Chapter 5

"And you!"

I turned, glaring down at Vivian, who was trembling on the floor.

"You picked a donor vial from a clinic and got pregnant. How did you magically track down the donor?"

"You claim you want nothing, so why did you kiss my husband right in front of my face at the gate?"

My rage flared, my voice ringing out clearly. "Who knows what disgusting games you two have been playing behind my back?"

"Nora, that's enough!"

I never expected Carter—who had remained stone silent,

the man who had loved me for two years and been my husband for ten,

the man who stood by and let strangers brand me a homewrecker without saying a word—

to step forward in fury, planting himself firmly in front of Vivian.

I had barely scratched the surface, and he was already protecting his damsel in distress.

"Nora, do you really have to drag this through the mud?!"

"At the end of the day, Vivian is the mother of my child. Carrying a baby for nine months isn't easy. Why do you have to humiliate her like this?"

"She never tried to take your place! We did this purely for the kid!"

I looked at him coldly, marveling at how he could spit out such shameless garbage with righteous indignation.

With one arm wrapped around the crying woman, he looked at me with pained sincerity.

"Nora, you are my wife. You're the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with."

"I only give Vivian and Mason one month out of the entire year. Once Mason turns eighteen, we'll tell him the truth."

Vivian whimpered from his embrace, "It's really just one month... Once he's grown, we will never bother you again."

Bother *you*. Not bother *us*.

Her tearful act was laced with calculated malice, and I heard every syllable loud and clear.

Suddenly, Mason ran back into the room, diving straight into Vivian's arms.

Hanging around his little neck was an all-too-familiar silver medallion.

Carter realized it immediately. His brows knotted as he reached out to take it off.

"Mason, buddy, give that back to Daddy."

That was the blessed memorial medallion I had climbed thousands of steps on a sacred pilgrimage to obtain,

praying for the souls of my three unborn babies.

And now, it hung on this child's neck.

"Mason, listen to Daddy. That belongs to Auntie. Give it back to Auntie."

"Keep it. I don't want filthy leftovers."

I took a deep breath, staring into Carter's eyes as I enunciated every word, "And that goes for you, too."

I pulled the divorce settlement agreement I had drafted overnight from my bag and slapped it onto the bedside table.

He stared in disbelief. "Are you serious?"

After a tense pause, he tossed the papers onto the counter in annoyance.

"Nora, there's a limit to throwing tantrums. I've had an exhausting few days."

I kept my tone as calm as humanly possible. "I'm not throwing a tantrum. Read it when you have time. If there's anything you dispute, tell me quickly. My lawyer is already filing the paperwork."

"Nora, it's been twelve years, and you haven't changed at all. Still as stubborn and selfish as ever."

"Vivian is five years younger than you, yet she is gentle and sensible. She knows her place is complicated, so she's never asked for a single thing. All she wants is to raise our boy."

"Can't you show a little bit of grace to us?"

I stepped back, dodging Carter's reaching hand. "Not a chance!"

I caught the subtle smirk playing on Vivian's lips behind his back, and sneered, "No need to sneak around anymore. This trash of a man is all yours."

"Just a piece of advice: don't walk outside during a thunderstorm. Karma has a funny way of striking down cheaters."