Chapter 2

Pearle’s POV

My family’s company was in serious trouble. I really did need financial backing from the Shaws family.

But Zachary wasn’t their only son. If I married the other one, I could still get their financial backing.

Yvette Thorne sounded bewildered by what I’d said.

“Have you… have you really thought this through? I know what Zachary’s been doing lately has upset you, but we don’t even know when Raymond will wake up. Marriage is a lifelong commitment. I still hope you’ll think this over carefully.”

I fell silent for a moment.

“Mrs. Thorne, you know I’ve never been the forgiving type. Since Zachary likes that woman so much, I might as well give them a chance.”

She sighed on the other end.

“If your mind is made up, there’s not much else I can say.”

After I hung up, Zachary’s friend returned.

But there was no doctor with him.

“Pearle Foster, I’m really sorry. There aren’t any doctors in the dermatology department right now…”

I frowned.

“A hospital this big doesn’t have a single dermatologist on duty today?”

He scratched his head awkwardly, looking uncomfortable.

Just then, two nurses wheeled in a medical cart to change my dressings.

They chatted as they worked.

“That woman in the next room is so lucky, isn’t she? Such a tiny scar, and Mr. Shaw actually called every doctor in the hospital over to see her.”

“I know. At first, I thought she must have been seriously hurt.”

Zachary’s friend slowly edged away from the room, no longer daring to look at me.

Listening to the nurses, I could only find it laughable.

A year ago, I’d fallen and hurt myself while hiking.

It had only been a scrape, but Zachary had treated me the same way.

Back then, looking at that room full of doctors, I’d thought he was going overboard, but it had still warmed my heart.

I’d never imagined Zachary would use the exact same moves on someone else.

After the nurses left, Zachary’s friend opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something.

I simply asked him to leave.

“You can go. My injuries aren’t serious. I don’t need anyone looking after me.”

After hearing that, he had no reason to stay.

As soon as he left the room, I struggled to push myself up against the edge of the bed and headed for the bathroom.

They’d given me too much anesthetic, and I was still unsteady on my feet.

I’d just reached the bathroom door when I heard him talking on the phone outside my room.

“Zachary! Why don’t you come check on Pearle? She’s here all alone. I feel bad for her…” But Zachary refused without hesitation.

“What’s there to feel bad about? Vivian is the victim. Pearle’s the one who hurt her. Whatever she’s suffering now is the punishment she deserves.”

I pulled open the bathroom door and hurried inside. I didn’t want to hear another word.

But I’d moved too quickly, and the anesthetic hadn’t worn off. I lost my footing and fell to the floor.

Agonizing pain swept through my entire body.

An unbearable pain tore through my lower abdomen. Then everything went black, and I passed out.

The last thing I saw was a friend who’d come to visit rushing toward me in terror.

“Save my baby…”

When I woke again, I was back in the hospital room.

My close friend sat beside me, looking at me sadly.

The doctor stood there with my chart and spoke slowly. “I’m sorry, Ms. Foster. We did everything we could, but we couldn’t save the baby.”

I froze, instinctively reaching for my lower abdomen.

It felt empty, as though nothing had ever been there.

Another tie between Zachary and me had been severed.

Lying in the hospital bed, I thought back to when I’d first met Zachary.

To raise money for my family’s company, I’d gone to work at a bar selling drinks, hoping to meet someone willing to invest.

One customer took a liking to me and insisted I sleep with him. I refused.

He smashed all the liquor bottles on the floor and said that if I wouldn’t sleep with him, I’d have to pay for everything.

Just as I was losing all hope, Zachary appeared.

He pinned the man to the floor and punched him, over and over.

In that moment, I couldn’t tell whether my heart was pounding from fear or attraction.

The Fosters and the Shaws had known each other for years, but I’d never had any romantic feelings for Zachary.

Maybe it was the way my heart had raced that night. Maybe it was because my family’s company couldn’t afford to wait any longer.

Either way, I made a bold decision. I would pursue Zachary. I would marry him.

After asking around, I learned that Zachary liked girls who looked innocent and fresh-faced.

So I kept working at it, changing my makeup, clothes, and even my hobbies to suit his tastes.

As I’d hoped, I became the most innocent-looking woman in New York. And as I’d hoped, I became Zachary’s girlfriend.

But the moment I saw Vivian Sullivan, I understood why he was so infatuated with her.

Between Vivian and me, one was a white wildflower growing among the rough stones beside the road, and the other was a red rose blooming beneath the blazing sun.

No matter how well I played my part, it was still only an act.

If that was how it was, I might as well let him go.