I yanked my hand free from his grip.

His fake affection turned my stomach.

Even if I was starving for love, even if the universe itself seemed to hate me, I didn't want his.

My hand instinctively flew to my belly.

A tiny spark of life was just starting to glow there.

Benjamin had no clue.

It wasn't like I was deliberately keeping it a secret; he'd probably forgotten the day I dragged him to the hospital, gushing about a surprise he was supposed to get.

I even started to wonder if Benjamin had ever actually liked me, back when Sophia was out of the picture.

Had I just been a placeholder all along?

And now Sophia was back, flaunting another man's baby like it was some kind of power move.

She could still snatch everything Benjamin had away from me without even breaking a sweat.

The thought hit me, and I let out a bitter laugh, tears finally breaking free.

I twisted the wedding band off my finger and held it out to Benjamin.

"Benjamin, we're done. Let's get a divorce. Stop letting people label Sophia as the 'other woman.' Go take care of her, properly," I said, my voice flat, devoid of any feeling.

His face contorted, his eyes narrowing into daggers, like he wanted to rip me to shreds.

All these years, I'd bent over backward for him, playing the submissive wife.

He probably figured I was so conditioned to groveling that I wouldn't dare to bite back.

A beat of silence stretched, then he exploded.

"Nora, have you lost your damn mind? I don't deal in second chances!"

I gave him a chilling look and flicked the ring at him.

"Benjamin, I will never regret this."

With that, I turned and walked away.

Benjamin, I'm pregnant. You don't deserve to know.

You deserve to raise another man's kid.

I moved out. That house, once our home, now felt as cold and unfeeling as a walk-in freezer.

Inside, all I felt was a bone-deep chill.

I'd poured my heart and soul into this for years, and in the end, I still didn't have a real home.

But hey, if love wasn't on the menu, a fat bank account would have to suffice.

And now, I had the money.

The little one growing inside me, once a dream, was now something I couldn't bear to keep.

I needed to cut every last tie with Benjamin.

I actually wondered if Benjamin would feel even a tiny bit of... pain.

He never came looking for me. He and Sophia had already built their new "perfect" home.

The private investigator I hired sent me a video.

He'd bought Sophia a house. Two hundred grand.

They were everywhere together, the picture of domestic bliss.

Fine. I’d get that money back in the divorce.

We hadn't bothered with a prenup.

What had Benjamin said back then?

Oh yeah.

He’d said, "No prenup. You're my wife. What's mine is yours. We'll love each other forever, 'til we're old and gray."

Too bad it was all just sweet talk.

The day before my abortion, I cried myself dry.

My grandmother had been gone for years.

This baby would have been my only blood relative left in the world, but I couldn't keep it.

I could be tough with a cheating husband, but facing the father of my child? That was a whole other story.

I was terrified I couldn't give this child the kind of wholehearted love it deserved.

Afraid it would grow up in a loveless environment, just like I had.

So, it was better if it never entered this world at all.

I remembered the only thing my grandmother had left me before she passed – a single silver chain bracelet. It had been on Benjamin’s wrist. I had to get it back.

When I got to the company, Sophia was already there.

Benjamin looked like hell, dark circles under his eyes, utterly drained, like he hadn’t slept in days.

Maybe it was my imagination, but for a split second when he saw me, a flicker of surprise crossed his face.

But his wrist was bare. The bracelet was long gone.

"Where's my bracelet? Give it back!"

I stared Benjamin down, my voice like ice.

He instinctively reached for his wrist, then realized it wasn't there.

Just then, Sophia sauntered over, slinging an arm around his, putting on a performance.

"The bracelet... I threw it away! Last night, you were so drunk, clutching that bracelet and crying your eyes out. I asked you what it was. If it wasn't important, I figured I'd just toss it...

"You mumbled something about it not being important."