That Valentine's Day, I left him standing all alone on the streets of Manhattan and walked away without ever looking back. Years later, when we met again, he was already a top-tier magnate controlling the lifeblood of Wall Street. He appeared at a star-studded charity auction, dropping an astronomical sum on a necklace for his current girlfriend. People teased him: "Mr. Sterling, should we be expecting wedding bells soon?" Hudson Sterling barely lifted his eyes. "We're just playing around. It doesn't count." The moment those words left his mouth, he saw me. The smile on his lips instantly died. Under the watchful eyes of the entire room, he stood up and walked steadily toward me. My mind went completely blank. I only had time to formulate the simplest greeting: "Long time no see—" The next second, his large, knuckle-defined hand clamped ruthlessly around my neck, pinning me against the freezing marble wall. "You actually dared to come back?" He smiled like a spring breeze, but his eyes were as cold as the arctic. "Did I or did I not say, if you ever showed your face again, I would kill you myself?" 1 I hadn't seen Hudson for a full twenty-four hours. The food on the dining table had gone cold and been reheated multiple times. "Mrs. Miller, clear the table," I said. "Ma'am, are you not going to eat?" In this house, even the housekeeper, Mrs. Miller, cared about me more than my own husband did. In my designer bag was a lab report from my hospital visit that morning. The joy of carrying a new life had only lasted two minutes. Across the hospital corridor, I had seen Hudson. He was carefully supporting Serena Thorne as they walked into an examination room. I sat on a chair in the hallway, hesitating over whether I should wait for them to come out and tell Hudson, right in front of Serena, that he was going to be a father. But even after they emerged and their silhouettes disappeared down the other end of the corridor, I remained frozen in the exact same position, like an invisible, irrelevant statue. I didn't know why I was being such a coward. I wasn't some desperate lapdog; the union between the Sterlings and the Brooks was a marriage of equal corporate giants. I had every right to march up and scream at him! The one who falls in love first, loses. Truly the wisest words ever spoken. "What are you doing here?" Matte leather dress shoes stopped right in front of me. I looked up. Hudson was frowning, his handsome face etched with exhaustion. "Where does it hurt?" "My stomach." "Stomach acting up again? How much coffee did you drink?" Hudson glanced down at his luxury watch. "Did the doctor check it out?" "Yeah. Nothing serious." "Drink less coffee. Eat your meals on time." Hudson took a step toward the elevators. "I have some business to attend to..." "Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to brush me off..." He let out a soft chuckle and stepped into the elevator. "I'll explain when I get home." 2 By the time Hudson got home, it was already 10 PM. "Her husband beat her. I took her to the hospital." After stating the facts, Hudson added with emphasis, "There is nothing going on between us." Since he said it like that, I'd pretend to believe it. "I only have one boundary. Keep your distance." "I will." His promise was still echoing in my ears when his phone rang. He immediately rolled out of bed. "Marcus went to the hospital. I have to go check." I sat up immediately. "I'm going with you." The opposing family members were making an appearance; what reason did I have to hide? Hudson didn't say a word, just knit his brows and walked at a blistering pace. I had to jog just to keep up with him. "Drive a little slower." Hudson was treating the city streets like a drag strip, slamming the gas and the brakes. I almost threw up my dinner in his passenger seat. "Why did you even come with me?" Even though he tried to rein in his tone, his impatience was palpable. "Fine, I won't go. Turn around and take me home." Hudson sighed. "Could you please stop throwing a tantrum?" "Could you please drive slower? Serena's marriage is dead; do you want to drag the two of us to the grave with her?" Knowing he was in the wrong, Hudson silently eased off the accelerator. 3 In the private hospital room, Serena sat on the bed, crying beautifully like a fragile porcelain doll. Marcus was on his knees, bawling louder than she was. "I'm a piece of trash. I deserve to die... Serena, please, give me one more chance..." "What's the point of saying this now?" Serena's attitude was unyielding. "Leave. I don't want to look at you." Marcus opened his mouth to beg, but Hudson—playing the ever-chivalrous knight in shining armor—couldn't sit still. He took a long stride over, grabbed Marcus by the collar like a helpless chicken, and hoisted him up. "She said she doesn't want to see you." Against Hudson's absolute physical dominance, Marcus stood no chance. He was tossed out and left banging on the hospital room door, shouting her name. "If he keeps making that noise, how are the other patients supposed to rest?" Serena turned her head away, shedding silent tears. "Who cares about the others? Serena is going through so much right now..." This was the second time Hudson had lashed out at me for Serena's sake. I glared at him, making a mental note to settle the score when we got home. Seeing me open the door, Hudson snapped, "What are you doing?" "Pacifying the guy outside. What else? Are we just going to let him cause a scene?" 