Chapter 2

When I opened my eyes again, Ethan was sitting beside my bed, his face etched with worry.

The moment he saw me wake up, he immediately handed me a glass of warm water.

"Take it slow. Are you still dizzy?"

Then, he explained what had happened, "Lydia took your safety gear, but she was worried something serious might happen, so she deliberately pushed you into a deep patch of snow. She was terrified when she saw you unconscious. She cried the whole time."

I turned my head away, unwilling to look at him, only to hear him laugh.

"You even brought a blood pack with you? When I saw you bleeding, I really thought you'd lost the baby. You've gotten so thoughtful. I never would've thought of that."

I had no idea what blood pack he was talking about.

It was only then that I became aware of the dull ache in my abdomen—and the terrifying realization that something was wrong.

Just then, the doctor came in to make her rounds.

But Ethan's phone suddenly rang. The caller ID read, "My Dear Vivi".

He immediately stood and stepped outside to take the call.

"Doctor, just go over the instructions with my assistant."

He had long since forgotten that his personal assistant was with Lydia, his driver was with Vivian, and his bodyguards and housekeeper were all assigned to Jennifer.

"You can tell me," I said, struggling to sit up.

The doctor had clearly seen the caller ID on Ethan's screen. When she looked back at me, there was a hint of contempt in her eyes.

"You were pregnant and still went skiing? The baby was only a month old. It's gone now. You're so young. Why would you do something so reckless?"

It was obvious she thought I was the other woman.

I let out a bitter laugh and didn't bother correcting her.

I lowered my eyes to my abdomen. I never imagined that the first time I would learn I was pregnant would also be the moment I learned I'd lost my baby.

I still remembered the first time I lost a baby because of one of Ethan's mistresses. His eyes had been red as he promised me he would cut ties with her for good, and I believed him.

But that trust came at a price. I had to suffer the same betrayal all over again.

Desperate to win me back after I'd lost all faith in him, Ethan put his work aside and stayed by my side for six months.

If I so much as turned over in my sleep, he'd wake immediately and spend hours holding me and soothing me until I fell asleep again.

He even went to a hospital to experience simulated labor pain.

When he finally staggered away from the machine, the first thing he did was look at me through tear-filled eyes.

"Sienna, the pain you felt when you lost our baby was no less than this. And you had to endure the heartbreak on top of it. How did you get through it?"

Those words were enough to make me give him one more chance.

Until I discovered he hadn't cut ties with his mistress at all.

There had been one before. Now, there were three.

When I finally broke down, Ethan lost it too.

"They're just entertainment for me. Everyone in our circle does it. Why are you the only one making such a big deal out of it?"

But when he saw the tears in my eyes, his tone softened. He pulled me tightly into his arms. "Sienna, I swear, I've never had the slightest feelings for any of those three women.

"Men have had multiple wives and mistresses since ancient times. It's just human nature. You're crying and making a scene because you're afraid I don't love you, aren't you?

"From now on, I'll share my location with you whenever you want. You can read every conversation I have with them. Will that be enough?"

I stood there frozen, unable to respond.

Just then, Ethan's mother, Evelyn Dalton, came downstairs.

"I warned Ethan from the very beginning not to get involved in your family's mess. That boy would rather take a beating from his father than leave you to fend for yourself.

"I thought you must be some extraordinary woman. But you can't even handle a few women on the side without turning the whole house upside down.

"At least you two haven't had the wedding yet. If this marriage isn't going to work, then get a divorce. My son's wife needs to be a refined, well-bred lady."

Her words brought me back to the day my family had been targeted by our enemies.

Our company had gone bankrupt and entered liquidation. On the day our creditors came to take me away to settle the debt, Ethan had appeared out of nowhere, bringing enough money to save me.

He had been struggling with his own pain back then, yet he had forced a smile and gently told me not to be afraid.

That same expression overlapped with the earnest look on his face now as he begged me to compromise.

The moment tears slipped down my cheeks, I heard myself whisper, "I'm sorry. I won't make a fuss anymore."

From that day forward, it seemed as though I had been given free rein to keep tabs on Ethan whenever I wanted. But the truth was, I was only helping him protect his family's reputation.

I coordinated the schedules of his three mistresses, making sure they never crossed paths or discovered one another. And whenever they were angry, I let them take it out on me, again and again, as if I were punishing myself.

I endured it all for the sake of seeing those few guilty tears in Ethan's eyes—tears I desperately wanted to believe were proof that he loved me.

It wasn't until I learned that Vivian was pregnant, while I was left with nothing but a body covered in scars, that I finally realized how foolish I had been.

Thankfully, I only had to get through until the divorce was finalized. After that, I would finally be free.

After two days of rest, I was finally discharged from the hospital. That was when Ethan called again.

"Sienna, I forgot to pick up the gift for Vivi's dog. Can you bring it over?"

I checked the address he'd sent me. The moment I saw the location, the color drained from my face.