For seven years, Yvette loved a man who never loved her back. Everyone knew it. She was the one who forced the marriage; he was the one who never showed up—not in the way that mattered. But she told herself it was enough—that one day, he would come around. Then she found out she was pregnant. On the day of her ultrasound, she walked into the clinic and saw him—arms wrapped around another woman, voice soft and warm in a way she had never heard from him, carrying her into the same room where Yvette was supposed to see her baby for the first time. That was the day she stopped believing. She walked out. She filed for divorce. She booked the earliest appointment for a termination—and then she disappeared. Three years later, she was the youngest name in the restoration world—the one who could bring broken masterpieces back to life. And the little girl holding her hand asked the question that stopped the man cold: "Mommy, who's the man crying like a dog?" He had spent three years searching. But she had already restored her life—with or without him.

Chapter 1The day Yvette Yeats found out she was pregnant, her husband was at the hospital accompanying her half-sister to an OB-GYN appointment.One second, Yvette was planning exactly how she would break the news of her pregnancy to Jabez Shelby. The next second, the familiar scent of his cold, woody cologne drifted past her nose, and she looked up.The man’s physique was tall and commanding, his aura radiating aristocratic elegance, while the woman tucked against his chest revealed a stunningly beautiful profile.The woman was pale, one hand clutching her stomach."Jabez, my stomach hurts so much...""Bear with it a little longer, Willow. Be a good girl." The man's usually frigid voice was now laced with endless, overflowing tenderness.Followed by a small army of the hospital's department heads and attending physicians, the pair moved like royalty toward the examination rooms.Yvette’s fingertips brushed against the fabric of his suit jacket, catching nothing but empty air.They had been married for almost seven years. Whenever she was sick, Jabez had never once accompanied her to the hospital. Let alone coaxed her with such a gentle tone—that wouldn't happen even if the world were ending.Yet now, she was watching this famously cold, ruthless man actively exercising patience just to soothe another woman.In that moment, Yvette felt as if someone had plunged a knife straight into her heart, leaving her to bleed out completely."Did you guys see that? That’s the CEO of the Shelby Group. Graduated college at seventeen, went abroad for a few years, and by the time he came back, he had already founded multiple listed companies and taken over the Shelby empire. Why can’t a perfect man like that spare a glance at me?""Ms. Huxley is incredibly accomplished too, okay? She has a dual doctorate from the Royal Academy of Arts, and one of her paintings just sold for fifty million! Plus, her dancing is literally competition-level. She’s gorgeous, highly capable, and totally out of this world. It’s no surprise Mr. Shelby is head over heels for her."The nurses’ gossip drilled into Yvette’s ears, word by agonizing word. She looked in the direction Jabez had disappeared.The ultrasound room!And judging by the sheer panic Jabez had shown when he carried Willow Huxley into that room...Willow was pregnant too!Yvette felt the blood freeze in her veins.She remembered before they were married, Jabez had explicitly stated he didn't want children.Back then, she just assumed he disliked kids.Now, she realized he didn’t mind having children. He just didn't want any child born from her.Her vision went black, and she collapsed...-The next day, at the hospital."Oh, you're awake? I'm your caretaker. You can just call me Lydia."Yvette let out a low 'mm' and instinctively reached for her phone. She unlocked it.No missed calls. No unread messages.At the very top of her contact list, pinned in place, was a name: Jabez Shelby.She clicked into the chat. Their conversation had stopped entirely at the last message she had sent. Scrolling up, their chat history was mostly her sending long, rambling paragraphs. Jabez's replies were always brief, mostly just a single "Yeah."Yvette put her phone down and closed her eyes.Seeing her rest, Lydia quietly opened the door and stepped out of the ward.The hospital hallway was noisy."Do you like the renovations at Clearwater Villa?""They're okay." The woman's voice sounded somewhat strained.Yvette’s eyes snapped open, and she turned her head to look out the door. The woman was clinging to the man's muscular arm, the two of them pressed intimately close.Clearwater Villa was the house Yvette had originally intended to be their marital home. She had stayed up countless nights personally designing every inch of its interior. Even the floor tiles were hand-picked by her after practically running her legs off to find the absolute best.But Jabez had said he didn't like it, so they never moved in.And now, the home she had poured her blood, sweat, and tears into designing and overseeing was going to be given to Willow!It felt exactly like taking a bite out of a pear, looking down, and finding a worm inside. What was even more sickening was that half the worm was still in the fruit, and the other half was already in her stomach, making her want