On our fifth wedding anniversary, Josh Mason finally showed up, holding a baby. “Accept this child,” he said, his voice low and steady, “and you can remain Mrs. Mason.” A wave of murmurs rippled through the guests. Everyone knew how desperately I loved Josh. Everyone assumed that, just like every other time, I would yield. I rose to my feet, and with a gentle push, sent the champagne tower behind me crashing to the floor. I stared coldly at the man before me. “As you wish,” I said, my voice cutting through the chaos. “Let’s get a divorce.” Josh’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Is it really so hard for you to adopt a child?” Adopting a child wasn’t the hard part. The hard part was being expected to raise the child he’d had with his old flame. 1 Shards of glass and champagne flew everywhere, turning the elegant ballroom into a disaster zone. The fifth-anniversary party I had spent nearly a month planning was ruined. My husband, Josh, seemed to have completely forgotten what day it was. His eyes were fixed on the baby in his arms. He dismissed my outburst as a tantrum over his tardiness. After calming the guests, he walked over to me, the baby still cradled in one arm. He reached out and wrapped his other arm around my waist. “Stop making a scene, Evelyn. You’re scaring everyone.” I twisted out of his grasp. “If you’re so set on this, then let’s adopt a different child. I don’t want this one.” It was the last compromise I could offer, and one final test for him. “Why not? Evelyn, I know you love children. Isn’t it a good thing for us to finally have one of our own?” “Evelyn, just look at him. He’s so plump and fair, absolutely adorable.” Josh held the baby out for me to see, his face earnest. He took my hand, trying to guide it toward the infant, trying to force me to accept this new reality. The baby in the swaddling clothes was pristine, looking no more than two or three months old. His features favored his mother—Sierra Thorne, the one that got away. He waved his tiny arms and smiled at me, a cherubic expression that could seemingly heal all the world’s ills. “See? He’s smiling at you,” Josh beamed. “I told you he was meant to be with us.” He had failed the test. Utterly. A thousand tiny needles pricked at my heart. I snatched my hand back, my patience wearing thin, and took several steps away from him, putting a chasm of space between us. He thought that by ambushing me here, in public, on our anniversary, he could force my hand. He thought I wouldn’t dare to say no. But I found I could no longer maintain the polished facade of Mrs. Mason. 2 My gaze shifted to a figure standing behind him, and a bitter laugh escaped my lips. “Josh, are you so insistent on adopting this child because of her?” In an instant, Sierra Thorne became the focal point of every eye in the room. She stood frozen, her eyes welling with tears as she tried to defend herself. “Mrs. Mason, Josh and I are ancient history. How could this baby possibly be ours?” “I never said the child was yours and Josh’s, Ms. Thorne. Why are you in such a hurry to deny it? Or is it that the child is yours and Josh’s?” “I… I…” Sierra bit her lip, rendered speechless. The whispers in the crowd grew louder, the gazes sharper, all of them aimed at Sierra. “So that’s why. I was wondering why Mrs. Mason, who’s always so agreeable, was putting her foot down this time. The baby isn’t adopted, it’s the mistress’s.” “Mistress or not, I heard she’s Mr. Mason’s first love. She’s his personal secretary now, you know.” “If it wasn’t for old Mrs. Mason disapproving back in the day, she’d be the one who’s Mrs. Mason now.” “Who cares if she’s his first love? She interfered in a marriage, got pregnant out of wedlock—that makes her the other woman, period. Let’s not forget, the real Mrs. Mason is Evelyn. She and Mr. Mason are legally married. Who the hell is Sierra Thorne?” Sierra’s face was ashen, a single tear clinging to her eyelash. She looked desperately toward Josh. “That’s enough, Evelyn!” Josh stepped forward, pulling Sierra behind him protectively. He shot a single look across the room, and the chatter died instantly. After all, everyone in Crestwood was wary of the Mason family’s influence. “Sierra is just my secretary. Don’t make things difficult for her.” A profound weariness washed over me. I finally understood that I couldn’t follow my grandmother-in-law's advice to live a good life with him anymore. It was impossible. I looked down at the wedding ring I had worn for five years. The sharp, stinging pain bloomed in my chest again. I twisted it off my finger. “I’m done being Mrs. Mason.” I threw it. The diamond ring sailed through the air in a perfect arc before landing in the swimming pool with a soft splash. Just like our marriage—it began with a grand spectacle and ended in silence. Leaving Josh and the guests staring in shock, I gathered the hem of my gown and walked away. In their eyes, I had always been the graceful, composed Mrs. Mason who always considered the bigger picture. But