Chapter 4

Vivian immediately shrank back. Clutching Mason's sleeve tightly, she said, "Mason, that's not what I meant. How could Leah think of me that way…"

Mason grabbed my arm, his brows tightly furrowed as he spoke impatiently, "Leah, postpartum mood swings can easily lead to depression. You need to be more tolerant of her. Apologize to her right now, and we'll let this whole thing go."

I quietly freed myself from his grip, a metallic taste of blood rising in my throat.

He remembered Vivian had just given birth and was worried about her developing postpartum depression. Yet somehow, he forgot that I'd been pregnant too and that I'd just lost our baby.

Maybe he did remember. He just couldn't be bothered to spend any of his energy on me.

Right then, Mildred walked in and hugged Vivian tightly. "Viv, ignore her. She's never been a mother, so she can't understand what you're going through.

"You can stay here for as long as you want. This is your home."

My lashes quivered as I silently gazed at Mason. "How can you be so indifferent? Don't you care about our baby at all? Mason, I honestly want to rip you open and see whether you even have a heart."

Mason immediately dropped his gaze, his Adam's apple bobbing once. "I know you're hurting, but you have to move on."

Vivian let out a light scoff. "If she hadn't insisted on going out, how could this have happened? Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Maybe she just snapped because of how well you've been treating me and deliberately—"

"That's nonsense! I'll rip your mouth apart!"

Unable to hold back anymore, I stormed toward her with my arm raised to slap her.

"Stop!"

Mason strode over and kicked me hard in the stomach.

I saw stars instantly as I fell heavily to the ground. When I looked up, all I saw was Mason's defensive gaze. There was nothing left to say anymore.

I used the wall to pull myself up. Without looking at either of them again, I made my way back to the bedroom, hunched over.

I sat on the windowsill, feeling utterly pathetic and miserable. Once a week had passed, you and I would never see each other again, Mason.

A short while later, I heard familiar footsteps behind me, and a weight settled on my shoulders. It was Mason draping his jacket over me.

"Does your stomach still hurt? I didn't mean to do that. You need to dress warmly for your recovery. If you catch a cold, it'll cause problems later on."

The concern in his voice made my eyes sting. I didn't know what to make of this behavior.

He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing as he suddenly pulled me tightly into his arms. "Honey, I love you. I really do. You have to believe me."

Then, he gently cupped my face. "Honey, Viv's ex-husband is coming to see her, and she wants me to help her show him she's doing fine. So, let's get divorced for now. Once this is over, I'll remarry you immediately."

When I said nothing, he continued, "I swear, the moment her ex leaves, we'll remarry. Okay?"

I lowered my head, rubbing the wedding ring on my finger repeatedly.

So, his sudden kindness was just leading up to this.

In the end, I met his gaze. "Okay."

Mason was a bit surprised. "Honey, did you just say… okay?"

I nodded and took the initiative to straighten his collar. "To avoid blowing our cover, I'll move out for the time being."

He tightened his grip on my hand. "There's really no need for…"

He trailed off before slowly loosening his grip. "Then, I'll give you a grand wedding when I take you back."

I didn't say a word. I just smiled meaningfully, knowing that day would never come.

…

Early the next morning, Mason and I went to get our divorce certificate. An hour later, Vivian came over waving her freshly issued marriage certificate in my face.

"You know who he loves most now, don't you? He agreed the second I brought it up. Did you really think he liked you? He was just being spiteful because I got married."

My heart ached, but I still refused to believe that the man who used to hold my hand, kiss me in the middle of the night, and tell me he loved me had never loved me at all.

"I don't believe you."

Vivian chuckled before pulling out her phone. "See for yourself."

In the video, Mason held a cigarette between his fingers, a troubled look on his face. Someone asked, "Are you really planning to marry her? Marriage is a big deal."

Mason said, "If it's not Viv, then it doesn't matter who I marry."

My breath hitched, and my mind went blank.

"Well, congratulations to you, then."

Just then, Mason walked in. "You don't need to pack so much. You'll be back soon."

Without looking up, I said, "If we're going to put on an act, we might as well make it convincing."

Under their gaze, I calmly left this place.

…

In the days that followed, Mason took Vivian everywhere. His social media was filled with photos of the two of them together.

He rescheduled our remarriage eight times, and each time, I simply smiled and ignored him.

Then, on the ninth time, he waited at the city hall all day, but I never showed up.

Just as he was about to demand an explanation for why I hadn't shown up on time, he happened to see the post I'd made on the day we divorced.

There was a photo of me at the airport and another of my divorce certificate with the caption, "It's over."

The moment Mason saw the short caption, his whole body shook.