Chapter 1

Whenever my wife hooked up with a gigolo, she'd buy me a sports car as compensation.

In just two years, the sports cars had filled up five levels of the garage.

When I received the latest sports car from her, I also got a provocative call from a young guy.

"Hey, old man, you probably don't know how much Charlotte loves me. She's pregnant with my twins. It must've happened last month, when you were in the hospital with your stomach issues and Charlotte whisked me off to Farronia for a little getaway. Check the nightstand, and you'll find out."

On the nightstand were all the travel records from their trip to Farronia, glued in a scrapbook, mixed with their sweet photos together.

The dates corresponded to the two weeks I was hospitalized for my stomach cancer.

The book had her handwritten notes. "Traveling to Farronia with Blake, just the four of us."

I immediately went to see my doctor and said, "Doctor, I'm willing to go to Zwish to volunteer for a confidential medical project. Whether or not my stomach cancer can be cured, I have no complaints."

*****

"Doctor, I'm willing to go to Zwish to volunteer for a confidential medical project. Whether or not my stomach cancer can be cured, I have no complaints," said Nathan Quinn.

The doctor stared in surprise at his pale face.

Two weeks ago, Nathan had been handed a death sentence—late-stage stomach cancer. Local treatments couldn't save him. The doctor told him he had maybe six months left.

Back then, the doctor had brought up a cutting-edge medical trial in Zwish. They needed volunteers, and maybe it was Nathan's shot at beating the odds.

But the project was completely confidential. He couldn't tell anyone where he was going.

Back then, Nathan had hesitated. He just couldn't bring himself to leave his wife behind.

But now, he'd made up his mind.

The doctor pressed, "Are you absolutely sure? If you sign up, you can't tell anyone where you'll be—not even your wife, and you can't contact her. You'll spend three years locked away in a sealed facility. Is your wife really okay with that?"

Nathan gave a bitter smile. "Trust me, Doc. There's no one left in this world I'd miss."

He just wanted to leave Charlotte for good.

If Nathan's old buddies found out he was breaking up with Charlotte, they'd think he'd lost his mind.

After all, Charlotte was the queen of the business world right now, a billionaire everyone wanted to impress.

Countless pretty boys dreamed of sharing her bed, but she only wanted Nathan.

This had been the case since she started pursuing him eight years ago.

Born rich, Charlotte gave it all up for the poor boy from a small town. She moved into a shabby rented flat and cooked every meal herself, just for him.

She even worked odd jobs with him, delivering takeout. Her hands, once soft and delicate from playing the piano, became rough and chapped.

Later, Charlotte built her first business empire using Nathan's name, a luxury villa complex called Quinn Bay Estates.

Nathan loved her just as much, but he knew they came from completely different worlds. He was worried that he couldn't give her the kind of life she deserved.

Charlotte's family never approved of their relationship. Her parents even made trouble for him. For a while, he couldn't even find a job.

Nathan once suggested they break up.

Charlotte spent a whole night standing in the pouring rain, hoping her pain would move Nathan and make him come back to her.

Nathan said, "I'm not good enough for you."

Charlotte instantly realized that her parents were pulling strings behind the scenes. Without hesitation, she rushed home and signed the agreement, asking her parents to leave all the property and shares to her younger brother. She left the family to be with Nathan.

Her father slapped her, and her cheek became swollen.

The next morning, with her swollen face and tear-stained eyes, Charlotte appeared on the city's largest billboard for everyone to see.

Charlotte proposed to Nathan. "Nathan, without you, my whole life will lose its meaning. Please, trust me. I'll love you till the end of my days."

People couldn't help but marvel, thinking Charlotte was absolutely crazy about her boyfriend.

The legendary romance between Nathan and Charlotte had been talked about for eight whole years. Every young guy out there secretly wished they could meet a dream wife like Charlotte.

But only Nathan knew the truth. His "perfect wife" hadn't been intimate with him for more than six months.

After their wedding, Nathan wanted to have a kid, but Charlotte was caught up in her booming career, always busy. Having a baby would be tough on her body. Nathan understood why she kept saying no.

Charlotte told him to hang on a little longer. Once she was sure everything at the company was under control, she'd give him a son and a daughter and name them Lucas and Lily.

Nathan kept waiting, hoping for that dream to come true.

But about six months ago, Charlotte moved to the guest room, saying she didn't want to disturb his sleep when she came home late.

And it was only yesterday that Nathan finally learned the truth: all this time, she'd been secretly pregnant with someone else's child.