Chapter 1

I'd told Matthias Bates that if he ever fell for another woman, I'd leave on my own.

But he had always been faithful, cherishing me in every way.

We had been married for nine years, yet still hadn't had a child.

For the sake of having a baby, I'd endured so much physical hardship, wishing and hoping for a child born of our love.

But then Matthias pulled me into a tight embrace and said, "Briana, I'd rather us never have kids than watch you suffer through all this."

I was so moved in that moment that I made a silent promise in my heart. I would stay by his side for the rest of my life, no matter what.

But I never expected that, just before Valentine's Day, while Matthias was back at his alma mater for the school's centennial celebration, I was over the moon when I found out I was pregnant.

I went straight to his old school myself, determined to share the good news with him face to face.

But what I saw next left me completely stunned. Matthias was walking side by side with a beautiful woman.

A little boy walked between them, calling them "Mommy" and "Daddy."

From across the crowd, I watched them in silence.

Matthias had his arm around the woman's shoulders, his eyes full of gentle affection.

She leaned into him, her arms wrapped around his waist, her gaze overflowing with love.

The little boy held up a sleek model airplane, beaming with excitement. It was one of the souvenirs from the school's centennial celebration.

He waved his tiny hands in the air, shouting with joy, "Daddy, look! This plane is so cool! One day, I'm gonna be awesome like you and fly real planes!"

Matthias grinned and tousled Lucas's hair. "Of course, buddy. I believe in you—one day, you'll be the best pilot ever."

Alumni passing by smiled with envy. "Seeing them makes me want to get married," someone joked.

They looked so blissful together. Watching them, I couldn't help but feel a sharp pain stab through my heart.

Without even thinking, I found myself wanting to wish them happiness.

If only that guy wasn't my husband, Matthias.

I pulled out my phone, my fingers trembling as I dialed Matthias's number.

Matthias glanced at his screen, his brow furrowing instinctively, a flicker of panic flashing in his eyes.

He shot the woman a look, his eyes full of urgency.

She immediately understood, took Lucas's hand, and gave him a gentle smile.

"Come on, Lucas, Daddy's got some work to do. Let's go play somewhere else for a bit," she said softly.

Once he was sure she'd walked far enough, Matthias answered the call, casually glancing around the area.

His moves were smooth and almost automatic, like he'd repeated this routine countless times before.

"Briana, what's up? Why are you calling me all of a sudden?" Matthias asked.

Nothing seemed off in his voice—it was the same as ever, calm and steady, even carrying that familiar trace of gentleness.

But my nose stung, and tears welled up in my eyes, threatening to spill over.

Noticing that I was quiet, Matthias instantly sounded worried.

"Briana, why aren't you saying anything? Are you feeling sick again? You have to take care of yourself when I'm not home—you always give me something to worry about," he said.

I did my best to keep it together, but my voice still quivered as I asked, "Matthias, when are you coming back?"

"Missing me already, you little dummy? Every single day here in Veridale, I've been thinking about you," Matthias teased.

He chuckled softly through the phone, his tone gentle and overflowing with affection.

"I miss you... Can you come home tonight and spend Valentine's Day with me?" I asked, my voice trembling. "It's also the ninth anniversary of your proposal."

My words spilled out almost like a plea; I couldn't hide how much I needed his answer.

'If he really comes back... maybe I could give him one more chance to explain. Just once more,' I thought to myself.

Matthias was momentarily stunned into silence on the other end.

I watched him from across the way as he glanced up, his gaze drifting over to the woman and the little boy not far off.

Seeing him look her way, she offered him an especially tender, heartfelt smile.

After a moment, Matthias finally spoke, his voice gentle but tinged with apology.

"Briana, I'm so sorry. I know tonight's our anniversary, but my old college friends are really pushing me to stay—they say it's been forever since we've had a reunion. We've still got plenty of anniversaries ahead to celebrate, okay?

"I'll definitely be back the day after tomorrow. Just hold down the fort for me and wait at home, will you?"

I didn't say a word more. I just slammed the call shut, cutting him off cold.

Matthias stared dumbly at his phone, completely lost. 'She's never lost her temper before... Why is Briana suddenly so pissed at me?' he wondered.

Just then, the woman and the little boy came back over.

The little boy came bounding over, and Matthias reached out, scooping him up and pulling him into a tight hug.

He looked at the little boy with such adoration, like he was the most precious thing in the world.

As I watched them, my heart twisted tighter and tighter.