Chapter 1

The Pierce family brought out the old-fashioned discipline they reserved for the worst offenses. The 99 lashes left Daniel Pierce's back a mess of torn flesh and blood. Afterward, they locked him in the family chapel for three straight days.

But there he knelt on the freezing stone floor, blood still seeping through his shirt, refusing to budge from his position. "I vow that Valentina is the only woman I'll ever love!"

Valentina Frost cried when she heard about it, her heart breaking at the thought that someone could love her that much.

Everything changed on his birthday. Valentina rushed home with the pregnancy report she'd just gotten back from the doctor, practically bouncing with excitement as she burst through the front door.

The sight that greeted her in their bedroom was Daniel pinning Camille Lane beneath him on their bed, taking her with a raw desperation she'd never seen before.

"Daniel... not so rough..." Camille whimpered.

"I can't help it," Daniel growled, his voice barely recognizable. His movements became even more aggressive. "God, you feel incredible..."

The pregnancy report slipped from Valentina's numb fingers. She stood frozen in the doorway, watching their bed rock violently. Camille's legs were locked around Daniel's waist, her face flushed and twisted between agony and ecstasy.

The ceramic vase shattered, its crash echoing through the house as Valentina stumbled backward. Both figures on the bed spun toward the sound.

When Daniel's eyes found hers, all the color drained from his face. "Val!"

Valentina bolted. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she heard the chaos erupting behind her. Daniel scrambled to get off the bed, clothes rustled as they were hastily thrown on, and Camille's panicked sobs filled the air.

She made it as far as the front yard before strong arms caught her from behind.

"Val! Let me explain!" Daniel's voice cracked with panic as his chest pressed against her back. "It's not what you think!"

Valentina fought against his grip, her nails digging deep into his arms. "Let me go!"

"They drugged me!" Daniel spun her around, forcing her to meet his bloodshot eyes. "That night I got drunk, and they... they put Camille in my bed..."

His voice dropped to barely a whisper, his eyes wild with desperation. "Afterward, I wanted to strangle her, but she got on her knees and begged me. She threatened to kill herself if I didn't give her just one child."

Tears poured down Valentina's face. "So you felt sorry for her? And started sneaking around with her whenever I wasn't home?"

Daniel squeezed his eyes shut in anguish. "She's Marcus' widow. I couldn't actually drive her to suicide.

"I figured since the damage was already done, whether it happened once or twice didn't matter anymore. I thought if I could get her pregnant quickly, then we could finally..."

Just then, the ground suddenly lurched beneath them. Screams erupted from all around the base housing.

"Earthquake! Everyone, run!"

As the earth shook violently, Daniel instinctively shielded Valentina with his body. But then Camille's terrified voice pierced through the chaos from inside the house.

"Daniel! Help me! I'm bleeding... I think I'm pregnant, my stomach hurts so bad!"

Daniel's entire body went rigid.

At the same moment, a sharp pain shot through Valentina's abdomen. Her face went white as she grabbed Daniel's shirt. "My stomach... Something's wrong..."

But Daniel didn't hear her. He had already let go, rushing back toward the house without a backward glance.

Valentina's face went deathly pale. The next second, she watched in horror as a massive beam crashed down from the collapsing roof, falling straight toward her head. The impact sent excruciating pain through her skull before everything went black.

She didn't know how much time had passed before she drifted back to consciousness, hearing the urgent voices of rescue workers through the haze.

"Captain Pierce, both women are trapped under the debris! The aftershocks are coming any minute. We only have time to save one first. Who should we dig out?"

"Save Camille first!" Daniel's voice cut through Valentina like a blade, without an ounce of hesitation. "She's pregnant!"

…

When Valentina finally woke up, dull waves of pain throbbed through her lower abdomen.

A nurse stood beside her bed. When she saw Valentina's eyes open, she hesitated before speaking gently. "Ms. Frost, you were hemorrhaging badly when they brought you in. We... couldn't save the baby."

For a moment, Valentina's ears rang as if the entire world had gone silent. Her baby was gone?

That little life she had secretly cherished for weeks, the surprise she was going to share with Daniel on his birthday, had slipped away without a sound.