to throw up but completely unable to.But then again, it made sense. Jabez never liked her to begin with. Their marriage was nothing more than an accident.Jabez had been drugged by someone, and Yvette, completely drunk, had stumbled into the wrong hotel room. They ended up sleeping together. Somehow, a random reporter snapped photos of them, and Jabez had to use his influence to suppress the scandal.Sybil, Jabez's grandmother, happened to be good friends with Yvette's grandmother. Under Sybil's immense pressure, Jabez was forced to marry her, but he had maintained a cold, distant attitude toward her ever since.She used to think that as long as she treated him well enough and held on long enough... one day, he would finally see her.But the truth was, she was wrong. Dead wrong!It was time to turn back.Back then, Sybil had promised that if they still had no feelings for each other after seven years, they could divorce. Right now, they were only six months away from the seven-year mark.But she couldn't wait another day. She wanted to end this godawful marriage immediately.Yvette looked away from the door, unlocked her phone, and dialed her best friend, Charlotte Clark."Charlotte, find me a lawyer to draft a divorce agreement. I'll walk away with absolutely nothing.""Holy shit! You finally figured it out?" Charlotte leaped straight out of bed. "Wait for me."Yvette hung up the phone.After hesitating for a moment, she opened the app for Kingsbrook Women's Hospital and booked the earliest available appointment.Kingsbrook Women's Hospital was packed year-round, and getting an appointment was notoriously impossible. Even pulling strings and paying off scalpers usually couldn't get you a slot.Yvette's abortion procedure was scheduled for half a month later.The reason she chose to abort was partly that she refused to bring a child into a broken home. She knew better than anyone how the lingering misery of childhood trauma could haunt a person for their entire life.On the other hand, if the Shelby family found out she was pregnant, they would never let her divorce him easily. She didn't want to stay tangled up with the Shelbys, and she was even more terrified that once the baby was born, the Shelby family would ruthlessly fight for custody. She could never win against them in court.Elite, wealthy families prioritized profit and efficiency over everything. Raised under such an extreme, cold-blooded, power-obsessed education system...She absolutely refused to let her child turn into a second Jabez Shelby....Half an hour later.Charlotte Clark stormed into the hospital room like a hurricane, divorce papers in hand.Yvette didn't even read the agreement; she just flipped straight to the last page and signed her name.Seeing her absolute lack of hesitation, Charlotte looked like she was about to jump for joy. "Yvette, are you absolutely sure about this?""Yeah." Yvette's eyes were resolute. "I'm getting a divorce."It was only then that Charlotte belatedly noticed the IV drip attached to Yvette's hand, and her expression shifted to one of concern. "What happened to you? Are you sick?"Yvette forced a light, easy smile, not wanting her best friend to worry. "It's nothing. My body is just a little weak, so I need to rest and recover."Charlotte's face instantly darkened. "Where the hell is Jabez? You're in the hospital and he's not even here with you?!"Hearing his name, Yvette pursed her lips and stayed silent.Her silence was like a lit match to a barrel of gunpowder—Charlotte exploded."You gave up your own career for him just to be his secretary! You leave early, come home late, work unpaid overtime, and do tasks that aren't even in your job description. You've been working like an absolute dog for him, and now you're literally in the hospital having a procedure and he doesn't even show his face!""Before you got married, you wouldn't even lift a finger in the kitchen. Now? You can cook anything! Seriously, anyone who didn't know better would think you went to Le Cordon Bleu to become a master chef! And he has the nerve to cheat on you with your own half-sister! He's absolute garbage!""Stop." Yvette turned her head to look out the window, refusing to let Charlotte see her reddening eyes. "He never liked me to begin with. I brought this on myself by forcing the issue."Charlotte got even angrier hearing that. "You're the victim here, okay? What does he have to be upset about? Did he not sleep with you? Did he not enjoy it?""Charlotte!"Charlotte deflated like a popped balloon, gritted her teeth, and slumped into a chair. "Fine, I'll shut up."Yvette ordered a local courier on her phone to pick up the documents. The delivery address was Jabez's company, and someone would hand it directly to him.Jabez valued Willow immensely. If he didn't want the child in Willow's womb to be labeled an illegitimate bastard from the moment it was born, he would absolutely sign the papers.Charlotte ordered some soup for Yvette, then went to the doctor's office to write down all the post-op care instructions in meticulous detail.By the time she returned to the room, the soup had arrived. Charlotte opened the container, scooped up a spoonful, and blew on it gently before feeding it to Yvette.After finishing the food, Yvette's stomach felt much better. She opened her mouth, but ultimately decided not to tell Charlotte about the pregnancy.Charlotte had a fiery temper and no filter when she got worked up.Besides, she hadn't planned on keeping this baby anyway, so it was better to just keep it to herself.