Chapter 1

Shannon Linsel said, "I want to end the agreement, Grace. You said that it would be void if Thomas didn't fall in love with me within five years." Grace Homer replied, "I did say that, but don't you both have Chris now? You love him so much—can you really stand to see him call someone else his mother?" "I can." Shannon's voice was firm and without a trace of hesitation. "My marriage with Thomas was never anything more than an agreement—even Chris was just part of the deal. And now that Laura is back, both of them don't need me anymore." She did develop feelings for Thomas over the past five years, yet all she felt in return was disappointment, over and over again. Grace sighed, recalling the mess Thomas had created. She said, "There are seven more days left on the agreement. Just sign here, and the Ford family will set you free after seven days." Upon hearing that, Shannon signed the agreement promptly. She then strode out of the Ford residence. As she drove off, she received a text from the kindergarten. A photo was attached to it. Thomas was openly laughing in the photo, his body instinctively leaning toward Laura. Meanwhile, their son, Christopher Ford, was holding tightly onto Laura's hand. The three of them were wearing the matching outfits Shannon had specifically bought for Christopher's sports day. Not only did Laura go to the sports day instead of Shannon, but she was even wearing the matching outfit Shannon was supposed to wear. … Thomas and Laura's love story had caused quite a buzz. Thomas was a wealthy heir worth hundreds of millions, and Laura was a rising star who dropped out of school to make it in the entertainment industry. Despite their huge differences, they fell in love and ended up together. But when Laura's career started taking off, she broke things off with Thomas, saying that she needed to focus on her career. His mental health had plummeted ever since. He spent his days numbing his misery with alcohol and even contemplated ending his life. One night, news of the Ford family's eldest son attempting suicide over love made the headlines. At the same time, Shannon's father was in surgery, and the high medical bills were putting her in a tough spot. That was when Grace found her. As long as Shannon agreed to marry into the Ford family for five years and help Thomas get out of his slump, Grace would cover the medical bills. Grace then introduced Shannon to Thomas and suggested he marry her. "Are you willing to take Shannon as your bride, Thomas?" They were both anxious, as the agreement wouldn't go through if he didn't agree to it. However, Thomas nodded and replied with an ashen face, "I don't care. It doesn't matter who it is if it's not her." They had met because of the agreement. It was supposed to be just a business arrangement, but Shannon made the mistake of developing feelings for him while taking daily care of him. However, Thomas remained indifferent, never once looking her in the eye. Even the only proof of their relationship—an officiated marriage—was unregistered because he was busy with work. Things changed the day he came home drunk before dawn. His gaze was unfocused, staring at Shannon as he said, "Let's try for a child." They slept together that very night. Shannon thought that it was the start of their blooming love. She only found out later on that Laura had just announced her relationship on the same day. However, Thomas stopped being cold and indifferent ever since Christopher was born. He no longer ignored her efforts. Just as Shannon figured things would keep going the way they were, Laura publicly announced her breakup. The paparazzis caught her walking hand in hand with Thomas that very night. The headlines hinted that they might've gotten back together. Since then, they grew even closer, and Thomas even started bringing Laura home. Christopher, who was usually aloof, also became a completely different person after meeting Laura. He turned clingy and wanted to play with her now and then. Photos of the three of them started accumulating at home. In the past, Thomas had hated taking photos. They barely had any photos together over the past five years. But ever since Laura became a regular in the house, he didn't just buy the latest camera but also started cutting out cheap tabloid shots of them and keeping them all organized. Thomas was always willing to make exceptions when it came to Laura. Shannon finally understood that he would never love her, no matter how much time passed. That was because he only had eyes for Laura. But fortunately, everything was all for the agreement. In seven days, she could finally leave this house that had stripped her of her dignity—and go abroad to pursue her dream career as an author. With that in mind, Shannon picked up her phone and reached out to an overseas publishing house. She then booked a flight ticket for seven days later. … When Shannon returned home, she headed toward her usual parking spot, only to find Laura's car pulling in ahead of her. Both Thomas and Christopher were in the car.