1 It was after a night of heavy drinking that Caroline Harrison became pregnant with her intern's child. When I found out, her belly was already three months along. The woman knelt before me, her face full of shame, pleading: "Ethan, I'm so sorry. I drank too much at that business dinner and mistook him for you. I swear it was just that once!" "Don't be angry. I'll get rid of the baby immediately, then send him abroad. I promise he won't be an eyesore for you!" Ten years we'd been together. I believed her. Six months later, I returned from a business trip. During a routine check-up at the hospital, I unexpectedly saw the intern embracing Caroline, who was heavily pregnant. Seeing me, she immediately shielded him: "Ethan… he's still young. I took his virginity… I have to be responsible for him…" "Even if I can't give him a proper status, I have to ensure the baby in my belly stays with him. For the sake of our years together, please promise me you won't make things difficult for him…" In that moment, looking at the woman I had loved for ten years, I felt a weariness I’d never known. So I didn't cry or rage. I calmly replied, "Alright." And turned to cancel the scheduled IVF procedure. While waiting in line, I dialed a number I hadn't contacted in a long time: "I'm looking for a new wife. Are you interested?" The person on the other end was silent for a long time before finally speaking: "Are you serious, Ethan? Don't joke around. Do you know how long I've waited for this day?!" I calmly said, "I'm serious. Come pick me up in Seaside City in three days. Remember to bring your household registration." I hung up. The hospital's paging system called my name: "Mr. Chen, your sperm quality has returned to normal. You can proceed with IVF." The image I had just seen in the hallway flashed through my mind: Caroline Harrison leaning familiarly against that young intern, her face beaming with the joy of impending motherhood. And the child in her belly was not mine. The suppressed tears could no longer be held back. I shook my head. "No, I'm not doing it." "My wife... she's already dead..." The doctor looked at me sympathetically, no longer trying to persuade me. He helped me cancel the IVF procedure scheduled for two days later. Coming out of the office, I passed by the ultrasound room and clearly saw Caroline Harrison lying on the hospital bed, the other man kissing her belly. She probably found it cold, as she let out a surprised gasp, then shyly nestled into the man's embrace. The doctor nearby chuckled, saying the couple's affection was heartwarming. Caroline nodded. "Yes, he's young, but he knows how to cherish me." As she said this, the tenderness in her eyes deeply pierced mine. Once upon a time, she spoke of me the same way to others, but now, all that love was given to another man… I couldn't bear to look anymore and fled in a panic. Only when I got into the car did tears silently stream down my face. Caroline and I, young lovers, started from scratch. We once shared a tiny basement apartment, and she swore she would only ever have me. A woman's vows are not to be trusted; I always knew that, but then, I stubbornly believed them. Over the years, the company gradually got on track, but I developed weak sperm due to excessive alcohol from years of business entertaining. On my first day of treatment, I coincidentally ran into Caroline Harrison and her intern in the obstetrics and gynecology department. The woman immediately knelt on the floor, desperately pleading, saying she was wrong, that it was only a night of drunken folly that led to the absurdity. In that moment, I seemed to forget how to breathe, biting down hard on my lip. After a long time, I forced myself to endure the wrenching pain in my heart and spoke: "Caroline Harrison, I forgive you." But what she didn't know was that I would only forgive that one time. So today, when I saw them, I knew our marriage had reached its end. My thoughts slowly returned to the present. I turned the car around and went to the law firm, personally drafting divorce papers. 