Chapter 1

"I'm sorry, Ms. Reed. You've missed the best timeframe for your surgery…" A doctor tailed off.

Evelyn Reed held her medical report that had diagnosed her with cervical cancer. After a long time, she decided to call Lucas Grant's assistant, Michael Pine.

The phone rang for quite some time before Michael answered. His tone was as indifferent as ever as he said, "Mrs. Grant, do you need something?"

Curling her stiff fingers, Evelyn asked, "Where's Lucas? I need to talk to him."

He replied, "Mr. Grant is busy right now."

"Could you ask him to answer the phone?"

Before Michael could reply, Evelyn heard a gentle voice coming from the other end. "Lucas, what surprise do you have in store for me? Why are you acting so mysteriously?"

"Look up."

She heard that familiar deep voice speak in such a gentle manner, knowing that she would never be the recipient of that gentleness.

Then, Michael ended the call without hesitation.

At the same time, a loud explosion echoed from across the harbor. Looking up as well, Evelyn paled.

Fireworks burst into the night sky, their dazzling colors intertwining against the night sky, looking just as beautiful as people had described them to be.

The hospital's entrance was crowded with people.

"I heard that the president of Bluezen, Mr. Grant, had prepared this firework show for his girlfriend. It seems like it cost him about 20 million dollars!"

"His girlfriend is Tiffany Moore. She has a doctorate from Valtech, and many top-notch corporations out there all want to work with her. She's stunning, well-accomplished, and from an influential family. Not to mention, her boyfriend is both handsome and capable."

"No wonder Mr. Grant loves her so much. He must be so proud to have such an outstanding girlfriend!"

Evelyn stared at the beautiful display of fireworks for a long time before she slowly let go of her medical report. The thin piece of paper flew to the ground, and she turned around to leave.

At way past midnight, Lucas came home and found Evelyn sitting in the living room with the lights off.

Frowning, he turned on the lights and asked, "Why aren't you asleep yet?"

She looked up at him. His coat was draped over his arm, and his dark eyes were fixed on her with the same detached indifference gaze he always gave her.

Back then, she had believed that he was simply a cold and distant person by nature. But now, she finally understood that he was only cold and distant toward her. His warm and passionate side was kept for someone else.

"I couldn't sleep." Her voice was extremely gentle as she continued, "I went to the hospital today."

Looking unconcerned, he threw his jacket on the sofa and asked, "What did the doctor say?"

Evelyn had told him that her stomach had been feeling quite uncomfortable, and he had promised to accompany her to the doctor's for a check-up, but he had kept postponing it.

If it wasn't a billion-dollar contract he had to deal with, it would be some critical issues with his company's current projects.

Lucas had indeed promised to accompany her to the doctor's yesterday. However, Tiffany had planned to celebrate her birthday in secret without telling him about it.

He had rushed to where she was and only had the time to arrange a firework show.

His promise toward Evelyn had indeed slipped his mind.

"It's nothing. It'll get better after some time." She lowered her gaze and asked, "Why did you come home tonight?"

Lucas froze momentarily before inching closer toward her. He pulled her into his embrace, his hot breath spraying against her neck as he said hoarsely, "You're ovulating now.

"For the sake of giving the Grant family an heir, you asked me to sleep with you every month during these days. What's wrong? Have you forgotten about it?"

The strong scent of a woman's perfume on him was overwhelming. The scent was like a bullet, shooting straight into Evelyn's pride.

Lucas was right. He had always been cold toward her throughout the three years they had been married.

He would only come home reluctantly to sleep with her whenever his grandmother insisted that he had the responsibility to continue the family line.

At that moment, Evelyn felt slightly dazed. Was she supposed to have a child? That seemed impossible now.

Evelyn's personality had always been on the softer side. She was also used to acting obedient and compromising to his wishes. However, she suddenly did not want to compromise herself anymore.

"Lucas, aren't you afraid that your girlfriend will get jealous if you sleep with me now?" Her eyes sparkled in the darkness, and she looked like a small beast finally baring its fangs.

He looked at her. Realizing that she was being serious, his eyes immediately turned cold. After a long pause, he chuckled but the smile on his lips did not match the look in his eyes.

"Why should I be afraid? We're in a secret marriage. You're the one who will never stand by my side as my rightful partner. Since you've decided to be my side piece, you should not ask for too much."

