Chapter 3

Zachary's words stabbed deep into my heart like a sharp dagger.

The baby that I had been hoping for for three years turned out to be nothing more than Zachary's way of ensuring that Vivian would be cared for in the future and a form of compensation to me.

He claimed that he loved me, but just what position did I actually hold in his heart? Was I nothing more than a tool for him to give his ex-wife a child?

Nausea roiled in me, causing me to rush to the washroom, where I threw up until my vision turned spotty. Then, ignoring the tears on my face, I made an appointment for an abortion.

…

The moment I opened the door to our house, a delicious aroma wafted to me.

Zachary, clad in an apron, was setting down a dish on the table, which was laden with all my favorites.

He always did this.

Every time he hurt me because of Vivian, he would use this method to get back in my good graces, creating the perfect illusion that he had reflected on his actions and had changed. In return, my heart would soften, and I would forgive him for his mistakes.

This time, however, I refused to fall for his trick again.

After sitting down at the table, I didn't touch the cutlery. Instead, I took out the divorce agreement that I had already signed and pushed it toward him.

He was briefly surprised, but then he frowned.

"Sammy, didn't I already tell you that I won't divorce you? Vivi is my sister, so I can't just abandon her. Why can't you accept her?"

My lips twitched as he attempted to pin the blame on me once again. Without any hesitation, I exposed the lie he had been keeping for three whole years.

"She's your sister? Isn't she your ex-wife?"

Zachary's expression immediately changed, and he blurted it out before he realized, "You know about that?"

A beat later, he seemed to relax.

"So that's why you're throwing a tantrum? Well, I can explain the situation."

Before I could answer, he was already rambling on, "Back then, Vivi and I divorced due to our incompatible personalities, and it was only after that that I met you.

"Unexpectedly, she discovered that she was pregnant after we separated, but she became so emotionally overwhelmed that she lost the baby. From then on, she lost the ability to conceive."

I leveled a cold stare on him, quietly waiting for his next words.

"That's why I owe it to her to take care of her for the rest of her life."

At this point, memories of our past together surged through my mind, unbidden.

Back when we first got together, he had been infinitely gentle and sweet to me. When I fell sick, he would take care of me, even forgoing sleep. When it rained, he would come pick me up with an umbrella that would always be tipped over to my side to protect me more.

Since I was an orphan, he said that he would be my family from then on. He promised to give me a stable home and spend the rest of his life protecting me and caring for me, never allowing me to suffer the slightest bit ever again.

All his promises, made with the utmost sincerity, had once made me feel as though I had finally found a light of my own.

Yet, however genuine and touching those words had felt back then was how ironic they felt now.

He saved all his patience and favor for Vivian, while the only things I got were lies, manipulation, and hurt.

Bitter disappointment chilled me to my bones as I said, "That's your business and has nothing to do with me. Taking care of her was a choice you willingly made, so don't drag me into it.

"Now, sign that divorce agreement, and we can split the house and savings between us evenly. What you do with her after that is none of my business."

At the mention of the house, something flashed in Zachary's eyes, and he appeared hesitant to speak.

After a moment, though, he still said quitely, "After we got married, Vivi told me that she didn't feel secure, so I… I transferred the house to her name."

My hand jerked, and with a loud crash, some of the glassware fell to the floor and shattered.

Back when we first married, Zachary had guiltily told me that he had come out of his divorce with nothing to his name, so he couldn't afford a house just yet.

Out of consideration for him, I comforted him and told him that it was fine. I had saved up enough over the years to afford the deposit, and since we were family, it didn't matter who paid for the house.

After moving into this house, the monthly housing loan came from our shared living expenses, so I had always thought that we were both working hard for our future together. Bit by bit, we would slowly build a home for just the two of us.

Now, however, he was telling me that all my sacrifices ultimately ended up benefitting Vivian instead.

From the moment we got married, they not only took advantage of my love for Zachary, but they also didn't even have the decency to spare what little assets I had.