Chapter 2

Edward and I were childhood friends. After graduating, we wanted to step out from under our families' influence, so we built an entertainment company together from scratch.

We didn't use any family connections; we started at rock bottom, put up with plenty of judgmental stares and snide remarks. Only after countless struggles did we finally make a name for ourselves in the ruthless world of showbiz.

Our bond, already strong from growing up together, only grew deeper through all the ups and downs. Falling for each other just felt like the most natural thing in the world.

The very first artist we signed was Olivia, who'd been my closest friend for as long as I could remember.

We funneled all our early resources into Olivia, and she really proved herself. After racking up awards one after another, she finally landed the Best Actress crown—it was everything she'd ever wanted.

But I never saw it coming—Olivia, who was always so damn ambitious, managed to crawl right into my husband's bed, too.

Two months ago, she volunteered to cancel all her gigs just to stay at my place and take care of me. I was so moved that I nearly bawled my eyes out.

But according to Edward, I was the one begging her to help. Now it turned out her real goal was just to hook up with him behind my back.

As I had expected, at the quarterly meeting, Edward handed all our best resources straight to Olivia.

As soon as he announced it, some of the other artists started complaining, and one even got up and called Edward out right to his face.

The guy said, "Mr. Sterling, this is way out of line. Don't the rest of us need exposure? If I didn't know better, I'd think Olivia and you..."

The naked contempt in their eyes threw me for a second, and I couldn't help but scoff at myself. So it'd been obvious all along—Olivia and Edward were up to something behind my back, and I was just clueless.

The two newly signed heartthrobs both glanced over at me, waiting to see what I'd say.

I cleared my throat and tried to sound steady. "This arrangement doesn't quite add up. According to our contracts with the other artists, the allocation of remaining resources—"

Before I could finish, Edward cut me off.

"Charlotte, don't forget how many big deals Olivia turned down just to take care of you. What's so wrong about giving her all the top resources?"

I looked up at him, utterly shocked. He was seriously putting his personal feelings above the company and everyone else, and just said it out loud like it was the most normal thing in the world.

If looks could kill, Edward would've been sliced to pieces by the other artists' glares.

Olivia, putting on her best helpless act, let a few tears slip quietly down her cheeks, her voice wobbling as she muttered to me.

"Charlotte, did I do something wrong? Why are you—"

Edward couldn't stand Olivia's tears. He pinched the bridge of his nose and snapped at me.

"Enough, Charlotte. Just take care of your pregnancy. From now on, stay out of the company's business. Olivia's the top earner here, so she deserves every bit of it."

He paused, a flash of contempt flickering in his eyes. "You know what? Pregnancy brain is real. You better stay away from the company from now on."

Hearing him say that, I felt a wave of nausea wash over me. The image of them tangled together last night flashed in my mind, and I couldn't help but think about the baby growing inside me—the product of their betrayal.

My hands wouldn't stop shaking; I had to use all my strength to hide them. The fury in my eyes made Olivia shrink back, trembling as she scrambled to hide behind Edward.

The other artists instantly started raising hell, all shouting about quitting their contracts.

Edward just gave a cold sneer, his eyes full of scorn.

"Better think twice. You break your contract, and you pay for it. Honestly, none of you matters to me. Anyone who wants out, go talk to Legal. As long as Liv's here, I'm good."

But Edward missed the point—dump enough resources on anyone with half a drive, and they'd be a household name in no time.

Plus, before I got pregnant, I was the one fixing every mess Olivia stepped in.

The moment the artists heard Edward's cold words, the room emptied out in seconds. Everyone rushed straight to Legal to break their contracts.

Just the three of us were left behind, and maybe it was the stormy look on my face that did it, but Edward suddenly dropped to one knee and grabbed my hand, trying to calm me down.

"Charlotte, sorry that I was too harsh just now. Just focus on yourself and the baby, alright? By the way, we still gotta go visit my grandma tomorrow."

The moment he mentioned his grandmother, Amanda, all the anger I'd been holding onto just deflated like a balloon.

Edward always knew my weak spot—Amanda. Honestly, if there was anything that truly connected us, it was her.

Ever since I was a kid, Amanda had always favored me. No matter what happened between Edward and me, she'd always take my side, no questions asked. To me, she was just like my real grandmother.

Since I got pregnant, Edward was practically glued to me every second. If I wanted even a slim chance to go through with the abortion on my own, I had to grit my teeth, keep my head down, and wait for an opening.

Just then, my phone buzzed with a message from Christopher—he'd sent me the confirmation that our new company was officially registered, along with the wedding checklist.

I didn't spare Olivia, who was trembling behind Edward, a single glance. Instead, I reached out and took Edward's hand, forcing a smile as I played along. "Alright."