Garland’s POV
In the days that followed, Barrett’s existence was no longer a secret.
He had fathered the Prestiss family’s little princess with Cherity—and overnight, he became a hero to the entire family.
Even my once-biased in-laws turned on me, sneering, “You said our daughter couldn’t have children, but how did Barrett manage to get her pregnant then? Sounds more like you’re the one who couldn’t give her a child, hogging the position for nothing.”
I pretended not to hear and walked past them in silence.
After all, in a few more days, I would be leaving this place for good.
“Sign this,” Cherity said flatly, handing me a document.
Across the top, bold letters read [Share Transfer Agreement].
I knew exactly what she meant—she wanted me to hand over part of my shares to Barrett.
When I didn’t respond right away, her voice turned cold.
“The title as the head of the family… That’s been yours. Barrett won’t fight you for it, but these shares—he deserves them. He gave my family an heir. That makes him a contributor. This is also what my parents want,” she stated firmly.
I nodded. “Alright,” I said simply.
After signing, I slipped the divorce agreement underneath the contract before handing the papers back to her.
Just as I expected, she didn’t even glance through them. She just signed without a word and walked out the door.
Only then did I finally breathe a long sigh of relief.
Cherity was always busy with work, yet she somehow made time for Barrett and their daughter.
She would sit beside him to watch the sunrise and sunset. She even built a sturdy crib with her own hands and sang lullabies to their baby at night.
And yet, the truth was—if it hadn’t been for that one night of mistake, the man living that happiness… should have been me.
The sight before me stung my eyes. I couldn’t bear to watch any longer; I turned away and left.
That day, I had just finalized everything with an overseas research team. Tickets were booked. All that was left was for my identification to be canceled before I could leave this life behind.
But just then, something happened to the newborn.
I was packing my suitcase when Cherity stormed in, her eyes red. With one swift kick, she sent the case flying.
“You cause trouble and think you can just sneak off?!” she snapped.
My suitcase hit the wall, and anger surged through me. “What the hell is wrong with you, Cherity?” I shouted.
But the next second, she had me pinned against the wall, her hand tightening around my neck like it had so many times before.
“What’s wrong with me?” she asked back hoarsely. “What the hell did you do to my daughter?!”
Facing her accusation, I was utterly baffled.
“What are you talking about?” I asked.
But at the same time, a creeping sense of dread rose in my chest.
Ever since she had moved Barrett and their daughter into her private villa, any time something went wrong over there, she would come straight for me.
All because, in our past lives, I had refused to divorce her.
Even now—after all my compromises—Cherity still saw me through that same twisted lens.
She yanked me down to the first floor, where the nanny stood clutching the crying infant, her expression frantic.
Still trying to make sense of it all, I watched as Cherity pulled back the swaddle and lifted the baby’s sleeve.
I froze.
The child had just turned one month old, yet her delicate skin was covered in red rashes.
Cherity looked like she was about to lose her mind.
“Do you have any idea how dangerous this is for an infant? One wrong move and she could die!” she screamed.
I stared at her, unable to process. “If she has a rash, why didn’t you take her to the hospital?” I asked, stunned.
“You make it sound so easy, sir!” The nanny, still cradling the baby, shot me a glare full of resentment.
“If it wasn’t for that swaddle you gave Cady, would she even be in this condition? And you seriously want us to believe this wasn’t intentional?” she hissed.
“Sir Barrett has always been kind and gentle to you, sir. He never wanted to fight you. In fact, when he found out about the pregnancy, he begged Miss Cherity to abort the baby just to avoid making things difficult for you,” she continued bitterly.
“But what about you, sir? With all due respect, sir, you’re a man too. Sir Barrett never once tried to take your place in the family. But why do you keep targeting him? And now, are you trying to kill his child too?” she accused, her eyes burning with hatred.
