Chapter 1

At the celebration banquet for Joshua Cooper's company's IPO, Mercy Park handed him a divorce agreement in front of every client in attendance.

Three months earlier.

Mercy discovered that her husband had another family.

It happened the day before her birthday. Joshua was on another business trip to Brookhaven, a city he traveled to several times every month.

She secretly flew to Brookhaven, hoping to surprise him.

But on the way to his hotel, she happened to spot Joshua outside a preschool.

"Yuna did an amazing job today. She was so happy her daddy came to Sports Day. I know you're busy with work, but try to spend more time with her. She cries every time she comes to school because she misses you. Even I feel sorry for her."

From inside her car, Mercy watched in disbelief as Joshua, the decisive CEO who always commanded the room, nodded politely and thanked the teacher.

When they left, Joshua held a four-year-old girl’s hand while the woman beside him clung to his other arm.

Mercy knew that woman.

She was Joshua's adopted sister, Wendy Cooper.

Mercy also knew the little girl. She was supposed to be Yuna, the daughter of Wendy and Mason Moore, Joshua's best friend.

At least, that was what Mercy always believed.

The three of them got into a black Maybach parked by the curb.

Wendy buckled Yuna into the child safety seat before opening the front passenger door for herself.

It was the very same Maybach Mercy picked out for Joshua when they got married.

Joshua once promised that the front passenger seat would always belong to her.

Mercy followed the car from a distance, her palms slick with sweat as they gripped the steering wheel.

They drove into Riverside Estates.

As far as Mercy remembered, this wasn't where Wendy lived after getting married.

Joshua, Wendy, and Yuna went inside one of the villas. A while later, they came back out dressed to the nines, clearly on their way to a special occasion.

Mercy couldn't bring herself to sneak into the house, so she continued following them until they arrived at Harbor House.

It was one of Brookhaven's most exclusive restaurants, where reservations typically had to be made at least six months in advance.

Mercy didn't have one, so she couldn't get in.

From outside the entrance, Mercy watched Joshua, Wendy, and Yuna sitting together at a table laden with food. A large birthday cake sat in the center.

Before coming to Brookhaven, Mercy wondered whether Joshua might have ordered a birthday cake for her.

He had, just not for her.

"Happy Birthday, Yuna!"

The three of them looked every bit the picture of a happy family.

After the candles were blown out, Joshua smiled at Yuna.

"So, what did you wish for?"

The four-year-old answered in her sweet little voice, loud enough for everyone in the restaurant to hear.

"I wished that Daddy would spend every birthday with me from now on... and stay with me every day."

A flicker of hesitation crossed Joshua's face.

Wendy caught the subtle change in his expression immediately.

"Yuna, I already told you that Daddy's busy with work."

"But I want Daddy..."

Yuna's lower lip trembled, and tears streamed down her cheeks.

"It's your birthday today. Let's not talk about sad things." Joshua gently comforted her. "I promise you, our family will be living together very soon."

"Really?"

Wendy reached over and clasped Joshua's hand.

"Yes. I've thought about what you said before. Yuna's getting older, and she'd be better off starting elementary school in Ashford."

Joshua tightened his grip around Wendy's hand.

"Wendy, you've had it hard all these years."

Mercy's fingers tightened until they turned icy cold.

She couldn't bear to watch another second.

Joshua said Wendy had suffered all these years.

Then what about her?

Mercy and Joshua were married for four years.

They were the golden couple everyone envied.

The Parks and the Coopers were close family friends for generations.

Before Mercy was even born, their families arranged for her to marry Joshua.

As long as she could remember, she knew she would one day become his wife.

Four years earlier, when Mercy returned from overseas, Joshua got down on one knee at the airport with a seven-carat diamond ring and proposed to her.

Back then, Mercy believed he loved her with all his heart.

When had that belief begun to crack?

Probably sometime during the four years of their marriage because Joshua had never once slept with her.

For four years, Mercy always assumed Joshua had some kind of medical condition.

She never imagined the question that haunted her throughout their marriage would be answered like this.

That night, Mercy drove back to Ashford.

On the highway between Brookhaven and Ashford, she was involved in a serious car accident.

When she regained consciousness, she found herself lying in a hospital bed.

"Joshua, Mercy's accident happened on the highway between Ashford and Brookhaven. Do you think... she might've found out?"

The moment Mercy heard the voice, she squeezed her eyes shut again.

It was Noah Bell.

Like Mason Moore, he was one of Joshua's closest friends.

"Found out what?"

"That you and Wendy have a daughter together."

Mercy's heart skipped a beat.

So, Noah knew all along?

"Watch what you say. Yuna is Mason's daughter."

Noah clicked his tongue at Joshua's denial.

"Fine, let's pretend she's Mason's daughter. But you and Wendy stopped acting like siblings a long time ago. If it weren't for her, you wouldn't have spent four years refusing to touch Mercy."

Silence settled over the hospital room.

"No. Wendy isn't the only reason I never touched Mercy..."

Mercy lay motionless in the hospital bed, holding her breath.

Over the pounding of her own heartbeat, she heard Joshua say with unmistakable certainty,

"I also thought she was filthy."

Noah barely managed an astonished, "What?" before Joshua's phone rang, and he was called away.

The hospital room fell silent once more.

Mercy slowly opened her eyes.

Whatever warmth they had once held was gone.

She picked up her phone and sent someone a message.

Five minutes later, her phone rang.

It was Fiona Hart.

"Mr. Grant told me you asked him to draft a divorce agreement. What, did your husband finally find out about that time you went overseas looking for a fling?"