Chapter 1
I was seven months pregnant, but my husband Ethan kept making detours every day to drive his female coworker to work.
"Just take an Uber to the office yourself. Charlotte doesn't drive, and the subway is inconvenient for her. I need to give her a ride."
Watching him rush out the door yet again to pick her up, I blocked his way:
"Is a coworker really more important than the safety of me and our baby?"
Ethan's face showed irritation:
"She's the CEO's niece. I can't afford to offend her. It's not like I'm not giving you money for an Uber. Can't you just be understanding about my situation?"
My morning sickness, my swelling, my sleepless nights—who cared about my difficulties?
In a fit of anger, with my belly protruding, I went straight to his company lobby and made an announcement over the PA system:
"Miss Charlotte, hello. I'm Ethan's wife."
"He's been picking you up and dropping you off every day, making my commute in the third trimester extremely difficult. Could you please be considerate and get to work on your own?"
The moment the words landed, the lobby fell into dead silence.
Ethan burst out of the elevator and grabbed my wrist: "Victoria, what the hell are you doing?"
I gasped at the pain but didn't struggle.
Charlotte followed behind him. When she saw me, her eyelashes trembled, and her eyes instantly reddened.
"Ethan, is this because of me?"
"This has nothing to do with you." Ethan didn't even turn around, just stared at me intently.
"You go upstairs first."
"But she..." Charlotte took half a step forward with a fake apology.
"I'm sorry, this is all my fault."
"Had enough of the performance?" I cut her off. "Every morning at seven, he makes a twenty-minute detour to pick you up. I ask him to come with me to prenatal appointments, and he says he needs to take you to meet clients. Now you cry a few tears, and he thinks I'm the one causing problems. Charlotte, don't you have any shame?"
Someone in the crowd gasped.
Ethan's face turned livid:
"Victoria! Charlotte is the niece of the CEO, Mr. Harrison. Taking care of her is Mr. Harrison's instruction! Can't you be reasonable?"
"Did Mr. Harrison tell you to pick her up and drop her off every day?" I shot back with a smile.
"Did Mr. Harrison tell you to change your phone password to her birthday? Did Mr. Harrison tell you to get her perfume on your shirt collar?"
His Adam's apple bobbed. He couldn't speak.
Charlotte's tears fell one by one onto the floor:
"Victoria, you've misunderstood. Ethan and I are completely innocent..."
"Innocent?" I pulled out photos from my bag and threw them at Ethan's chest.
The photos scattered all over the floor.
Screenshots from the dashcam, with time and location, crystal clear.
Charlotte in the passenger seat, smiling like a flower.
"These past three months, you've picked her up and dropped her off sixty-seven times." My voice was calm.
"Twenty-three of those times, you stayed parked in front of her building for over half an hour. The longest was two hours and seven minutes. Ethan, tell me, what were you two talking about in the car all that time?"
Dead silence.
Ethan stared at the photos, his lips trembling.
Charlotte suddenly rushed over and grabbed my arm:
"Victoria, please don't do this."
I shook off her hand—not with much force, but she dramatically fell backward, screaming as she hit the floor.
"Victoria, what are you doing!" Ethan rushed over to help her up, his eyes looking like he wanted to kill me.
Charlotte leaned against him, tears streaming down her face: "Don't blame Victoria. I just didn't stand steady."
Watching this scene, I suddenly laughed out loud.
"Nice performance." I clapped. "But unfortunately..."
Before I could finish, Ethan suddenly let go of Charlotte and stepped right in front of me.
"Slap!"
The crisp sound of the slap echoed through the lobby.
I froze, my cheek burning with pain.
Shocked exclamations came from all around.
"Have you caused enough trouble!" he roared, his eyes bloodshot.
"Are you not satisfied until you've destroyed my career!"
My ears were ringing, and the world seemed to lose all sound in that moment.
I looked at his furious face—that face that once smiled at me tenderly—and suddenly it felt so unfamiliar.
Tears finally broke free, not from the pain, but because my heart had died.
The elevator doors opened.
I walked in and pressed the close button.
In the final second, I saw Ethan holding Charlotte, looking at me with complicated eyes.
As the elevator descended, the person in the mirror had bloodshot eyes.
I told myself, hold on, Victoria. For the baby's sake, just hold on a little longer.
Once she's safely born, we'll leave.
Leave forever.
My phone buzzed. Ethan had transferred $5,000 with the note: Stop making a scene. Come home.
I accepted it.
Since I couldn't get love, I might as well get money.
Walking out of the building, the sunlight was blinding.
I raised my hand to shield my eyes and suddenly remembered many years ago.
He rode his bike carrying me through the shade of plane trees. The wind was gentle, and he said: "Victoria, I'll always be good to you."
Forever turned out to be so short.