Chapter 2

At first, the betrayal hurt me. I'd argued bitterly with Simone about it. That only changed six months ago, the third time I caught her cheating.

Simone had impatiently slipped on her robe and grabbed me by the jaw. "You need to know your place, Caleb Rowland. You only managed to latch onto my family because you got me pregnant. Other than that, you're nothing."

At that very moment, something inside me shattered for good.

From then on, I stopped confronting her. I stopped kicking up a fuss. I even took the initiative to stay out of the way whenever she brought other men home—not because I had resigned myself to my fate, but because I finally understood the rules of the game.

I bent down and pressed a gentle kiss to Ally's forehead. She smelled faintly of milk. It was now the only scent in this house that didn't make me sick to my stomach.

I leaned close to her ear, my voice soft as I murmured, "Don't worry, Ally. One day, the entire Jamison fortune will be ours."

…

My in-laws, Frank Jamison and Eunice Murphy, were having their joint 70th birthday celebration. They rented out the top floor of the most luxurious hotel in Avoncrest for the party.

I showed up in the dark gray suit Simone had picked out. The spot beside her, which should've been mine, was currently occupied by Mark. He sauntered into the hall wearing a white tuxedo that I'd taken a liking to but hadn't dared to order for myself. All eyes fell on him.

"Sorry I'm late, Simone." He'd deliberately made his voice deeper and more sultry.

Simone kissed him on the cheek. "There's no rush. The star of the show always arrives last."

Frank and Eunice frowned but said nothing. Several of Simone's aunts exchanged looks, some taunting and others gleeful.

I was given a seat at the cornermost table, with a bunch of distant relatives who were barely related to the family.

After several rounds of drinks, Mark walked over with a glass in his hand. His voice wasn't particularly loud, but he made sure everyone could hear him clearly anyway.

"Could you refill my drink for me, Mr. Rowland? I'd like to offer a toast to Mr. and Mrs. Jamison."

Everyone turned to look at me, while Simone continued eating her cake without even looking up.

I set down my glass. "The server is right behind you."

Mark's smile stiffened for a moment, but he quickly recovered his composure. "But I want a drink personally prepared by you."

"If you wish to have a special drink to offer a toast with, Mr. Sutton, you can ask your girlfriend to arrange that for you," I calmly replied.

Muffled laughter broke out, and Mark scowled before turning toward the main table with a pitiful expression. "Simone…"

Simone finally put down her fork. "It's just a glass of wine, Caleb. Do you really have to be so petty?"

After glancing at her icy expression, I got up, filled Mark's glass, and slid it back toward him.

However, Mark didn't take it. In fact, he continued to look miserable as he said, "Simone, all I wanted was to show my respect to your parents…"

Simone's expression darkened. "Apologize."

The entire hall fell silent. Eunice turned away, and Frank sighed.

As I stood by the table, all eyes fell on me. I saw a mix of pity, contempt, mockery, and delight at my humiliation.

A memory from exactly a year ago flashed in my mind. In this very hall, Simone had held my arm and introduced me to everyone. "This is my husband, Caleb Rowland."

There'd been the barest fleck of pride in her eyes when she said that.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made you get the server by yourself."

The party ended on an unpleasant note.

…

Late at night, Simone walked into the house reeking of alcohol and slapped the divorce papers down on the table. She lit a cigarette and declared, "Mark wants to start a family with me. He's still young, but I'm not getting any younger. Sign the papers."

Staring at the divorce agreement, I recalled the night she'd proposed.

She'd taken me up in a helicopter and flown me over Avoncrest. She pulled out the ring with steady hands, but her gaze had burned with passion.

"Marry me, Caleb. You'll be my other half, and half of the Jamison family fortune will be yours."

Her eyes had looked so sincere, even if only for a moment.

I lowered my gaze and said quietly, "I want custody of Ally."

Simone snorted coldly. "You can't afford to raise her."

I rose to my feet and met her gaze, my back perfectly straight. "Then I guess we'll see each other in court."

Simone's smile vanished. She stared at me with a complicated gaze before scoffing. "So be it. Since you're hellbent on humiliating yourself, who am I to stop you?

"You won't win, Caleb. My family has an entire team of lawyers on retainer, and you're just a doctor. What makes you think you can stand against me?"

The door closed. Outside, rain began to fall, droplets pelting against the windows in a sharp, incessant patter.