tonight, I had lost all dignity. And I didn’t care. 3 The party broke up in disarray. That night, Josh didn’t come home. The housekeeper told me he had taken Sierra and her son home. I didn’t call him. He didn’t send a single message. When Josh returned the next morning, I was in the middle of breakfast. He handed his coat to a maid and pulled out a chair to sit down. Halfway through my toast, my appetite vanished. I stood up to leave, not sparing him a glance or a word of greeting. He suddenly called out behind me. “Don’t you have anything to ask me?” What did he want me to ask? About the baby? About where he was last night? The old me would have screamed at him, thrown a hysterical fit. And what would I have gotten for it? Josh’s brow was knitted in a frown of impatience. “Stop being so unreasonable. Sierra and I just have a professional relationship.” A professional relationship that produced a child. A professional relationship that, just last night, had resulted in a picture on Sierra’s social media of them kissing, wrapped in a passionate embrace. Now that I was too tired to care, too exhausted to ask, he was demanding to know why. I turned slowly. He was watching me, an expectant look in his eyes. I averted my gaze, walked to the cabinet, and retrieved a manila envelope. I placed it on the table in front of him. “Josh, let’s get a divorce.” His face froze. “Over something this small, you want a divorce?” He always did this—minimized everything, making it seem like I was the one at fault, the one being irrational. My nails dug into my palms. I looked at his nonchalant expression. “The baby wasn’t adopted at all, was he? He’s your son with Sierra Thorne.” The day the baby was born, I had just finished my last surgery when a colleague in the OB/GYN department told me Josh was there to pick me up. I didn’t even change out of my scrubs, rushing down, afraid of making him wait. I found him outside the delivery room. A nurse was holding a newborn, congratulating him. “Congratulations, Mr. Mason. It’s a healthy baby boy.” Josh held the child, his eyes shining with a joy he couldn’t hide. Sierra lay weakly on a gurney, her eyes glistening with tears, the very picture of pitiable beauty. “Josh…” she whispered. He stroked her hair and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. “You did so well, Sierra. Thank you for giving me a son.” I stood there, thunderstruck, convinced I had misheard. One of the nurses couldn't help but ask, “Mr. Mason, didn’t you say she was your sister?” His expression soured instantly. “If a word of this gets out,” he threatened, his voice dropping to a low growl, “you know the consequences.” I tried to tell myself it was a mistake. Josh wasn’t that kind of person. But I was wrong. I had been wrong from the very first time he’d suggested we adopt a child. 4 A flicker of surprise crossed Josh’s face, but it was quickly masked. He calmly pulled out a cigarette and lit it, showing none of the panic of a man who’d just been exposed. “Evelyn, you know that in our circle, it’s not exactly unheard of for a man to have a woman on the side.” It wasn’t unheard of. Especially when that woman was the love of his life. But unlike the other wives in our circle, I couldn’t tolerate it. I couldn’t just look the other way. Josh took a long drag from his cigarette. “And you should also know that if you hadn’t driven Sierra away back then, the title of Mrs. Mason would have never been yours.” From the very beginning, no matter how many times I tried to explain, he believed I was the one who forced Sierra to leave the country. A month before our wedding, I had asked him directly. He was the one who said he wanted to marry me. Now, somehow, it was all my fault. The thick smoke stung my eyes, and I coughed, tears welling up. Josh glanced at me, then stubbed out the cigarette with his long, elegant fingers. He knelt in front of me. He frowned, his thumb gently wiping a tear from my cheek. “Are you that upset? You seemed pretty tough at the party last night.” “Don’t worry. I promised my grandmother that you would always be Mrs. Mason.” “If you want, we can bring the child here for you to raise. Grandma has always wanted a great-grandson, and Mason Industries needs an heir.” “If you’re not willing, Sierra can raise him herself. I’ll set them up somewhere, make sure she never bothers you.” Listening to him, I couldn't help but laugh. I didn’t even want the title of a wealthy wife anymore. Why on earth would I want to raise another woman’s child? 