All Chapters of Five Years Raising Her True Love's Child: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

"Are you sure you want a divorce? Our sixth wedding anniversary is next week, Ryan!" My wife, Chelsea Hale, held her five-year-old son, Nathan Hale, in her arms and gently caressed his cheek. He was always so well-behaved in front of her. Blood relations really were a bizarre thing. Even though I was the one who had taken care of him and raised him since he was a baby, his favorite person was still Chelsea. Looking out the window, I suppressed the discomfort that was building up inside of me. "I've made up my mind. I don't want anything. Please get the divorce agreement as soon as possible," I said calmly.Nathan's eyes lit up. Chelsea's well-defined brows knitted together as she seethed. "Nate has already explained that he didn't see you, Ryan. It was just an accident. Don't push it! Do you really want to divorce over such a trivial matter?"I was the one who chose Nathan's name for him. I had hoped he would truly be a gift from God in our lives. However, now, the child I had

Having put an end to years of emotional turmoil, I devoted myself wholeheartedly to my career. Chelsea had always looked down on me, convinced that I was mooching off her. She believed that my company only made waves because it was backed by her towering family empire, and that, if not for her, I would never have amounted to anything. Yet, she had conveniently forgotten that I was a self-made man. I had already been reasonably successful when I met her. In other words, with or without her, I was more than capable of holding my own in the business world. My employees saw how hard I was working and followed suit, pouring their energy into drafting proposals and securing partnerships. My assistant, Clarice Smith, beamed. "Mr. Sterling, quite a few companies have already reached out to us. Here, take a look at these; they're all solid options. You're amazing!" Her eyes were shining with pride as she introduced them.I couldn't help but recall the early days of our marriage, when

A week later, my business partner sought me out with a troubled look. "Let's just forget about this collaboration. You're a talented man, Mr. Sterling. I'm sure you'll find someone else to invest in your project." He left as fast as he'd arrived.Everyone in the studio fell silent. It felt as though I had been struck by a bolt from the blue, completely derailing all my plans. Chelsea's parting words echoed in my mind—she did tell me I'd regret it. Aside from her, I couldn't think of a single person who had both the power and the malice to screw me over in this city. Claire stood beside me nervously. It seemed she wanted to comfort me, but she couldn't find the right words. The company was already at the end of its rope. In the days to come, I might not even be able to afford payroll. Weighing the grim reality, I rose to my feet and walked out into the main room. "I'm sure you all heard what just happened. I won't force anyone to stay. Those who want to leave can go." I

"Nate." Nathan's biological father, Lucas, trailed in behind Chelsea. He was her first love, who was simultaneously familiar and a total stranger to me. Lucas looked at me with such animosity it felt as though he wanted to kill me with his eyes.I scoffed. "Why would I treat him any differently? He's not my son. Besides, you don't seem like you're doing any better as his mother. What gives you the right to criticize me?"Chelsea was anything but a model parent. In our six years of marriage, the only thing I couldn't do for her was bring Nathan into the world—everything else had fallen entirely on my shoulders. She would get annoyed when Nathan cried or made a fuss and complained that he was unreasonable. She would also lose her temper when he fell ill. "How on earth are you taking care of Nate? He's sick. Whoever caused the problem should deal with it. I swear you just don't view him as your own, Ryan!"Chelsea always made it sound so righteous, but in reality, it was just a

Flustered, Clarice practically bolted before I could respond. I had no choice but to chase her, only for her to slip and twist her ankle."Can you walk on it?" I asked. I already had my back turned toward her, intending to give her a piggyback ride. "I'm okay. Don't worry about it." Refusing to look at me, she began to limp away. I sighed and, without giving her the chance to refuse, pulled her onto my back and carried her all the way to my room. "Do you like me?" she murmured, as if she would cry her eyes out if I said no. "I'm a divorcé, you know that."Clarice was in charge of my affairs, so she naturally knew all about my marriage and how badly I'd been treated. "I don't care," she whispered.Her voice was so soft that it was buried under a loud, urgent banging on the door. Clarice tried to get up to answer it, but I pinned her down and walked out instead. The moment I swung the door open, the heavy stench of alcohol hit me. "Ryan... can I come in?" It was Chelse