Chapter 1: Chapter 1: You’re Not Pregnant, Are You?

["Starting today, I’m starting fresh!"]

While I was at the hospital waiting for my test results, I was scrolling on my phone and saw a post from Clara Langley, my husband’s unforgettable first love. She had posted a picture of her divorce certificate along with a declaration that she was starting fresh.

And just as I was staring blankly at the screen, the doctor’s cheerful voice cut through my daze. "Miss Chelsea Joyce, congratulations, you’re pregnant!"

My head snapped up, my face a mask of disbelief. A wave of joy so intense it nearly drowned me washed over me.

After trying for a whole year, I was finally pregnant with Theodore Grant’s child!

I lowered my gaze and gently stroked my belly, my heart a mix of joy and a hint of melancholy—I never would have imagined that the child I had longed for would arrive at the same time as his first love’s "new life" after her divorce.

"Miss Joyce, congratulations..." Since I was always at the hospital, one of the young nurses had gotten to know me well, and she was genuinely happy for me. "You should tell your husband the good news right away! I’m sure he’ll be thrilled!"

I nodded, my face beaming, and gently caressed my stomach. "Yes, he’s been hoping for this baby for a long time too..."

"From now on, for your prenatal checkups, you have to make your husband come with you. You’re the precious cargo now! No matter how busy he is with work, you’re more important!" the nurse said with a grin, sticking up for me.

For the past year, I had always come alone for fertility checkups, even though there was nothing wrong with my body.

The doctor had previously mentioned that the problem might lie with my husband, Theodore Grant, suspecting he might have low sperm motility and suggesting he come in for a checkup too.

But out of concern for Theodore’s pride, I begged the doctor to prescribe me various ovulation-stimulating drugs instead, though nothing ever came of it.

I just never thought it would take a full year before I finally got pregnant!

Excited and overjoyed, I said goodbye to the doctor and nurse, then walked out with the pregnancy report in hand, wanting to rush to Theodore’s company right then and there to share the news with him!

But just as I reached the car, the phone in my pocket suddenly started vibrating.

It was a call from my mother.

I pursed my lips, took a deep breath, and answered the phone cheerfully. "Hello, Mom..."

"Chelsea, didn’t you say you and Theodore were coming to the hospital today? When will you get here? I can have your brother meet you at the entrance..." Mom’s weak but gentle voice came through the phone.

Ever since Mom was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer, she’s been hoping Theodore and I would have a wedding ceremony.

I was the only thing she couldn’t let go of.

Although Theodore and I were already legally married, we had never held a wedding ceremony because Mr. Grant was gravely ill.

I had told my mom that a marriage certificate is legally binding, which is far more significant than any ceremony.

But in her eyes, the wedding was more important than the certificate.

Because aside from Grant Family occasions, Theodore rarely took me to any events.

She knew her body wouldn’t hold out for much longer, so she wanted to see Theodore and me get married before she passed away.

So she could pass on peacefully, I had shamelessly begged Theodore.

Fortunately, Theodore agreed, and they had been preparing for the wedding these past few days.

"Mom, don’t make my brother run back and forth. We’ll call him when we get there."

"Alright, then. Be careful on the way. If Theodore is really too busy with work, don’t force it. It’s fine if you just come see me by yourself," my mother added, still worried.

"Don’t worry, Mom. Theodore promised he’d come with me to see you at the hospital. He won’t break his promise."

"That’s good, that’s good..."

After hanging up, I turned and pulled open the car door. The driver had been waiting for a while.

"To the office."

But the driver didn’t move. He hesitated. "Young Madam, doesn’t President Grant dislike it when you come to the office?"

I gently stroked my belly and smiled at him. "I have something urgent to tell him."

"But..." The driver was still uneasy. "Why don’t you give President Grant a call first?"

My smile faded slightly, but I understood the driver’s hesitation.

’After all, Theodore is the one who pays his salary, not me.’

Besides, Theodore didn’t like me coming to the office often and disturbing his work.

But just as I was hesitating over whether to call Theodore beforehand or give him a surprise, my phone rang—it was him.

A boundless joy swelled in my heart, and I quickly pressed the answer button. "Honey, I..."

But before I could finish, I heard the deep, calm voice of a man on the other end. "Chelsea, I’m working late tonight, so I’ll be back later. Go ahead and have dinner by yourself; don’t wait for me."

"Then, honey, are you..."

But before I could finish my sentence, I heard a faint cry from a woman’s voice on the other end.

"I’m busy. I’m hanging up."

After Theodore said that, he didn’t even wait for my reply. The line was already filled with the beeping of a disconnected call.

My heart seized. My chest felt like a heavy stone was pressing down on it, stuffy and panicked, making it hard to breathe.

The social media post I’d seen that morning from Clara Langley, announcing her new life, suddenly flashed through my mind.

As if possessed, I opened Clara Langley’s social media feed and saw that she had just posted a new update with a short, two-word caption—

Stopping by...

Beneath it was a photo of a man on the phone, standing in front of a huge floor-to-ceiling window...

Even though it was just a picture of his back, I recognized him in an instant.

That was my husband—Theodore Grant.

He was with Clara Langley right now.

...

The Grant Group headquarters stood in the most bustling business district of Kington.

As we arrived at the company, I noticed an exquisitely beautiful face scrolling across the massive LED screen on the Grant Group building.

It was the now-famous actress, Clara Langley.

She was also my husband Theodore’s childhood sweetheart—his unforgettable ex-girlfriend.

And on top of that, she was the spokesperson for a product line under the Grant Group.

Pushing the door open to get out of the car, a bitter smile touched my lips.

