Chapter 2

Joshua sighed, a hint of annoyance flashing in his eyes. "Nadia, you know why we got married. It was for the family. Why get hung up on the details? Isn't this arrangement just fine?"

I froze, caught off guard. He wasn't wrong.

Years ago, Ardenburg popped up as this massive threat, pushing both Merck Corp and Green Corp to the brink. They had no choice but to team up, and marrying us off was part of the deal.

"For the future of Merck Corp and Green Corp, you two must get married! No discussion!"

Our parents didn't leave room to argue. Joshua and Shirley's little fling got cut off, and I was forced to break up with Sean—my childhood sweetheart. They even yanked all financial support, leaving us broke. We barely lasted three months before giving in.

When we walked out of the city hall, Joshua's face was stone cold. "This is all for the family. I don't love you—don't expect anything more."

I knew his heart was still with his secretary, Shirley. But knowing he'd cheat and force me on birth control just to make sure I never had his kid? That was a whole different kind of betrayal.

My heart ached, a mess of fury and disappointment swirling inside me. Yeah, we married for our families—but five years together? Eighteen hundred days? How could there be zero love?

The question clawed its way out. "What are you planning to do about Shirley's babies?"

As soon as I asked, I regretted it. If he didn't want the kids, he wouldn't have bragged about it in the company group chat or thanked everyone for their blessings.

"Nadia, I love kids. And that's my flesh and blood—I have to keep it."

Rage exploded inside me. My hand shot out, and I slapped him. Hard.

Smack!

Joshua stared at me, eyes wide, like he couldn't believe it. "You're crazy! You actually hit me?"

I didn't bother answering. Just ripped the hospital report from my bag and slapped it down on the coffee table. Tears burned my eyes.

"Five years, Joshua! Five freaking years! You lied to me every single day! Expensive custom vitamins? Genius move—feeding me birth control and acting like you're doing me a favor!"

His face went pale, guilt and fear crashing over him. "Nadia, let me explain—"

"Explain what? You forced those pills on me for years. That's your idea of loving kids? Or is it just Shirley's kids you care about?"

Bitterness tightened my throat, and I couldn't hold back the tears. He reached out to hug me, but I jerked away.

"If you wanted Shirley to have your kid so bad, you could've just told me. I might've even convinced both families. But why'd you have to hurt me like this? Do you even get how much damage those hormones did to my body?"

Yeah, our marriage was mostly for convenience, but five years was five years.

He used to scour the whole city for my favorite cake when I was down.

Drunk, he'd cling to me, mumbling, "Honey, don't leave me."

And whenever I said I missed him on his business trips, he'd catch the last flight home, even if he had to leave again the next morning.

I didn't know if it was love, but every time he called me "Honey," it felt a little sweet, a little real.

"Honey, I'm so lucky to have married you."

He'd said that over and over, holding me close at night. I thought that happiness was forever. Never imagined he'd lie to me for five long years.

If my cousin hadn't found out, I'd still be clueless that those "vitamins" were actually hardcore birth control.

Joshua's face softened when he saw me crying, guilt flickering in his eyes. "Honey, I just... I didn't want you to get hurt knowing about Shirley. That's why I hid it from you."