-Jabez didn't go into the office that day; he went straight back to the villa.He pushed the door open to find the entire first floor pitch black. It was unusually quiet.He instinctively frowned, feeling somewhat unaccustomed to the darkness.In the past, no matter how late it was, Yvette would always leave a light on for him.He reached out and flicked on the hallway switch.Hearing the commotion, the housekeeper, Lena, stepped out of her room."Where is she?""Mrs. Shelby hasn't been home for the past few days," Lena said, carefully observing Jabez's expression as she spoke.But his face remained blank, betraying zero emotion.Jabez simply nodded. Too lazy to even take off his shoes, he headed straight upstairs toward the master bedroom. He pushed the door open and let his gaze sweep across the room.He vaguely remembered seeing Yvette at the hospital—she was probably sick.His phone rang. It was a call from Willow.Jabez turned on his heel, walked back downstairs, started his car, and drove off.-Two days later.Yvette returned to the villa, and Lena hurried over to greet her."Ma'am, while you were away these past few days, Mr. Shelby came back once.""And?" Yvette paused her steps."He asked me where you went. I told him you hadn't been home recently, and he didn't say anything else."Yvette knew full well that Jabez never cared about what she was doing. It had been seven years. His attitude toward her had always been freezing cold. She was completely used to it by now."Okay."Yvette went upstairs and changed into a white silk blouse and black tailored trousers. Looking at her somewhat pale reflection in the mirror, she applied some light makeup to bring color back to her face. She drove to the office.As soon as Yvette arrived at the Shelby Group, Jabez's assistant, Corbin, walked over. "Make a cup of coffee."After dropping the demand, he didn't even bother to look Yvette in the eye, as if she were something absolutely revolting.Yvette paused as she set her designer bag down.Corbin knew perfectly well what her relationship was with Jabez, yet he showed her absolutely zero respect. His attitude toward her was entirely dictated by Jabez's attitude toward her. If Jabez hadn't silently permitted it, Corbin would never dare treat her like this.She went to the breakroom and brewed the coffee exactly to Jabez's specific tastes.Staring at the finished cup, she hesitated.Without Jabez's explicit permission, she wasn't allowed into his office. Should she take it to his office now, or wait for Corbin to come get it?She walked out holding the mug. "Could one of you deliver this coffee to Mr. Shelby?"As soon as Yvette spoke, Ms. Zeller's eyes lit up, but then quickly dimmed."What's wrong?"Usually, the secretaries fought for any chance to go into the office and interact with Jabez."Ms. Yeats, you've been on leave so you wouldn't know." Ms. Zeller leaned in close and lowered her voice. "Mr. Shelby has been bringing his girlfriend, Ms. Huxley, to work with him for a solid week now. They come and go together, and the company executives have been falling all over themselves to kiss up to her. They're practically treating her like the future boss's wife. Right now, Mr. Shelby is in a meeting, so Ms. Huxley is in there alone."Jabez's office was a place Yvette could only enter with express permission, yet its doors were open to Willow at all times.And it was filled with highly sensitive corporate secrets. If anything leaked, the financial damage would be catastrophic.Yvette suppressed the sharp, needle-like pain in her heart and joked lightly, "Really? Well, this is the perfect chance for you guys to show your faces to the future boss's wife. Why aren't you going?""I don't like her. I don't want to go," Ms. Zeller pouted."Fine, I'll do it." Yvette walked up to Jabez's office and knocked on the door."Come in," Willow's voice drifted from inside.Yvette pushed the door open and walked in.The next second, she completely froze in her tracks.Even though she had mentally prepared herself to see Willow, she never expected to walk in on a scene like this...Chapter 2The day Yvette Yeats found out she was pregnant, her husband was at the hospital accompanying her half-sister to an OB-GYN appointment.One second, Yvette was planning exactly how she would break the news of her pregnancy to Jabez Shelby. The next second, the familiar scent of his cold, woody cologne drifted past her nose, and she looked up.The man’s physique was tall and commanding, his aura radiating aristocratic elegance, while the woman tucked against his chest revealed a stunningly beautiful profile.The woman was pale, one hand clutching her stomach."Jabez, my stomach hurts so much...""Bear with it a little longer, Willow. Be a good girl." The man's usually frigid voice was now laced with endless, overflowing tenderness.Followed by a small army of the hospital's department heads and attending physicians, the pair moved like royalty toward the examination rooms.Yvette’s fingertips brushed against the fabric of his suit jacket, catching nothing but empty air.They had been married for almost seven years. Whenever she was sick, Jabez had never once accompanied