Chapter 1

The group chat went momentarily silent before texts started flooding in.

[Stop making the situation worse. You need to understand that we did this so that you wouldn't get hurt.]

A text from my future mother-in-law popped up. She had always called out my name affectionately, but not this time.

[If it wasn't for you, they would have gotten married long ago, and had a baby long ago instead of now.]

Even my childhood friend patted me on the back. "You should wish them well and pretend none of this ever happened."

Others in the group chat started to try and talk sense into me as well.

[He left to stay outside the country for years and only returned yesterday because he was worried you would suspect something. He has always been considerate of your feelings.]

This text was from Elaine Denver's best friend. When I had my birthday last week, she had a custom-made photo of Elaine and me framed as a birthday present to me, saying that she wished that Elaine and I would get married soon.

My heart chilled little by little as text after text popped up.

Elaine called me, sounding calmer than I thought. "Now that you know about us, we don't need to hide anything from you. I promise to give you double whatever Scott has, and you'll be the godfather for his children."

This sounded ridiculous and I laughed wildly over the phone. "Who'd want the children of two cheaters? I can have my own children!"

There was silence on the other end before Elaine said, "No, you can't."

I was taken aback. "What?"

"When you got into an accident and had that surgery last year, I told the doctors to give you a vasectomy too. The only children you'll ever have in this life will be the ones Scott and I have. The baby is a boy. His name is Nick."

The information stunned me as I felt a chill run down my back. Nick was the name Elaine and I were planning to give our future child. She had prayed for that name in church, saying, "Our baby will be like his father and will grow up to live a happy and healthy life."

However, it did not matter how much medication I took, Elaine just could not get pregnant. The truth was that I was never able to impregnate her, and when she claimed she wanted to see a fertility doctor overseas, it was to have Scott's baby. That name was never meant for my baby.

My heart felt like a million knives had stabbed into it, and I tried to soothe myself by placing my hand on my chest. Elaine sighed and sounded like she was finally relieved, "I believe that you'll know how to behave and not give any trouble to Scott."

She had her assistant send me an NDA to make me guarantee that I would never give Scott any trouble and never reveal my relationship with her. In exchange, she would pay my mother's medical bills, which came up to $700,000.

It was at that moment that I realized our relationship of seven years, and three years of effort to obtain a child, was all nothing but a horrible joke.

The family texts that flooded my phone seemed to flash before my eyes, and the only text that stood out like a sort thumb read, [I'll give you a wedding, Lucas.]