Chapter 2

Vivian was stumped. Her red lips parted and closed as she struggled to find her voice. It probably never crossed her mind that I was well aware of every single detail of her affair.

Humiliated, she snapped, "It was just a momentary lapse in judgment! What else was I supposed to do after I got pregnant? Do you honestly have the heart to deny a baby its mother?

"Sebastian Kingsley, after having a child, I remained married to you, so you should be grateful! Why do you have to be so vindictive and ruin Noah's entire life?"

Her sheer audacity actually made me laugh out loud. Back when we were pursuing our doctorates together, I was the one who handed my own research findings over to her on a silver platter and made her famous overnight.

Later on, I was the one who stayed in her shadow, slaving away in the lab to publish paper after paper in top journals for her. Yet now, I was the malicious one.

I slowly rose to my feet and asked coldly, "Oh, so that's what you're calling it? A momentary lapse in judgment?

"A lapse so bad that the two of you checked into hotels thousands of times over three years? A lapse so bad that you deliberately hid your 'overseas advanced studies' from me when you actually went to give birth to his child?

"I'm not the one who ruined him, Vivian. Your sick, twisted relationship did. And don't call me vindictive. If I were truly malicious, I wouldn't be the pathetic wimp who got cheated on and still helped cover it up for you!"

Vivian trembled with anger, but when she met my cold gaze, she forced herself to suppress it.

Closing in on me, she almost pleaded, "Darling, I know I messed up, but everything I've achieved today is the result of our hard work. Do you really want to burn it all down? You promised you'd love me for the rest of your life.

"Look, if it makes you happy, I promise I'll never see him again!" With that, she reached out to grasp my arm.

In the past, as long as she softened her demeanor, I would grant her every wish. Even if she asked me to drop dead, I wouldn't have hesitated. However, watching her play the submissive wife now, I only found it utterly farcical.

Before I could respond, her phone rang. With a single glance, I caught a glimpse of her screen. It was a photo of the three of them, posing as a happy family.

The moment she answered, a childish voice came from the other end. "Mommy, what do I do? Daddy… is covered in blood! I'm scared, Mommy, please come get me!"

Accompanying the child's panicked sobs was Noah's weak, aggrieved voice. "It's okay, Vivi. This is all my fault. Don't let me make things difficult for you. I brought this on myself, and I should face the consequences.

"Don't worry about our son anymore. He's just an unlucky kid who wasn't meant to have a mother in his life."

Right after saying that, he hung up. Seconds later, he posted a photo of his slit wrists on his social media feed with the caption, "She's like a rainbow. Unfortunately, she isn't mine."

In a heartbeat, the color drained from her face. When she looked at me again, there was no trace of vulnerability left in her eyes.

Vivian abruptly raised her hand and slapped me across the face. Her wedding ring tore a long gash across my cheek, and blood immediately began to seep out. "If anything happens to Noah, I swear to God I'll destroy you!"

Wiping the blood off my face, I sneered, "Vivian Carter, you really think your love story is some grand, beautiful thing, don't you? Am I supposed to be a spineless coward who isn't allowed to get angry, even when you're screwing another man at my own mother's funeral?

"Why are you still standing here anyway? Aren't you worried your little boy toy is heartbroken?"

As soon as my words sank in, Vivian staggered half a step back, as if she had never known me at all.

"Oh, and remember to tell him that if he's going to put on an act, he should at least make it convincing. Smearing a few blood bags all over himself doesn't count as slitting his wrists."

Vivian bolted out of the door, yet I didn't feel a single spark of emotion as I took in the utter despair on her face.