Everyone said Julian loved Anya more than his own life. He pursued her for ten years, spoiled her for ten, and would ache for hours if she even frowned. Yet, this same Julian betrayed her, not once, but three times. The first time, he was drugged by a rival at a corporate gala and ended up having a one-night stand with a college student. The day I brought up divorce, he shipped the girl overseas overnight. Then he stood under my apartment window, letting the rain soak him for three whole days and nights. He pleaded, “Anya, I messed up. Just forgive me this once.” Looking at his pale, defeated face, my resolve crumbled. The second time, I walked into him at the hospital, accompanying that same college student to her prenatal check-up. His eyes were red-rimmed as he explained, “Anya, two weeks ago I was abroad for a business deal. I got into a car accident. She risked the car exploding to pull me out, saving my life.” “Later, we found out she was pregnant, and Grandma threatened suicide if I didn’t keep the baby.” He held me so tight, his voice trembling. “Please, don’t leave me, okay? I swear, once she gives birth, I’ll send her away. The baby will be sent to our family’s estate. They’ll never appear before you again, I promise.” And like an idiot, I believed him. The third time, he was at an auction, openly bidding against me for my mother’s keepsakes. That sapphire necklace was her favorite piece of jewelry when she was alive, the only tangible memory she left me. But Julian’s bids grew more aggressive with each raise. Finally, he drove the price astronomically high, winning the necklace only to give it directly to that college student. I stormed into his private box, demanding answers. He just tiredly rubbed his temples. “She’s been struggling with prenatal depression lately, and she really set her heart on this necklace.” “Anya, please, just let her have this, okay?” In that moment, a bitter laugh escaped me, tears streaming down my face as I did. “And what if I don’t?” He frowned. “Anya, stop being dramatic. Serena is due any day now. Once the baby’s born, everything will go back to how it used to be.” I stared at him, my heart feeling like it was being brutally split open by an axe. “Back to how it used to be?” What did ‘how it used to be’ even mean? Was it when his eyes were only for me? Or when he’d drive three hours on a stormy night just to get me a slice of strawberry cake? Did he even remember any of it? “Mr. King…” Melanie’s shocked cry echoed behind me. She was clutching her stomach, leaning against the wall, her face a ghostly white. “I twisted my ankle… it hurts so much…” Dominic’s expression instantly twisted. He shoved me away, almost knocking me over, and rushed to scoop her into his arms. His shoulder brutally slammed into me. I stumbled backward, my hipbone hitting the sharp corner of a table. The pain was so intense, cold sweat immediately drenched my back. “Dominic!” I called out, my voice trembling. But he didn’t even glance back. He strode away with Melanie in his arms, leaving me only with his hurried back. I stood there, the more I tried to smile, the more tears streamed down my face. The life-saving act that bound him, coupled with that child they shared… Dominic, you’d never be able to shake her off now. How could we ever go back to how things were? I staggered to my feet, wiping away the blood from my temple, and got into the car. My driver, Mark, asked cautiously, “Ma’am, back to the mansion?” “No.” I closed my eyes. “To the law firm.” Two hours later, I, Seraphina, held the freshly printed divorce papers and headed to the hospital. Outside the top-floor VIP room, the bodyguards saw me, their faces flushing with embarrassment as they looked down. I stood at the end of the hallway, watching Dominic. He’d booked the entire floor for Melanie. Doctors and nurses were on call, and he stayed glued to her bedside. If she so much as furrowed her brow, he’d panic as if the sky were falling. “I really want tiramisu from that fancy dessert shop across town…” Melanie whined softly, fluttering her eyelashes. Dominic didn’t hesitate for a second. He grabbed his car keys and was out the door. “Wait here, I’ll be right back.” I stood in the shadows, my heart aching as if it had been ripped open. Only after he left did I push open the hospital room door. Melanie’s eyes instantly welled up when she saw me. “Miss King, are you here to accuse me? I’m so sorry, I really didn’t mean to. I just liked that necklace so much…” Her tears hovered at the brink, her voice catching. “Even though Mr. King took it from you to give to me, he only did it so I could have a smooth delivery, all to get back with you. He’s been taking care of me, but I know he’s only thinking of you.” “It’s just us two here, stop pretending.” I had no desire to appreciate her masterful acting. “Years ago, Dominic gave you fifty million to disappear, yet you still showed up in front of him, pregnant no less. I know exactly what you want.” Her tears froze on her face. “I’m done with your games.” I handed her the divorce papers. “If I give these to him personally, he won’t sign. You figure out a way to get him to sign without him knowing.” Melanie bit her lip. “You misunderstand, I never wanted to break you two up…” “This is your only chance,” I interrupted. “Think carefully.” Melanie stared at the papers for a long time before finally reaching out to take them. “…Thank you, Miss King, for making our family of three complete.” A family of three. My chest felt as if a dull knife had brutally stabbed through it, the pain making my breath tremble. “Then I wish you… a happy family of three, forever.” Back at the mansion, I pulled out a cardboard box and began packing away everything related to Dominic. Dominic and I had grown up together, the memories countless. The first thing I placed in the box was a photo album. Flipping to the first page, there was a photo of us at five years old. He was wearing a tiny suit, a stern look on his face as he stood beside me, but his hand was secretly clutching the corner of my dress. Aunt Victoria used to say he stubbornly refused to take a picture alone that day, insisting on being with me. That was the first time he showed his possessiveness over me. The second item was a button from his high school uniform. On graduation day, all the girls were scrambling for buttons from the boys, but I just sat at my desk. Later, when school was out, I found his button quietly resting on my desk, along with a note: “Only take mine.” Even then, he’d learned to use his status as the King family heir to keep other boys away from me. The third item was a diamond ring. The very day I became legally old enough to marry, he couldn’t wait to propose to me on the massive LED screen in the city’s downtown heart. As rose petals rained down from a helicopter, this diamond ring shimmered coldly in his hand. He put it on my finger himself, his eyes filled with love. “Sera, for the rest of my life, I am yours.” If not for Melanie, I truly believed we would grow old together. I chuckled self-deprecatingly, putting all these items into the cardboard box, then tossing them into the trash. The next morning, I was woken by the commotion downstairs. As I walked out, I saw the staff carrying bags of luxury goods into the living room. Hermès bags, Cartier jewelry, Chanel haute couture… Melanie stood in the grand hall, shaking her head delicately. “Mr. King, this is too much. I never wanted all this…” Dominic looked at her tenderly. “Don’t argue, just take them. A happy mood will ensure a smooth delivery for the baby.” The moment he finished speaking, he saw me. His expression stiffened, and he quickly spoke.
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