Chapter 2

Evelyn paled when she felt a sharp pain in her heart.

The air conditioning in the house kept the atmosphere within the room constant all year round, but at that moment, she felt like she was in an ice cave.

Seeing that she was quiet, Lucas looked away after a few seconds. "Tiffany's mom is suffering from the last stage of cancer. Her only wish is to see her daughter have someone to rely on.

"You better not make a fuss and just do your part as my wife. I won't do anything to you if you execute the role well."

He spoke of his infidelity as if he was doing some sort of righteous act.

What did he mean by saying he would not do anything to Evelyn?

Evelyn was momentarily dazed before she smiled. Ignoring the sharp pain in her heart, she replied, "You shouldn't be here if she needs someone to accompany her."

With that, she turned and closed the door without hesitation.

A few minutes later, she could hear the car starting downstairs before Lucas drove away. It was with little doubt that he was on his way to Tiffany's house.

Exhausted, she forced herself to the bathroom to wash her face. As the cold water splashed on her face, she came to her senses.

She then opened her laptop and contacted a lawyer she had met three years ago, asking them to draft up a divorce agreement.

The lawyer asked, "Ms. Reed, do you have any extra requests on things like the house or the car? How would you like to separate your assets?"

Evelyn gave it some thought before responding calmly, "I don't want anything."

She didn't even want Lucas anymore, so why would she want his things?

Not to mention, she had read online that the divorce process would be much faster if she agreed to divorce him without wanting anything.

That way, she would not need to force her increasingly fragile body to negotiate with him repeatedly.

The lawyer quickly sent her a completed draft of the divorce agreement.

Evelyn printed the papers and signed her name without any hesitation. Her hand had even turned white from how hard she held her pen.

Then, she forced her tired body to pack her things.

When she arrived at the door, she looked back at the house she had spent three years in. Then, she left without turning back.

The next day, Evelyn took a day off from her work and sent someone to deliver the divorce papers to Bluezen.

She knew Lucas would never look through the things people had sent him, so she wrote down Michael's name as the recipient.

She had been working in the Grant Group ever since she married Lucas.

Lucas was unwilling to publicize their relationship as husband and wife, and he had also forbidden her from being close to him in the office.

So, he had arranged for her to work at the company's public relations department, where she managed the company's public image.

Throughout these three years, she managed to get promoted as a manager through her own capabilities. She had never taken a day off throughout those three years either.

She had performed well in work, not because she enjoyed it, but simply because she always strove for perfection in everything she did. It had nothing to do with her passion or profession.

Since she had planned on divorcing Lucas, she no longer needed to stay in Bluezen anymore.

Once she had sent the delivery man on his way, she looked at the clock. It was almost 10:00 am.

She clenched her fingers tightly as there was something more important that she had to do.

…

Outside Northwood Prison in Clementon, Evelyn gripped the steering wheel tightly to the point where her hands were slightly sweaty.

She could not help but feel anxious as Blake Harrison was being released today, and it had been three years since she last saw him.

She had booked a private room in a restaurant a month in advance to welcome him back.

Her father had adopted Blake when he was still a child, and they had grown up together.

The Harrisons were cruel and vicious, and Blake was the only one in the family who treated her well. He had protected her with his life for more than ten years, and he had never said anything harsh toward her either.

He had once told her that anyone could betray her except him.

She looked at herself through the mirror. Her face was sickly pale, so she had purposely put on a layer of blush to make herself look alright.

To avoid worrying him, she had even taken some painkillers before wearing a pair of sunglasses and a hat.

The gates of the prison slowly opened.

Evelyn opened the car door before getting out of the car. She had moved subconsciously as if her limbs did not belong to her.

Blake came walking out in a black shirt and an old backpack. His hair was cut short and neat, and his gaze swept over his surroundings with calm detachment.

Evelyn felt her heart skip a beat as his gaze landed on her. Her throat felt dry and she could feel her eyes welling up. She instinctively walked toward him and called out, "Blake…"

Chapter 3

"Blake!" A woman's thrilled voice disrupted Evelyn's thoughts, running past her and jumping into Blake's embrace. Blake instinctively grabbed onto her and hugged her to hug him.

The woman, Jessica Clark, exclaimed, "Do you know how long I've waited for you to be released? If you did not come out any sooner, my dad would have forced me to marry someone else!"