her to the hospital. Let alone coaxed her with such a gentle tone—that wouldn't happen even if the world were ending.Yet now, she was watching this famously cold, ruthless man actively exercising patience just to soothe another woman.In that moment, Yvette felt as if someone had plunged a knife straight into her heart, leaving her to bleed out completely."Did you guys see that? That’s the CEO of the Shelby Group. Graduated college at seventeen, went abroad for a few years, and by the time he came back, he had already founded multiple listed companies and taken over the Shelby empire. Why can’t a perfect man like that spare a glance at me?""Ms. Huxley is incredibly accomplished too, okay? She has a dual doctorate from the Royal Academy of Arts, and one of her paintings just sold for fifty million! Plus, her dancing is literally competition-level. She’s gorgeous, highly capable, and totally out of this world. It’s no surprise Mr. Shelby is head over heels for her."The nurses’ gossip drilled into Yvette’s ears, word by agonizing word. She looked in the direction Jabez had disappeared.The ultrasound room!And judging by the sheer panic Jabez had shown when he carried Willow Huxley into that room...Willow was pregnant too!Yvette felt the blood freeze in her veins.She remembered before they were married, Jabez had explicitly stated he didn't want children.Back then, she just assumed he disliked kids.Now, she realized he didn’t mind having children. He just didn't want any child born from her.Her vision went black, and she collapsed...-The next day, at the hospital."Oh, you're awake? I'm your caretaker. You can just call me Lydia."Yvette let out a low 'mm' and instinctively reached for her phone. She unlocked it.No missed calls. No unread messages.At the very top of her contact list, pinned in place, was a name: Jabez Shelby.She clicked into the chat. Their conversation had stopped entirely at the last message she had sent. Scrolling up, their chat history was mostly her sending long, rambling paragraphs. Jabez's replies were always brief, mostly just a single "Yeah."Yvette put her phone down and closed her eyes.Seeing her rest, Lydia quietly opened the door and stepped out of the ward.The hospital hallway was noisy."Do you like the renovations at Clearwater Villa?""They're okay." The woman's voice sounded somewhat strained.Yvette’s eyes snapped open, and she turned her head to look out the door. The woman was clinging to the man's muscular arm, the two of them pressed intimately close.Clearwater Villa was the house Yvette had originally intended to be their marital home. She had stayed up countless nights personally designing every inch of its interior. Even the floor tiles were hand-picked by her after practically running her legs off to find the absolute best.But Jabez had said he didn't like it, so they never moved in.And now, the home she had poured her blood, sweat, and tears into designing and overseeing was going to be given to Willow!It felt exactly like taking a bite out of a pear, looking down, and finding a worm inside. What was even more sickening was that half the worm was still in the fruit, and the other half was already in her stomach, making her want to throw up but completely unable to.But then again, it made sense. Jabez never liked her to begin with. Their marriage was nothing more than an accident.Jabez had been drugged by someone, and Yvette, completely drunk, had stumbled into the wrong hotel room. They ended up sleeping together. Somehow, a random reporter snapped photos of them, and Jabez had to use his influence to suppress the scandal.Sybil, Jabez's grandmother, happened to be good friends with Yvette's grandmother. Under Sybil's immense pressure, Jabez was forced to marry her, but he had maintained a cold, distant attitude toward her ever since.She used to think that as long as she treated him well enough and held on long enough... one day, he would finally see her.But the truth was, she was wrong. Dead wrong!It was time to turn back.Back then, Sybil had promised that if they still had no feelings for each other after seven years, they could divorce. Right now, they were only six months away from the seven-year mark.But she couldn't wait another day. She wanted to end this godawful marriage immediately.Yvette looked away from the door, unlocked her phone, and dialed her best friend, Charlotte Clark."Charlotte, find me a lawyer to draft a divorce agreement. I'll walk away with absolutely nothing.""Holy shit! You finally figured it out?" Charlotte leaped straight out of bed. "Wait for me."Yvette hung up the phone.After hesitating for a moment, she opened the app for Kingsbrook Women's Hospital and booked the earliest available appointment.Kingsbrook Women's Hospital was packed year-round, and getting an appointment was notoriously impossible. Even pulling strings and paying off scalpers usually couldn't get you a slot.Yvette's abortion procedure was scheduled for half a month later.The reason she chose to abort was partly that she refused to bring a child into a broken home. She knew better than anyone how the lingering misery of childhood trauma could haunt a person for their entire life.On the other hand, if the Shelby family found out she was pregnant, they would never let her divorce him easily. She didn't want to stay tangled up with