Chapter 2

Her foot froze mid-step. She whipped around, staring at me in sheer disbelief.

"What did you just say?"

I repeated it calmly.

"I said, let's get a divorce."

Enraged, Serena hurled her purse straight at me and screamed,

"What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"He's a single man who doesn't know how to raise a child! What's wrong with me giving him a hand?"

"Besides, my sister Chloe is still missing! As her younger sister, shouldn't I look after her family?"

"You are sick in the head!"

Snatching her bag from the floor, she slammed the door and stormed out.

That night, I opened the anniversary gift I had prepared for her.

It was a limited-edition designer bag she had drooled over for months.

Getting this bag required serious money and high-end international connections.

Only five were allocated nationwide.

I managed to secure the fifth one.

I had worked day and night, picking up side gigs on weekends, collapsing from exhaustion and ending up in the ER multiple times.

Whenever I needed her by my side, she was always with Julian.

Either the baby was crying, or the baby was sick.

She treated that baby as if it were her own flesh and blood.

Later, I checked Instagram and saw Julian’s post.

"Celebrating our baby boy’s first month! Serena, you went through so much for this."

In the photo, Serena and Julian smiled radiantly, cuddling the infant.

I wondered, if we had a child together, would our lives have been happier?

Then I remembered how repulsed she was whenever I touched her, and the thought evaporated.

I had been lying to myself, pretending that a two-person world was enough.

The harsh truth shattered my illusions completely.

When I went to put the designer bag back into her closet, I discovered boxes of male enhancement pills hidden in the corner.

That was the moment I knew she had strayed.

Because she claimed she feared pregnancy, I had gone under the knife for a vasectomy.

Those pills weren't for me. She bought them for another man.

A wave of sheer disgust churned in my stomach.

Fighting back the burning fury and betrayal, I packed my bags in silence and moved out of the house.

The next day, as expected, Serena didn't call or text once.

Instead, Julian texted me, asking to meet at a baby boutique.

He claimed he forgot his wallet and couldn't pay for formula and diapers, asking me to bring him cash.

I offered to send it via Apple Pay or PayPal, but he claimed his accounts were flagged and couldn't receive transfers.

Reluctant as I was, the baby was innocent.

I threw on a jacket and headed out.

Outside the boutique, the moment I handed him the cash and turned to leave, he grabbed my arm.

He shoved the baby into my arms and smirked.

"Why the rush?"

"Let me show you something."

He pulled down his turtleneck collar, revealing vivid red hickeys all over his neck and chest.

Seeing my face freeze, he gloated,

"Who knew your wife was such a wildcat in bed?"

"She scratched me so hard I barely got any sleep last night."

I grabbed his collar with my free hand and snarled,

"What the fuck did you just say?!"

"Do you two have any shame at all?!"

Just then, Serena walked out of the restroom. Seeing the confrontation, she rushed over.

Without asking a single question, she slapped me across the face.

Snatching the baby back, she screamed at me,

"Logan! Are you out of your mind?!"

"How dare you try to snatch someone else's baby in broad daylight and curse at him?!"

"Apologize to him right now!"

I snapped back, furious,

"Apologize? Like hell I will!"

"You two cheating scumbags—"

Before I could finish, Serena shoved a nearby display shelf straight into me.

The heavy metal rack crashed down, smashing into my skull. My vision went black, and I collapsed.

Screams erupted from the shoppers around us.

"Oh god! His... his head is bleeding!"