Chapter 4

Isaac walked out of the hospital room under the heavy stares of the crowd.

That night, while he was on night duty, Julia suddenly stepped into his office.

Tears streaming down her face, she threw herself into his arms. "I'm so sorry, honey! I didn't mean to hurt you! But you saw how Daniel was! He's still so young, reckless, and unstable. I couldn't risk triggering him!"

"Get off me, Julia! Let go!"

Isaac struggled to pull away, but she held on even tighter, as if trying to press him directly into her soul.

"No, I won't! Isaac, you're my real husband. You're the only man I love. I'm never letting you go! The marriage certificate with Daniel is fake! What we have is real! I only did it because I wanted to give us a baby! Don't you understand?"

"I told you to get off me!"

He shoved her away with all his strength. If she hadn't just given birth, he would have slapped her across the face.

"Julia, do you have any idea what I was doing while you were sleeping with him? I was lying on an operating table in the hospital, desperate for a cure! Do you know how helpless I felt?

"All I wanted was to see you the second I woke up, but you were gone on a business trip for a whole year! I haven't seen you in an entire year, and you end up pregnant with another man's child! You make me sick!"

Isaac let out a cold laugh. "You told me you didn't care about having kids! Why did you sleep with someone else then? Why would you do this to me?"

Seeing him like this broke Julia's heart. "You have no idea how much pressure Mom put on me! I had to have a kid! Daniel was her arrangement, not my choice! Mom just wanted a grandson, and I had to give her one so she'd finally stop targeting you!"

Isaac froze. "Mom knew? She set this up?"

Julia sighed, her expression brimming with remorse. "Yes. Mom's plan was to have him leave right after the baby was born. He's a college senior and needed the money, which is why he agreed. Now that the baby is here, we can raise him together…

"I don't love him, Isaac. I just didn't want Mom giving you a hard time anymore, and I couldn't bear to see you go through any more painful treatments!

"Do you have any idea how cruel people out there were being behind your back? Isaac, I know I messed up. I'll give you whatever you want, okay?"

At that moment, Isaac's resolve softened. "I want you to leave him right now. We'll raise this baby together."

The color instantly drained from Julia's face. She slowly released her grip on him, her eyes darting away.

"He's been with me for two years, and he gave me a son. Isaac, we can't just be that heartless."

After a brief pause, she added, "I'll keep him hidden on the side. You'll remain the son-in-law of the Gordon family. I'll make sure he never threatens your place in our family, and you will always be my one and only husband."

Looking into her resolute eyes, Isaac said nothing more.

He knew the truth now. Julia had fallen in love with Daniel.

Since that was the case, there was nothing left to say.

"Julia, Daniel is looking for you. You'd better hurry back." Her friend burst into the room, breaking the tense silence between them.

Julia reached out, her fingers gently touching the scratches on Isaac's face. "Listen to me—don't make a scene. Go get some rest. I'll be home later tonight."

With that, she turned and walked away without looking back.

Once she was gone, Isaac pulled out his phone and dialed his lawyer, Hugh Shepherd. "Mr. Shepherd, please draft a divorce agreement for me. I'm divorcing Julia."

"Mr. Howard, didn't you and Ms. Gordon finalize your divorce a year ago? Legally speaking, the two of you aren't married anymore!"

Isaac's hand froze around the phone. "What did you say? Julia and I divorced a year ago?"

"Yes. She married a young man named Daniel Poole. Didn't you know? Word is, they registered their marriage the moment he hit the legal age."

So Julia's marriage certificate with Daniel was real.

The blood in his veins ran cold. Isaac opened his mouth, but before he could utter a word, a young nurse sprinted over in a panic. "Dr. Howard, the director wants to see you! It sounds like he's about to fire you! You need to get over to his office right now!"