Chapter 1

How did it feel to see one's husband going to a prenatal checkup with another woman? In the past, Juliet Stone would have been confident that her husband, Asher Greene, would never do such a thing. However, it was their wedding anniversary, and she had waited for him at the restaurant for three hours. It was her favorite Ranchian restaurant, and she had made the reservation three months in advance. Tulips that had been specially flown in from Coyland were on the table. They were Juliet's favorite flower. Everything was perfect, as if every moment had been carefully rehearsed and scripted. However, the male lead did not turn up. Juliet's phone screen was lit up. Her best friend, Ariane Johnston, had sent her a photo half an hour ago with the caption: "Jules, I think I saw Asher at the obstetrics and gynecology department at the hospital…" Asher's tall and erect figure looked very distinctive in the photo. He was carefully holding a woman's arm and lowering his head to listen to her speak. There was an extremely tender expression on his face. The woman was wearing a loose maternity dress, and she was smiling as she gently caressed her stomach. It was Evangeline Huxley, the daughter of Asher's late mentor. Asher had taken great care of her for many years. Ariane sent several messages after that: "Jules, w-what is going on? I bumped into them today when I went with my sister to the hospital for her prenatal checkup." "Didn't Evangeline just come back to the country a while ago? How did they…" "Is Asher…" Juliet stared at the photo as she sent an answer: "It's fine." She had been ten years old when she met Asher for the first time, and 15 years had passed since then. She had stubbornly let her life revolve around him like a planet orbiting the sun. She had wanted to be the only star that shone in his life. Everyone said that Juliet must have done something amazing in her past life, because she had married a wealthy heir like Asher despite merely being a housekeeper's daughter. However, no one knew that Asher would occasionally cast her aside to protect another woman. He had done the same thing on their wedding anniversary the year before. He had reserved a highly-rated restaurant for Juliet, only to receive a call at the last minute. Evangeline had called to say that she was at the emergency department due to gastric issues. Asher had said urgently, "I'm sorry, Juliet. Evangeline is in a critical condition, and I have to go to her." He had hung up before Juliet could even speak. Juliet had finished the expensive dinner on her own. On her birthday two months ago, Asher had promised to take her to see the northern lights. Their tickets and the hotel were already booked. The night before they were due to leave, Evangeline was mugged while she was attending an art exhibition overseas and suffered a huge shock. Asher apologized to Juliet again and immediately took a flight to see Evangeline. Evangeline's father had died to save Asher, and it was a heavy debt. Evangeline was left all alone, and looking after her became Asher's responsibility and duty. Juliet could understand. She tried her best to be warm and magnanimous as Asher's wife, so that he would not have to worry about anything. She often showed concern for Evangeline's health. Juliet had thought that Asher would see how much effort she was making and would understand that his responsibility to Evangeline and the woman he loved were two different things. However, the photo she was looking at felt like an invisible slap to her face. The obstetrics and gynecology department? She hadn't expected Asher to take his responsibility to her so far. Juliet had courted him for so long and loved him for such a long time. So much time had passed that Juliet had thought that she would never get sick of him. However, she now realized that too many disappointments had extinguished all the love she had once had. Juliet looked at the diamond necklace in front of her, which was worth a nine-figure sum. She smiled politely at the waiter. "Please return the necklace." The waiter looked startled and seemed rather discomfited. "Mr. Greene sent this over early this morning. He emphasized that we should surprise you with it." "Tell Mr. Greene that someone needs his gift more than I do." Juliet picked up her jacket from the back of her chair and stood up. She turned and left, and when she passed a trash can, she slid off the day-to-day wedding ring she usually wore on her ring finger and tossed it in. The waiter stood frozen on the spot in the heavily scented room, left alone with the sparkling necklace. Juliet did not cry when she walked out of the restaurant. Her eyes did not even redden. She just felt tired. They had been married for three years, but she felt as if she was the only one who had put in any effort. Asher loved her very much. At least, that was what he and the rest of the world thought. He remembered all their anniversaries and gave her the most expensive gifts. He gave her every luxury that she deserved as his wife. However, he was always leaving her and rushing off whenever he got a phone call from Evangeline. Evangeline was like a ghost that haunted their marriage. Juliet no longer wanted to think about how far Asher would go to fulfill his "duty" to her. She did not go home and drove to a 24-hour stationery shop instead. "Print this." The worker opened the file and saw that it was about a divorce. He looked again at Juliet, who was as beautiful as a celebrity. He was surprised that even someone as gorgeous as she was would be neglected. Half an hour later, Juliet returned to their mountain villa. It was the house that she and Asher had lived in as newlyweds. There was an enormous wall in the living room that was covered with photos of Juliet, and Asher had taken every single one of them himself. They captured her in different states, looking bright, mischievous, or quiet. In all of those photos, there was only one person she was looking at. Juliet walked over and quietly examined every photo. In the end, she placed a piece of paper in the most conspicuous spot on the coffee table. It was still warm from the printer, and it said: "Divorce Agreement". Juliet had specified in the field for asset division that she wanted nothing. She did not want anything from him. She did not want his love, his guilt, nor his compensation. She did not need any of that anymore. Once she had done that, Juliet walked into the bathroom and pulled open a drawer. It contained a pregnancy test with two lines on it. She had prepared it as a surprise for Asher and had been planning on telling him that night. Now, she could no longer let him know about the child. A child who grew up with parents who did not get on with each other would not be happy. After what seemed like a long time, she heard the sound of the digital doorlock opening in the foyer. Asher was back, and he cast a long shadow under the lights. He tugged off his tie and tossed it on the sofa. When he saw Juliet lying on the sofa with her eyes open, his brow wrinkled slightly. "Why are you up so late? What's wrong now?" He sounded as if she were kicking up a fuss for no reason yet again. Juliet looked up at him quietly. The face of the man she had loved for 15 years was just as handsome as it had always been, but it was so unfamiliar to her that she felt a chill in her heart. She got up and pushed the divorce agreement in front of him. "Sign this."