Chapter 1

Evelyn Ramsey was 25 weeks pregnant when she saw him. Outside the hospital, her husband, Carlton Shaw, was holding another woman.

Carlton looked every bit the protective lover, his tall frame clad in a sharp black coat. In his arms was Serena Albright—a doll-like beauty swathed in expensive white fur, a wool scarf framing her delicate, rosy face.

Evelyn clenched the prenatal exam report so tightly that her fingers turned white. A chilly breeze whipped against her face, but the cold was nothing compared to the stabbing pain in her heart.

Carlton spotted her from a distance, but his expression remained impassive. He didn't look the least bit mortified that he'd been seen cheating on her.

His expression softened as he opened the car door for Serena.

Evelyn never knew that the proud, high-and-mighty Carlton had such a tender and protective side to him.

When Serena noticed Evelyn, she paused and eyed her curiously before asking Carlton, "Why does that matronly lady keep staring at you? Do you know her, Carl?"

The cold wind howled in Evelyn's ears. While she couldn't hear what the young woman, whose name she didn't know, said to Carlton, she could read the woman's lips and picked out the words "matronly lady".

Matronly lady, huh?

That was probably referring to her.

Evelyn laughed bitterly to herself. She was only 24 years old.

Nevertheless, she was now chubby and ordinary-looking.

Being pretty far along in her pregnancy, she had a bloated body that looked clumsy in her black down jacket and knitted cap.

Besides, considering how haggard her face was, she did seem more like a middle-aged woman.

How could she compare to a young woman in the prime of her youth?

Carlton ushered Serena into the car while Evelyn stood stiffly in place, watching as the car disappeared into the distance.

Evelyn and Carlton had been forced to marry because of the baby. For a distinguished man like Carlton, that was the biggest stain on his life. The child she was carrying was the very tool she'd used to force him to marry her.

He loathed her with every fiber of his being.

On the other hand, Evelyn had secretly been in love with him for eight years. She knew she wasn't worthy of him, so she'd thrown herself into her studies, using him as her motivation in life. Her goal was to be good enough to remain in his circle.

She eventually achieved that dream by becoming his assistant. She could now stand beside him.

Alas, the events of a single night not only affected Carlton's life but also ruined Evelyn's ability to maintain her pride and dignity in front of him.

She could never forget the way he looked at her after they'd done the deed. The look of disgust in his eyes made it seem as though he'd touched something filthy.

Only a beautiful young woman like Serena was worthy of him.

A warm tear slid down from the corner of Evelyn's eye. Immediately after, a sharp cramp seized her lower abdomen. She hurriedly reached out to cradle her belly, bracing herself with one hand against a nearby pillar.

A passing nurse saw her and quickly went over to support her, taking her back inside to an examination room.

Evelyn's emotional distress had ended up causing some uterine discomfort. Once she regained her composure, she left the hospital and drove her weary self back to the villa at Crown Bay.

The villa belonged to Carlton.

His grandmother, Francine Turner, had arranged for two experienced housekeepers from Shaw Manor to look after Evelyn. The two women, Molly Parsons and Lisa Baker, were currently snacking and chatting happily in the warmth of the living room, looking like they were the owners of the house.

When they heard sounds at the door, they turned around and saw that Evelyn had returned.

Lisa came over and questioned, "How did the prenatal checkup go?"

She spoke in a contemptuous tone that matched her arrogant attitude.

Even though Molly and Lisa were supposed to be taking care of Evelyn, they seemed more like supervisors who'd been sent to keep an eye on Evelyn, the mistress of the house.

Evelyn simply glanced coolly at Lisa and went to her room without answering the question.

Lisa frowned in displeasure. "I asked you a question!"

Evelyn ignored that as well.

Lisa snorted as she watched Evelyn walk away. "Are you seriously acting like you're the young madam of the Shaw family? You're nothing but a big fat pig. Don't bother putting on airs."

Evelyn returned to her bedroom and sat on the bed, feeling empty and lost inside.

Neither Carlton nor the rest of the Shaw family had any regard for her, even though she had married into the family.

Francine was the one who made the decision for Evelyn and Carlton to get married. Her husband and Carlton's grandfather, Bernard Shaw, had been seriously ill when Evelyn showed up at the Shaw family's doorstep, informing them of her pregnancy.

