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I burst into Ethan Grant's office, eager to share the big news. I'm pregnant! We're going to have a baby! But then I saw him. Arms wrapped around Evelyn Bennett—my half-sister—stroking her hair like she was something fragile. I froze on the spot. “Sorry, bad time.” I backed out slowly. I shut the door behind me. I leaned against the wall, one hand resting on my still-flat stomach. Sorry, little one, it looks like Daddy might not be part of our story. Evelyn. The sister who's resented me since the day I stepped into her picture-perfect life. … I've been married to Ethan for five years now. But before that? He was Evelyn's high-school sweetheart. Our wedding was nothing more than a business arrangement that went off the rails. The Grants and Bennetts are old money, running San Francisco. They're the ultimate power couples. Their engagement was the talk of the town. Then, just a week before the wedding, their rivals made a move. They kidnapped Evelyn. I was with her that day, shopping for her wedding dress. I got taken too. They handed Evelyn over to some crime boss's son. They locked me in a pitch-dark room. For three whole days. No food. No water. Nothing but sheer terror. We eventually got out. Evelyn was... shattered. Her family packed her off to Switzerland to recover. To hush up the scandal, both families paid off the media. The wedding went ahead as planned. Except I was the one walking down the aisle. Lost in my memories, the office door suddenly swung open. Ethan looked… uncomfortable. “Olivia, please come in.” I gripped the doorframe tightly. I shook my head. I couldn't bring myself to face Evelyn. Not again. I was ten years old the first time I entered the Bennett mansion. It felt like another world compared to my mom's cramped apartment. Marble floors everywhere. Glistening chandeliers. A pool glittering under the bright California sun. The housekeeper escorted me out to the garden. And there she was. Evelyn. Swinging in an expensive sundress, her hair shining like gold. She looked like a storybook princess. I just stared. She hopped down gracefully. She glided toward me. I shifted nervously, my fingers clutching my worn-out jeans. Evelyn leyed me from head to toe. My scuffed-up sneakers. My thrift-store shirt. I wanted to vanish. “You must be Olivia?” I mumbled, “Yeah.” She grabbed my hand enthusiastically. “I'm Evelyn! Your big sister!” Back in those days, she was actually kind. Almost like a real sister. Her mother? My stepmom? She despised me from the moment we met. Understandable. My mom was the other woman. I was the living, breathing reminder. Then Stepmom overdosed on pills. After that, Evelyn started looking at me like I was toxic. “Liv? Are you coming in.” Evelyn's voice, smooth as ever. Inside, I perched on the edge of the sofa, my knuckles turning white from gripping my skirt. Evelyn sat right beside Ethan. Acting like she owned the room. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying. Playing the delicate, wounded victim. “Liv,” she began, “your marriage to Ethan wasalways just… a business move. There was never any real love involved.” “Now that I'm back—” “I know.” I cut her off. Looked up. “I'll sign the papers, Ev. Today.” Surprise flickered in Evelyn's eyes. She clearly hadn't anticipated me caving so easily. Ethan's intense, dark stare locked onto mine. He said nothing. I forced a tight smile. “You two catch up. I'll get going.” A sharp cramp twisted my stomach. I desperately needed fresh air. Immediately. Ethan frowned, noticing my pallor. “Zach will drive you.” Zach Miller. His notoriously efficient, low-key sarcastic assistant. Back when I used to visit the office, he'd always find an excuse to interrupt with “urgent reports.” I'd once teased him, “Zach, no woman is ever going to gonna put up with that permanent scowl of yours.” Without missing a beat, he'd deadpanned, “Don't care for women, Mrs. Grant.” I'd been speechless. Ethan had actually laughed. Zach's expression hadn't changed one bit. Earlier today? He'd stalled me in the hallway. “Mr. Grant is… occupied.” Very occupied. He always knew Ethan's heart. Always had. In the car, I closed my eyes. Zach caught my gaze in the rearview mirror. “Are you feeling alright, Mrs. Grant?” “I'm fine.” “And don't call me that.” The title wouldn't be mine for much longer. The moment I got home, I raced to the bathroom and was violently sick. Two months pregnant. Today was supposed to be our happy surprise. Life is cruel. His perfect first love had returned. I stared at my reflection. Red-rimmed eyes. Pale skin. Evelyn was right about one thing, at least. The marriage began as a transaction. But after five years? I'd fallen for him. Hard. The first two years were all polite distance. Separate bedrooms. He was still in love with a memory. Then, on our third New Year's Eve... there was wine. The glittering city lights. Fireworks exploding over the sparkling bay. And Ethan kissed me. Maybe it was the champagne. Maybe the magic of the moment. I kissed him back. After that, everything changed. He became incredibly attentive. The whole company knew. Employees would whisper, their envy obvious. I had it all. Now, Evelyn was back. The dream was over. I placed a hand on my stomach. If Evelyn found out, she'd pressure him to... terminate it. I could survive losing Ethan. But I would not survive losing this child. I packed a bag together and left before he could return home. I still had a tiny studio apartment in