Tears fell silently down her cheeks as she bit her lip hard to keep from sobbing out loud. The nurse sighed softly and quietly closed the door behind her as she left.

The hospital room was eerily quiet except for the steady drip of the IV. After what felt like hours, the door opened and Daniel hurried in. His uniform was wrinkled and disheveled, his eyes bloodshot from days without proper sleep.

"Val..." His voice was hoarse. "How are you feeling?"

Valentina didn't look at him. She kept staring at the ceiling, her voice barely a whisper. "How's Camille? Is her baby okay?"

Daniel paused. "It was a false alarm. She wasn't pregnant. She was just so terrified that she thought she was..."

Valentina suddenly laughed, though tears continued streaming down her face. How absurd. He had abandoned her without hesitation for a child that didn't even exist.

And their real child—their actual baby—was gone forever because of his choice.

"Val..." Daniel reached out to touch her, but stopped when he saw how pale she looked.

"Don't be like this. I thought she was pregnant, that's why I saved her first. But you're safe too, so don't be angry anymore, okay?"

Valentina turned her head toward the window, staring at the bare tree branches outside.

Safe? Her baby was dead. He called that safe?

She was about to speak when the nurse pushed through the door. "Captain Pierce, Ms. Lane has been asking for you. She says she has a terrible headache..."

Daniel's hand froze in mid-air before he slowly pulled it back. "Val, you rest up. I need to check on Camille.

"She's really shaken up and can't be left alone. And don't overthink this, okay? I don't have feelings for her. Everything I did was just to get her pregnant faster..."

Valentina closed her eyes and said nothing. She listened to his footsteps fade away down the hall. Only then did she finally bury her face in the pillow and sob silently.

Her tears soaked through the pillowcase, but they couldn't wash away the pain in her heart.

During the days she stayed in the hospital, Daniel spent all his time in Camille's room. The nurses kept commenting on how devoted he was to her, never leaving her side. None of them knew that his actual wife was in the room next door, having just lost their only child.

On the day she was discharged, Valentina packed her things and went straight to the courthouse. The clerk looked up at her.

"Ma'am, what can I help you with today?"

Valentina slid the paperwork across the counter, her voice eerily calm. "I want to file for divorce."

Chapter 2

"Ma'am, would you like to reconsider this?" The courthouse clerk, Adrienne Fox, adjusted her glasses. "Captain Pierce is one of our finest officers in the district."

"No need." Valentina cut her off, her voice eerily calm. "My mind is made up."

Her fingertips unconsciously traced over their wedding photo that she'd brought with her. In the picture, Daniel looked sharp in his dress uniform, while she glowed in her white wedding gown; both of them beamed with joy.

On the day they got their marriage license, he had held her close and whispered in her ear, "Val, you're the only one I'll ever want."

On their wedding night, he had gently kissed away her tears and promised to cherish her forever. But now…

All those vows had turned into images of him and Camille tangled together on their bed, into the sight of his back as he ran to save Camille without hesitation during the earthquake.

"Alright then. Following standard procedure, the divorce will be finalized in one month." Adrienne sighed and handed her a receipt.

Valentina took the paper and walked out of the courthouse. Instead of going home, she headed straight to the Forest Service office.

"Sir, I want to apply for a position as a ranger in the Montanias wilderness."

The Forest Service director, Benjamin Cross, looked up in surprise. "Ms. Frost, while we certainly need dedicated people for our conservation efforts, being a ranger is tough work. You'd be stationed alone for months at a time..."

He hesitated. "Besides, you and Captain Pierce are so devoted to each other. Would he really let you go?"

"I don't need his permission." Valentina placed the divorce papers on his desk. "We're getting divorced."

Benjamin was stunned speechless. After all, these two were considered the perfect couple on the base. If anyone was going to get a divorce, it would never be them.

But it was ultimately a private matter between the couple, so he didn't feel right prying. Finally, he pulled out an application form.

"Alright, I'll put your name down. When can you start?"

"As soon as the divorce is finalized."

Walking out of the Forest Service office, the sun was already setting. Valentina had barely made it down the front steps when a strong hand grabbed her wrist.

