Chapter 1

Arthur sent me a message. "I drank too much at the celebration party that night. Jenny has gotten pregnant. I need to take care of her at all times. "Initially, she planned on hiding the pregnancy from me and raising the child on her own. But she's still so young, and she wants to become the country's best heart surgeon in the future. I don't want to ruin her future, nor can I turn my back on this innocent life. "You wanted us to have a baby soon, right? Once Jenny has given birth, I'll send her abroad to further her studies. You can raise her baby. In the future, the baby will only acknowledge you as their mother." Seeing that I hadn't responded, Arthur sent another message. "About our marriage registration, we might have to reschedule it until after Jenny has given birth." I stared at the phone screen and laughed until my eyes had turned red. Did Arthur think I was to be trifled with? I came from the illustrious Parker family in Talovia. I called Peter Sullivan right away. "Let's get married. What do you think?" … After registering our marriage, Peter grumbled as he hurried to the airport. Initially, he had been waiting at the airport to catch a flight to Itoria for a business meeting. However, I gave him a call and asked him to drop by the city hall. As I recalled Peter's irritated expression from earlier, I couldn't help but feel slightly guilty. He had told me over the phone, "Susan, were you playing hard to get all this while? I pursued you for eight years, but you barely even looked at me. Now, you want us to get married?" I looked at the time and replied, "The city hall's opening hours are almost over. Do you want to get married?" Peter immediately gave in. "Yes! I have my identification documents with me, and I just changed my flight. My parents already know about this. It'll all be for nothing if we don't get married now." … Since I hadn't replied to any of Arthur's messages, he finally gave me a call. He sounded anxious over the phone. "Susan, please don't overthink things. You're the only one I love. All I feel for Jenny is admiration. What happened that night was just an accident." "Oh, I get it." I sounded extremely calm. "You're a man. It's bound to happen." Arthur remained silent on the phone for some time. Then, I heard him taking a deep breath. "Where are you now? I'll send my driver to pick you up. Jenny is experiencing morning sickness, so I really can't leave—" I interrupted him. "No need to pick me up." Arthur's voice immediately turned cold. "Susan, are you throwing a tantrum with me now? I've already made things clear. Once Jenny has given birth, I'll send her away. What else do you want me to do?" My chest felt tight, and I unconsciously tightened my grip on the marriage certificate. I did my best to keep my voice calm. "Arthur, let's break up." Arthur was taken aback for a moment. Then, he sneered mockingly, "Don't you know how well I've treated you all these years? Yes, I made a mistake. But what man wouldn't? I'm already trying to make up for my mistake. Must you be so pushy about it?" I pursed my lips tightly without a word. Since I wasn't saying a word, his patience seemed to have reached its limit. "Fine! Since that's what you want, let's break up! It won't take half an hour before you come back crying for me!" Arthur ended the call right away, and all I heard was the busy signal. I hailed a cab to take me back to what used to be mine and Arthur's home. But I wasn't there to look for him. I just wanted to pack up my things and quickly leave. As soon as I opened the door, I noticed Arthur was inside, wearing an apron. He had thoughtfully prepared lots of dishes, which were all laid out on the dining table. Arthur and Jenny were sitting facing each other, chatting happily over their food. He showed his affection for her by serving her some food. He was even considerate enough to feed her. I naively used to believe that Arthur's gentle expression was reserved only for me.