At my mother’s memorial service, our butler suddenly received undeniable proof of my fiancé’s infidelity. “Miss Scarlett, Mr. Noth’s mistress has given birth to a child!” Arthur Noth offered no explanation. His voice was flat. “Just focus on the service.” The next day, he didn’t attend the memorial. He only called. “I’ve been at the maternity clinic, taking care of her. I won’t be able to make it to the service.” When I didn’t reply, he sighed. “Don’t worry, she and I were just an accident. She doesn’t want to ruin the alliance between the Noth and Weixler families. She just wants to keep the child as a memento.” “But I am the father, and I can’t just abandon my child. After we’re married, I’ll stay at her place on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays to care for the baby, and come home on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.” My grip tightened, my eyes brimming with tears, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. “Arthur Noth, we’re through. The engagement is off.” He scoffed. “Your mother just passed. Don’t be dramatic.” I hung up without hesitation, then walked straight to his arch-rival. “Marry me, and we’ll bring down the Noth empire. Are you in?” 1. At the memorial service, Lucas Thorne’s eyes widened in surprise. His usually stern face flushed, and he stammered, “Our family tradition dictates a man only marries once. If you marry me, you’ll be mine for life.” Thinking it was a lost cause, I turned to leave, disappointed. He grabbed my hand firmly, his usually wild gaze now solemn. “Scarlett Weixler, be sure about this. There’s no turning back.” I offered a slight smile, nodding with conviction. “Good. No turning back.” Lucas had been my mother’s choice for my future husband, his character, family, and temperament all beyond reproach. If I hadn’t fallen for Arthur, I would have married him. The memorial arrangements were complex, and Lucas helped me with the condolences, dedicating more than half a month to the task. Arthur, during this time, didn’t call once. For those two weeks, every time I opened social media, I’d see intimate photos of him and Holly Lane. They’d be smiling brightly, holding the baby, forming a heart with their hands. The caption: “Our dearest, most cherished family.” I scoffed, a familiar pang of bitterness in my heart. The next second, his call came through. His voice sounded lazy. “The service is over, right? Want to come see the baby at the clinic?” I looked at the dark circles under my eyes in the rearview mirror and spoke flatly. “Arthur Noth, we’re already broken up.” Silence for a few seconds. Arthur mumbled an “Mm-hmm” to himself. “Good. Holly’s been a little depressed after giving birth. Seeing you might upset her.” The tears that had been building for weeks finally fell. My eyes reddened, and I laughed self-deprecatingly. “Arthur Noth, I said we’re broken up. Are you deaf?” He paused, then sneered. “Scarlett Weixler, you’ve been with me for five years, practically worn out. Who else would want you after me?” “I told you this child was just an accident. Why are you clinging to it?” I said nothing. A crashing sound came from his end. Arthur scoffed. “Fine, then. Break up. I’ll wait for you to come crawling back.” The call was abruptly cut off. I returned home to find the lock code changed. Arthur’s phone was unreachable, so I found a random hotel for the night. Waking up, my social media feed pushed a live stream from the maternity clinic. Holly Lane was interacting enthusiastically with viewers, Arthur seated beside her, watching her with doting affection. That gentle gaze, I’d once believed, belonged only to me. The stream had been going for nearly five hours when a fan’s comment scrolled across the screen: “So envious of the streamer, living in a clinic that costs $50,000 a month, with her husband by her side.” “So lucky.” “Sign me up for a husband like that.” Before inheriting the Noth Corporation, Arthur was a decorated military officer. He absolutely detested being in front of cameras. I’d begged him to take a photo with me, and he’d always refused with a cold face. Yet now, for Holly, he was making an exception, live-streaming to a national audience. Holly smiled as she replied to a fan: “He’s just so thoughtful~” Thoughtful? A searing pain twisted in my chest. I smiled, wiping away a tear from the corner of my eye. Arthur had never been a patient or thoughtful lover to me. I