"Val!" Daniel stood before her with beads of sweat on his forehead.

His eyes were bloodshot, and his voice was hoarse. "You're still recovering! How could you wander off on your own? Do you have any idea I've been looking for you all day?"

Valentina looked at his frantic expression and found it almost laughable. He was so worried about her now, yet he had still chosen to abandon her when it mattered most.

When she didn't respond, Daniel assumed she was still angry and softened his tone. "Look, what happened before was my fault. Stop being mad at me, okay? The base housing is still being repaired, so I'll take you to stay in the officers' quarters for now."

Valentina lowered her eyes. She knew that if she told him about the divorce and her plans to become a ranger now, Daniel would never let her leave. So she simply nodded and followed him to the car.

The jeep finally stopped at the officers' quarters. Valentina was exhausted and had just started to head inside to rest when she froze the moment she pushed open the door.

Camille was sitting on the couch in the living room. The moment she saw Valentina enter, she immediately stood up and stumbled toward her, dropping to her knees with a heavy thud.

"Valentina!" Camille sobbed uncontrollably, her hands desperately clutching at the hem of Valentina's clothes.

"I haven't apologized to you for what happened... It's all my fault, every bit of it! Please don't blame Daniel for this!"

Tears streamed down her face as her voice choked with emotion. "After Marcus died, I just couldn't go on living. I'm a widow with no prospects for remarriage, and without a child to care for me, how am I supposed to survive?

"I promise you, as soon as I have a baby, I'll leave immediately and never bother you two again! Valentina, please just let Daniel give me a child..."

Daniel stood to the side, watching Camille's pitiful display, a flash of sympathy crossing his eyes. He quickly stepped forward and helped her to her feet.

"Val has already agreed. Now get up."

Camille looked up in surprise, her tear-filled eyes turning to Valentina. "Really?"

Valentina stared at both of them, suddenly finding the entire scene utterly absurd.

"Yes, I agreed to it," she said softly, a sarcastic smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

Not only would she agree to let him give her a child, but she'd be throwing in Daniel as a bonus!

Chapter 3

Daniel had initially planned to help Camille up first, then work on convincing Valentina. But he never expected that before he could even start persuading her, she would agree so readily.

"Val, you're always so understanding." His voice carried the relief of a burden lifted.

He paused, then continued, "By the way, Camille just got out of the hospital and has no one to take care of her. I was thinking of having her move in here."

"There are plenty of guest rooms," Valentina cut him off. "She can stay in whichever one she wants."

Daniel's expression suddenly became troubled.

He pressed his lips together, his voice dropping. "Val, I was thinking... I'd like her to sleep in the master bedroom with me."

Valentina's head snapped up, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"You have to understand," Daniel said, still avoiding her gaze. "To get her pregnant as quickly as possible, it would be better if she and I shared a bed every night..."

He trailed off, but his meaning couldn't have been clearer.

Valentina's fingernails dug deep into her palms, but the physical pain couldn't match the agony tearing through her chest. He didn't just want Camille to move in; he wanted her to watch them share a bed every single night!

Seeing her pale face, Daniel quickly tried to explain. "I just want to end this situation as fast as possible. Once she's pregnant, we can go back to how things were before."

Valentina fought back the heartbreak. "I understand."

That night, Daniel and Camille moved into the master bedroom while Valentina slept in the guest room next door. When they had been sneaking around before, they had at least shown some restraint. Now that everything was out in the open, the noise was so loud the walls seemed to shake.

"Ah... Daniel... slower..."

"Just bear with it..." Daniel's breathing was heavy and labored. "It'll be over soon..."

The bed creaked rhythmically, mixed with intimate sounds and soft moans. Valentina pulled the covers over her head, but couldn't block out the sounds that seemed to drill straight into her ears.

She suddenly remembered their first time together. Back then, Daniel had been so nervous he was drenched in sweat. His movements were gentle as if she were made of glass, asking over and over if he was hurting her.

Now he was taking another woman with wild abandon.