4 I went to the convenience store downstairs and bought Marcus some sports drinks and snacks. He hadn't eaten properly in days. The Thorne family empire had filed for bankruptcy. It hadn't hit the news yet, but their assets were already frozen. He had begged Serena's family to bail him out, but the Thornes refused. "Just because the Thornes wouldn't bail you out, you use your wife as a punching bag? Does that make you a man?" He dropped his head, burying his face in his hands as he wept. "Stop crying." I tossed a pack of tissues in front of him. "A grown man sobbing in a hospital hallway..." "Could you please help me talk to Serena? Tell her not to abort the baby... The baby is innocent..." Serena was pregnant? "You have the nerve to ask for favors after beating a pregnant woman? Are you even human?" Marcus suddenly dropped to his knees, grabbing the hem of my pants. "I only found out after... Please, help me. I have absolutely nothing left..." "You know exactly why Serena married you. In our circle, marriage is a transaction. Love is a luxury—a luxury that money can't even buy. Wake up, Marcus." 5 When I pushed the door open, Hudson immediately turned around and pressed a finger to his lips, shushing me. Meanwhile, his other hand was tightly clasped in the hands of a sleeping Serena. "You go home first..." he whispered. "Okay." Why stay and be the third wheel? At 2 AM, the streets of New York were deserted. I waited half an hour and couldn't hail a single cab. "Where are you heading?" A kind-hearted driver rolled down their window. They looked like a young married couple. "It's too late for you to be out. We can give you a ride." "Thank you so much." I slid into the backseat. "Upper East Side, 16th Street." "Got it, GPS is set." The car cruised smoothly along the wide, empty avenues. "Babe, take tomorrow off. Don't go into work," the man said, checking the dashboard clock. "It's already 3 AM..." The woman shook her head. "No way. Missing a day means losing hundreds of dollars..." "Your husband can support you. It's settled. Rest at home tomorrow. I'll make you some porridge when we get back; we'll keep it light..." The woman smiled silently, clearly accepting her husband's suggestion. "We're here." The man glanced out the window at the pitch-black street. "Do you want me to walk you to your lobby?" "No need, it's just a five-minute walk." I pulled a business card from my wallet. "Avery Brooks, Apex Logistics. If you two ever need anything, don't hesitate to reach out." The kind couple took the card and exchanged a surprised look. "Have a good night. Bye!" "Bye, take care!" The autumn wind was biting, swirling the yellowing leaves across the pavement. Today was the first frost of the year. I pulled my coat tighter around myself and started the walk home. 6 Serena scheduled her abortion. "With a cowardly loser for a father, the kid is better off reincarnating," Hudson remarked callously. I found it inexplicably funny. "Mr. Sterling, the squab soup is ready." Mrs. Miller placed the thermal thermos on the table. "I added some jujubes and goji berries." "Yeah." Hudson picked up the thermos. "I'm heading to the hospital. Go to sleep early tonight, don't wait up." Tch. As if I'd wait up for him. Back in the bedroom, my best friend—Chloe, who also happened to be an HR executive at Sterling Group—sent me a voice memo. "What? He's running to the hospital every day? Is he planning to nurse Serena through her postpartum recovery too?" I filed my nails nonchalantly. "He definitely wouldn't be this attentive if I were the one recovering." "Did you tell him you're pregnant yet?" I shook my head with a fake smile. "When would I get the chance? CEO Hudson is either working overtime or playing nurse at the hospital." Chloe sat up straight on the FaceTime call. "Listen to me. Tomorrow, you take the soup to the hospital. Tell him you're pregnant right there. Make sure that Thorne bitch hears it loud and clear." "Ugh, I don't know... That makes me look so manipulative..." "Tsk," Chloe clicked her tongue. "You have to out-manipulate the manipulator. Strike first to gain the upper hand, or strike late and just cry about it." "I'll go to the hospital tomorrow and read the room. We're all old acquaintances; I don't want to make it too ugly." The next day, Hudson asked his driver, Leo, to come back for the soup. I said, I'll go. I'd give him a surprise. Through the glass window of the hospital room, I saw the two of them hugging. I kept the 'shock' for myself and decided to paste the 'surprise' right onto the hospital door. Hearing my knock, Hudson forcefully pushed Serena away and got up to open the door. "Didn't I tell Leo to come back for this?" Hudson took the thermos from my hands, his eyes dodging mine, his tone accusatory. "I missed my husband. Is it a