Chapter 2

My mind went completely blank with a deafening buzz, and all that was left was a sharp ringing in my ears.

My marriage certificate was real. That meant Marcus had lied to Madeline and crushed a girl's feelings without a second thought.

Then, out of nowhere, I realized the man I'd loved for fourteen years was nothing but an absolute bastard.

My heart dropped. Everything good was a cruel joke now, and all I felt was disgust and a cold emptiness inside.

Who was more pitiful here? Me, or Madeline?

I gripped both marriage certificates and got into the car, feeling numb and dazed.

The cold wind gradually cleared up my chaotic thoughts.

I wasn't sure if Madeline knew the truth. If she did, then hiring me as her lawyer was definitely intentional.

She wanted me to find out the truth, divorce Marcus on my own, and then she could turn her fake marriage into something real.

If she didn't know, should I tell her?

Just then, my best friend sent me a message with a link to a website. [You have to check out this post. It'll blow your mind.]

I clicked on the link. The title: [What do I do if my kid's mom wants to divorce me?]

Some users were asking for details, while others were throwing out suggestions.

The top comment was: [If you don't want a divorce, then make an effort and try to win her back. If you do, just split up on good terms.]

The poster replied: [It's not that simple. The thing is, our marriage certificate is fake. I'm scared she'll find out I'm actually already married.]

The comments section went absolutely wild.

My mind instantly jumped to Marcus and Madeline. I clicked on his profile. There was only this one post.

I kept scrolling down. Most of the comments were calling him out as a total scumbag, and people were standing up for both women.

Some even cursed him, wishing he'd die a horrible death and burn in the deepest pits of hell.

But he just posted: [Honestly, my wife's a total workaholic and never wanted kids. My mom's been pressuring me nonstop, and me and the kid's mom really hit it off.

[Besides, you can't expect a guy to only fall for one woman in his whole life, right? I'm sure my fellow men get where I'm coming from.]

The post just ended there, but the comments kept blowing up. Some people actually said they understood him.

I angrily turned off my phone. Marcus was the one who cheated, but somehow he still managed to blame me for everything.

Right then, I knew exactly what I had to do. I was going to divorce him.

And I'd make sure he walked out with not a single dollar to his name.

When I got home, I slumped onto the couch, exhausted. My eyes landed on the photo on the TV stand.

I tried to force a smile, but before I knew it, tears were already streaming down my face.

*****

Marcus was the young heir of Quinn Group, while I was a scholarship kid they supported.

We met at a law school lecture. Maybe he was drawn to my looks, so he started chasing after me.

He'd bring me breakfast, show up at my part-time job, send me flowers and desserts.

I brushed it off as some rich kid's way of killing time, never taking it seriously.

But of course, I couldn't help but feel something deep down.

On my birthday, as I was heading back to campus after my part-time job, I ran into my father and brother.

They grabbed me like a couple of demons, trying to drag me back to the village to get married.

My mom had risked everything to help me escape that place.

There was no way I was going back to be treated like property, like some breeding tool, trapped forever in that godforsaken village.

Just as I was about to pull the scissors out of my bag, Marcus stepped in and drove them away.

After that, my father and brother never bothered me again. I could guess Marcus had handled things for me.

Afterwards, I got together with Marcus.

After graduation, thanks to Marcus's connections, I landed a job at an elite law firm. He went against his parents' wishes and became a judge.

After we got married, he got promoted to the city court, and I gave up so much of my life in Kingston for him.

Three years ago, he told me he'd been offered a position at a higher court in another city.

Marcus squeezed my hand and pulled me close into his arms. "Honey, you're an incredible lawyer. I can't let you keep sacrificing everything just because I'm moving away."

I was so moved, I could barely hold it together.

Thinking about it now, I was such a joke.

I stuffed all our photos into a trash bag and tossed them into the dumpster downstairs.

There wasn't a single trace of Marcus left in this house. Anyone who walked in would probably think I was a widow.

As I was in the bedroom, sorting through the property deeds and bank cards, I heard the sound of the keypad lock being opened.

Lily's voice followed right after. "Whoever you want to marry or divorce, your dad and I couldn't care less. But no one is taking my grandson away from me."

Marcus sounded impatient. "I'll definitely get custody of the kid. Madeline's just a housewife. No judge would ever give her custody."

Lily sighed. "What about Charlotte? If she finds out, she might divorce you. If she does, whatever.

"Your dad and I never approved of your marriage anyway. You can always find someone with a better background."

Marcus cut her off. "Mom, you're overthinking it. Charlotte loves me. She'd never leave me. She can't live without me. She only got into that elite law firm because of me.

"I'll take care of Madeline. For now, you take Gavin to the old house and keep it under wraps from Charlotte."

"Alright, take me to see Gavin," Lily said, grabbing her bag and heading out.

Marcus grabbed his car keys and followed her out.

Once I was sure they were gone, I stepped out onto the balcony and looked down.

What made Marcus think I'd still love him with all my heart after finding out what a jerk he was? That I couldn't live without him?

I pulled out my phone, about to call Madeline, when the doorbell rang.

I peeked through the peephole. It was the delivery guy. "Hi, your package. Please sign here," he said.

I took the package and checked the label. Yep, it was my name.

Then I opened it and saw it was Marcus's medical report.

I flipped to the marked page, and there it was, clear as day. He'd had a vasectomy.

So Madeline's kid... wasn't even his?

Just then, my phone rang. I answered, and Madeline's voice came through the line. "Ms. Sherman, did you like the gift I sent you for our collaboration?"