the Shelbys, and she was even more terrified that once the baby was born, the Shelby family would ruthlessly fight for custody. She could never win against them in court.Elite, wealthy families prioritized profit and efficiency over everything. Raised under such an extreme, cold-blooded, power-obsessed education system...She absolutely refused to let her child turn into a second Jabez Shelby....Half an hour later.Charlotte Clark stormed into the hospital room like a hurricane, divorce papers in hand.Yvette didn't even read the agreement; she just flipped straight to the last page and signed her name.Seeing her absolute lack of hesitation, Charlotte looked like she was about to jump for joy. "Yvette, are you absolutely sure about this?""Yeah." Yvette's eyes were resolute. "I'm getting a divorce."It was only then that Charlotte belatedly noticed the IV drip attached to Yvette's hand, and her expression shifted to one of concern. "What happened to you? Are you sick?"Yvette forced a light, easy smile, not wanting her best friend to worry. "It's nothing. My body is just a little weak, so I need to rest and recover."Charlotte's face instantly darkened. "Where the hell is Jabez? You're in the hospital and he's not even here with you?!"Hearing his name, Yvette pursed her lips and stayed silent.Her silence was like a lit match to a barrel of gunpowder—Charlotte exploded."You gave up your own career for him just to be his secretary! You leave early, come home late, work unpaid overtime, and do tasks that aren't even in your job description. You've been working like an absolute dog for him, and now you're literally in the hospital having a procedure and he doesn't even show his face!""Before you got married, you wouldn't even lift a finger in the kitchen. Now? You can cook anything! Seriously, anyone who didn't know better would think you went to Le Cordon Bleu to become a master chef! And he has the nerve to cheat on you with your own half-sister! He's absolute garbage!""Stop." Yvette turned her head to look out the window, refusing to let Charlotte see her reddening eyes. "He never liked me to begin with. I brought this on myself by forcing the issue."Charlotte got even angrier hearing that. "You're the victim here, okay? What does he have to be upset about? Did he not sleep with you? Did he not enjoy it?""Charlotte!"Charlotte deflated like a popped balloon, gritted her teeth, and slumped into a chair. "Fine, I'll shut up."Yvette ordered a local courier on her phone to pick up the documents. The delivery address was Jabez's company, and someone would hand it directly to him.Jabez valued Willow immensely. If he didn't want the child in Willow's womb to be labeled an illegitimate bastard from the moment it was born, he would absolutely sign the papers.Charlotte ordered some soup for Yvette, then went to the doctor's office to write down all the post-op care instructions in meticulous detail.By the time she returned to the room, the soup had arrived. Charlotte opened the container, scooped up a spoonful, and blew on it gently before feeding it to Yvette.After finishing the food, Yvette's stomach felt much better. She opened her mouth, but ultimately decided not to tell Charlotte about the pregnancy.Charlotte had a fiery temper and no filter when she got worked up.Besides, she hadn't planned on keeping this baby anyway, so it was better to just keep it to herself.-Jabez didn't go into the office that day; he went straight back to the villa.He pushed the door open to find the entire first floor pitch black. It was unusually quiet.He instinctively frowned, feeling somewhat unaccustomed to the darkness.In the past, no matter how late it was, Yvette would always leave a light on for him.He reached out and flicked on the hallway switch.Hearing the commotion, the housekeeper, Lena, stepped out of her room."Where is she?""Mrs. Shelby hasn't been home for the past few days," Lena said, carefully observing Jabez's expression as she spoke.But his face remained blank, betraying zero emotion.Jabez simply nodded. Too lazy to even take off his shoes, he headed straight upstairs toward the master bedroom. He pushed the door open and let his gaze sweep across the room.He vaguely remembered seeing Yvette at the hospital—she was probably sick.His phone rang. It was a call from Willow.Jabez turned on his heel, walked back downstairs, started his car, and drove off.-Two days later.Yvette returned to the villa, and Lena hurried over to greet her."Ma'am, while you were away these past few days, Mr. Shelby came back once.""And?" Yvette paused her steps."He asked me where you went. I told him you hadn't been home recently, and he didn't say anything else."Yvette knew full well that Jabez never cared about what she was doing. It had been seven years. His attitude toward her had always been freezing cold. She was completely used to it by now."Okay."Yvette went upstairs and changed into a white silk blouse and black tailored trousers. Looking at her somewhat pale reflection in the mirror, she applied some light makeup to bring color back to her face. She drove to the office.As soon as Yvette arrived at the Shelby Group, Jabez's assistant, Corbin, walked over. "Make a cup of coffee."After dropping the demand, he didn't even bother to look Yvette in the eye, as if she were something absolutely revolting.Yvette