Chapter 1

The day before the wedding, my fiancé presented me with a sapphire ring.

As I lay vulnerable on the surgical table, touching my swollen belly, I asked him for a divorce.

Not long after, his young secretary called me, tears in her voice. "Please, Ma'am, I beg you not to hold Mr. Connor responsible; the fault is entirely mine."

Connor held her in his arms, soothing her gently for a long time, leaving me with just one sentence: "You're already carrying my child. Can you really bear to leave me?"

"Ma'am, please confirm once more. The baby is already four months along. Are you sure you don't want it?"

"I don't want it, " I said firmly.

On the other end of the line, the woman's soft cries continued incessantly, mingling with the man's gentle reassurances.

I hung up the phone and closed my eyes calmly.

The surgery felt interminable. When I weakly opened my eyes, the tiny embryo had already developed, lying on the cold steel table.

I hastily shut my eyes again, yet the familiar sting in my nose that comes before tears made it impossible to escape the reality.

I had personally ended my child's life for a man who wasn't worth it.

My phone vibrated with a message from Connor.

"Once you've had enough drama, come home. You're too grown-up for such behavior."

"Don't assume that just because it's me, others should revolve around you. Brynn, I advise you to know your place."

Those two indifferent sentences from Connor made it clear to me where I stood.

Karina was young and beautiful, a graduate from a prestigious university with a good family background.

Meanwhile, I was no longer in my youthful prime, and despite giving my all to help Connor build his company, all I got in return were his cold mockeries.

I blocked their numbers.

This way, no one could accuse me of taking myself too seriously. Whatever happened, it was my own business.

I cremated the tiny embryo.

Perhaps it was the crematorium's first time handling such a request; their gazes were filled with a mix of curiosity and judgment, unused to such a personal request.

As the flames roared, reflecting on my face, it was as if they burned me, even though they didn't touch me.

The sensation crawled along my nerves, reaching my heart.

When the urn was brought out, my fragile defenses finally crumbled.

Tears slid down my cheeks, and I realized I had nothing left.

My husband, who once loved me the most, the life I had painstakingly nurtured, the future I had longed for-all had turned to ashes.

On the way home from the hospital, I saw the massive billboard for Fengxing Group.

Standing in the center were two people, a perfect match, seemingly destined for each other.

Around Karina's neck, a dazzling blue light gleamed-a sapphire necklace.

With the keen eye of a jewelry designer, I sensed that it matched the ring I received the day before the wedding.

I carefully took out the ring from my pocket and couldn't help but laugh.

Compared to the elaborate necklace Karina wore, my ring seemed so plain, like a freebie.

I tossed the ring into the trash bin, along with the love that had grown cold over the years.

"Connor, I don't owe you anything anymore."