Tears soaked her pillow as Valentina bit down hard on her lip to keep from sobbing out loud. Valentina barely slept all night, finally drifting off just as dawn was breaking.

Violent knocking jolted her awake. She dragged her exhausted body to the door and saw a woman in a floral coat shouting at the top of her lungs.

"Camille! Open up! I brought a fine gentleman who wants to meet you!"

Behind the busybody neighbor, Lola Peterson, stood a young man carrying bags and packages, his face plastered with an eager smile. Before Valentina could react, the master bedroom door suddenly burst open.

Camille emerged wearing a robe, her face flushed as she opened the front door. "Ms. Peterson, what's all this..."

"Oh, sweetie!" Lola grabbed her hand. "You just lost your husband, and you're so young! What a waste to remain a widow! You should find yourself a new man to marry!

"This is Tommy Wilson. His family has everything—washing machine, TV, car, the works. Great prospects! He just lost his wife too, so you'd be perfect for each other."

Hearing this, Tommy Wilson quickly stepped forward with a flattering smile. "Ms. Lane, shall we get acquainted?"

Camille was about to speak when a dark figure suddenly charged out of the master bedroom. Daniel's fist slammed into Tommy's nose, and blood immediately gushed out!

"She doesn't need to remarry!" Daniel's voice was cold as ice. "Get lost!"

Tommy stumbled backward, clutching his nose, while Lola jumped back in fright. "Oh my goodness, Captain Pierce!

"What are you doing? Let's talk this through! There's no need for violence!"

But Daniel wasn't listening. He grabbed the gifts from the ground and threw both the man and his presents out the door.

"Get out! If you dare come here with marriage proposals again, don't blame me for what happens next!"

The door slammed shut with a bang that made the walls tremble. Valentina stood there, feeling cold all over.

This scene was so familiar.

Last year at the military mixer, when a soldier had asked her to dance, Daniel had charged forward just like this and knocked the man to the ground with a single punch.

Back then, he had pulled her into his arms and said fiercely, "She's my woman. Nobody else can touch her!"

But now, he was showing that same possessiveness for Camille.

Did he really have no feelings for Camille and just want to give her a child? Or somewhere along the way, without her knowing, had he given half his heart to Camille too?

Valentina's fingernails dug deep into her palms, but she couldn't feel the pain. Then she watched as Camille smiled and tugged at Daniel's sleeve, her eyes sparkling.

"Daniel, you've always said you didn't want to get involved with me, haven't you? So why did you get so worked up when someone came to propose?"

She leaned in closer. "Are you... starting to have feelings for me too?"

Chapter 4

Daniel's expression changed drastically as he snapped, "Don't talk nonsense. Val is the only one in my heart."

"Is that so?" Camille laughed softly. "Then why did you keep going last night? Once would have been enough, but you couldn't seem to stop yourself."

Her fingers traced lightly across his chest. "And just now, when someone came to propose, you got so angry your eyes turned red. If that's not jealousy, what is?"

Daniel was about to argue back when he caught sight of Valentina standing in the shadows by the doorway. His face instantly changed.

"Val? When did you... wake up? What did you hear?"

"Just now." Valentina's voice was eerily calm. "Should I have heard something?"

Hearing that she hadn't caught anything, Daniel visibly relaxed. "Nothing, nothing at all. Go get washed up, I'll make you breakfast."

At the breakfast table, Valentina looked down at the two plates Daniel had prepared. One was her usual mild breakfast, the other was spicy food she couldn't eat.

Camille was devouring the spicy meal with obvious enjoyment—a sharp pain shot through Valentina's chest.

She remembered when Daniel used to cook different meals for her every day when he was pursuing her. He'd said her stomach was sensitive and she had to eat on time.

Back then, he'd sworn he'd never cook for anyone else. But now, even this special treatment had been given to someone else.

After the meal, Daniel spoke up. "Val, I noticed you haven't bought any new clothes lately. I have the day off today. How about I take you shopping at the department store?"

His tone was gentle, as if they'd returned to how things used to be.

Camille immediately chimed in. "I was just thinking I needed new clothes too. Why don't we all go together?"

Daniel frowned, but ultimately didn't refuse.

