Part 1Ten Years in Vain

I had loved Julian Sterling for a decade, clawing my way to marry him. I even ruthlessly drove away the idealized first love he cherished. Six years into our marriage, women around him changed like a revolving door, yet no matter how he hurt me, I never considered leaving. Until that day, pregnant, I saw him bring another woman home, twisting and turning on our marital bed.

I broke down and questioned him, but he sneered, "Aurora Hayes, don't forget what you said when we married—as long as you could marry me, you wouldn't interfere with my private life."

"If you feel short-changed, you're free to go find someone else." He glanced at my swollen belly, his voice utterly contemptuous, "Remember to use protection. Don't defile the Sterling bloodline."

I lunged forward, losing control, but he coldly pushed me away. I stumbled down the stairs, leading to the tragic loss of both mother and child. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day I saw him bring that woman home. This time, I resolved to let go of a decade of obsession, to both fulfill Julian's desires and reclaim my soul.

* * *

During my anomaly scan, I learned I was having a daughter. Overjoyed, I bought a heap of pink baby items from the store, eager to surprise Julian. The moment I stepped through the door, a faint, lingering scent of perfume tightened my chest—a smell I couldn't bear during my pregnancy. I climbed the stairs, step by step, and saw scattered clothes in the hallway: men's ties and trousers entwined with women's lingerie and slip dresses, trailing all the way to the slightly ajar master bedroom door.

Unbearable sounds drifted from within. My palms clenched, nails digging into my flesh. Looking down, the newly bought baby items had somehow slipped from my grasp, mixing with the clothes on the floor, a glaring sight. At this moment, I finally understood: I had been reborn.

In my previous life, I had impulsively burst through that door, grappling with the couple inside, only to die consumed by hatred. This time, I merely leaned against the wall, slowly descending the stairs, and quietly sat on the sofa to wait.

Time stretched on. Julian finally appeared at the top of the stairs, clad in a bathrobe, the nauseating scent of their recent intimacy clinging to him. He watched my dry retches with an impassive face. I wiped my mouth, my voice eerily calm: "You have a guest?"

He nonchalantly nodded, slowly walking towards me. I clutched my belly, stepping back. "And this guest is in our room now?"

He paused, likely surprised by my unusual composure. Just then, Chloe Peterson, a woman who could have walked off a movie screen, glided down the stairs, wrapped in my silk nightgown. Her chest was covered in red marks from their pleasure. She deliberately asked in a delicate voice, "Mr. Sterling, who is this…?"

Julian squeezed her shoulder, his eyes full of provocative intent: "Her? Oh, she's my wife—no, Mrs. Sterling, I should say."

Chloe gasped, her voice trembling artfully: "You're so naughty! Why didn't you tell me your wife would be back…?"

Julian kissed her neck, then smiled at me: "Mrs. Sterling, didn't we agree? This marriage is a mutual arrangement, no interference."

"You haven't lost out these past six years. The Sterling family has been more than generous to the Hayes family." He was right. Had it not been for the staggering sum from our prenuptial agreement, Hayes Industries would have long gone bankrupt, and my parents and brother wouldn't be living in such luxury today.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and said, "I understand. I apologize for interrupting." I put on my shoes and pulled open the door. From behind me, Julian's voice came, with a barely perceptible tremor: "Wait!" I didn't look back. Julian, this time, I won't wait for you.