2 It was already evening when I arrived home. Caroline Harrison eagerly opened the door, pulling me into a hug: "Ethan, where have you been? I called your phone, but you didn't answer." The moment she got close, I smelled a pungent perfume on her, exactly the sandalwood scent I disliked most. I subtly shifted away, saying flatly, "Nothing, just stopped by the law firm on the way." Caroline's eyebrows furrowed. "Next time, just have Liam run that errand. Why bother you with such a small matter—" Before she could finish, I coldly interrupted, "Caroline Harrison, let's get a divorce." She looked up at me in disbelief. "What did you say? You want to divorce me?" "Because of this small matter? I told you, what happened between him and me was just an accident. Now he's asking to keep the baby, and I thought, since you have low sperm count, why not let me have the baby? We can bring the child back for you to raise after it's born, and then send him abroad. It's not too late." Hearing Caroline say she wanted to bring back a child conceived with another man for me to raise, my heart constricted, and my fingers involuntarily tightened around the medical report in my bag. "I'm not joking. Here's the divorce agreement. Take a look." Caroline Harrison's face suddenly turned cold. "Ethan, are you throwing a tantrum with me? I've explained it very clearly. Nothing will change, and we'll have a child. Isn't that good?" "Ethan, I'm really tired today. Can you please stop being so unreasonable?" I couldn't help but want to laugh. Now that she'd cheated, I was the one being unreasonable. I shook my head, placing the divorce agreement in front of her. "No, it's not good." "Caroline Harrison, I find you unclean." As soon as I said this, her temper ignited instantly. "Unclean? Ethan, do you know how many men out there are waiting for me to get into their beds? This was just one time! Why can't you be more generous?!" With that, she tore the divorce agreement into shreds. "I'm telling you, I won't agree to a divorce, never!" "Besides, Ethan, look at yourself. You're thirty now, and you have low sperm count. Who else would want you besides me?!" "I'm going to pretend this never happened. Don't ever bring it up again!" With that, she slammed the door shut and left, leaving me alone to clean up the shattered pieces on the floor. Just as I finished, my phone vibrated. The sender had sent two photos of pigeon-egg-sized diamonds for me to choose from. I glanced at them and replied, "The left one." Then, I took off the wedding ring I had worn for seven years and tossed it into the trash. The next morning, I went to the company, finished handing over my work, and was about to leave. My assistant, Lisa, rushed over, saying a client wanted to see me. So she took me to the club. When I opened the door, I saw Caroline Harrison standing in the center, holding a large bouquet of roses. Around her were people I knew well; even Caroline's mother, who usually disliked me, was present. Caroline stepped forward, her face full of remorse: "Ethan, it's my fault. I was anxious yesterday and said the wrong things. Today is our seventh wedding anniversary. Can you forgive me?" Seeing my silence, Caroline's mother spoke impatiently into my ear: "Alright, so Caroline had another man's child, so what? Besides, it's your own fault, you can't blame her. She's apologized to you, what more do you want?" "Ethan, a man needs to know when to advance and when to retreat." I forced a bitter smile. Just as I was about to say, I don't want anything except a divorce, Caroline's gaze drifted to my empty finger. "Ethan, where's our wedding ring? Did you forget to wear it? Luckily, I bought you a new one." She began searching her person, but a male voice from behind interrupted. "The ring is with me." 3 I turned around, and Caroline Harrison walked past me first. "Why are you here? Didn't you say work was very busy today?" The man reached out and stroked her waist. "I saw the ring on your bedside table and thought you might need it today, so I brought it over." "Caroline, I'm a bit thirsty. Can you get me a glass of water?" Caroline hurried off to find a waiter to get water, but he walked towards me. "Hello, Ethan. My name is Liam Green." I didn't respond. He opened a ring box in front of me. I looked inside, and coincidentally, it was identical to the one on his own finger. "Ethan, this is a ring Caroline specifically customized for your seventh wedding anniversary." With that, he offered me the ring. I didn't take it. The next second, the ring fell to the floor, and he knelt directly in front of me: "Ethan, it was my fault. I shouldn't have slept with Ms. Harrison when I was drunk. I truly didn't mean to." "But I don't want anything. I just beg you to let her give birth to the baby in her belly. Even... even if you want to adopt him under your name, I'm willing…" Tears immediately welled up in his eyes, as if he had suffered some immense grievance. Caroline Harrison came over and witnessed this scene. The cup in her hand shattered on the floor. She rushed