Blake looked down at her face before kissing her passionately. Then, he smirked and said, "Is he in such a rush? Tell your driver to step out of the car later. I'll give your dad a huge gift…"

Jessica pouted playfully, refusing to come down from his body. "You're so bad. My dad wants to meet you, and he's asked me to bring you home with me. He's even claimed that he's prepared a party to welcome you back…"

Frozen in place, Evelyn looked at the scene before her at a complete loss. Then, she was filled with a sense of awkwardness and helplessness.

Blake, the man who always treated her with gentleness and care and would constantly prioritize her, seemed so far away. It was as if that version of him was just a distant dream from ten years ago.

She could feel a dull pain beginning to spread throughout her stomach. It felt like multiple knives piercing straight into her body.

Distantly, she could remember him saying, "Evie, I don't want to be a part of the Harrisons. I don't want to be your brother. Marry me when you grow up, okay?"

His gentle voice echoed in the depths of her mind, leaving Evelyn momentarily dazed.

"Watch out!" A nervous voice sounded out, causing her to see a motorcycle riding toward Blake and Jessica.

Without an ounce of hesitation, he carried Jessica up and took a step back, protecting her in his embrace.

Evelyn could only dodge hurriedly as she stumbled to the side. She covered her face and twisted her ankle in the process.

"You…" Blake looked at her with a deep gaze, his eyes filled with scrutiny and anxiousness.

"I'm fine…" Evelyn then turned around and ran away before her tears could fall.

Jessica curiously asked, "Who was that?"

Coming to his senses, Blake pinched Jessica's chin and kissed her. "She just looks like someone I know."

Someone he knew….

How could someone he had spent more than ten years of his life with and the person he once claimed he wanted to marry just be someone he knew?

Evelyn went back to her car and clutched her aching stomach as she heaved heavily over the steering wheel. Beads of cold sweat began forming on her forehead.

She didn't know what hurt more, the pain from her stomach or her heart ache.

The sudden ringing of her phone snapped Evelyn back to her senses. Looking at her phone, she realized it was a call from Michael.

…

Back in Bluezen, Michael was frowning as he looked at the document Evelyn had sent him. They were working in the same company, so what was she trying to pull here?

Was she trying to use such tricks to attract Lucas' attention since she wasn't allowed near his office?

That was so immature of her.

Displeased, Michael went to the PR department, only to be informed that Evelyn had taken the day off.

With how busy the day was, Michael's frown deepened as he called Evelyn. "Ms. Reed, I don't care what you're trying to pull now, but you need to return to the company immediately."

Evelyn lowered her gaze. He must be calling her because of Lucas. Did that mean that he had already seen the divorce agreement and wanted to discuss their divorce?

That was the only possibility that she could think of.

Without any hesitation, she drove to Bluezen.

Seeing Evelyn rush to the company in a hurry, Michael immediately confirmed that Evelyn had not changed and was just trying to gain Lucas' attention. The mockery in his eyes was as clear as day.

Evelyn looked worse for wear as she asked, "Where is he?"

She still had to go to the hospital to take her medication, and she was still considering whether she should receive conservative treatment.

If she started receiving treatment for her illness, it would be hard for her to keep things a secret from her uncle and her grandmother.

"We're in the company now. Do you really think Mr. Grant would purposely come down to meet with you, Ms. Reed?" Michael questioned in a formal tone. "He has a task for you."

"Is it about the div—"

"There's some negative rumors circulating only after Mr. Grant celebrated Ms. Moore's birthday last night. The netizens believe Ms. Moore had stolen someone else's man to climb her way up the ranks.

"Ms. Moore is not an ordinary person; she is set to become the ambassador for one of Bluezen's most important projects in the upcoming future. The project cannot be subjected to public controversy, and Ms. Moore's reputation must remain untarnished.

"Mr. Grant had specifically designated this task to you. He wants you to clear Ms. Moore's name and stop the rumors from circulating!"

Chapter 4

Evelyn froze. Then, with pale, pursed lips, she clarified, "Is that what Lucas wants?"

"Yes."

In truth, Michael did not like Evelyn. Although she was focused and diligent at handling her work, she had used a despicable method to sleep with Lucas, forcing him to marry her in the process as well.

Women like her were absolutely disgusting.