paused as she set her designer bag down.Corbin knew perfectly well what her relationship was with Jabez, yet he showed her absolutely zero respect. His attitude toward her was entirely dictated by Jabez's attitude toward her. If Jabez hadn't silently permitted it, Corbin would never dare treat her like this.She went to the breakroom and brewed the coffee exactly to Jabez's specific tastes.Staring at the finished cup, she hesitated.Without Jabez's explicit permission, she wasn't allowed into his office. Should she take it to his office now, or wait for Corbin to come get it?She walked out holding the mug. "Could one of you deliver this coffee to Mr. Shelby?"As soon as Yvette spoke, Ms. Zeller's eyes lit up, but then quickly dimmed."What's wrong?"Usually, the secretaries fought for any chance to go into the office and interact with Jabez."Ms. Yeats, you've been on leave so you wouldn't know." Ms. Zeller leaned in close and lowered her voice. "Mr. Shelby has been bringing his girlfriend, Ms. Huxley, to work with him for a solid week now. They come and go together, and the company executives have been falling all over themselves to kiss up to her. They're practically treating her like the future boss's wife. Right now, Mr. Shelby is in a meeting, so Ms. Huxley is in there alone."Jabez's office was a place Yvette could only enter with express permission, yet its doors were open to Willow at all times.And it was filled with highly sensitive corporate secrets. If anything leaked, the financial damage would be catastrophic.Yvette suppressed the sharp, needle-like pain in her heart and joked lightly, "Really? Well, this is the perfect chance for you guys to show your faces to the future boss's wife. Why aren't you going?""I don't like her. I don't want to go," Ms. Zeller pouted."Fine, I'll do it." Yvette walked up to Jabez's office and knocked on the door."Come in," Willow's voice drifted from inside.Yvette pushed the door open and walked in.The next second, she completely froze in her tracks.Even though she had mentally prepared herself to see Willow, she never expected to walk in on a scene like this...Chapter 3The day Yvette Yeats found out she was pregnant, her husband was at the hospital accompanying her half-sister to an OB-GYN appointment.One second, Yvette was planning exactly how she would break the news of her pregnancy to Jabez Shelby. The next second, the familiar scent of his cold, woody cologne drifted past her nose, and she looked up.The man’s physique was tall and commanding, his aura radiating aristocratic elegance, while the woman tucked against his chest revealed a stunningly beautiful profile.The woman was pale, one hand clutching her stomach."Jabez, my stomach hurts so much...""Bear with it a little longer, Willow. Be a good girl." The man's usually frigid voice was now laced with endless, overflowing tenderness.Followed by a small army of the hospital's department heads and attending physicians, the pair moved like royalty toward the examination rooms.Yvette’s fingertips brushed against the fabric of his suit jacket, catching nothing but empty air.They had been married for almost seven years. Whenever she was sick, Jabez had never once accompanied her to the hospital. Let alone coaxed her with such a gentle tone—that wouldn't happen even if the world were ending.Yet now, she was watching this famously cold, ruthless man actively exercising patience just to soothe another woman.In that moment, Yvette felt as if someone had plunged a knife straight into her heart, leaving her to bleed out completely."Did you guys see that? That’s the CEO of the Shelby Group. Graduated college at seventeen, went abroad for a few years, and by the time he came back, he had already founded multiple listed companies and taken over the Shelby empire. Why can’t a perfect man like that spare a glance at me?""Ms. Huxley is incredibly accomplished too, okay? She has a dual doctorate from the Royal Academy of Arts, and one of her paintings just sold for fifty million! Plus, her dancing is literally competition-level. She’s gorgeous, highly capable, and totally out of this world. It’s no surprise Mr. Shelby is head over heels for her."The nurses’ gossip drilled into Yvette’s ears, word by agonizing word. She looked in the direction Jabez had disappeared.The ultrasound room!And judging by the sheer panic Jabez had shown when he carried Willow Huxley into that room...Willow was pregnant too!Yvette felt the blood freeze in her veins.She remembered before they were married, Jabez had explicitly stated he didn't want children.Back then, she just assumed he disliked kids.Now, she realized he didn’t mind having children. He just didn't want any child born from her.Her vision went black, and she collapsed...