"Honestly, Genevieve just doesn't get it. She's more interested in building skyscrapers than starting a family."
"Exactly. The Pierces are counting on Julian for an heir. She's just making his life difficult."
Hearing the casual mockery from our friends, I watched as Sabrina, my supposed best friend, let out a disdainful little laugh. "She's spoiled rotten," she chimed in. "She never learned to think about anyone but herself."
And my husband, Julian, squeezed Sabrina's hand, his smile drenched in affection.
"Sabrina, by bearing my child, you're not just my savior—you're the savior of the entire Pierce family!"
"From now on, our lives are bound together. We'll never be separated!"
His words were a physical blow. Tears streamed down my face, and my knees felt weak.
Years ago, I'd watched a friend's mother bleed to death in childbirth. She never even got to hold her baby.
The trauma left me terrified of pregnancy. I'd told Julian early on that it would take me a long, long time to overcome that fear. If he couldn't accept that, we should end things.
He had held me tight, whispering, "Finding you was the best thing that ever happened to me. A child doesn't matter. I will love you just as much, always."
I was so moved, believing I had found a man who loved me for me, not just for my ability to produce an heir. A love I thought was one in a million.
But seeing the adoration in his eyes as he looked at Sabrina, I knew how wrong I had been.
Someone in the lounge asked, "But you're not really going to hide this from Genevieve forever, are you?"
"There's a baby on the way. Just tell her, get a divorce, and be together."
All eyes turned to them. Julian shook his head instantly.
"No. She and Sabrina have been friends for twenty years. I can't be the reason they fall out."
"Besides, my career is completely entangled with the Lancaster family. I can't afford to burn that bridge."
"So, from the start, Sabrina and I agreed. Genevieve can never know. A divorce is out of the question."
So he knew. He knew his entire empire was built on my family's money and my connections.
The real reason he was staying with me… was the money.
A few people sighed, casting sympathetic looks at Sabrina.
"But Sabrina, you've always been so proud. Are you really okay with your child being a secret forever?"
Sabrina just laughed. She pulled Julian's face to hers and gave him a long, deep kiss.
"Marriage is just a piece of paper. I don't care."
"Besides," she added, a wicked glint in her eye, "the thought of sneaking around behind Manhattan's ice queen for the rest of our lives… it's thrilling."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing—not from the woman who had been my best friend for over twenty years.
The room was alive with laughter, but I was in my own private hell.
Overnight, my perfect life had shattered. I was a clown, betrayed by my husband and my best friend.
And the most tragic part? I was the last to know. Our so-called friends had been covering for them, watching me be played for a fool, and not one had said a word.
With tears blurring my vision, I stumbled out of the gallery and dialed the number of my family's head counsel.
"Prepare the divorce papers. I want Julian Pierce to walk away with nothing."
"And I need you to do a few other things for me…"
