Chapter 3

Vivian's POV

I took my packed luggage and cabbed to my company, planning to make do there for the next three days.

I could also catch up on the work I'd fallen behind on this past month while trying to preserve the pregnancy.

I'd started this company after my first divorce from Ethan.

Calling it a company was generous. It was more like a studio. I only had two artists under contract, and to keep the company running I even had to take on planning side jobs.

I took two painkillers to suppress the pain throughout my body and quickly threw myself into work.

I needed to finish my work as soon as possible and arrange the studio's plans for the next month so I could leave without worries.

Five hours later, I finished my work. Just as I was about to stand up from my chair to stretch, I saw Ethan opening the door and walking in.

As soon as Ethan entered, he fixed his eyes on my hands wrapped in bandages.

"Vivian, what happened to your hands?"

The concern in Ethan's eyes didn't seem fake, but it made me sick.

"Thanks to you."

I laughed coldly.

"What do you want?"

I really didn't want any more contact with Ethan.

Ethan was silent for a moment, his eyes darkening slightly.

"The doctor checked. Liam is fine. But Grace fainted from emotional distress."

"What does this have to do with me?"

Ethan's face darkened. He wanted to say something, but seeing my still-bleeding palms, he softened his tone.

"Grace kept apologizing to you while unconscious. This whole thing has nothing to do with her. She's just an ordinary girl. I was the one who asked her to have the child. She won't threaten your position as Mrs. Carter. She'll just stay by my side. Can't you accept that?"

He spoke earnestly, but his words chilled me to the bone.

My whole body trembled as tears fell uncontrollably.

"Ethan, do you remember what you promised me when we remarried?"

From pregnancy to delivery takes at least ten months. It meant at the latest, Ethan had cheated by the second month after our remarriage.

Ethan pulled me into his embrace.

"Vivian, you've seen enough of the world these years. This kind of thing is normal in our circle. I've been very good. I promise you Grace is the first and the last."

"Back then I had so many women around me, but you chose to forgive me in the end. Now I'm just letting Grace stay by my side as the child's mother. You can accept this, right?"

My body stiffened in his arms.

For a moment I didn't know what to say.

I couldn't understand how Ethan could selectively forget all that pain and speak of cheating during marriage and choosing two women at once as if it were perfectly natural.

As if I was the one who'd been unreasonable all along.

After taking a deep breath, I pushed Ethan away.

"You're right. You have been very good."

But I wasn't willing to pick through men in a swamp.

Ethan froze.

"You can accept this?"

"Yes."

In three days we'd have nothing to do with each other. He could do whatever he wanted.

"Vivian, that's wonderful. Now we'll have our own child."

Ethan pulled me into his embrace again.

The man's hot breath fell on my neck, his familiar scent surrounding me. This moment that once made me feel happy now only made me nauseous.

Fortunately it didn't last long. After receiving a message, Ethan's expression changed. He said there was an emergency at the company and hurried away.

Soon my phone received a message.

"I said I was afraid of the dark at night and couldn't sleep, so Ethan immediately came over to hold me."

"Ethan also said he's going to give me and the baby a gift. I'm really looking forward to it."

The attached image was a side-view photo of a man embracing a woman.

I had no intention of acknowledging this low-level provocation. After blocking, deleting, and turning off my phone in one smooth sequence, I lay down on the couch to get some proper sleep.

Tomorrow's charity event was the most important project for our studio this year. I needed to be in the best mental state possible.

The next morning, I dressed simply and arrived at the event venue.

I'd personally handled everything from planning to execution for this event. If it went smoothly, after the event ended, my studio's only two artists would see a resource upgrade, and the studio itself could take another step forward.

I carefully checked every aspect of the venue. Only after confirming everything was correct did I sit in a corner and drink some water.

When I looked up again, I discovered Ethan had somehow arrived at the venue and was directing his bodyguards to modify the site setup.

I strode toward Ethan.

"This is my independent project. It has nothing to do with Carter Corporation, nothing to do with you. Isn't this going too far?"

The bodyguards' movements paused. They stood in place, unsure whether to continue.

Ethan raised his hand, signaling the bodyguards to continue, then pulled me aside.

"Vivian, I promised to give Grace and Liam a gift. A charity foundation established in both their names would be perfect. Liam is your son too. Consider it a birth gift for him."

I stood frozen in place, my whole body trembling.

"Ethan, Carter Corporation has everything. Why must you trample on my work like this?"

Ethan seemed to know his actions were somewhat thoughtless. He took out his phone and operated it for a moment. The next second, I received a notification of five million dollars being deposited into my account.

"Vivian, Grace's issue right now is you. Ordinary luxury goods or jewelry can't make her better. Only by giving this to her and letting her know you've accepted her, accepted Liam, will she be happy."

"Accept a mistress? Never!"

I looked at him.

"As long as I'm here today, I won't let you change a single thing about this event. You can try!"

With that, I threw myself at the bodyguard tearing down posters and blocked them with my body.

Ethan's eyes darkened as he spoke coldly.

"Whether you accept it or not, this is happening today."