"Mr. Grant has instructed that you're not allowed to go anywhere until the public opinion dies down. If you fail to do so, just remember that Bluezen does not keep useless employees!"

Evelyn understood that Lucas did not love her, but she never thought he would pull off such a trick right before their divorce.

How could he ask his wife to take care of the public opinions about his lover when the rumors were actually true?

Anger immediately coursed through her, and the pain in her stomach intensified. Using the table to steady herself and hide her discomfort, she mockingly looked at the name tag on her table.

She took her nametag and wrapped the lanyard around it. "I know Bluezen does not keep useless employees, but I can't handle this task. I'll resign," she mentioned impassively as she placed the nametag on the side.

When she was preparing the divorce agreement last night, she also handed in her resignation letter.

The resignation process was quite complicated, so there was a high chance that her letter had not reached Lucas' hand. However, she refused to work on Tiffany's case no matter what.

"Don't come to me for anything related to Tiffany. Mr. Grant can arrange for someone else to take over that task. I'm sure there's plenty of people available considering how big Bluezen is."

Michael was filled with shock. Was Evelyn resigning? Was she really willing to give up on a job that positioned her nearer to Lucas?

Perhaps it was another one of her tricks to attract Lucas' attraction. Maybe she was backing off strategically to play the long game.

He mulled over the possibilities as he returned to the top floor.

Lucas' schedule was extremely packed, and he was currently preparing for his meetup with the president of Woodlands Technology, Landon Davis.

"Mr. Grant, this is the contract we've drafted for Woodlands Technology. You can take a look at it."

Lucas skimmed through the document and asked, "How's the PR department handling Tiffany's case?"

Michael froze momentarily before he stuttered, "Ms. Reed…"

"Just spill it."

"Ms. Reed has said that she won't handle the case. She's also mentioned that she has handed in her resignation letter and hopes that we won't bother her with anything related to Ms. Moore anymore."

Lucas was flipping through the document when he suddenly paused and looked up. His gaze was ice cold as she asked, "Did she come to the company to hand in her resignation letter today?"

"Ms. Reed was on leave today, but I called her to come to the office today. The HR department told me that she had already submitted her resignation letter yesterday."

"She took a leave?" Lucas did not care about the fact that Evelyn had resigned, and his focus was on the fact that she had taken a leave of absence.

Michael could not figure out what was running through Lucas' mind, so he replied hesitantly, "She must have something extremely important to do. After all, Ms. Reed has never taken a day off throughout her three years of working here."

That was something Lucas knew.

Although Evelyn always seemed cold and distant with everyone, she would always treat her job and the people around her with respect and dedication. She was smart and capable.

She would not have been able to climb the ranks to the head of the PR department in two years otherwise.

What could possibly cause her to take a day off and resign? It was so unlike her.

Lucas lowered his gaze, seemingly lost in thought. Suddenly, his expression turned frigid before he stood up abruptly.

"Tell her that we can approve it, but she must handle Tiffany's case first. If Tiffany's name isn't cleared and rumors get into the wrong circle, she'll have to deal with the consequences."

Michael was extremely confused. Lucas had always wanted Evelyn out of Bluezen, so why was he unwilling to approve Evelyn's resignation now?

"Oh, Ms. Reed has also sent me a copy of…"

Lucas was answering a call when he heard Lucas' words. He did not even turn his head as he waved his hand, replying, "Just deal with it like you always do."

That usually meant that he was to ignore everything Evelyn had sent Lucas.

Evelyn used to deliver clothes, cufflinks, and handmade gifts to the office for Lucas. Since one of Bluezen's prioritized projects was on drones, she had even made a model of a drone for Lucas.

Lucas did not even spare those things a glance as he placed them in a cabinet, allowing them to collect dust. The things inside there would only be used during emergencies.

Hence, Michael threw the unopened document into the cabinet as he had always done. With that, it seemed that all of Evelyn's effort had gone down the drain.

Chapter 5

After Evelyn had completed her work at hand, she received a call from Michael, who repeated Lucas' words to her.

She immediately understood what Lucas wanted.

Since he had indeed been involved with Tiffany during the marriage, he had indeed cheated on her, making Tiffany the mistress.

Making Evelyn handle the situation was just a precautionary step on his end.