-The next day, at the hospital."Oh, you're awake? I'm your caretaker. You can just call me Lydia."Yvette let out a low 'mm' and instinctively reached for her phone. She unlocked it.No missed calls. No unread messages.At the very top of her contact list, pinned in place, was a name: Jabez Shelby.She clicked into the chat. Their conversation had stopped entirely at the last message she had sent. Scrolling up, their chat history was mostly her sending long, rambling paragraphs. Jabez's replies were always brief, mostly just a single "Yeah."Yvette put her phone down and closed her eyes.Seeing her rest, Lydia quietly opened the door and stepped out of the ward.The hospital hallway was noisy."Do you like the renovations at Clearwater Villa?""They're okay." The woman's voice sounded somewhat strained.Yvette’s eyes snapped open, and she turned her head to look out the door. The woman was clinging to the man's muscular arm, the two of them pressed intimately close.Clearwater Villa was the house Yvette had originally intended to be their marital home. She had stayed up countless nights personally designing every inch of its interior. Even the floor tiles were hand-picked by her after practically running her legs off to find the absolute best.But Jabez had said he didn't like it, so they never moved in.And now, the home she had poured her blood, sweat, and tears into designing and overseeing was going to be given to Willow!It felt exactly like taking a bite out of a pear, looking down, and finding a worm inside. What was even more sickening was that half the worm was still in the fruit, and the other half was already in her stomach, making her want to throw up but completely unable to.But then again, it made sense. Jabez never liked her to begin with. Their marriage was nothing more than an accident.Jabez had been drugged by someone, and Yvette, completely drunk, had stumbled into the wrong hotel room. They ended up sleeping together. Somehow, a random reporter snapped photos of them, and Jabez had to use his influence to suppress the scandal.Sybil, Jabez's grandmother, happened to be good friends with Yvette's grandmother. Under Sybil's immense pressure, Jabez was forced to marry her, but he had maintained a cold, distant attitude toward her ever since.She used to think that as long as she treated him well enough and held on long enough... one day, he would finally see her.But the truth was, she was wrong. Dead wrong!It was time to turn back.Back then, Sybil had promised that if they still had no feelings for each other after seven years, they could divorce. Right now, they were only six months away from the seven-year mark.But she couldn't wait another day. She wanted to end this godawful marriage immediately.Yvette looked away from the door, unlocked her phone, and dialed her best friend, Charlotte Clark."Charlotte, find me a lawyer to draft a divorce agreement. I'll walk away with absolutely nothing.""Holy shit! You finally figured it out?" Charlotte leaped straight out of bed. "Wait for me."Yvette hung up the phone.After hesitating for a moment, she opened the app for Kingsbrook Women's Hospital and booked the earliest available appointment.Kingsbrook Women's Hospital was packed year-round, and getting an appointment was notoriously impossible. Even pulling strings and paying off scalpers usually couldn't get you a slot.Yvette's abortion procedure was scheduled for half a month later.The reason she chose to abort was partly that she refused to bring a child into a broken home. She knew better than anyone how the lingering misery of childhood trauma could haunt a person for their entire life.On the other hand, if the Shelby family found out she was pregnant, they would never let her divorce him easily. She didn't want to stay tangled up with the Shelbys, and she was even more terrified that once the baby was born, the Shelby family would ruthlessly fight for custody. She could never win against them in court.Elite, wealthy families prioritized profit and efficiency over everything. Raised under such an extreme, cold-blooded, power-obsessed education system...She absolutely refused to let her child turn into a second Jabez Shelby....Half an hour later.Charlotte Clark stormed into the hospital room like a hurricane, divorce papers in hand.Yvette didn't even read the agreement; she just flipped straight to the last page and signed her name.Seeing her absolute lack of hesitation, Charlotte looked like she was about to jump for joy. "Yvette, are you absolutely sure about this?""Yeah." Yvette's eyes were resolute. "I'm getting a divorce."It was only then that Charlotte belatedly noticed the IV drip attached to Yvette's hand, and her expression shifted to one of concern. "What happened to you? Are you sick?"Yvette forced a light, easy smile, not wanting her best friend to worry. "It's nothing. My body is just a little weak, so I need to rest and recover."Charlotte's face instantly darkened. "Where the hell is Jabez? You're in the hospital and he's not even here with you?!"Hearing his name, Yvette pursed her lips and stayed silent.Her silence was like a lit match to a barrel of gunpowder—Charlotte exploded."You gave up your own career for him just to be his secretary! You leave early, come home late, work unpaid overtime, and do tasks that aren't even in your job description. You've been working like an absolute dog for him, and now you're literally in the hospital having a procedure and he doesn't even show his face!""Before you got married, you wouldn't even lift a finger in the kitchen. Now? You can cook anything! Seriously, anyone who didn't know better would think you went to Le Cordon Bleu to become a master chef! And he has the nerve to cheat on you with your own half-sister! He's absolute garbage!""Stop." Yvette turned her head to look out the window, refusing to let Charlotte see her reddening eyes. "He never liked me to begin with. I brought