She continued before I could answer. "Every day you walk around with that expression on your face. What exactly are you unhappy about?"
I lowered my eyes.
Mr. Farrington scoffed. "You should be grateful."
His voice was sharp.
"If Anthony hadn't sacrificed himself protecting Maverick years ago, your husband would've been the one in that grave."
The room fell silent.
Then Mrs. Farrington added bitterly, "Your sister is suffering and all you can think about is yourself."
I stood there quietly. What was I supposed to say? That I was hurting too? That my marriage was falling apart right in front of me? Nobody would've cared.
...
After that, I stopped trying. I quietly gathered my documents. I finalized the divorce paperwork. And I submitted an application for an overseas assignment through one of Synergy Bio-Pharma's international branches.
If nobody wanted me here, then why was I still staying? I didn't tell anyone, not even Maverick.
A few weeks later, the news everyone had been waiting for finally arrived.
Maxine was pregnant.
The entire mansion erupted in celebration, and the family held a banquet.
Champagne flowed.
Firecrackers exploded outside the estate gates.
Even some of Maverick's top executives from Synergy Bio-Pharma and several high-ranking members of the Iron Crown Cartel came to offer congratulations.
It felt like the whole world was celebrating.
I sat quietly at the breakfast table the next morning, eating porridge while everyone discussed baby names.
Then I looked up and my eyes landed on Maverick.
"Maverick."
He immediately turned toward me. "What is it, sweetheart?"
I stared at him for several seconds. "That baby, is that yours?"
The room instantly fell silent.
Maverick froze. For a split second, something flashed across his face.
"Sandra!" His brows furrowed. "What kind of question is that?"
I held his gaze.
He pushed his chair back. "Are you seriously questioning me right now?"
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried enough weight to make everyone tense.
"I've done everything I can for this family and for you. I never betrayed you. Why would I be the father of Maxine's baby?" His jaw tightened. "And after all these years together, that's what you think of me?"
Mrs. Farrington immediately jumped in. "How could you ask something like that? Now that Maxine is pregnant, you're looking miserable again. Whether the baby is Maverick's or not, you should be happy for your sister!"
Mr. Farrington looked furious. "Sandra is just jealous because she couldn't get pregnant. She's a barren cursed, that's all."
"Mother, Father, please don't be hard on my sister," Maxine said softly. "She's just used to being the center of attention, but now I've taken all the love and attention because I'm pregnant. Sister, trust me, the father of my baby is not my brother-in-law. We would never do such a thing and betray you. I love you more than anything else."
Mrs. Farrington scoffed. "See? Your sister is so understanding and kind. If only Maverick had been Maxine's husband in the first place. And you should've been Anthony's wife."
"My appetite is ruined now. Tss." Mr. Farrington shook his head.
"Enough!" Maverick cut them off. He reached for my hand. "Sandra… Look at me."
I didn't move.
"I love you." The words came easily to him. "I would never betray you."
I almost laughed and not because it was funny, but because it hurt.
During those weeks, Maverick had intentionally spent several nights in our bedroom. Anyone watching would've thought we were a perfectly normal married couple. But every time he touched me, I found myself pulling away.
…
One night, I drank too much at a family gathering.
Everyone assumed I was drunk enough to forget everything.
Maybe Maverick assumed that too.
But even through the haze of alcohol, I remembered one thing very clearly.
I remembered that nothing happened between us.
And I remembered him and Maxine making out on the same bed we used to share.
The next morning, Maverick acted as if nothing had happened.
At breakfast, he sat beside me, casually poured me a glass of juice, and placed it in front of me as though we were still the same couple we'd always been.
Then he suddenly wrapped an arm around my waist. “Still upset with me? You've barely spoken to me these past few days. I know things haven't been easy lately, but you're making me feel like I've committed some terrible crime.”
I looked at him without saying anything.
“Sandra, I know I haven't been spending enough time with you lately. I've been dealing with family problems from every direction. But you can't start doubting me because of that.”
He pulled me closer.
“You know exactly why I've been away every night. You know what kind of pressure my parents have been putting on me. I've been trying to protect us the entire time.”
I almost laughed.
Did I?
Maverick lowered his voice.
“My father kept punishing me. Every night he made me stay in the family mausoleum and reflect. He said I was being selfish and dishonoring Anthony's memory.”
He sighed dramatically.
“I was practically being tortured because I refused to agree to their ridiculous plan. They wanted me to put the family's wishes above my marriage, and I wouldn't do it.”
His expression became wounded.
“I stood against my own family for you. I fought with them for you. And now you're looking at me like I'm the bad guy?”
The grievance in his eyes looked almost real.
Almost.
“Anyone else can doubt me, Sandra. My parents can misunderstand me. The entire world can question me if they want.”
His fingers tightened around mine.
“But not you. You're the one person who knows me better than anyone else. You're supposed to be on my side. I love you. I'm only ever going to love you. Nothing about that has changed.”
I stared at my porridge.
Suddenly, I felt exhausted.
Seeing that I wasn't responding, Maverick hesitated.
“Fine. I wasn't going to tell you this because it's family business. But if I don't explain things, you're going to keep worrying and imagining things that aren't true.”
I finally looked up.
Maverick lowered his voice even further.
“Dad found someone for Maxine. One of Anthony's closest friends. The family wants an heir, so they've allowed him to spend a lot of time with her every night.”
He paused before continuing.
“I even caught them making out once. Honestly, I was relieved. It meant Maxine was finally moving on instead of living in the past.”
Maverick reached across the table and squeezed my hand.
“This stays between us. You can't tell anyone I told you. If my parents find out, they'll be furious.”
Then he smiled.
“Now do you understand? You don't need to worry anymore. Someone else is helping Maxine. Nobody's asking anything from us now.”
His eyes softened.
“Sandra, all I care about is us. All I care about is fixing whatever distance has grown between us. That's what matters to me.”
His voice became almost pleading.
“Promise me something.”
“What?”
“Stop assuming the worst every time something happens. Just trust me the way you used to.”
I nearly choked on the bitterness rising in my throat. How could he say that with a straight face?
The lies came so naturally to him.
Did he really think I was that stupid?
Or had everyone simply spent so many years treating me like I didn't matter that they'd started believing it themselves?
...
A few days later, Maxine's pregnancy became the center of the entire household. Since she was expecting, Mr. Farrington stopped punishing Maverick.
At least publicly.
Maverick also stopped disappearing upstairs every night. Instead, he started returning to our room.
Anyone looking from the outside would've thought our marriage was improving.
But the cracks were already there.
Nothing could fix them.
That evening, Maverick had only been in our room for about twenty minutes when someone knocked on the door.
Mrs. Farrington sounded frantic.
“Maverick! Come quickly. Maxine isn't feeling well. She's been uncomfortable all evening and keeps saying something doesn't feel right!”
