Chapter 1
Everyone in the industry knew how desperately I'd loved Neville Stevenson all these years. I'd given everything for him.
When his mother fell ill, I pulled every string to get her treated by the top specialists in the country.
When he started his company, I poured a fortune into paving his way to success
Whenever something valuable came my way, I made sure he got it first.
For twelve years of marriage, I truly believed I would eventually win his heart.
But then... he got his secretary pregnant.
The ultrasound photo and all those glaringly intimate pictures she sent me shattered my heart.
But I didn't shed a tear. Instead, I called an emergency shareholders' meeting and had him voted out as CEO.
I wanted him to understand: Without me, he's nothing.
*****
On my birthday, I ordered a top-tier steak and my favorite mousse cake, savoring them alone in the somewhat empty living room.
After settling the dirty stray dog, Neville Stevenson walked into the living room, his expression grave. "Why didn't you make dinner? I don't eat beef or desserts. What do you expect me to eat for dinner?"
I didn't look up at him and said flatly, "There is pizza in the cabinet. Just heat it in the oven, and it's ready to eat."
Hearing this, Neville was furious, staring at me sternly. "I rushed back from out of town to celebrate your birthday. Is this how you treat me?
"So what if work delayed me? I even prepared a gift. What else are you dissatisfied with?"
"Did you really rush back to celebrate my birthday?" I exposed him mercilessly, looking straight into his eyes.
My lips curved slightly. "I saw all the photos. This afternoon, you and Tasha were taking a stroll in the park."
While I was eagerly preparing for a birthday surprise, he was enjoying a leisurely afternoon with his secretary under the warm sun, just like a couple.
If he weren't about to marry me, this scene could even be called harmonious and beautiful.
The birthday "gift" he gave me was a dirty stray dog he rescued while walking with Tasha that afternoon.
Neville's face stiffened instantly, then he frowned. "Yes, I returned this morning. Tasha was upset this afternoon, so I accompanied her to the park for a walk to clear her head.
"As her superior, shouldn't I be concerned about my subordinate's emotional well-being?"
He sat beside me, his tone still cold, without a hint of remorse. "Sirena, I know what you're bothered by. Don't take your desire for a child out on Tasha.
"I told you before, I just started a business, and work takes up a lot of my energy. It's impossible for us to have a child.
"You are already thirty-two. Do you think you are still young enough to get pregnant easily?"
Although I was thirty-two, I married him when I was twenty.
It was precisely because of my age that I was eager to have a child.
Throughout these long twelve years, I have longed for a child countless times, but he always refused, citing his lack of career success.
I had always firmly supported and respected him.
He had strong self-esteem. To help him make a name for himself in the business world, I secretly leveraged my family's resources to fully support him.
I sacrificed everything, accompanying him every step of the way until today.
Now, he was a prominent and successful figure in the business world, yet he despised me for my age, claiming I was unfit to bear his children.
Neville sensed my distress, walked over, and gently hugged me. His voice was full of ingratiating tenderness. "My dear, you're getting older, and having children is high-risky. I'm thinking of your well-being."
"Look," he said, pointing at the dog nearby. "He might not be perfect, but all living things have souls. Let's just think of him as our own kid, okay?"
I smelled the faint rose perfume on him and felt a wave of nausea. I expressionlessly pulled my hand away from him and said coldly, "Since all living things have souls, why don't you give this dog to Tasha?
"What, it can't compare to the sapphire ring you just gave her this afternoon? You give her a priceless ring, but I only deserve a stray dog?"