Chapter 1

I was in the middle of a board meeting when my phone rang with news that stopped my world: my wife, Rebecca Letterson, was at the hospital for a prenatal checkup—I was going to be a father.

I was stunned.

The problem was that Rebecca and I hadn't been intimate for three months.

Three months ago, Rebecca claimed she wanted to get fit and lose weight, so she signed up for personal training sessions. Ever since then, she'd hit the gym every night and come home complaining she was dead tired before going right to bed.

I even praised her for being so disciplined.

I had been an utter fool.

The nurse on the other end of the line urged, "Mr. Jenson? Are you still there?"

"Yes, I'm here. Which department is my wife in now?" I asked, barely containing my rage.

"She's in the obstetrics department on the third floor, getting an ultrasound right now," the nurse replied.

I hung up the phone and met the dozen pairs of expectant gazes in the conference room.

Then, I abruptly stood up and announced, "That's it for today's meeting. Everyone, you're dismissed."

Harry Linett, my assistant, was stunned as the quarterly review meeting had barely lasted ten minutes before being called off.

Without a word of explanation, I grabbed my coat and strode to the elevator.

Twenty minutes later, I arrived at the entrance of the hospital's obstetrics department.

Through the glass window, I saw Rebecca lying on the examination table. Her abdomen was smeared with clear ultrasound gel, and the doctor was carefully guiding the ultrasound probe across it.

At that moment, her face carried a blissful smile, the joy of impending motherhood written all over her features.

But I didn't know who the father of the child was.

Rebecca's eyes lit up when she saw me. "Ben! What brings you here?"

"The hospital called me," I said, staring at the tiny fetus on the screen, emotions churning inside me.

"I'm already twelve weeks along, and the baby's perfectly healthy," Rebecca exclaimed, her eyes shining with excitement as she clasped my hand. "We're going to have a baby."

Twelve weeks.

That was exactly when she started hitting the gym.

The doctor handed me the ultrasound report with a professional smile. "Congratulations, Mr. Jenson. Your wife is in excellent health, and the fetus is developing normally."

I took the ultrasound report, my eyes fixed on the date and gestational age. The fury inside me kept building, like a pressure cooker ready to blow.

But I didn't lash out. Instead, I just said flatly, "Thank you, doctor."

On the drive home, Rebecca chattered on.

She beamed at me and said, "Ben, let's pick a name for our baby! If it's a boy, we'll call him Bryan Jenson, and if it's a girl, Poppy Jenson. What do you think?"

"What do you think?" I returned the question.

"They both sound wonderful!" Rebecca smiled sweetly. "Oh, by the way, I'm still going to the gym today. My personal trainer says moderate exercise is good for the baby during pregnancy."

Tobias Solorio was her personal trainer.

At 25 years old, he was well-built and dashing, which made him extremely popular among his female clients.

I'd seen him a few times. Every time Rebecca mentioned him, there was a peculiar glint in her eyes.

"Maybe skip the gym today," I said, keeping my tone deliberately neutral. "You just had your checkup—better to rest at home."

"But..." Rebecca hesitated.

"No buts," I said, my voice hardening with authority.

She shot me a glance but didn't push it any further.

That night, I lay in bed feigning sleep, listening to Rebecca's phone conversation on the balcony.

She whispered into her phone, "Tobias, I didn't go to the gym today... Yeah, I went to the hospital instead... Yes, I'm pregnant... He doesn't know... Don't worry; I'll take care of it..."

Her voice was soft, but in the stillness of the night, every word reached my ears clearly.

I squeezed my eyes shut, fists clenched.

So it was true. I really had been cheated on.

Not only that, but she was planning to keep lying to me.

Rebecca truly was a piece of work.

The next morning, I was up unusually early.

Rebecca was still fast asleep. I slipped downstairs quietly and cooked her some oatmeal with a fried egg.

She was surprised to find breakfast on the table when she came downstairs. "Ben, why are you up so early?"

"You're eating for two now, so you ought to get proper nutrition," I said with a smile. "Come, sit down and have your breakfast."

A flicker of guilt crossed Rebecca's eyes, but it quickly gave way to joy.

"That's so sweet of you, Ben," she said as she settled into her chair and began eating her breakfast.

I sat across from her, watching her silently.

We'd been married for three years, but I had no idea when she had changed.

Rebecca used to be so innocent and kind-hearted. We studied at the same university, and after graduation, we started our own businesses together—she founded her own advertising agency, while I established an investment firm. We supported each other through thick and thin, and our relationship was truly solid.

When did things start to go downhill between us?

"Ben, why aren't you eating?" Rebecca asked, noticing I was just watching her.

"I was just thinking," I said casually, "maybe after the baby arrives, we should consider moving to a bigger place."

"Really?" Her eyes sparkled with excitement. "I've been wanting to move for ages. This place is way too small for us now."

"Actually, I've been eyeing a few villas. I'll take you to see them soon," I replied.

The truth was, I hadn't looked at any houses at all. I just wanted to see how she'd react.

Just as I thought, the mere mention of a new house was enough to completely distract her.

Sure enough, women would never change their vain nature.

Rebecca suddenly stood up and hugged me. "Ben, I love you."

I patted her back, but inside, I felt absolutely nothing.

"I need to go to the office to handle some matters today. You should rest at home," I said.

"Okay. I'll head to the gym this afternoon, then," she replied.

"Didn't I tell you to take a break?" I questioned her.

Rebecca insisted, "My personal trainer says moderate exercise is really important during pregnancy, and I'm only twelve weeks along—it's perfectly safe."

I didn't stop her again. Instead, I just gave a curt nod.

If she was so eager to see Tobias, then so be it.

I'd like to see how long they could keep up this act.