Chapter 1

When the news reached me that Julian was planning a three-day "seven times a night" challenge with an underclassman, I had just sent him the pregnancy test results.

The next second, his video call came through.

A girl was wrapped tightly in his arms, covered in kiss marks.

"Can't we just get rid of this baby? You two are a family of three... and I'm all alone."

Julian patted the girl while coaxing her, then issued me a command. "Get the abortion. She's crying."

I calmly refused him. "And if I don't?"

Julian froze, then smiled coldly. "If you don't, we're getting divorced."

I instantly felt relieved. "Alright. I'll prepare the divorce papers for you."

My wish to have a child without keeping the father was finally coming true.

"Lila, be good. Don't make a scene."

Julian crushed out his cigarette and repeated the same words he'd said countless times before.

I shook my head. "I'm not making a scene. I really want this baby."

Hearing this, the girl in his arms, Summer, cried even louder.

Summer was a year below him in school.

Half venting, half marking her territory, she hooked her arms around Julian's neck and bit down hard.

Julian let out a muffled groan. Without any consideration for me, he grabbed the woman and kissed her deeply.

I had the sense to hang up the phone and took a cab home.

As soon as I got in the car, Julian's video call came through again.

The man had several bite marks on his neck now. He grinned. "Little girl's got a temper. I promise they'll be gone by the time I get home."

Only then did I remember.

The day I gave up on Julian, I made an agreement with him.

No matter how much he fooled around outside, he couldn't have any marks on his body when he came home.

He'd cheated so many times that I'd even forgotten when I stopped loving him.

I shook my head immediately, thinking I was being understanding. "It's fine. We're getting divorced anyway."

The man on the screen froze, his dark eyes dimming as he stared at me silently with pursed lips.

"Lila, stop this."

"You're lying! Lila would never abort the baby!"

"I'll never... let you do it again."

Summer's reaction was even more dramatic than mine. She cried until she was choking on her tears.

Julian's heart tightened. He immediately held the young girl and issued his final ultimatum to me. "Lila, we're not keeping this baby."

Whenever he called me by my full name, it meant he was truly angry.

But I still shook my head. "When you get back, let's just talk about the divorce."

Summer cried miserably. Julian had no choice but to hang up the video to comfort her.

He really had a way with comforting people.

He'd hold you gently, whisper sweet nothings against your ear with his mouth right there.

Combined with his good looks and attractive voice, almost no one could resist.

Even I, who had decided never to marry, had been fooled by him like this.

As I got out of the car, the driver hesitated before speaking. "Your husband is this shameless and you're not going to confront the other woman?"

I smiled lightly. "I did once. That's how I lost my first child."

The driver had nothing more to say.

I'd never been loved by my parents. They'd rather dote on my uncle's daughter than give me even a kind look.

So I'd always longed for someone connected to me by blood who would love me.

I met Julian a week before I was planning to go to a sperm bank.

He was handsome, well-educated, and intelligent.

I quickly conceived the idea of having his child without keeping him as a partner.

Through careful planning, I successfully dated Julian, and then married him.

The only uncontrollable variable was my heart.

Against the plan, I fell in love with him and started thinking about spending the rest of my life with Julian.

When I first discovered his infidelity, I was devastated like any wife would be---in pain, hysterical.

But each time after he promised to change, he'd go behind my back and mess around with another woman.

Gradually, that uncontrolled heart returned to its original place.

I gently stroked the life growing in my belly.

After the divorce, I'd raise it well on my own, whether it was a boy or girl.