crime to come see you?" I laid the groundwork for my upcoming announcement. The moment I saw them hugging, any concern for 'looking manipulative' flew right out the window. "Hudson, you should go home. I'll be fine by myself..." Serena put on a show of insisting he leave. Playing the victim to gain sympathy? Two could play at that game. I played along smoothly. "She's right. Go home and get some rest. I can take over here." "You know how to take care of people?" Hudson scoffed. "Give me a break." Just then, Hudson's phone rang. "I need to take this..." "You and Hudson have really worked so hard these past few days..." Serena sure had a way with words. Hudson did all the work, but she forcibly dragged my name into it, putting herself in the center of our dynamic. "We're all friends. We help when we can." Outside the door, Hudson was on the phone, occasionally glancing inside. "I'm a little hungry. Could you pass me the soup?" Serena asked. "No problem. Easy." I poured a small bowl of soup and handed it to her. She let out a sharp gasp and dropped it. The bowl of scalding soup splashed all over the floor. The boiling liquid splattered onto my feet. My soaked stockings clung to my skin, burning and sticky. I immediately sat on the edge of a chair, kicked off my heels, and used wet wipes to cool the burns. Hudson burst into the room, rushing straight to check Serena's hands. "Did you burn yourself?" "It burned my foot!" I yelled at him. "I'm fine! It's all my fault, I didn't hold it tight enough..." Serena blamed herself perfectly. "Hudson, quickly, check if Avery is okay..." "Her voice is loud enough to wake the dead. She's fine." Hudson bent down to pick up the ceramic shards, tossing them in the trash. "I'll get a janitor to clean this up." "Hudson is always so considerate. I'm so jealous of you..." This level of manipulation really was an art form. "Marcus wasn't so bad himself. Before the divorce, he handed over his entire paycheck. After the divorce, he shouldered all your joint debt alone..." "Avery, do you ever listen to yourself?" Hudson pushed the door back open, glaring at me. "All you ever talk about is money..." The janitor finished mopping the floor, and Serena thanked them softly. There was only half a bowl of soup left in the thermos anyway. And when I handed her the bowl, I deliberately held it from the bottom so she could hold the coolest edges. I could hold it just fine. Just how delicate were her hands supposed to be? The soup literally splashed onto my feet, and she was completely unhurt! The more I thought about it, the higher my blood pressure spiked. If I stayed any longer, I'd need medication. "I'm leaving!" "Don't let the door hit you." Until the door clicked shut behind me, Hudson didn't spare me a single glance. 7 That night, I stared blankly at the ceiling in the dark. Footsteps echoed in the hallway. I immediately squeezed my eyes shut. Hudson walked in, turned on the light, and pulled back the covers. "What are you doing?" "Let me see your foot. Why are you being so aggressive?" I stubbornly tucked my feet deeper under the blanket. "She just had surgery. She's physically uncomfortable and emotionally unstable... When she suddenly hugged me, I didn't have time to react..." Hudson sounded genuinely wronged. "Give me a straight answer. How long are you planning on playing her personal nurse?" Hudson's lips parted, but he couldn't give me a specific timeline. "Let me know when you figure it out." Hudson and I inexplicably spiraled into a Cold War, completely ignoring each other. The day of my dad's birthday banquet, I assumed he wouldn't show up. I had already crafted a perfect excuse for his absence. But then he appeared, gift in hand. "Had some business to tie up. Got delayed... Happy Birthday, Dad." My dad beamed. "Avery, take your husband to get some food! Rushing all the way over here, he must be starving." "Sit next to me." I had someone add a chair beside mine. "How did you find the time?" "I told you, if I have time, I'll come." For all my previous family events, he was miraculously always "out of time." On the drive home, the silence in the car was deafening. "Spit it out. What is it?" I asked. "Do you always have to view me through such a transactional lens?" Hudson complained. "I came to genuinely celebrate Dad's birthday." "Miss this opportunity, and you won't get another." Hudson finally confessed. "There's something I need to run by you." "Speak." "I want to place Serena in a role at the Group." No one knows a son better than his father, and no one knows Hudson better than me. "Thorne Industries went bankrupt too?" Hudson explained, "She just got divorced. If she goes back to the Thorne family business, she'll be a target for gossip. It's better if she gains some experience at Sterling for a couple of years before heading back." "Are you asking for my opinion, or just notifying me?" "Avery, being this aggressive is getting old." Playing the bad cop didn't work, so now he was playing the good cop. That's fine. If he wanted to change faces, I could play the Cold War game flawlessly.
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