this on myself by forcing the issue."Charlotte got even angrier hearing that. "You're the victim here, okay? What does he have to be upset about? Did he not sleep with you? Did he not enjoy it?""Charlotte!"Charlotte deflated like a popped balloon, gritted her teeth, and slumped into a chair. "Fine, I'll shut up."Yvette ordered a local courier on her phone to pick up the documents. The delivery address was Jabez's company, and someone would hand it directly to him.Jabez valued Willow immensely. If he didn't want the child in Willow's womb to be labeled an illegitimate bastard from the moment it was born, he would absolutely sign the papers.Charlotte ordered some soup for Yvette, then went to the doctor's office to write down all the post-op care instructions in meticulous detail.By the time she returned to the room, the soup had arrived. Charlotte opened the container, scooped up a spoonful, and blew on it gently before feeding it to Yvette.After finishing the food, Yvette's stomach felt much better. She opened her mouth, but ultimately decided not to tell Charlotte about the pregnancy.Charlotte had a fiery temper and no filter when she got worked up.Besides, she hadn't planned on keeping this baby anyway, so it was better to just keep it to herself.-Jabez didn't go into the office that day; he went straight back to the villa.He pushed the door open to find the entire first floor pitch black. It was unusually quiet.He instinctively frowned, feeling somewhat unaccustomed to the darkness.In the past, no matter how late it was, Yvette would always leave a light on for him.He reached out and flicked on the hallway switch.Hearing the commotion, the housekeeper, Lena, stepped out of her room."Where is she?""Mrs. Shelby hasn't been home for the past few days," Lena said, carefully observing Jabez's expression as she spoke.But his face remained blank, betraying zero emotion.Jabez simply nodded. Too lazy to even take off his shoes, he headed straight upstairs toward the master bedroom. He pushed the door open and let his gaze sweep across the room.He vaguely remembered seeing Yvette at the hospital—she was probably sick.His phone rang. It was a call from Willow.Jabez turned on his heel, walked back downstairs, started his car, and drove off.-Two days later.Yvette returned to the villa, and Lena hurried over to greet her."Ma'am, while you were away these past few days, Mr. Shelby came back once.""And?" Yvette paused her steps."He asked me where you went. I told him you hadn't been home recently, and he didn't say anything else."Yvette knew full well that Jabez never cared about what she was doing. It had been seven years. His attitude toward her had always been freezing cold. She was completely used to it by now."Okay."Yvette went upstairs and changed into a white silk blouse and black tailored trousers. Looking at her somewhat pale reflection in the mirror, she applied some light makeup to bring color back to her face. She drove to the office.As soon as Yvette arrived at the Shelby Group, Jabez's assistant, Corbin, walked over. "Make a cup of coffee."After dropping the demand, he didn't even bother to look Yvette in the eye, as if she were something absolutely revolting.Yvette paused as she set her designer bag down.Corbin knew perfectly well what her relationship was with Jabez, yet he showed her absolutely zero respect. His attitude toward her was entirely dictated by Jabez's attitude toward her. If Jabez hadn't silently permitted it, Corbin would never dare treat her like this.She went to the breakroom and brewed the coffee exactly to Jabez's specific tastes.Staring at the finished cup, she hesitated.Without Jabez's explicit permission, she wasn't allowed into his office. Should she take it to his office now, or wait for Corbin to come get it?She walked out holding the mug. "Could one of you deliver this coffee to Mr. Shelby?"As soon as Yvette spoke, Ms. Zeller's eyes lit up, but then quickly dimmed."What's wrong?"Usually, the secretaries fought for any chance to go into the office and interact with Jabez."Ms. Yeats, you've been on leave so you wouldn't know." Ms. Zeller leaned in close and lowered her voice. "Mr. Shelby has been bringing his girlfriend, Ms. Huxley, to work with him for a solid week now. They come and go together, and the company executives have been falling all over themselves to kiss up to her. They're practically treating her like the future boss's wife. Right now, Mr. Shelby is in a meeting, so Ms. Huxley is in there alone."Jabez's office was a place Yvette could only enter with express permission, yet its doors were open to Willow at all times.And it was filled with highly sensitive corporate secrets. If anything leaked, the financial damage would be catastrophic.Yvette suppressed the sharp, needle-like pain in her heart and joked lightly, "Really? Well, this is the perfect chance for you guys to show your faces to the future boss's wife. Why aren't you going?""I don't like her. I don't want to go," Ms. Zeller pouted."Fine, I'll do it." Yvette walked up to Jabez's office and knocked on the door."Come in," Willow's voice drifted from inside.Yvette pushed the door open and walked in.The next second, she completely froze in her tracks.Even though she had mentally prepared herself to see Willow, she never expected to walk in on a scene like this...