Chapter 1

"Jasmine! Get out here! I got the hotel booking confirmation for you and your college toy boy on my phone!"

Bryce Harrison's enraged yells rang from the outside as he pounded violently on the hotel door.

Though still weakened from my recent miscarriage hours ago, I slowly got up to open the door. Bryce, my soon-to-be ex-husband, stood before me with a deep scowl.

The janitor behind him perked up her ears to catch each word while pretending to sweep the floor.

Bryce's gaze lingered on my face for a second before turning to the room. Just as he was about to barge in, I blocked his path.

"You've booked hotel rooms with Claudia over a hundred times," I retorted, "but I've never once shown up to cause a scene. Why are you so petty right now?"

Claudia was significantly older than Bryce, with more than a decade between them.

At first, I paid no attention to a divorced woman who had been single for nearly twenty years with a son in college.

At twenty-three, Bryce graduated from an elite university and took over the family business. Scores of beautiful young women would flock to him, eager to win his affection.

However, he always made a point of raising his left hand and showing off his wedding ring to signal his commitment.

My friends and colleagues were envious of me.

Things took a drastic turn when I noticed Claudia straddling Bryce's back to give him a massage during our long-distance video calls. It wasn't the first time she had done that, and in her pajamas to boot.

That was when I realized something wasn't right.

I lost count of how many times Bryce and I fought about it; I even threatened divorce, but every argument would always end the same way.

"Claudia's over ten years older than us! Her son's an adult! What could I possibly want with her?" Bryce would roar before ending the call abruptly.

Claudia became a thorn in our marriage. The constant fights exhausted my spirit, and I came to a decision—if I couldn't remove the meddling thorn, I would take drastic measures.

The moment I told Bryce I wanted a divorce, I found out I was pregnant.

After a sleepless night of reflection, I decided that if I couldn't give my unborn baby a complete family, I would have an abortion.

Outside the door, Bryce's expression turned even darker.

"Jasmine," he sneered, "are you saying that not only do I have to support you, but your toy boy too?"

In response, I tossed a drafted divorce agreement at him. "Sign it. We'll finalize the paperwork in a month, and you won't have to support me anymore."

My words infuriated Bryce. He gripped my shoulder to shove me aside, but something caught his eye. His rigid posture softened, and he let go of me before clearing his throat.

"I'll save you some dignity. I'm not the kind of guy who catches cheaters in the act. Tell your toy boy to put his clothes on. We'll talk about this tomorrow at home."

Pretending to still be furious, he stormed off and slammed the door shut with a thunderous slam.

I turned around; immediately, I understood what he had seen—my best friend's handbag.

Not wanting to delay the divorce process after my miscarriage, I checked into a hotel to rest. When my best friend heard about it, she rushed to keep me company.

Bryce had obviously been mistaken about my supposed affair when he saw her bag, but his ego prevented him from admitting it.

I switched on the synchronous dash cam and watched as his car headed straight for Claudia's house.

I rested my hand over my womb, caressing it gently. The grief I once carried for the little life I had just lost vanished into the wind.