Chapter 3

After coming home from the hospital, Vanessa stayed remarkably quiet for a while.

She rested at home, stopped going out, and even reigned in her nasty attitude.

The only difference was that she frequently invited her best friend over to keep her company.

One evening, the moment I walked through the front door, a pair of slender hands reached out to take my briefcase.

"You must be exhausted after working all day, Liam."

It was her friend, Chloe.

As she spoke, she leaned in dangerously close, practically pressing her chest against my arm.

"I'm fine."

I stepped aside without making a scene and walked into the living room.

Vanessa was lounging on the sofa, acting completely normal. She told me Chloe was staying for dinner and asked me to cook an extra dish.

I nodded and headed straight into the kitchen.

When dinner was ready, I sat down at the table. Suddenly, I felt a bare foot slide up my pant leg, stroking slowly against my calf.

My body went rigid. I instinctively pulled my leg back.

Sitting across from me, Chloe offered a suggestive smile. When Vanessa stepped into the kitchen to grab extra forks, Chloe pressed two fingers to her lips and blew me a kiss.

Disgusted, I lost my appetite and stood up abruptly.

"What's wrong?" Vanessa asked, waddling back into the dining room.

I shook my head. "I'm full. Enjoy your dinner."

Without another word, I retreated to the guest bedroom.

From that day on, I avoided Chloe like the plague.

Whenever she visited, I stayed late at the office.

A week later, Vanessa called me late at night, claiming Chloe was completely wasted at a bar and begged me to pick her up.

A drunk woman alone late at night was genuinely unsafe.

I gave in and drove over.

The moment I helped Chloe into the passenger seat, she threw herself onto me. Her arms wrapped tightly around my neck, kissing my jaw and collarbone while aggressively tearing at my shirt.

"Stop it! You're drunk, snap out of it!"

I shoved her off with everything I had, buckled her into the seat, and drove her straight to her apartment.

After dropping her off, I drove home.

The second I walked through the front door, Vanessa lunged forward and slapped me across the face.

"I'm carrying a child, and you're out there cheating on me?! Liam, how could you?!"

I stared at her in shock, then glanced down. Bright red lipstick was smeared all over my collar.

"You're misunderstanding. Your friend was wasted, she stumbled into me—"

"Oh yeah? Then explain this!"

Vanessa thrust her phone in my face, displaying a series of photos.

They were taken inside my car just minutes ago.

Chloe was draped over me, kissing me, while my shirt was half-unbuttoned. The angles were immaculate, making it look like a passionate, illicit hookup.

Before I could say a word, Vanessa's voice turned icy.

"We're getting a divorce. And you're walking away with nothing."