The department store lights were blindingly bright. Daniel patiently stayed by Valentina's side, helping her pick out new clothes piece by piece.

"This one suits you perfectly." He held up a light blue dress, comparing it against her. "We'll take it."

Jane Watson, the sales clerk, wrapped everything efficiently, her face beaming. "Captain Pierce is so good to his wife. I've never seen anyone be so generous, buying so many clothes at once!

Valentina looked down at the beautifully wrapped packages, but felt no joy at all. Just then, Camille walked over carrying an armload of clothes.

She set them on the counter and said sweetly, "Could you ring these up, please?"

Jane quickly calculated the total. "That'll be 85 dollars and 60 cents, ma'am."

Camille opened her wallet, then her face fell. "Could you give me a discount? I don't have enough money."

"This is already our lowest price," Jane said apologetically. "Maybe you could buy one less item?"

"No." Camille shook her head stubbornly. "I picked these out carefully. I need every single piece."

Daniel frowned and walked over. "How much are you short?"

Jane checked the receipt. "68 dollars exactly."

The number made Daniel visibly freeze. That was exactly the total cost of the clothes he'd just bought for Valentina.

The air suddenly felt suffocating. Valentina watched Daniel's rigid back, her fingernails unconsciously digging into her palms.

After a long silence, Daniel finally spoke. "Cancel those clothes from earlier."

He turned to Jane. "Pack these up instead."

Camille's face immediately lit up with a triumphant smile as she shot Valentina a smug glance.

"Val," Daniel said as he walked over, his voice low. "She's all alone now, so I need to take care of her..."

Valentina looked at him quietly, suddenly remembering how Daniel used to despise exactly this kind of spoiled, demanding behavior from Camille. He'd once said that women like her were fake and troublesome, that he couldn't stand that type.

But now, he was willing to give up all the clothes he'd picked out for his own wife just to make Camille happy. If this wasn't love, what was it?

A sharp pain shot through her chest as Valentina smiled, her heart aching with every beat. Daniel had truly betrayed her completely.

As they walked out of the department store, the setting sun stretched their three shadows long across the pavement. Daniel carried Camille's shopping bags in one hand while trying to take Valentina's hand with the other, but she smoothly avoided his touch.

"Val..." he coaxed softly. "When I get paid next month, we'll come back and get you those clothes."

Valentina kept her eyes down, saying nothing. She knew perfectly well that his gentleness now was nothing more than guilt over what had just happened.

"Ah!" Camille's scream suddenly pierced the air.

A motorcyclist roared past, yanking the gold chain right off her neck as he sped away.

"My necklace!" Camille ignored the pain and bolted forward to chase after the thief.

Daniel grabbed her wrist. "Don't chase him! We can buy another one later, it's too dangerous!"

"No!" Camille's tears started flowing. "That was the engagement gift Marcus gave me! The locket has our only photo together!"

With that, she wrenched free from Daniel's grip and ran into the street with tears streaming down her face.

"Camille!" Daniel's shout was drowned out by the screech of brakes as an out-of-control truck came barreling straight toward her.

In a split second, Daniel lunged forward and shoved her out of the way. The heavy impact was so loud it made everyone's ears ring.

Valentina watched in horror as Daniel's body flew through the air like a ragdoll, landing hard on the asphalt several yards away. Blood immediately began pooling on the pavement beneath him.

Chapter 5

Amid the shrill wail of ambulance sirens, Daniel was rushed to the hospital. As his next of kin, Valentina mechanically signed one surgical consent form after another.

After finishing the paperwork, a nurse grabbed her hand. "Mrs. Pierce, Captain Pierce keeps calling your name. He might have something important to say. Before the surgery starts, could you come into the operating room with me?"

Valentina followed in a daze, letting herself be led into the OR. Inside, Daniel lay on the operating table, covered in blood. When he saw her, he weakly opened his eyes and gripped her hand tightly.

"Val..." he called out in a hoarse voice. "Go check on Camille... She must be terrified... Please take care of her for me..."

It was like having ice water thrown over her. Valentina stood beside the operating table, chilled to the bone.