the city from before we were married. It was dusty, but it was mine. I hired a cleaner online and booked a hotel room for the night. Completely drained, I collapsed into bed and was asleep by nine. The phone's insistent ringing jarred me awake. Disoriented, I answered. It was Ethan's voice, tight with ice-cold anger. “Olivia. Where the hell are you?” Silence. “Talk.” His impatience cut through the phone line. I swallowed hard. “I moved out.” “Who gave you permission to leave?” I flinched at his tone. “With Evelyn back... it felt inappropriate.” He let out a long sigh. His voice softened. “Liv. Come home.” That voice. Low and persuasive. The one he used when he was determined to get his way. My resolve wavered. “Ethan… we're getting divorced.” He snapped. “We're not divorced yet!” I jumped, my voice cracked. “Don't yell! I'm the one being replaced here! Why are youmad?” Tears spilled over. Sobs wracked my body. I heard rustling sounds on his end. “Where are you? I'm coming over.” Twenty minutes later. He stood at my hotel door. Saw my puffy eyes. Pulled me into his arms. I didn't go back to the house. He stayed with me at the hotel. He didn't mention Evelyn. He just seemed to want this one last night. Just him and me. I watched him sleep, my fingers gently tracing his hair. I whispered, “Baby, this might be the closest you get to Daddy. Remember him.” The next day, at the Grant family estate. His parents agreed to the divorce. But his grandfather refused. “Over my dead body!” He whacked Ethan's shin sharply with his cane. I winced. Ethan didn't even flinch. Outside, Ethan didn't start the car immediately. He rolled down the window. Pulled out a cigarette, and lit it. The red ember glowed in the dim light. Smoke curled around him, blurring his sharp features. Ethan rarely smoked. Only when he was under extreme pressure. I clutched my purse tightly. “We don't have to tell your grandfather right away.” He paused and looked directly at me. “If we don't tell him, he'll never have to know.” He stubbed out the half-smoked cigarette. “Liv, you're that eager to divorce?” I froze, guilt washing over me. “Not eager.” I was just terrified he'd discover the truth about the baby. He sighed heavily. "We'll discuss this later." As we stepped out of the elevator, Evelyn was there. She immediately slid her arm through his, completely ignoring me. “Ethan! I've been waiting for you!” I took a step back. Ethan pulled his arm away slightly. “Sorry, Ev.” They walked into his penthouse. Leaving me standing outside, feeling like a stranger. Evelyn was lounging on the sof like she owned it. She noticed me hesitating in the doorway. “Liv? Don't just stand there. Come in.” I shuffled inside, feeling like a guest in what was once my own home. We sat in an awkward triangle formation. Ethan broke the silence first. “Ev, about the divorce... we're putting it on hold…” “What?!” She exploded off the couch like a hissed cat. I jumped—again. This pregnancy had my nerves on edge. Before Ethan could explain further, Evelyn turned on me. “You changed your mind!” I shook my head frantically in denial. “It's not her,” Ethan said, his voice calm but firm. “It's Grandpa's health. The stress of a divorce right now could be too much for him.” Evelyn's face softened into pleading. “Ethan, we can marry right after! Seeing you happy would be good for his health!” He frowned. “Ev, let's not rush this.” “Why?!” Her eyes welled with manufactured tears. “Don't you love me anymore? We lost five years! Do you have any idea what I went through?” Ethan hesitated, his resolve clearly wavering. Finally, he softened. “Okay. We'll finalize the divorce next week.” My nails dug into my palms. Evelyn beamed, immediately clinging to his arm. He glanced at me over her shoulder. I looked away, my heart aching like it had been physically wounded. Monday morning arrived, and the divorce finalized. Outside the sterile courthouse steps, Ethan stopped me. “Liv. I'm sorry.” “She suffered. I have to take care of her now.” I managed a fragile smile. “These five years were always borrowed time.” “Thank you for them, Ethan.” His eyes held something complex and unreadable. Mine burned with unshed tears. “Can you… just hug me? One last time?” He searched my face for a long moment before pulling me into his arms. I buried my face in the familiar warmth of his neck and finally let myself cry. He trembled slightly. It was done. I left San Francisco that afternoon. Ethan had left millions in my account. I didn't touch a single cent. I moved to Seattle and bought a tiny one-bedroom condo with my own savings. I made it cozy, slowly preparing for the baby's arrival. The first trimester was brutal. I could barely keep water down. Multiple hospital visits followed as my weight dropped alarmingly. My doctor frowned during one appointment. “Where's your husband? He should be here with you.” I forced another smiled. “He's... busy.” “Busy?” She huffed in disapproval. “You need support! Especially with hyperemesis this severe!” I dodged further questions. In the maternity ward, I saw other couples in the maternity ward, and I felt that familiar pang of loneliness. I touched my growing bump. “You're the best baby. We don't need Daddy.” Thought that was it. Peace. Then, four months pregnant, my phone rang. It was Ethan.

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I burst into Ethan Grant's office, eager to share the big news. I'm pregnant! We're going to have a baby! But then I saw him. Arms wrapped around Evelyn Bennett