over and gently helped Liam Green up, then looked at me with a coldness I had never seen before. "Ethan, any grievances you have, direct them at me! Why are you making things difficult for him?!" The love and protectiveness in Caroline Harrison's eyes were too obvious. I knew that even if I did nothing, in her eyes, I was already condemned. Too lazy to explain, I turned to leave, but Caroline's mother rushed up and slapped me across the face. "Useless! I thought you were sensible, but you're so wicked! You actually made him kneel before you!" "I'm telling you, the child between him and Lucy will be born into our Hayes family! If anything happens, I will never forgive you!" Because of the sudden force, I was knocked backwards into a giant tower of wine glasses. In an instant, all the glasses crashed down on me, countless shards of glass slicing into my body. Caroline Harrison froze, instinctively wanting to help me up. But the Liam Green beside her immediately clutched his stomach. "Ah! My stomach hurts so much, Caroline! I feel so awful, please help me!" The woman, who had been standing, instantly crouched down, then helped him up and left without a backward glance. I lay on the floor, accompanied by Caroline's mother's sneering voice, looking at our wedding photo on the big screen. At 23, Caroline Harrison told me: "Ethan, I must marry you. After we marry, if I ever make you bleed or cry, I will die to atone for it!" But 30-year-old Caroline Harrison, even as I bled and cried before her, no longer had me in her eyes. How ironic! After a long time, I forced myself to get up, enduring the pain, and limped to a hospital. While getting bandaged, every touch made me tremble with pain. Nearby, two nurses were chatting idly. "Did you hear? In the VIP room upstairs, Ms. Harrison is absolutely doting. The moment he said he was in pain, she had high-end luxury items from all over the city brought to his room for him to pick from!" "Oh, yes, I know! I was there when she first found out she was pregnant. Ms. Harrison actually cried tears of joy. They must be so in love!" I looked down at the countless wounds on my body, chuckling self-deprecatingly. So love and not-love, it was that obvious. But it didn't matter. I didn't want her anymore anyway. 4 Because of the crowd at the hospital, it was already late night when I got home after having my wounds treated. Opening the door, I saw Liam Green sitting on the sofa I had personally chosen. He quickly stood up: "Ethan's back! Caroline's in the kitchen boiling bird's nest soup for me. Do you want a bowl?" Before I could speak, Caroline Harrison, having heard my arrival, rushed in. "Ethan, the doctor said I've been having some prenatal depression lately and haven't been sleeping well, so I wanted to bring him home to stay with me for a few days." "I promise, once the due date arrives, I'll take him away. You…" Before she could finish, I pulled out a blank divorce agreement from my pocket. "Alright, but you have to sign this." Caroline froze. Just as she was about to look at it, Liam Green spoke up: "Caroline, I'm hungry. When will the bird's nest soup be ready?" Hearing him, the woman hurriedly signed the document, then turned and went to the kitchen. I stood there, watching her, her hands, which I had always protected so well, unskillfully stirring. Seven years of marriage, and this was her first time in the kitchen. "Ethan, aren't you envious? Caroline said that from now on, she'll take care of all the daily needs of me and the baby." I turned my head, seeing Liam Green's challenging and triumphant gaze. It only filled me with disgust. Because this home, which Caroline Harrison once said belonged only to us, had ultimately changed. So I quickly went upstairs, intending to pack my things and leave. But I found my personal belongings haphazardly piled at the room's entrance. And the wedding photo on the wall was savagely torn and lay in the trash bin. "Caroline said I could pick any room, and I thought this one was pretty big, so I chose it. So Caroline threw out the extra stuff." Liam Green followed close behind, his face triumphant as he looked at me. "Ethan, this wouldn't happen to be your and Caroline's marital bedroom, would it? I didn't know, I'm sorry... I'll move my things out right now..." If this had been before, I would have certainly argued loudly with Caroline Harrison. But now I was leaving, and who lived in this room was no longer my concern. I replied flatly, "No need. You stay here. It's fine." Then, in front of him, I threw all my things into the