Chapter 1

Whitney Scott and Cody Larson had been together forever—childhood friends turned high school sweethearts turned husband and wife. Everyone thought their love story was the stuff of fairy tales. The only thing missing was a child. Cody's grandmother and mother had both died in childbirth, and that fear had haunted him all his life. And so, even after four years of marriage, he still refused to let Whitney get pregnant. She respected his feelings, so she never brought up having children and chose to remain childfree with him. But Cody's grandfather made one final demand on his deathbed—the Larson family had to have an heir. Unwilling to let Whitney take the risk, Cody sent people all over the city to search for a woman who resembled her. A month later, Yvette Sloan stood in front of them. She had the same eyes as Whitney. Even her dimples were in almost the exact same spots when she smiled. "Whit, I'm just borrowing her womb." Cody held her face gently, his eyes pleading. "As soon as the baby's born, she's gone. I swear, I won't catch feelings." Whitney believed him. But then, on her birthday, Cody told her he had an emergency at work when really, he was at the clinic with Yvette for her ovulation check. On their anniversary, he said that he was out of town for business, but he spent the night in a hotel with that woman. She had a high fever of 102.2 degrees Fahrenheit and called him for help. He picked up, only to say, "It's her ovulation window. There's a higher chance of conceiving. I need to sleep with her first. Call the doctor yourself, okay?" And still, Whitney held it all in because he kept saying, "Whit, this is just for my family. You're the only one I truly love." That was until the day she got into a car accident and lay on the operating table covered in blood. Trembling from the pain, she called him again and again, but he never picked up. Later, she found out he had been in bed with Yvette again. When she got home after the surgery, she overheard him out on the balcony, smoking and chatting with his friends. "I want to throw a wedding for Yvette," he said. At that moment, Whitney finally understood that he was afraid of her dying but didn't care if she lived through hell. Every word of the conversation on the balcony reached Whitney's ears, clear and unfiltered. "Cody, are you seriously planning a wedding for Yvette? You're even flying in flowers from overseas?" "Yeah." Cody's voice carried that familiar tenderness Whitney once knew. "The wedding dress and jewelry are all set and tailored to her taste." "That must've cost over a billion dollars, right? You didn't even go all out like this for your wedding to Whitney…" "Yeah, didn't you say you only loved Whitney? Why are you having a wedding with Yvette? Have you actually caught feelings for her?" The cigarette tip flickered in and out. Cody stayed silent for a long time. "So what if I have?" His voice was hoarse when he finally spoke. "At first, I only treated her like a tool. But now…" Whitney gripped the doorknob so tightly that her nails dug into her palm. "I think about her during meetings, while I'm eating, and when I'm not with her. I even..." He paused. "I even think about her when I'm in bed with Whit." "So you love both of them now? Cody, are you out of your mind? If Whitney finds out, she'll leave you. You'll regret it when—" "She won't find out. I'll handle it well." Cody cut him off, his tone firm and final. "Whit already has the title as my wife, so I have to make it up to Yvette too. A wedding is the least I can do. If anything, I'm afraid it's not enough." Outside the door, Whitney bit down on her lip so hard that she tasted blood. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Cody, who used to love her so deeply, had actually said it himself that he had fallen for two women at the same time? How was that even possible? Everyone in their circle knew Cody adored Whitney. When she had a high fever at 15, he skipped school and climbed over the wall to carry her to the clinic. He even camped outside the ER for three days straight. In college, when she collapsed from period cramps, he caught the midnight train with a thermos of chamomile tea and waited outside her dorm until sunrise. When he proposed, he kneeled in the snow, his voice shaking as he said, "Whit, marry me. I'll love you forever." Whitney could still hear those promises in her head. But now, Cody was saying, "I did fall in love with Yvette." He said he missed Yvette whenever she wasn't around and that he zoned out during meetings just thinking about her. Even at night, with Whitney in his arms, his mind was still on Yvette. He said he wanted to give Yvette a wedding worth over a billion dollars, grander than the one he had with Whitney. And it was precisely because she had once been loved so completely that this betrayal now cut so deep it felt like it was tearing her heart apart. Did Cody even remember that she had told him clearly on their wedding day that she only wanted a love that was hers and hers alone? If he couldn't give her that, then she would rather have nothing at all. Whitney raised her hand to wipe her tears, but her fingers accidentally brushed against the wind chime under the eaves. The sharp, crisp sound startled everyone on the balcony. Their conversation came to an abrupt halt. Cody rushed out, panic written all over his face. "Whit? When did you get back? What… did you hear?" His friends followed behind, all looking pale. Whitney wanted to tell him she had heard everything. But what was the point? He would never admit it because he wanted both women. So she looked away and forced her voice to stay calm. "I just got back. What were you guys talking about? Is it something I shouldn't hear?" The guys glanced at each other, instantly catching on. "No, it's nothing like that. We just heard your birthday's coming up in a few days. Cody gathered us to plan a surprise for you." "That's right. Cody's crazy about you. Of course he'd start planning early for a big day like this. Just wait, Whitney. You're going to be so touched that you'll cry your eyes out." They chuckled awkwardly, mumbling excuses, and slowly dispersed. Cody wrapped his arm around Whitney's shoulders as they walked into the villa. He took her coat, hung it up carefully, then immediately asked someone to bring her a warm glass of milk. His words dripped with concern as he said, "You don't look so good. What happened the other day? You called me so many times." Whitney turned away. "It's nothing. I dialed the wrong number. Anyway, where's Yvette? Don't you need to be with her?" Cody frowned, thinking she was jealous. He quickly tried to soothe her. "What for? She's just a tool to me, Whit." Whitney didn't call him out. She simply turned upstairs, grabbed a few things, and said that she was heading out. Cody had no idea why she was heading out again when she just came home, but he still picked up the car keys and offered to drive her. On the drive, he kept talking. One moment he asked if she wanted to try that newly opened restaurant tonight, and the next he asked if she wanted a spa appointment. He said he could book it right then. Then he brought up her birthday, asking what kind of gift she wanted this year. Whitney sat quietly without saying a word. It didn't take long for Cody to sense that something was off. "Whit, why are you suddenly going to the DMV?" She lowered her eyes, just about to answer when his phone rang. Even from a distance, she could hear Yvette's voice. "Mr. Larson, I'm back from shopping. You told me to spend the entire eight million dollars on the card. I did it." Cody let out a small hum. His face showed mild irritation, but his voice was doting. "Make sure you wear what you bought. Don't embarrass me next time we go out." "I will. Where are you now?" "I'm out with Whit." He glanced at Whitney. "Why?" "Today's… my ovulation day," Yvette said shyly. "You mentioned you wanted to see me in that black lingerie. I bought it. I'll be waiting at the hotel…" The moment Cody heard those last few words, his expression shifted instantly. He slammed on the brakes. After a long pause, he took a deep breath and hung up. Turning to Whitney, he said, "Whit, there's an emergency at work that I need to take care of. You're almost there. Can you walk the rest of the way?" Whitney clutched the seatbelt with a death grip, her nails digging deep into her skin. Calmly, she unbuckled it. "Sure." The cold wind blew her hair into a mess as she stepped out of the car. She watched as the sleek sports car disappeared down the road. Then she turned around and walked the rest of the way to the Department of Motor Vehicles. Pulling out her documents, she handed them to the clerk. "Hi, I'd like to cancel my ID."