Chapter 1

Charles Montague was breathing hard, his drunken eyes locked on the woman beneath him.

"Emily..." he mumbled.

That name made the woman beneath him freeze. Grace Windsor tightened her grip on Charles' shoulder, her eyes welling up.

How messed up was this? She was his wife, but he called out another woman's name during sex!

Grace bit her lip, turned her face away, and let Charles have his way, too drained to fight back.

After what felt like forever, Grace slipped out of bed, threw on a nightgown, and glanced back at the sleeping Charles, a sneer on her lips.

Charles had told her he had a work thing tonight and wouldn't be home. She'd been up late reading and had just gotten out of the shower when she found him slumped against the headboard, reeking of booze.

Feeling bad for him, she tried to help him undress, but he grabbed her wrist, pinned her to the bed, and went from rough to surprisingly gentle.

Just as Grace was starting to get lost in this rare tenderness, he dropped the bomb: "Emily."

Grace sneered, feeling like the biggest fool ever.

Emily Johnson had once been her good friend. Grace's mom died when she was a baby, her dad remarried, and her stepmom didn't like her. So, her dad sent her to live with her grandparents in Emerald City. She didn't come back until her grandparents passed away.

Emily was someone Grace met in Emerald City. Emily often hung out with her, and Grace used her own money to buy her designer bags and fancy makeup.

Grace never thought Emily would cheat on her with Charles!

She had thought tonight was going to be special for her and Charles, but nope.

Exhausted from crying, Grace fell asleep on the couch. When she woke up the next morning, the villa was eerily quiet, like Charles had never been there.

Since that night, Charles seemed to have vanished and hadn't come back for a long time.

A month later, the obstetrician handed Grace the ultrasound report, congratulating her. "Mrs. Montague, congrats, you're pregnant! And it's twins."

Grace took the report with trembling hands, murmuring, "I'm pregnant? That's amazing!"

She instinctively touched her still-flat belly, her face lighting up with joy. She thought, 'Charles should be thrilled to hear this, right?'

After thanking the doctor repeatedly, Grace left the hospital.

Unable to contain her excitement, Grace got back to the car. The driver glanced at her and asked respectfully, "Mrs. Montague, are we heading home?"

Grace clutched the ultrasound report and shook her head gently, "No, we're going to Serenity Manor."

The driver was taken aback and stammered, "Mrs. Montague, that place is..."

Grace's face turned cold as she put away the ultrasound report. "It's fine, let's go," she insisted.

She wanted to tell Charles the good news ASAP, no matter what.

Twenty minutes later, the car pulled into the villa area. Looking at the rows of towering villas, Grace's heart sank, and her face turned grim.

Among dozens of villas, only one belonged to Charles, but the mistress of that house wasn't her.

The car came to a stop, snapping her back to reality.

Grace's eyes darkened a bit. She took a deep breath and got out of the car. The servant led her to the back garden.

By the pool, Emily was lounging in a sheer long dress. Under the sheer fabric, her long, straight legs were barely visible.

She asked calmly, as if she were the mistress, "What are you doing here?"

Grace looked coldly at this former friend who was now tangled up with her husband. She demanded, "I'm here to see Charles. I have something to tell him."

Grace didn't want to waste words with Emily; she desperately wanted to see Charles.

Emily twirled a bright red rose between her fingers, smiling slyly, "Charles was really exhausted last night. We had sex multiple times, and now he's sleeping."

Grace's heart sank as she saw Emily's smug face. She wanted to rip that smirk right off.

But she managed to keep it together. She took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. "Which room is he in?"

Emily circled around her, eyes full of mockery. "Sorry, can't tell you. Why don't you just go back home? You can talk to Charles when he gets there."

Those words cut deep. Since that drunken night, Charles hadn't come back for over a month.

Grace had loved Charles since she was a kid. In their two years of marriage, she had tried so hard to be a good wife, even though he didn't love her back. She was willing to take care of him.

She never wanted to give up on Charles. She had loved him for so long. And now, she was pregnant and didn't want her child to grow up in a broken home.

This time, Grace was determined to fight for her child.

Grace steadied herself, not wanting to waste words with Emily, and turned to leave. She planned to search every room until she found Charles.

Emily's face turned cold. She rushed over and grabbed her, shouting, "Grace, don't push your luck! This is my place, and I won't let you cause trouble here!"

Grace was determined to find Charles and angrily whispered, "Emily! I am Mrs. Montague. What right do you have to stop me from seeing Charles?"

Emily sneered, "Grace, if you hadn't schemed to sleep with Charles, making him marry you, I would be Mrs. Montague now!"

Grace's eyes reddened with anger at the mention of the past. "Emily! Charles and I had an engagement since childhood. Besides, two years ago, I was set up and framed. I was a victim too!"

Because of that incident, Charles hated Grace. And Emily, as her friend, not only didn't comfort her but also seduced Charles behind her back.

This had made Grace the laughingstock of the entire Silverlight City.

Her mind snapped back to reality. Dwelling on it now only deepened her sadness. All Grace wanted was to see Charles and share the good news about her pregnancy.

Grace took a deep breath, steadied herself. "Let go!"

Emily suddenly glanced behind Grace, her previous arrogance gone, and said softly, "Grace, don't be angry. It's all my fault. I'll take all the blame, but the child in my belly is innocent!"

Emily even squeezed out a few tears, looking extremely pitiful.

Grace was stunned. "Emily, what are you talking about?"

Pregnant? Child? What was going on?

Before Grace could react, she saw Emily suddenly let go of her hand and fall into the pool.

"Help!" Emily's panicked screams echoed over the villa, and the splashing water hit Grace's face.

Grace stood there, bewildered and at a loss.

Suddenly, a familiar voice hit her ears. "What are you doing!"