remembered one time, I asked him to accompany me to a movie. After much coaxing, he finally agreed. But in the end, he slept through an hour and a half of the two-hour film. When he woke, he rubbed his temples, irritably telling me, “Spending time with you is a waste of my time.” He could be caring, could spend an entire day with Holly. He just couldn’t be caring towards me. 2. Arthur must have recognized my social media ID, because he called me. “You have half an hour. Come to the clinic and collect your mother’s belongings.” By the time I arrived, they had ended the live stream. Holly beamed at me. “Scarlett, you came to see me!” I ignored her, walked up to Arthur, and held out my hand. “Give it to me.” His upward-curved lips flattened, and his face darkened. “Holly spoke to you. Are you mute?” I forced a smile, looking at Holly. “Congratulations, Miss Lane. You successfully seduced my fiancé and bore his child. What’s next, using the baby to secure your position?” Smash! Arthur slammed a teacup to the floor. “If you can’t speak properly, then shut up!” Holly suddenly clutched her stomach, crying out in pain, tears splashing to the ground. Arthur tensed instantly. “Holly, what’s wrong? Where does it hurt?” She bit her lip, her eyes red as she wept at me. “Scarlett, I didn’t want to ruin your relationship with Arthur, but the doctor said this might be my only chance to be a mother. Don’t worry, once I’ve recovered from childbirth, I’ll leave and stay far away, I promise I won’t cling to Arthur.” Then, she looked at the baby in the cradle. “Mommy is sorry, darling, that you were born without a daddy, but Mommy didn’t mean it, I hope you can forgive Mommy…” She sobbed, seemingly overwhelmed with pain and grief. Arthur’s gaze towards me was venomous, his entire demeanor chilling. “Are you happy now that you’ve made her cry?” I scoffed. “Such pathetic acting, and only you find it entertaining.” My attitude enraged Arthur. He ripped my mother’s heirloom pocket watch from his neck, lifted it high, and prepared to smash it. My pupils constricted. “No! Don’t!” He didn’t stop, throwing the watch forcefully across the room. The face shattered on the floor, splintering into pieces. I tripped over a sharp table corner, hitting my leg. A searing pain shot through me, making me gasp. Arthur sneered. “That’s what you get for being disrespectful.” “Get out, stop trying to play the victim here.” Holly cast me a feigned look of concern. “Scarlett, you should get up. Arthur saw you pretend to fall…” I gritted my teeth, glaring coldly at her. Arthur, seeing me dare to glare at Holly, yanked me up from the floor. “Holly has been experiencing engorgement and has many dirty clothes. Go wash them thoroughly before you leave. Remember, by hand.” I wrenched my arm free. “Why should I?” “Because you bullied Holly just now!” Arthur’s face was terrifyingly dark. “You owe her an apology!” I endured the piercing pain in my foot, straightening my back. “You wish!” Arthur’s eyes turned to ice. He shoved me into the bathroom. “Bang!” The door was locked from the outside. “Don’t even think about coming out until they’re spotless!” “Arthur Noth, this is kidnapping!” I rattled the doorknob, screaming, “Let me out!” The door slammed against my hands, making a deafening racket. Outside, there was only silence. My hands were burning, and my foot throbbed with excruciating pain. The room reeked of sour milk and vomit. I sank to the floor, exhausted. Through the door, I heard Holly’s insincere voice. “Arthur, if you treat Scarlett like this, won’t she be angry when she comes out?” Arthur scoffed softly. “What if she’s angry? I’ll just sweet-talk her. Besides, this is her fault. If she doesn’t learn to control her diva temper, who will tolerate her when she marries into the Noth family?” “The Noth family has a military background spanning generations. If it weren’t for the lack of heirs to the Noth Corporation, my mother wouldn’t have me marry a socialite heiress who’s good for nothing but spending money.” Holly feigned worry. “Arthur, if you talk about Scarlett like that, won’t she break up with you?” Silence fell over the room. After a long moment, Arthur’s cool voice, tinged with arrogance, came through. “She won’t.” “As a socialite with no inheritance rights, the Noth family is her best option. Besides, she loves me to death. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’d die for me if I asked her to.” I clutched my chest, unable to believe I was hearing such words from Arthur Noth. 3. Our Weixler family had been merchants for generations, often targeted by unscrupulous individuals from the underworld. Six years ago, my mother and I were traveling abroad when she was taken hostage by thugs. They held a gun to her temple. I screamed until my throat was raw, certain I was about to lose my mother. At the critical moment, a whooshing sound cut through the air. The thug dropped dead instantly. Arthur Noth stood there, a gun in his hand, in military uniform, broad-shouldered, lean-waisted, and decisively saved my mother and me. I saw his true face in the military jeep – exquisite features, a prominent, well-formed nose. It was love at first sight. For that, I pursued him relentlessly for an entire year until he finally agreed to date me. For five years, I was completely devoted to him. My sincere devotion had earned me such heartless scorn. It was truly laughable. The bathroom door was pushed open. Arthur saw me crouched on the floor, pale-faced, and pulled me up impatiently. “I just asked you to wash some clothes. Why are you squatting here, trying to look pathetic?” A wave of nausea rose in my throat. I forced it down, suppressing the urge to vomit as I searched for my mother’s belongings. The pocket watch was utterly shattered, scattered into fragments. I picked up each piece. Arthur’s voice came from behind me: “Once Holly recovers from childbirth, we’ll get married. After the wedding, Holly will live with us.” Holly cast me a grateful look. “Scarlett, thank you for accepting me and the baby. I’ll be so grateful…” I didn’t have time for her drivel. I turned to Arthur. “No need. We won’t be living together. I’m taking my things. Give me the house code, and I’ll have a moving company collect my belongings.” Arthur rattled off a series of numbers, his gaze dismissive. “Such a production, only to move back in eventually.” Holly tugged at his sleeve, speaking timidly. “Arthur, the bedroom…” Arthur’s eyes flickered. He led Holly into my car. “I’ll come back with you, just to make sure you don’t take the wrong things.” Back home, I understood why Arthur was so insistent on returning with me. Scattered across the sofa were intimate adult toys. On the dining table, adult candles. The bedroom exuded a tempting, sensual aura, with handcuffs attached to both the headboard and footboard. In the past few days, I had been busy with my mother’s memorial and hadn’t spent much time at home. Arthur and Holly, however, had clearly indulged themselves fully. I walked into the walk-in closet to find jewelry strewn across the floor. Several designer handbags were also missing from the shelves. Holly, following behind me, smiled faintly, a smug expression on her face. “Scarlett, is anything missing?” She was eager to see me lose my temper. Unfortunately for her, I simply smiled. “A mistress is just a mistress. Always resorting to petty theft.” “You!” Holly’s face flushed with anger, a flash of malice in her eyes. She gasped, clutching her stomach, and sank to the floor. “Scarlett, I haven’t even recovered from childbirth yet, how…how could you hit me…?” Arthur stormed in and helped Holly up. He was furious, swinging his hand and delivering a stinging slap across my face. “Scarlett Weixler, you’ve been a spoiled princess for too long, acting so arrogant!” Arthur hadn’t held back. My face swelled immediately. My temples throbbed with anger, and I nearly lost control. “I didn’t hit her!” He didn’t believe me, yanking me out of the closet and throwing me to the floor. “Get out, go back to your Weixler family. Don’t come back until you’ve learned your lesson!” My mounting rage slowly turned to resentment. I got up, furious, and slapped Holly hard. “Smack!” Arthur, incandescent with fury, raised his hand to strike me. I gritted my teeth, meeting his gaze directly. “That’s the one I hit.” I turned and walked away, once again, foolishly, my eyes welling with tears. Stepping outside, rain poured down, drenching me. I curled up on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. After a long while, I noticed the rain had stopped on me. I looked up to see Lucas Thorne, who had arrived at some point, holding an umbrella, shielding me. He extended his hand to me, his voice laced with unconcealed tenderness. “Scarlett, I’m taking you home.”
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