I stared at her dreamy expression, unconsciously biting my lip.
She was lying to me again.
For the past five years, she had strung me along—dangling one hope after another, always just out of reach.
Now, was she planning to use a child as another bargaining chip?
But she had long forgotten—on the very next day after we got our marriage certificate. I had already made the irreversible decision to never have children.
Why? Because Vivian told me she feared pregnancy—her own mother had died giving birth.
She said she loved me, and I couldn’t bear the thought of her suffering. So, I took the initiative and underwent a vasectomy.
She had forgotten that sacrifice.
“Hubby, is that okay?” she asked again, snapping me out of my thoughts.
Fearing she might see through my expression, I reached out and gently embraced her—but my eyes were already turning cold.
She mistook my silence for excitement, and quickly instructed the house staff to prepare a candlelight dinner. As she walked away, she looked back at me playfully, eyes full of promise.
I watched her retreating figure and whispered under my breath,
“Vivian… you once saved my life. But you’ve lied to me for five years. That debt is already repaid.”
After that, I sent another message to that number.
When my parents passed, no one was willing to lend a hand to the Cole family.
Back then, if I had dared to expose Gabriel, I would’ve stood no chance.
But in three days, he would hold a press conference for his new product.
That moment—that stage—would be my one and only shot.
Once it arrives, everything ends.
---
The next morning, when I woke up, Vivian was gone.
I hastily drafted a divorce agreement and went to the Chambers Group headquarters. But the front desk stopped me from cold.
Calls to Vivian went unanswered. Left with no choice, I rang her secretary.
“Mr. Cole, I’m so sorry. The front desk is new—she didn’t recognize you. I’ll be sure to correct her. Please go ahead and enter.”
I didn’t bother arguing with a low-level employee. But as I passed, I overheard a conversation behind me.
“Was that really Richard’s husband? Just now, I saw Richard come down personally to greet someone else—they were walking arm-in-arm. I thought he was her husband.”
“Secretary Angela, you can’t blame me. He looked so plain—who would’ve guessed?”
“Well, he is plain. Five years ago, his family couldn’t even survive in Toronto. Now he lives off Richard’s support. Just a kept man. I don’t understand what Richard sees in him.”
“But the man from earlier—he’s a different story. You’ve heard of Ford’s Medical, right? He founded it. If it weren’t for him during the Toronto epidemic, we probably wouldn’t be standing here now. That’s the kind of man who deserves someone like Richard.”
I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails dug into my palms.
But I ignored their voices and walked straight to Vivian’s office.
Just as I was about to knock, I froze. I heard voices inside.
“Gabriel, have you been well these past few years?”
“I wrote you so many letters. Didn’t you know? I’ve had plenty of women around me these years, but I’ve only loved one person. It’s just… she married someone else. I wonder if I still stand a chance.”
Vivian looked up, teary-eyed, her voice trembling.
“Yes. You still have a chance.”
“Vivian, thank you. If you hadn’t helped me all along, I’d never have come this far.”
“I still haven’t seen Ethan before the press conference,” she said, voice faltering. “He misunderstood me last time. Back then, I was just a Cole family apprentice, and now I outrank him. I’m afraid… it’ll be even harder for him to accept.”
At that, I couldn’t help the sneer that curled on my lips.
A misunderstanding?
Is that what she thought this was?
When my first patent was rejected, I secretly launched an investigation.
I discovered that the composition of Ford’s Medical’s new drug was nearly identical to my formula.
I filed a formal complaint—under my real name—demanding they reveal their data sources.
And what was my reward?
I was arrested.
Charged with slander and rumor-mongering. Thrown into jail.
