CHAPTER 1

ARIANA’S POV

"Congratulations, Mrs. Bennett," the doctor said warmly as she handed me my test results. "You're pregnant."

"Really?" I breathed, staring at her in disbelief.

I still struggled to wrap my head around it because everyone had always called me a barren woman. 

My hands trembled as I read through my test results once again. Gently, I placed my hand over my still-flat stomach, where Nathan's baby was now growing. "Thank you, Doctor."

What a beautiful gift for our three years of marriage on our anniversary. My husband is returning from his business trip tonight. How will he react when I tell him the news? I can't wait.

Maybe Nathan won't hate me anymore. Maybe he will finally love me once he finds out I am carrying his child. I stopped by the minimarket to pick up a few ingredients before heading home. 

I was going to prepare Nathan's favorite meal for dinner tonight. It was going to be a memorable night for both of us. 

"Ma'am, you seem happier than usual today. Would you like to share what's  making you smile?" Evelyn, one of the housekeepers, asked while I was putting the groceries in the refrigerator.

“I can't tell you now, Evelyn. It's exciting news, and I want Nathan to be the first to hear it before anyone else.”

"He's coming home tonight, isn't he?"

I'd tried reaching out to him earlier, but he did not respond. Perhaps he was busy with work. I looked at Evelyn and nodded. “Yes, he is.”

"Okay, ma'am. Let me prepare dinner. You can go upstairs and rest while you wait for him."

"No, Evelyn. I'll be the one cooking today."

Cooking has always been a part of my life, ever since I lived in the orphanage after my parents died in an accident. Then, after moving in with my uncle and aunt, preparing meals became my daily responsibility.

After finishing all the dinner preparations, I went upstairs to shower and dress elegantly. I dabbed on my most alluring perfume before heading back downstairs.

The sun had completely disappeared below the horizon when I recognized the familiar sound of Nathan's car pulling into the driveway, followed moments later by the creak of the front door opening.

"Nathan..." I rushed to my husband and hugged him warmly. The scent of his masculine cologne surrounded me, so captivating that it stirred an unexpected flutter in my chest. I embraced him closely.

Yet, just as it had been since the day we got married, Nathan never hugged me back. Our marriage was just a contractual arrangement. 

Nathan urgently needed a wife in name only to strengthen his position as the heir to his family's business, while Uncle Theodore persuaded me to accept the agreement.

"How was your trip?" I tried to smile even though I didn't feel Nathan's arms around me. I looked up at his handsome face, only to find him looking at me with a piercing gaze, his thick brows furrowed.

He eventually pulled away from me. "You are all dressed up. This isn't like you at all."

"I want to look stunning for you tonight. I've prepared all your favorite dishes. Come on, let's eat."

"You go ahead. I'm not in the mood for your food." His cold response sent a sharp ache through my heart.

"Nathan, please wait a minute. There's something I need to tell you. It's very important." The test results were still neatly tucked inside my pocket. 

Nathan needed to know that I was pregnant! My heart was racing as I wondered how he would react. Would he be happy knowing he was going to be a father? 

Or would he be upset because I wasn't the woman he loved? "Really? Alright then. I have something to tell you too." I nodded. 

It had been hard for Nathan to share anything with me throughout our three years of marriage, and the fact that he was finally opening up to me filled me with so much joy.

"Go ahead," I said.

Nathan looked closely at my expression before responding with absolute certainty. "This marriage can't continue. I want a divorce."

The hand I had slipped into my shirt pocket to pull out the test results suddenly went still. "What do you mean, Nathan?"

"You've known from the very beginning that my heart belongs to someone else, Ariana. I want to be with her now. It's time for our marriage to come to an end."

I felt my eyes burn as tears threatened to spill. That was the painful truth. I had always known that Nathan's heart belonged to another woman, even before we got married. But why did it still hurt so badly?

Nathan once told me he couldn't marry her because of her illness, which had forced her to travel abroad for treatment for several years. Had she fully recovered now?

But what about me? What about the feelings I had already developed for him? And what about the baby growing inside me?

"I'll bring the divorce papers tomorrow. Make sure you sign them as soon as possible." That was all he said before heading upstairs.

I’d lost my appetite, so I decided to head upstairs too. After changing into my pajamas, removing my makeup, and making sure there were no traces of tears for Nathan to notice, I walked into our bedroom.

The room we had shared for the past three years. We slept on the same bed, lying side by side and sharing intimate moments like a couple deeply in love. 

But it had all been an illusion. It was foolish of me to let my feelings get the better of me when Nathan had always seen me as nothing more than a stranger. Nathan was standing on the balcony when I climbed into our bed.

"Get enough rest, my love. I'll come and pick you up tomorrow by six o'clock. Good night, Sophia." He was talking on the phone. "I love you too... always."

So that was her name. The woman he loved. Sophia, and not Ariana. Soon, they would get married and live the happy life that was meant to be theirs.

Nathan looked slightly surprised when he realized I was already lying on the bed. He slowly walked toward me. "Who were you talking to just now?" I asked, trying my best to hide the pain in my voice.

"Why is that any of your concern?"

"Are you planning to marry her once we divorce?"

Nathan looked at me with the same familiar coldness in his eyes. "Absolutely."

His answer told me everything I needed to know. I simply nodded. "So, can I still sleep here with you, or should I move to the guest room?"

With our divorce drawing near, I figured he might not want me sharing his bed anymore. "You'll sleep here with me." I felt his presence beside me as he got onto the bed. "Tomorrow is our last dinner together. I want you to be here. I have a surprise waiting for you."

Then he turned off the bedside lamp.