Because Theodore didn’t like me coming to the office and bothering him at work, I had only visited a handful of times in our two years of marriage. Naturally, I didn’t know about any of this, and no one had ever told me.

Perhaps it was because no one would ever think to tell me such things.

"Young Madam, what are you doing here?"

I had just come upstairs when his assistant, Noah Brown, hurried over to greet me, a barely perceptible panic on his face. "President Grant is in a meeting. Shall I take you to the lounge to wait for him?"

"No need. I’ll just wait for him in his office."

But when I pushed open the door to Theodore’s office, the same elegant face that had been scrolling across the LED screen appeared right before my eyes.

’Clara Langley really is here!’

"You are...?" Clara Langley looked at me, her face full of surprise.

She must have come over right after a work engagement. She wore exquisite makeup and a designer gown that perfectly accentuated her figure.

I scanned the room but didn’t see Theodore.

"You must be Chelsea, right?"

Clara Langley seemed to finally recognize me. She let out a hearty laugh and, with the poise of a hostess, graciously informed me of my own husband’s whereabouts. "Are you here to see Theodore? He went to a meeting."

I ignored her and turned to Noah Brown, who was standing by the door. "When will Theodore be back?"

Noah Brown froze for a second, apparently not expecting me to be so calm. "Around ten. In about half an hour."

I nodded and turned, walking directly to Theodore’s desk. "Then I’ll wait for him here."

Clara Langley didn’t seem to expect me to ignore her so completely, but she didn’t seem to mind either. She just crossed her legs, sat back on the sofa, and nonchalantly went back to playing her game.

A short while later, the office door opened, and Theodore, fresh from his meeting, walked in.

He was wearing a custom-tailored, dark gray suit that made him look distinguished and handsome. But when he saw me, his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. "What are you doing here?"

I suppressed the emotions swirling inside me, not wanting to seem at a disadvantage in front of Clara Langley. I smoothly stood up and linked my arm through his affectionately. "I missed you, so I came to see you."

Theodore glanced down at my hand but didn’t say anything.

I subconsciously glanced at Clara Langley and saw her gaze fixed on my hand on Theodore’s arm. An expression flickered across her face, so fast it was impossible to catch.

I pulled my gaze back, took a deep breath, and curved my lips into a smile, preparing to stake my claim and, more importantly, share my good news with Theodore.

"Honey, I..."

But before the word "pregnant" could even leave my lips, Clara Langley suddenly let out a small cry, interrupting me. It was immediately followed by a CRASH as a glass cup shattered on the floor.

"I’m sorry, I lost my grip..." Clara Langley apologized as she bent down to pick up the shards.

Theodore’s expression changed the moment he saw her move. He instinctively pulled his hand from mine. "Don’t move!"

"Hiss..." But just then, Clara, who was crouching to pick up the broken glass, suddenly snatched her hand back, cradling her finger with a frown as a bead of crimson blood welled up on the tip.

"Didn’t I tell you not to move?" Theodore’s brows were tightly knitted. His tone was scolding, but he reached out and took her hand. "You’re so clumsy. Why would you touch the broken glass?"

"Hey, why are you being so harsh?" Clara Langley looked indignant, with a touch of boyish frankness, but her eyes were full of mirth. "I didn’t do it on purpose."

Meanwhile, my hand was still frozen in mid-air, the residual warmth of Theodore’s palm still clinging to my skin.

I stood there, petrified, watching them interact as if no one else was in the room.

In the scene before me, it felt like I was the only one who was out of place.

A ten-year crush, a two-year marriage. All this time, I had thought Theodore’s personality was just naturally cold and indifferent.

I never imagined his face could show such anxiety and concern.

’So this is the difference between being loved and not being loved. It’s so obvious.’

"Honey, should we take Miss Langley to the hospital? If we’re too late, the wound might heal on its own," I finally said, unable to stop myself, the sarcasm in my voice unconcealed.

Theodore seemed to realize his previous actions had been inappropriate. He shot me a frowning glance before finally letting go of Clara Langley’s hand. "You’re a grown woman, yet you’re still so careless..."

Clara Langley chuckled and gave him a look of playful reproach. "You’re too much. You’ve been overreacting every time I get hurt since we were kids. You’re making Chelsea jealous..."

As she spoke, she walked toward me, her face lit up with a brilliant smile that still carried a hint of boyish frankness. "Chelsea, don’t blame Theodore. He’s just used to taking care of me since we were young. You’ve been married to him for so long, you must know what he’s like—he always makes a big deal out of nothing..."

I forced my lips into a stiff smile, but my heart felt like it had a gaping hole in it, with a cold wind whistling through. ’No!’

’The Theodore I’m with isn’t like this.’

Seeing how much he cared for Clara Langley just now was like a thorn viciously stabbing into my heart!

"Alright, I have another engagement to get to, so I’ll be leaving now. I won’t interrupt you two lovebirds any longer." With that, Clara Langley grabbed her bag from the sofa and walked out without a backward glance.

Noah Brown, who had been waiting by the door, quickly escorted her out, closing the office door behind him.

And then there were two of us in the office.

The vast space suddenly felt constricting, suffocating. My chest felt tight, and my stomach was uneasy.

"What’s wrong? Are you really jealous?"

But right at that moment, Theodore suddenly moved closer. I instinctively turned away and caught the scent of makeup and perfume on him.

Instantly, my stomach churned violently. I couldn’t hold it back any longer and ran for the restroom, where I leaned over the sink and began to dry-heave.

"Chelsea..." Theodore watched me, his brows knitted tightly. "You... you’re not pregnant, are you?"