5 At the hospital, I went to the Chief of Staff’s office. He held my resignation letter, asking me one last time. “Are you sure about this, Evelyn? The conditions there are harsh, and it’s dangerous. It’s nothing like working here.” I didn’t hesitate. “I’m sure. I’ve already passed the interview. Please, just sign it.” For the past five years, I had strived to be the perfect Mrs. Mason, managing his social life on top of my demanding career. From now on, I didn’t have to play a role for anyone. I just had to be myself. I was immensely grateful that I had never listened to Josh and quit my job as a doctor. Otherwise, I’d be completely lost right now. After leaving the office, I finished my handover, packed the few personal items from my locker, and said goodbye to my colleagues. On the way home, I received a call from Grandma Mason. She wanted Josh and me to come to the family estate for dinner. The fifteenth of every month was their standing family dinner. I watched the scenery blur past the car window, hesitating before finally dialing Josh’s number. “What is it?” His voice was cold, and I could picture the icy expression on his face. I clutched the phone. “Grandma wants us to come to the estate for dinner.” “Got it.” He’d been like this ever since Sierra returned—distant and cold. The abrupt way he hung up told me exactly who he was with. 6 The sun was setting by the time I reached the estate. Because Josh and I were so busy, and Grandma didn't want to live with us and be a bother, we had agreed to this monthly dinner, a promise to always come back no matter what. Grandma Mason’s face lit up when she saw me, but her smile faltered when she saw I was alone. “Evie, dear, why are you by yourself? Where’s Josh?” “He had a last-minute meeting,” I said with a practiced smile. “He’ll be here later.” I handed my things to a servant and helped Grandma inside. Josh arrived just as dinner was being served. He fell into his old habit of peeling shrimp for me and placing choice pieces of food in my bowl. I didn’t refuse, silently eating what was given to me. We barely spoke a word throughout the meal. After dinner, Grandma Mason pulled me into her room. She asked if Josh and I were fighting. I didn’t know how to answer. Telling her the truth felt cruel. As if reading my mind, her cloudy eyes focused on me. “Did that rascal do something to hurt you? You tell Grandma, and I’ll teach him a lesson.” I shook my head. “Grandma, if I told you I wanted to divorce Josh, would you be angry with me?” “Evie, don’t you worry. I will make sure you get justice.” Her voice trembled with sudden emotion, and she started to rise, ready to confront her grandson. 7 I quickly calmed her down. “It’s no use, Grandma. He doesn’t have me in his heart. You can’t force feelings. I spent five years trying and I still couldn’t reach him.” “I don’t want to spend the rest of my life tied to him. It will only bring us both more pain.” “Divorcing him is a decision I’ve thought about for a long time. It’s not an impulse.” Grandma’s aged hands covered mine. She let out a long sigh. “I had hoped you and Josh could find happiness together, support each other. I never imagined it would come to this.” “Alright then. A girl as wonderful as my Evie deserves someone better.” “Grandma, I actually came to say goodbye.” Her voice grew agitated. “What are you talking about? Even if you divorce Josh, as long as I’m here, this will always be your home.” A warmth spread through my chest. “I’ve been accepted by Doctors Without Borders. I leave in two days.” Grandma Mason froze, her eyes slowly turning red. “Evie, listen to Grandma. Just stay here in Crestwood. Don’t go anywhere.” I knew what she was worried about. My parents had been with Doctors Without Borders. They had died on their last mission, providing aid in a war zone. I remembered that day vividly, throwing a tantrum on the floor, begging them not to go. My mother had stroked my hair gently. “Be good, Evie. Mom and Dad are doctors. We have to go where we’re needed. We promise, this is the last time. When the mission is over, we’ll come back and never leave again.” “You listen to your grandma, and don’t cause any trouble.” She was a liar. She promised she would come back, but she broke her promise. The Sullivans and the Masons had been friends for generations. After my own grandmother passed away, I was taken in by the Mason family. Grandma Mason treated me like her own granddaughter. 8 Grandma Mason made Josh kneel in the courtyard. I knew she was doing it for me, to give me some sense of justice, but what was the point? It wouldn’t make him love me. She didn’t relent, not even by noon the next day. Under the blazing sun, beads of sweat dripped from Josh’s forehead, but he remained silent, his back ramrod straight. Somehow, Sierra got word and showed up. “Why are you here? Go back,” Josh rasped, his voice raw. “And watch you suffer? No.” With tears in her eyes, Sierra squared her jaw, clutched her baby, and knelt before the family. “Grandma, it’s all my fault. Please, don’t punish Josh.” Grandma Mason looked down at her, her voice dripping with ice. “Don’t you dare call me that, Ms. Thorne. I haven’t earned that title. I’m disciplining my own grandson. What does that have to do with you?” Sierra’s face paled, but the sound of her baby’s cries seemed to give her courage. “I know you look down on me, Grandma. But this child is Josh’s. He is a Mason. Are you going to deny your own blood?”
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