her nightmare. When she finally woke up from the endless nightmare, there was no one by her bed. She clutched her stomach in pain. She couldn't care less about being the next head of the Colter family. All she ever wanted was a loving husband, a sweet child, and a simple life. But Callum had Harper's womb removed and took away her chance to ever have a child. Since it had come to this, she was done with him. She would make sure he spent the rest of his life drowning in guilt for what he did to her and her child. Pale-faced, Harper sported a wry smile. She called the agency that specialized in faking deaths. "I want to fake my death a month from now, which is right before the wedding. I only have one condition. Make sure Callum believes I died because of him."