Winter Without You

After several rounds of drinks, my husband Ronan Kade’s childhood best friend, Brynn Halcyon, suddenly slipped her hand inside his shirt.

"Ronan, after all these years, you’ve still kept yourself in great shape!"

Standing on the couch in her heels, Brynn Halcyon gestured animatedly toward me.

"Calista, you should be thanking me. Back then, I went ten rounds with him in one night. I trained him so well that he’s incredibly useful now."

My face instantly went cold.

Brynn noticed my expression and hurried to explain, "Calista, don’t misunderstand. Ronan and I are like brothers. Doing that kind of thing with him is like touching your own arm. There’s no feeling at all.

"If he ever doesn’t satisfy you in bed, just come to me. I’ll personally whip him into shape for you."

Laughter exploded around the room.

I grabbed the cake and smashed it straight into her face, fury boiling over. "What exactly are you implying? Are you trying to claim him in front of me?"

Ronan shoved me aside, grabbed her hand, and strode out with her without looking back.

I collapsed onto the floor. From the hallway, I heard him boasting that he ruled the household and that tomorrow I would be kneeling to apologize.

I turned away and called my brother, Cassian Virel.

"Stop all cooperation with Ronan immediately. I want him ruined."

…

When Ronan saw me smear cake across Brynn’s face, he instinctively pushed me away.

"Calista, have you lost your mind? It’s supposed to be a happy occasion. Did you really have to ruin it for everyone?"

I struggled to steady myself so I wouldn’t fall. He didn’t spare a single glance for my safety, or for the baby inside me.

Instead, he pulled out tissues and gently wiped Brynn’s face. "Ignore her. Women are always so dramatic. You know I’ll always put us first."

Brynn wiped her cheek with the back of her hand, smiling magnanimously. "This is nothing. Remember my birthday? I shoved cake straight into your pants. That look on your face! I still laugh until my stomach hurts when I think about it."

Ronan’s ears turned bright red as the men around them burst into teasing laughter.

After cleaning her up, he took her hand and headed for the door.

Before it closed, he turned back impatiently. "Stay home and reflect on your behavior. The guys and I are going out to celebrate.

"Don’t think being pregnant gives you the right to throw your weight around. Who else would even want a woman with a big belly besides me?"

When the door slammed shut, something inside me shattered completely.

I immediately called Cassian and told him to terminate every business partnership with Ronan. I also asked him to draft a divorce agreement. I wanted him to walk away with nothing.

Cassian didn’t ask a single question. After agreeing to everything, he said gently, "Home will always be your harbor. You can come back anytime."

After hanging up, tears filled my eyes. I hated myself for not listening to my parents back then and ended up like this.

For Ronan, I had rejected the arranged marriage my family set up. Afraid he would feel inferior, I had hidden my identity as the daughter of a powerful family.

Instead, I secretly had my family invest in his company, helping him climb step by step until he became its president.

Yet ever since Brynn returned from overseas, I could no longer find myself in his gaze. His attention was no longer mine alone.

Suddenly, the door burst open. Ronan rushed inside.

For a moment, I thought he had come back because he was worried about me and the baby.

However, he walked right past me.

Picking up a phone from the couch, he muttered, "Good thing Brynn left her phone here. If she lost it, that guy would go crazy."

He left immediately after grabbing it, never even noticing I existed.

A while later, Brynn sent me a video.

Ronan was crawling on the floor with a dog collar fastened around his neck.

Her whip struck his bare back again and again as she sneered, "Good boy. Do you like that?"

Then she sent a message: "Calista, if this dog misbehaves again, I’ll discipline him for you."

Ronan didn’t come home until after midnight. After showering, he stepped out with the whip marks on his back still vivid and raw.

I asked how he got the injuries.

He said it was just roughhousing with the guys.

I stayed silent for a long moment.

Then, in a cold voice, I said, "Ronan, let’s get divorced."