She remembered the last time Daniel had returned from a dangerous mission, barely clinging to life, calling her name just like this. Back then he'd said, "If I don't make it through this, you should remarry... but don't forget me."

Now his heart and mind were completely filled with another woman. She walked out of the operating room in a trance, only to see Camille sitting on a bench, sobbing uncontrollably.

"It's all my fault! If my necklace hadn't been stolen, Daniel wouldn't have gotten hurt! He's always so foolish, always getting injured because of me!"

The other families nearby, not knowing the full story, tried to comfort her. "Don't be too upset. Your husband will be fine..."

Soon after, a nurse rushed out urgently. "Captain Pierce is hemorrhaging badly! He needs Type A blood! Is anyone here able to donate?"

Camille immediately wiped her tears and stood up. "I can! I'm Type A!"

She followed the nurse to donate blood without hesitation. Valentina stood there and suddenly laughed. As she laughed, tears began streaming down her face.

Daniel was severely injured, but he was still worried about Camille. Camille was crying her heart out, but she didn't hesitate to donate blood for Daniel.

They truly were a pair of star-crossed lovers. And they made her, the legitimate wife, seem utterly insignificant.

She stood in a daze outside the operating room until a nurse came out. "Mrs. Pierce, the surgery was successful, but your sister-in-law fainted from donating too much blood! I told her we couldn't take that much, but she insisted..."

The nurse couldn't help but marvel. "I've never seen a sister-in-law and brother-in-law who care about each other this much."

Valentina smiled bitterly. Yes, they cared about each other so much that they'd ended up in the same bed.

She took a deep breath, unable to stay any longer. Just as she was about to leave, the nurse stopped her.

"Mrs. Pierce, you can't go! Both patients are unconscious right now, so someone needs to look after them!"

Left with no choice, she had to stay. She was running back and forth between the two rooms, caring for Daniel one moment and Camille the next.

That evening, when she returned to Daniel's room to moisten his lips with a cotton swab, the man on the bed suddenly opened his eyes.

Seeing her, he seemed momentarily stunned, but he immediately grabbed her hand the next second. His expression seemed urgent as he asked, "Where's Camille?"

Hearing that name felt like a knife twisting in her heart, but Valentina kept her voice calm. "She fainted after donating blood for you. She's in the room next door."

Daniel's face went white. He immediately yanked out the IV needle from his hand, blood spurting out.

"Didn't I tell you to take care of her?" His voice was hoarse but filled with fury. "How could you let her donate blood?"

With that, he shoved Valentina aside and tried to get out of bed. The push sent her stumbling backward, and her forehead struck the corner of the table hard.

Sharp pain shot through her head as something warm trickled down from her temple. Fighting through the pain, she followed him and saw Daniel burst into Camille's room.

"Camille! Who told you to donate blood?" There was anger in his voice.

"Because this is all my fault. I'm the one who got you hurt like this. I should never have gone after that necklace." Tears poured down her face as she collapsed into Daniel's arms.

"Daniel, you don't know how scared I was. If you had died, I couldn't have gone on living..."

Daniel's body went rigid for a moment, but then he slowly lifted his arms and pulled her close.

"Hey, it's okay." His voice was incredibly gentle. "I'm right here, see? Come on, don't cry anymore."

Valentina stood in the doorway, something crashing apart inside her chest, the pieces slicing through her until everything hurt. She stared at the two of them holding each other in that hospital room and finally accepted what she'd been trying to deny.

Somewhere along the way, without her realizing it, he'd split his heart in two and given half of it away. She couldn't watch anymore. She turned around quietly and headed back to the base housing to pack.

One by one, she tossed every gift Daniel had ever given her into the trash. The scarf he'd knitted himself, the hair clip he'd saved up three months' pay to buy, all the little souvenirs he'd brought back from his deployments…

These things used to hold her happiest memories. Now they felt like weapons—every single one of them cutting her deeper.

Chapter 6

Five days passed before Daniel finally came home with Camille. The moment he walked through the door with bags of health supplements, he spotted the scar on Valentina's temple.

"Val, what happened to your forehead?" he asked urgently.

