Chapter 1
Nine months pregnant, I ran into my husband, Beckett Shaw and his mistress at the hospital. The moment I picked up my report, I saw the two of them celebrating the upcoming arrival of their own child. Delaney pretended to be concerned. “Beckett, you really shouldn’t be here with me. If Evelyn finds out, she’ll be upset. She’s pregnant too. Aren’t you worried she’d be upset?” Beckett let out a cold chuckle. “If she causes a scene, I’ll just divorce her.” Since Beckett didn’t want us anymore, I’d rather raise the child without a father than stay in this farce of a marriage. I called my dad, who was living overseas. “Dad, I’ve made up my mind. I’m getting a divorce. I’m taking the baby and moving out to be with you.” After I hung up, I booked the earliest flight available. Two weeks—that’s all I needed. Two weeks and I’d be out of Beckett’s life for good. But then why…did that man show up at my wedding with red eyes, begging me to take him back? *** Nine months pregnant and the moment I received my prenatal report, I saw my husband attending a prenatal appointment—with his first love, Delaney Cross. “Beckett, you coming with me to this appointment… if Evelyn finds out, she’ll be really upset. She’s due soon, too. Aren’t you worried?” Delaney said with a voice full of pretend concern, but I caught the smugness in her eyes. Beckett kissed her belly gently and replied with chilling indifference, “She doesn’t know about this and I’m not planning on telling her. Maybe it’s the hormones, but her mood’s been all over the place lately. I don’t want her making things difficult for you.” “But we can’t keep sneaking around like this. Evelyn’s heavily pregnant, too. If she finds out, I’m afraid she—” “There’s nothing to be afraid of. It’s my duty to be here with you for this appointment—after all, the baby is mine, too. If Evelyn wants to cause trouble, I’ll just divorce her.” The coldness in Beckett’s voice when he spoke about me made my blood run cold. If Beckett had already decided to toss us aside, then I would beat him to it. I would leave him and raise this child on my own. I let out a bitter smile as my heart finally gave up. I pulled out my phone and called my father overseas. “Dad, I’ve made up my mind. I’m divorcing him. I’ll bring the baby and come live with you.” “I’m glad you finally came to your senses,” came his voice through the line. “The Shaws might come from an elite family, but ours isn’t lacking either. If staying there only brings you pain, then yes—leave him and raise the child on your own.” “You’re right, Dad.” After hanging up, I immediately booked the next flight out. I thought back to this morning, when I asked Beckett to come to my appointment with me. He said he had work—turns out he was just accompanying Delaney to hers. Nine months of pregnancy and not once had Beckett ever come with me to the hospital. Delaney had her engagement called off three months ago and ever since she came back to the country, Beckett had been meeting her over and over again. From the moment she returned, Beckett and I had barely shared any time alone. Whenever Delaney called—even if it was just a text—Beckett would drop everything and rush to her. He even hugged her affectionately right in front of me. It wasn’t like I hadn’t confronted him about it. But every time I did, he brushed me off with the same excuse—that Delaney was going through a hard time and needed support. According to him, everything he did was to help Delaney back on her feet. She was pregnant, he said and he had a moral obligation to be there for her. But Beckett seemed to forget one crucial fact: Delaney wasn’t the only pregnant woman in his life. I was, too. And I was even further along than she was. If anything, I was the one who needed care the most. For the longest time, I thought the baby Delaney was carrying was Beckett’s. I tried to ask indirectly. I even told him that if he no longer loved me, he needed to tell me outright. But every single time, he’d shut me down—impatient, dismissive, evasive. And the one time I dared question whose child Delaney was really carrying, he got furious. He kept reassuring me, over and over again, until I finally chose to trust him. I told myself he was just being kind. That he hadn’t fallen out of love with me. But now, it’s all so clear—Delaney’s baby has always been his. They’d been sneaking around behind my back for God knows how long and I was nothing more than their cover story. When Beckett mentioned divorcing me, I caught the way Delaney’s eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of satisfaction slipping through her carefully composed expression. “I never meant to take you from Evelyn,” she said, her voice trembling ever so slightly. “It’s just… if my fiancé hadn’t broken things off, none of this would’ve happened. I needed to protect my dignity. And thank God you were there, Beckett. I honestly don’t know what I would’ve done—where I would’ve gone—after coming back to this country without you.” Her eyes filled with tears. And Beckett, full of tenderness and concern, gently wrapped her in his arms. “I told you—I’ll take care of you, Delaney. If it weren’t for you back then, I would’ve…” He trailed off. “Anyway, it’s only right that I look after you,” he continued. “Evelyn is my wife, so she should understand why I’m doing this. And so what if she finds out? I’ll still be here for you, no matter what.” Beckett patted Delaney gently, comforting her. As the doctor came out of the exam room, she glanced at them and said with envy, “You’re one lucky woman, Mrs. Shaw. Your husband never misses a single check-up and he treats you with such care and affection.” Delaney blushed, smiling bashfully and Beckett nodded like it was only natural. I stared at the sickening scene in front of me, nails digging into my palms. Two more weeks and I would be gone from Beckett’s life forever.