Figuring that the good news would somehow help with Bernard's recovery, Francine decided that the two should get married.

Whether by sheer coincidence or because good news did have a positive impact on a person's health, Bernard's condition did in fact begin to improve. That led to Francine's attitude toward Evelyn becoming a little more favorable as well. Nevertheless, the rest of the Shaws still felt nothing but disdain for her.

Evelyn had gone to the hospital today to find out the gender of her baby. It was a girl. She figured the Shaws would've been informed by the hospital as well.

Just then, her phone buzzed.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Evelyn took her phone out of her handbag. She was taken aback to see a call from Heath Jensen, who'd been her advisor while she was still in university.

She answered the call, greeting, "Hello, Professor Jensen."

"There's an opening to join a PhD program at Steinfeld University. Do you want to give it a try?" Heath asked.

Evelyn froze for quite some time after hearing his question. Since she wasn't responding, he said, "You don't need to feel—"

"I'll do it," Evelyn replied firmly after coming back to her senses.

Heath fell silent.

He knew better than anyone how hard Evelyn had worked just to be good enough to stand by Carlton's side. She'd finally gotten what she wanted now, being both married to him and expecting a baby with him as well. How could she walk away from everything so easily?

As it was, he'd only asked her if she wanted the last spot he had available without hoping for much.

"Professor Jensen?" Evelyn called out.

"Come by my office at 10:00 am tomorrow," Heath said.

"I'll be there."

Heath ended the call without saying much else.

After setting aside her phone, Evelyn exhaled with a sense of release, like dark clouds giving way to a bright sky.

It was time for her to wake up and accept reality. Even a child wouldn't keep a man who didn't love her committed to her. It wouldn't make him spare her a single glance either.

Evelyn soon got a call from Francine, who wanted her to drop by Shaw Manor. She agreed to it, figuring it was probably to talk about the baby.

Feeling a little more perked up now, she went to the bathroom and took a nice, long shower.

As she sat at the vanity table, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her face was round and swollen, her skin blotchy, and her eyes shadowed by dark circles and eye bags.

Anyone would be put off by the sight of such an unattractive face. How could someone like her be qualified to stand beside a man like Carlton, who was blessed with everything life had to offer?

Evelyn put on some makeup and changed her outfit, pulling on a pink down jacket and a white hat. She looked much more alive now.

She was going to drive herself back to Shaw Manor, but just as she was leaving the house, she got a call from Carlton.

"Come out," he said curtly.

Evelyn was stunned, but she deduced that Francine must've summoned him back to Shaw Manor as well.

"Okay."

When she stepped out of the villa, she saw Carlton's black Rolls-Royce parked at the gate. Just two hours ago, he'd given another woman a ride in that car.

Evelyn took a deep breath before walking up to the car and sliding into the seat. She instantly caught a whiff of perfume—the sweet, fruity scent that young women liked. There was also a pink teddy bear inside the car, which was obviously something that young women were fond of as well.

Looking up, she spotted a hair tie around Carlton's wrist. That was what women often did to mark their territory when it came to a man.

Carlton's love for that woman ran deep, didn't it?

Evelyn suppressed the bitterness in her heart and buckled herself in. Once the car started moving, she stared out the window in silence.

In the past, she always treasured every opportunity she had to be alone with him and tried her best to get closer to him. Even though it meant being subjected to his scorn and derision, she would tirelessly try to engage him in conversation.

All along, she'd naively believed that since they were married and expecting a child together, they would spend the rest of their lives together. All she had to do was be a dutiful wife and a responsible mother. Perhaps one day, his eyes would finally fall on her.

But in the end, she'd only been deceiving herself with those fantasies.

Carlton didn't pay any attention to Evelyn and her feelings. His voice was as cold as ever as he asked, "What's the baby's gender?"

"It's a girl," Evelyn replied.

Carlton's expression didn't change. He simply said, "Once she's born, we're getting a divorce."

Evelyn's hands clenched. Her heart tightened. She could hardly breathe.

This marriage could never have lasted in the first place. Even though she'd anticipated that, her heart still squeezed in pain when she heard those words escaping his lips.

Biting her lip, she said, "Okay."

Carlton turned sideways and glanced at her, as if surprised that she'd agreed to it without any fuss.