Chapter 1

Elina

The air still felt cold after I left the doctor’s office. I still couldn’t believe what I had just heard.

Maybe God had finally answered my prayers. Clenching my hands, I quickened my pace.

As I walked out of the hospital, my eyes immediately caught sight of Jonathan’s car. I couldn’t hold back the smile on my face—I didn’t expect him to be waiting for me.

My whole body reacted as I hurried forward to share the happy news I had received today.

Opening the car door and sitting beside him, I kept my pregnancy report tightly in my bag.

Surely, Jonathan would be very happy to hear this news. After one year of marriage, we were finally going to become parents.

I hoped our child would resemble Jonathan more—my husband, whom I love.

I took a deep breath, my grip tightening as my heartbeat grew faster.

Jonathan’s sudden sharp gaze startled me, leaving me at a loss for words.

“Don’t you think you’re being too pampered, lying in the hospital for two whole days, Elina?”

His tone and expression were so cold.

I couldn’t believe he actually said that. The smile that had appeared on my lips slowly froze. My fingers tightened unconsciously around my bag.

For the past two days, I had been lying in the hospital, and he hadn’t even visited me.

“A lot of work piled up because of your attitude,” he clicked his tongue.

My mind went completely blank.

Didn’t he want to ask about my condition first after not seeing me for two days?

I knew there was a lot of work I had to leave behind because of my condition. It definitely wasn’t easy to handle things when I wasn’t around. Most of the important matters in the Knox family company were managed by me.

Even so, Jonathan’s attitude still shocked me. I had hoped he would greet me with a warm smile, worried about my condition.

But it was all for nothing.

He had no idea how I felt right now. It made me wonder if I had never been important in his life unless I could do my job.

Had he ever thought about me?

And my decision changed—for now, I held myself back from telling him about my pregnancy.

“I’m sorry, Jonathan.”

When I apologized to him, my breath hitched. There was a pressure in my chest that made it ache, but I still tried to remain calm in front of him.

My current situation happened because I took on too many responsibilities.

Jonathan’s grandfather had been my sponsor since I was young because of my outstanding academic abilities. I often received praise from him.

Recently, Jonathan’s grandfather passed away. I had to handle the funeral arrangements and, of course, manage the company quietly without anyone knowing.

Yes, it was a secret—just like my marriage to Jonathan. The public didn’t know about it.

Even so, I still did everything willingly. I took good care of my husband, preparing everything he needed with all my heart.

I poured all my feelings into it, even though our marriage had actually happened because his grandfather arranged it.

But he is my love. That’s why I was so happy when I learned about the arranged marriage.

Jonathan looked at me and let out a short breath through his nose.

“Don’t do that again. You should know how troublesome it is,” he softly told me.

I nodded slowly, completely weak in front of him, offering no defense for myself.

Right then, his phone rang. He immediately answered the call.

“Do it as instructed.”

“Do you still not understand what needs to be done?” Jonathan spoke while staring straight ahead.

Once again, he ignored me and returned to his business matters. I had actually experienced this many times before, but it still hurt deeply.

He made me feel worthless.

Unable to keep watching him busy with his business, I finally looked away. That was when I saw an open jewelry box at his feet.

The moment I noticed the details, I knew it was from my favorite brand.

Through the slight opening, I could see a necklace that made my heart race.

I couldn’t hold back the smile on my face. I truly hadn’t expected Jonathan to remember what I liked and to make this my gift.

Maybe he wasn’t a romantic man and couldn’t express his feelings. But look at this—he remembered me.

Because of that, I felt much calmer than before.

When his phone call ended, Jonathan turned his attention back to me.

I saw my reflection in his eyes.

“Did you hear that? What a mess,” his sharp voice pierced my ears.

“A complete mess. The company could really fall apart if you keep acting like this, Elina.”

Hearing that, my thoughts immediately turned to the company. The important matters I handled there would be difficult for them to manage.

“Elina, the company won’t run well without you. Many people will be affected. You know that, right?”

I knew very well what would happen if the company failed to operate properly. The employees could lose their jobs.

As I looked at Jonathan, the man I loved would be the one most affected.

I had always felt uneasy whenever Jonathan worked too much and lost sleep, then ended up getting sick.

Thinking about it again, Jonathan’s words were not entirely wrong. I should be stronger.

I couldn’t help but accept that fact with a small nod.

The car drove away from the hospital, and twenty minutes later we arrived home—only to be greeted by the unexpected presence of Rose, Jonathan’s stepmother, standing in front of us.

She immediately rose from her seat, her eyes cold.

“So you’ve finally come back after causing such a mess.” Rose always spoke sharply.

I looked at her gently, offering a weak smile. “I’m home, Mom.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. Rose snorted. “Someone like you really can’t do anything right. When Lora comes back, everything will be better.”

I clenched my fists tightly, forcing my pain not to show. If I reacted, Rose is Jonathan’s stepmother. Lora is Rose’s daughter and Jonathan’s stepsister. 

“I’m sorry, Mom.”

I wanted to resolve this quickly. Even though I tried to remain calm in front of her, my body was actually weak. I didn’t know how much longer I could hold on.

Besides, I didn’t want the situation to get worse.

But Rose clearly didn’t share the same thought. She stepped forward, her hand raised. It was obvious she was about to slap me like she usually did.

My body froze. I was ready to just accept the slap—but Jonathan suddenly caught his stepmother’s wrist.

“Mom, calm down,” he said softly.

But this clearly didn’t please Rose. She brushed his hand away.

“Why are you defending her, Jonathan? She’s the troublemaker in this house.”

“She’s a failure. She can’t even have a child, can she? She—”

For a moment, I couldn’t even hear the rest of her rant. The pressure in my chest grew heavier. I quickly went to my room, hoping I wouldn’t have to hear her nagging anymore.

I tried to calm myself as I collapsed onto the bed, steadying my breathing again and again until I finally fell asleep.

My rest was far from peaceful. I woke up to loud laughter coming from downstairs. As I sat up with a dizzy head, I realized I had slept until evening.

That laughter was probably because Lora had arrived, and as the lady of the house, it would be very improper if I didn’t go down to greet her.

I quickly tidied my appearance, though I still couldn’t stop wondering why Jonathan hadn’t woken me.

With weak steps, I finally left the room and slowly walked down the stairs.

But when I arrived, something else caught my attention. A peridot diamond necklace was resting around her neck.

That sparkle made my steps halt. My heart pounded violently, accompanied by an overwhelming pain.

That peridot diamond necklace… I was sure it was the same one I had seen earlier in Jonathan’s car.