trash can. Just as I was about to enter the room to retrieve my mother's portrait, I found the drawer empty. I frantically knelt on the floor, searching, but Liam Green stood over me, looking down. "Ethan, are you looking for this?" I looked up at the familiar photo frame in his hand. Just as I was about to get up, he loosened his grip, and the portrait shattered on the floor. "Oh, Ethan, I'm so sorry, it slipped. I thought this thing looked unlucky and was worried it might upset the baby in Caroline's belly, so I told her about it, and she said I could dispose of it as I pleased." "So, Ethan, who is this dead person in the photo? Do you know them?" I looked at Liam Green's feigned innocent face, unable to bear it any longer. I raised my palm to slap him across the face. But before I could touch him, he suddenly threw himself backward, tumbling down the stairs. "Ah—Caroline, help me!" He clutched his stomach, groaning in pain. Caroline Harrison rushed from the kitchen. Seeing Liam Green, she angrily ran up and kicked me to the ground, shouting, "Ethan! Are you f***ing done with this nonsense?!" "How much more do you want to hurt him?! Do you have to cause us to lose our baby before you're satisfied?!" Before I could speak, Liam Green had already shed tears. "Caroline, if I die, you must give birth to our child…" "You absolutely must... absolutely must protect him..." Caroline Harrison listened, her face filled with tenderness as she helped him up, her voice gentle. "Be good. I'll never let anything happen to you or the baby." With that, she walked out of the villa. As she left, she told the bodyguards at the door: "Drag Mr. Chen to the storage room and make him reflect overnight. No lights allowed!" I looked at her in disbelief, screaming, "Caroline Harrison, have you forgotten I have claustrophobia?! You're trying to kill me!" She paused, but didn't turn her head. "I know. But you hurt Liam, and you have to pay a price." With that, she left. The bodyguards, receiving their orders, walked towards me, dragged me to the storage room, and as the door closed, darkness quickly swallowed me. At that moment, a sharp pain shot through my lower abdomen. Only then did I realize Caroline Harrison's kick had landed squarely on my groin, and now red liquid was flowing out. I frantically rushed to the door, screaming wildly, "Help… help!!" "My lower body hurts so much, I'm bleeding now! Take me to the hospital, quickly!" The bodyguard, hearing this, urgently called Caroline Harrison. The woman's cold voice came through: "Don't believe him. He's definitely faking it." "Remember, don't open the door without my command!" The call ended. I curled up on the ground, in pain, my lower half soaked in blood all night. The next morning, the housekeeper came to get something and was horrified by my appearance, rushing me to the hospital. The same doctor who helped me cancel the IVF the other day, seeing me, immediately arranged for surgery. As the cold anesthetic was injected into my body, I heard a nurse's joyful voice from the hallway: "Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Hayes! Mother and child are safe!" At the same time, in my operating room, doctors were frantically trying to stop the severe hemorrhage I was suffering due to the long delay. "What do we do? His wife is dead, and he's hemorrhaging severely below. We need family consent!" Just when they were at a loss, a Maybach pulled up to the hospital entrance, drawing exclamations from the nurses. "Who is that woman? To have the Chief of Staff personally come to invite her." "Didn't you see the famous male health specialist from Capital City behind her? They say someone once offered him five million to see a patient, but he refused." "Oh my goodness, who is her husband? He must be so lucky to marry a woman like that, with such wealth and power." As she spoke, the operating room door swung open. Summer Reed carefully wiped the cold sweat from my forehead. "Uncle Liam, I'm entrusting my man to you." "Don't worry, I guarantee he'll be unharmed." A month later, Caroline Harrison held the baby's one-month celebration. Only then did she remember me. She snapped a picture of the baby and sent it to my phone, only to find she had been blocked. She was certain I was still sulking from that day and prepared to say a few soft words to coax me. Just as she was about to pull out her phone, her assistant rushed over, holding an invitation. "Ms. Harrison, Mr. Chen is getting married. The date... the date is today!"
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