Chapter 3

"Come to think of it, Corey’s the one who’s out of his mind. Why insist on a child-free marriage for no reason?"

As the people around them mocked me, Darren, who had always taken my side no matter what since we were kids, let out a scornful laugh and actually chimed in, "He’s been spoiled. That’s why he doesn’t know how to think about anyone else."

Deanna held Darren’s hand as she smiled at him with unmistakable affection. "Darren, by giving me this child, you’re not just my savior, you’re a hero to my entire family. From now on, our lives will be even more tightly connected. We’ll never be apart."

Hearing her say that, tears slipped down my face. I almost couldn’t stay standing.

Back then, when my mother had given birth to me, there were complications. She hemorrhaged and died before she ever got the chance to hold me.

Because of that, I had always been afraid of childbirth. From the very beginning of our relationship, I told Deanna that I planned to remain child-free for the rest of my life. If she couldn’t accept that, we should end things right there.

At the time, Deanna had held me tightly, whispering into my ear with emotion, "Being able to meet you in this life is already enough for me. Having children doesn’t matter. My love for you won’t lessen by even a fraction."

I had been deeply moved. I thought I had found a woman who loved me beyond instinct, beyond biology—a once-in-a-lifetime kind of love.

Only now, seeing the way Deanna looked at Darren, did I realize just how wrong I had been.

Someone in the room asked, "So what, are you two planning to keep this from Corey forever? Now that there’s a baby, why not just tell him the truth? Get the divorce over with, and then you can be together openly."

Everyone turned to look at the two of them.

Deanna shook her head immediately. "That’s not possible. Darren and Corey have been best friends for over twenty years. I couldn’t bear to let him lose his closest friend because of me.

"And besides, my career is deeply tied to the Grahams. There’s no way I can completely fall out with Corey.

"So from the very beginning, Darren and I agreed that no matter what, we could never let Corey find out about our relationship. Divorce was never an option."

So she knew it too. She knew that everything she had now, including her wealth and status, came from my support and investment. The only reason she stayed with me was for the benefits.

A wave of sighs rippled through the room. Someone looked at Darren with sympathy. "Darren, you’re such a proud person. Are you really okay with you and your child staying in the shadows forever?"

Darren let out a low laugh. He tilted Deanna’s face toward him and pressed a lingering kiss to her lips.

"Marriage is just a piece of paper. I don’t care about that.

"Sneaking around right under Corey’s nose for a lifetime? Just thinking about it is exciting."

If I hadn’t heard it with my own ears, I would never have believed those words could come from the best friend I had known for over twenty years.

The room was filled with laughter, and I felt like I had fallen straight into hell. Overnight, I had gone from the happiest man in the world to a complete joke, betrayed by both love and friendship.

What was even more pathetic was that I was the last one in our entire circle to find out.

The friends I thought were closest to me had all been helping them cover it up. They watched as I was played for a fool, and not a single one of them warned me.

With tears streaming down my face, I walked out of Blackline Club and dialed the legal department.

"Prepare the divorce papers. I want Deanna to leave with nothing. And there’s something else I need you to do for me…"