"You pushed me," Valentina said calmly. "When you went to see Camille."

Daniel froze, then apologized guiltily. "I'm sorry, I was just so panicked that day.

"Camille is my brother's widow. If something had happened to her, I could never face him in the afterlife…"

He handed her the supplements. "Here, I bought these specifically for you. Please don't be angry with me anymore."

When she didn't take them, he softened his voice. "If you don't like these, I'll make it up to you another way. Your birthday's coming up, and there's a new restaurant downtown. How about I take you there?"

"No need."

"Val, don't be like this." Daniel's tone was pleading. "You can hit me or yell at me, just please don't give me the silent treatment..."

Valentina didn't want to argue anymore. She turned silently and went back to her room. Daniel thought she was starting to forgive him, so a few days later, he dragged her to the restaurant.

But just as they sat down, Daniel seemed to spot someone and suddenly stood up. "Val, my aide is looking for me. It might be urgent. Wait here for a moment."

Valentina watched his hurried retreat and lowered her eyes with bitter self-mockery. Maybe even he didn't realize that every time he lied, his right hand would unconsciously fidget with his cufflink.

The restaurant's lighting was dim and golden. Valentina got up and followed him. At the end of the hallway, she found Daniel pinning Camille against the wall around the corner.

"You know perfectly well today is Val's birthday." His voice was low, but he couldn't hide the urgency. "Did you have to come seduce me today of all days?"

Camille looked up at him, tears glistening in her eyes. "The doctor said... these next few days are when I'm most fertile..."

Her delicate fingers clutched at the hem of his shirt. "If you don't want to... then forget it..."

She made as if to push him away, but Daniel grabbed her wrist and pressed her back against the wall, kissing her deeply.

"No, I'll take you right here."

Valentina's feet felt rooted to the spot, frozen in place. She desperately wanted to turn and flee from this cruel scene, but her body refused to cooperate.

Daniel's ragged breathing, Camille's flushed skin, and their entangled bodies… She bit down hard on her lower lip until she tasted blood, finally snapping back to reality.

At last, she summoned every ounce of strength to turn around and stumbled away from this place that was breaking her heart. Every step felt like walking on knife blades, but she knew if she didn't leave now, the pain would kill her right there.

Back at their table, her fingernails dug deep into her palms, but she felt no pain. All she could feel was her heart being torn apart, raw and bleeding.

The server had come by asking a dozen times, "Ma'am, would you like to order now?"

Valentina shook her head mechanically until Daniel finally returned.

"Sorry about that," he said as he sat down, a trace of lipstick still visible on his collar. "The situation was a bit complicated. Hope you weren't waiting too long, Val."

He signaled the server to bring their food, but just as the first course arrived, Camille "happened" to appear.

"What a coincidence! Daniel, Valentina, you're eating here too." She feigned surprise.

"My friend stood me up. Mind if I join you?"

Without waiting for an answer, she slid naturally into the seat beside Daniel. He shot her a warning look but ultimately said nothing.

At the table, Camille struggled clumsily with her steak, her knife and fork scraping against the plate with an awful sound.

"You can't even do this?" Daniel frowned and pulled her plate over, expertly cutting the meat for her. "There, eat."

Valentina watched the scene unfold, the food in her mouth tasting like cardboard. Near the end of their meal, the restaurant lights suddenly dimmed, and a server approached carrying a candlestick.

"Congratulations, you two!" The server beamed at Daniel and Camille. "You're our 100th married couple since we opened. This is a complimentary gift."

A silver bracelet set with rubies glittered in the candlelight.

Camille gasped and covered her mouth in delight. "It's gorgeous! Thank you, I love it!"

She eagerly fastened it around her wrist, the rubies making her skin look porcelain white. Daniel opened his mouth, his eyes flickering toward Valentina's pale face, but he said nothing.

Only after the server had walked away did he speak quietly. "It's just a misunderstanding. Don't take it to heart."

Valentina gently stirred her soup that had long gone cold, a bitter smile tugging at her lips. She didn't care anymore.

After all, the man who had once said he would only love her for his entire life now had his heart divided between two women. And she was done fighting for her half.