Rejected by the Beta, Claimed by the King

Miles Gallagher and Sasha Bailey's wedding was held extravagantly.

Political and business elites, as well as top celebrities, all went to celebrate. I was the only one who did not show up.

I couldn't understand why such a trivial matter would end up trending. It was crazy. After all, who would attend the wedding of their ex-husband?

Miles and I had a very awkward divorce. It wasn't a peaceful separation. The relationship between our families was almost torn apart.

Although Miles and I were in a marriage of convenience, we were also childhood friends and high school sweethearts.

We had always been in sync throughout our years of growing up together, yet we couldn't come to an agreement when it came to our divorce.

Things eventually escalated into a massive fallout between the Gallaghers and the Coopers. We ended up becoming the laughingstock of Aynsville.

Ultimately, neither of us managed to get custody of our son, Andy. He was raised jointly by my grandpa, Henry Cooper, and Miles' granddad, Connor Gallagher.

Henry and Connor were comrades in their younger years. Their wives, Maria Jones and Katie Jones were both nurses and best friends working in the same unit.

When they retired, they bought a villa in Havyn Park and decided to enjoy their retirement years together.

They were happy having Andy there, and the Gallaghers and Coopers were no longer fighting.

When it came to deciding whether Andy would take the Cooper or Gallagher family name, both Henry and Connor agreed that he would have neither. He was ultimately named Andy Jones.

Both Maria and Katie happened to share the same last name—Jones. Back then, they became close friends because they had the same family name and came from the same hometown. They ended up getting married one after another and became lifelong best friends.

The Gallaghers and the Coopers each got a slap in the face. Although Henry and Connor's relationship remained tight, my parents and Miles' parents have long since cut ties.

…

It was almost New Year's Day. During Christmas, Andy called me to tell me that my grandparents wanted me to return home for the Christmas dinner.

I asked, "What about your Great-Grandpa Connor and Great-Grandma Katie, Andy?"

Andy replied in his childish tone, "Daddy picked them up. Only Great-Grandpa Henry and Great-Grandma Maria are home."

"Alright," I replied easily.

…

I picked Andy up as soon as I returned to Havyn Villa. All of us had a great time baking cookies. Andy stood by the side as he helped to roll out the dough. He did a messy job.

The sound of the doorbell broke out amidst our laughter.

I was surprised to see Miles when I opened the door. Snow gathered on his shoulders as our eyes met.

Behind him, Connor and Katie greeted me merrily, "Oh, Yvvy is here!"

Miles' chauffeur, Patrick Gunn, walked in with many bags.

Connor helped Katie take off her scarf before turning to Miles. "We're home now, so you should head back. You don't have to pick us up for Christmas next year. It's more lively here, and I don't like it there. Goodbye!"

Miles stayed in place. He looked at me and smiled before saying, "Long time no see, Yvvy."

Feeling uncomfortable, I hugged Andy. Then, I said, "It's best not to meet with your ex-wife anymore. Now that you have a family of your own, it wouldn't be good for gossip to start spreading."

Miles walked past me into the living room and picked Andy up. He was acting like nothing had changed and that we weren't divorced.

He sat Andy on his lap and playfully bounced his legs. "Did you miss me, Andy? Come give Daddy a kiss!"

I slammed the door shut in frustration.

This was the downside of having both of our grandparents living together. I couldn't even kick Miles out when he was here to visit his own grandparents. I could only endure it no matter how much I disliked it.

Annoyed by the commotion downstairs, I headed to a room upstairs for peace and quiet. Just as I reached the stairs, Miles suddenly said, "The cookies are ready. Aren't you having some?"

"No thanks," I said, forcing a smile. "This is supposed to be a family day for us. I won't be as inconsiderate as you are."

After that, I went upstairs.