Chapter 1

The doctor told me at my prenatal checkup that I was having triplets.

Before I had the chance to tell my husband, his divorce papers arrived.

"I'll give you thirty million dollars," he said. "Don't make this difficult. Let's end things on good terms."

I stared at the transfer notification, signed the papers without hesitation, and disappeared.

Five years later, he showed up at my award ceremony and grabbed my wrist, his eyes red as he demanded, "Emily, I just want an explanation."

Behind me, three identical little heads peeked out. In unison, they asked, "Mom, why is he crying?"

*****

"Mrs. Foster, congratulations. You're having triplets," the doctor said. "That's extremely rare. Make sure to get plenty of rest during the first trimester."

The doctor's gentle voice hit me like a stone tossed into a calm lake, sending waves of shock through my mind.

I clutched the thin ultrasound report, my fingers trembling.

I was having triplets.

Andrew Foster and I were going to have three kids.

Overwhelming joy washed over me, making my knees weak.

For three years, Andrew was always cold and controlled, like an iceberg that never thawed.

I thought he didn't love me, that our marriage was going nowhere.

But these three little ones felt like a beam of light, suddenly making all my waiting and holding on worth it.

This was great. Andrew was going to be thrilled when he found out. He always loved kids.

I practically ran home, imagining the shock and joy that might finally break through Andrew's eternally frosty expression when he saw the ultrasound report.

But instead of a warm embrace from my husband, I was greeted by a room filled with icy indifference.

Andrew was sitting on the couch, his long legs crossed, his gaze behind those gold-rimmed glasses as cold as ever.

A fragile woman was nestled against his side. It was Vivian Lane, the first love he could never let go of.

My heart skipped a beat and plummeted straight to rock bottom.

The air felt frozen, heavy with tension.

When Vivian saw me, she nervously shrank into Andrew's arms, her eyes red and watery, looking like a scared little bunny.

Andrew pulled her behind him protectively, his whole posture screaming he'd shield her from anything.

He looked at me, his eyes burning with a cold, resolute disgust I'd never seen before.

"Emily, let's get divorced," he said, grabbing a document from the coffee table and slamming it down in front of me.

The words "Divorce Agreement" burned into my vision like searing needles.

My mind went completely blank, and it felt like my blood had frozen solid.

"Andrew, please don't be so harsh on Emily." Vivian tugged at his sleeve, her voice barely audible, trembling with guilt. "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have come back and disturbed you two."

Andrew patted her hand, his voice softer than I'd ever heard it. "This has nothing to do with you."

He turned back to me, his tone icy and merciless. "I've already signed. The prenup spells out everything about the assets. Plus, I'll give you thirty million dollars as compensation."

"Thirty million dollars?" I felt like I just heard the punchline to a cruel joke.

"The deal is, sign the papers and disappear from my life once and for all. Don't ever show up in my world again," he added coldly.

Thirty million dollars? Was that my three years of marriage and the three babies he doesn't even know about were worth to him?

My hand instinctively drifted to my still-flat belly, where three tiny lives were already growing.

I stared at him. I watched the way he was protecting Vivian, the way he looked at me with impatience and disdain.

It felt like a giant hand was squeezing my heart, the pain so intense I could barely breathe.

I took a deep breath, swallowing the bitter, metallic taste of heartbreak in my throat.

Then, I flashed a smile.

With both of them staring at me in shock, I grabbed the pen and signed my name at the bottom of the divorce agreement.

My signature swept across the page, bold and fluid, no hesitation whatsoever.

My phone chimed. It was a bank alert. Thirty million dollars, deposited in full.

I put my phone away and, without hesitation, tossed the crumpled ultrasound report into the trash.

"Andrew," I said, lifting my head with a dazzling smile. "It's been a pleasure doing business with you."

With that, I turned and headed upstairs, not sparing him another glance.

Andrew, what a big-hearted man you were.

Thirty million dollars for my freedom, and three ultra-rare babies as a bonus?

Honestly, I hit the jackpot with this deal.