Chapter 1

It happened during my mother's funeral. The housekeeper received evidence of my fiance's infidelity. "Ms. Annette, the woman Mr. Ferguson had been seeing has given birth!" When confronted, instead of offering an explanation, Landon Ferguson said indifferently, "Focus on the funeral for now." The next day, he failed to appear at my mother's wake. All I received was a phone call. "I'm looking after her at the postnatal center, so I won't be there at the funeral." My lack of response made him sigh. "Don't worry, what happened between her and me was an accident. She has no intention of interfering with our engagement and just wanted to keep the baby. "But I'm the father. I can't abandon the child. After we get married, I'll stay at her place on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays to care for them. I'll be home on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays." I clenched my fists and laughed until tears welled up in my eyes. "We're over, Landon. The engagement is off." Landon scoffed. "Your mother just passed. Stop messing around." I hung up the phone without hesitation and stood in front of Landon's archrival. "Marry me, and we'll take down the Fergusons. Are you in?" A trace of surprise flashed in Dylan Lovell's eyes. His stern countenance flushed red as he stammered, "We have an old rule in the Lovell family—we're only allowed to marry once. If you marry me, you're mine for life." I thought his words meant refusal. I turned away in disappointment, only for him to grab my hand. His wild features assumed a more solemn expression. "You should think this through, Annette. Divorce is not an option." I smiled slightly and nodded with certainty. "Alright. There won't be a divorce." Dylan had been my mother's choice for my future husband. His character, family background, and personality all held up under scrutiny. If I hadn't fallen for Landon, I would have married Dylan. The funeral affairs were complicated. So, Dylan helped me with the condolence arrangements and kept at it for more than two weeks. Meanwhile, Landon didn't even call once during that time. Every time I went on social media, I would be greeted with intimate photos of him and Lydia Thompson. The pair grinned from ear to ear, cradling the baby while forming a heart with their hands. The caption read, "My most beloved family." I let out a cold laugh, unable to stop the bitter sting in my chest. That was when I received a call from Landon. He sounded laid back when he spoke. "The funeral's over, right? Do you want to visit the baby at the postnatal center?" I looked at the dark circles under my eyes in the rearview mirror and said placidly, "Landon, we already broke up." There was a pause on the other end before Landon began muttering, "Fair enough. Lydia has been a little depressed after giving birth, so seeing you might upset her." Half a month's worth of tears finally fell. My eyes reddened as I let out a self-deprecating laugh. "Landon, I said we broke up. Are you deaf?" He was taken aback for a moment before he began to mock me, "You've been with me for five years, Annette. You're practically used goods. Who else would want you if you leave me? I told you the baby was an accident. Why can't you let it go?" I didn't say a word. Then, I heard something smash on the other end of the line. Landon scoffed. "Alright, let's break up. I'll wait for you to come crawling back to beg me for a second chance." The call ended with a harsh click. When I got home, I realized that the door code had been changed. I couldn't reach his phone, either. So, I had to stay at a hotel. When I woke up, Instagram recommended a livestream from a postnatal center. In it, Lydia was interacting enthusiastically with the audience while Landon sat by her side, lovingly gazing at her. I used to believe that his gentle gaze belonged only to me.