If someone were to dig up their scandal in the future, he would be able to clear their name with the fact that his "wife" had been the one to handle all public opinion back then and had helped in clearing Tiffany's name.

That way, Tiffany would be spared from all accusations and no one would accuse her of being a homewrecker.

Lucas was indeed very considerate of Tiffany.

The consequences he had mentioned? It was merely his way of telling her that no company would accept her if she refused to follow his instructions. He was warning her that he'd destroy her chances of survival.

Throughout their three years of marriage, she had done everything she could to be a good wife to him.

From the day they were married, she had decisively cut off all of the ties from her past, yet he had never even shown her an ounce of sincerity.

She was drained.

With a mocking smile, Evelyn answered indifferently, "I'm on sick leave today. If you insist on forcing me to settle the whole ordeal while being sick, then you're violating the law. We can settle this in court."

She had already resigned and divorced Lucas, so she didn't need to care whether he was happy or not.

After getting off work, Evelyn was in her car when she received a message from her father, Derek Harrison. "Your brother has been released from prison. We're holding a party for him at home. Would you be attending?"

Although he had phrased his words into a question, she knew that Derek did not wish to see his disgraceful daughter come home and cause a scene.

Back then, Derek had found out about her relationship with Blake. He had been humiliated by their relationship, and he believed that she was immoral and shameless.

If it weren't for the fact that she still had some worth and could be married off into influential families like the Grants, he would have severed all ties with her a long time ago.

However, the party was for Blake, the most important person to her.

After debating in her mind, she touched up her makeup, making herself look healthier and livelier before driving to the Harrison residence.

If it weren't for Blake, she would not stay in touch with the Harrisons.

A housekeeper stiffened the moment she saw Evelyn. Frowning, she asked, "Ms. Reed, what brings you here?"

Evelyn ignored them as the Harrisons residence wasn't her home. It had been so for a few years, and even the housekeepers there were not welcoming, choosing to look down on her.

"Evelyn?" Lily Harrison came down the stairs and scowled when she saw Evelyn.

She continued with a cold expression, "How can you be so shameless? Blake has just returned home, yet here you are clinging to him? Do you have to ruin everyone's mood to feel satisfied?"

Lily was Derek's illegitimate daughter and the result of her father's affair.

She had the same birthday down to the year as Evelyn and began carrying herself with an air of arrogance, acting as if she wasn't an illegitimate daughter as she mocked Evelyn.

"If you're so dignified, you should move out of my mom's house. That would really show me how honorable you are," Evelyn retorted impassively.

Her mother, Naomi Reed, had bought that house after selling her paintings at a high price.

However, Derek was now living comfortably with Selina and Lily in that house.

Evelyn just could not understand how Lily dared to act high and mighty when she was only enjoying what Naomi left behind.

"Evelyn!" Lily's expression fell momentarily before she seemed to have remembered something. Then, she smirked. "I'd like to see if you're still able to keep that smile of yours in a minute."

"Who is she?" A curious female voice interrupted their argument.

The noise had traveled to the living room, and two figures emerged while they held each other intimately.

Jessica instinctively tugged Blake's shirt when she saw Evelyn's face. "She's so beautiful."

Blake glanced at Evelyn momentarily before turning back to look at Jessica. Then, wrapping his arms around Jessica's waist, he explained, "She's my sister, just like Selina. Don't tell me that you're jealous of my sister."

Jessica blushed before she playfully punched Blake in the chest. Then, she turned to Evelyn, asking, "I didn't know Blake had two sisters. What's your name?"

Evelyn was at a loss for what to do as she looked at the scene before her. She had never expected Blake to bring his girlfriend back home.

It was obvious that Blake was treating the relationship seriously since he had brought her back to meet his family.

Blake, the man who had once wanted to marry her and give up on everything for her, no longer existed. He would now just treat her the same as Selina.

Her throat felt dry as she answered, "I'm Evelyn Reed."

Jessica was surprised before her expression became thoughtful.

Then, she asked the one question that made Evelyn and everyone from the Harrison family uncomfortable. "Why isn't Harrison your last name?"

Seeing Evelyn's refusal to answer, Jessica smiled confidently and elaborated, "My name's Jessica Clark, and I'm Blake's—"

"She's my girlfriend," Blake interjected nonchalantly as he looked at Evelyn properly. "I've finally met someone that I want to consider marriage with. You should treat her with respect."