Chapter 2

My fingers dug into my palm without me realizing it. I nodded and said, "Alright."

Gabriel glanced at Adrian and me with a detached look. A complex emotion flashed across his face, but it quickly disappeared.

Katherine followed Gabriel out, but just as they were about to step out, she suddenly stopped and glanced back at me.

A mocking smile curved at her lips, and she mouthed two words in silence. "You lost."

I had indeed lost.

In the previous life, even when Katherine died tragically after being assaulted, she still managed to capture Gabriel's heart.

In this life, afraid she might feel wronged, Gabriel abandoned Adrian and me without the slightest hesitation.

Outside the window, the first snowfall after the New Year began to fall. While everyone else celebrated the arrival of new life, my maternity ward was cold and empty.

After all, I had been an orphan since childhood. I had no family, and now I had lost my husband as well.

After a long while, my phone lit up.

Joshua Brown, Gabriel's assistant, informed me in an icy tone, "Ms. Carter, Mr. Donovan asked me to pick you up tomorrow morning for Donovan Group's press conference."

The divorce cooling-off period hadn't even ended, yet I had already gone from "Mrs. Donovan" to a stain Gabriel wanted hidden.

Gabriel couldn't wait to show everyone that our marriage had fallen apart, just to make it appear fully justified for him to be with Katherine.

Just as I was about to reply, Joshua thought I wanted to refuse and told me exactly what Gabriel had said.

"Ms. Carter, Mr. Donovan said that since you've taken the money, you have to play your part in this performance. Otherwise, he has a thousand ways to make you and your son return every penny you received.

"You should attend that press conference. Even if it isn't for your sake, think of your newborn son."

After listening to Joshua's voice message, I let out a soft laugh.

He knew Adrian was my vulnerability, so he used him to threaten me.

Gabriel was willing to use me and my son as stepping stones just to protect Katherine. I've never really been able to understand whether, after all these years by his side, I am truly his wife in his heart or his enemy.

Now he wanted to hold a press conference to announce that there was nothing left between us, and that suited me just fine.

…

The entire press conference went by the book. The host came on and announced that our marriage was over, blaming it on incompatible feelings and long periods apart.

It was a very official explanation, but I didn't care. As soon as the conference ended, I rushed back to the hospital.

By the time I got back to the hospital, torrential rain was pouring down. The doors and windows of my maternity ward were wide open. The nanny Gabriel had hired to watch over Adrian was nowhere to be found.

My newborn baby's body had turned bluish from the cold, and his cries were hoarse and weak.

Anxious, I hurried down the corridor to find the doctor on duty, but unexpectedly overheard the nanny whispering with the night-shift nurses.

"Genes don't lie. Look at that little bastard's mole at the corner of his eye. It's exactly the same as Robert Green, Mr. Donovan's driver!"

"Mr. Donovan even gave her an astonishing amount of alimony. In my opinion, a woman like that deserves to be kicked out with nothing, and the baby should be dumped in an orphanage."

"And she still expects me to stay here and look after that little bastard. A kid like that is a disgrace, and holding him for even a second is unbearable."

I suddenly kicked open the stairwell door and shouted angrily, "Gossiping has its limits!"

The nurses looked embarrassed, mumbled apologies, and hurried away.