The second year after her wedding, Sophia Yeats accidentally tore her marriage certificate while organizing the drawer.

She rushed to the civil affairs office to get it replaced, but the staff at the counter looked puzzled and said, “Ma’am, there’s no record of your marriage registration in our system.”

“How is that possible? I’ve been married for two years!”

Sophia responded, handing over the torn certificate.

The staff patiently checked three times, then turned the monitor around to show her. “There really isn’t any record of your registration. Besides, the seal on your certificate is crooked... it’s probably a fake.”

Feeling utterly dazed, Sophia walked out of the civil affairs office.

Just then, her phone rang.

“Hello, Miss Yeats. I’m your father’s lawyer. Could you come by Juncheng Law Firm to sign the property inheritance documents?”

Sophia scoffed inwardly. Must be a scam.

She was about to hang up when the caller added, “Miss Yeats, your mother is Evelyn Yeats. She abandoned you at First City Welfare Center twenty years ago. After verification, you’re the only biological child of Abe Harrington, the richest man in Qianhai.”

Sophia froze in place, then immediately decided to meet the lawyer.

What she heard from him was the most outrageous thing she’d ever encountered in her life.Her biological father, Abe Harrington, was a financial tycoon who passed away last month, leaving behind stocks, real estate, and companies worth billions.

And she was his sole biological heir.

Just as Sophia Yeats’s head started buzzing with the overwhelming revelation, the lawyer suddenly asked, "Could you tell me about your marital status?"

Her husband’s face flashed in Sophia’s mind.

Thinking of the shredded fake marriage certificate in her bag, she gripped the pen tightly and said, "Give me two hours. I need to clarify something first."

Leaving the law firm, Sophia headed straight for Ethan Whitaker’s company.

The door to Ethan’s office wasn’t fully closed, and as Sophia reached out to push it open, she heard a sultry and familiar female voice:

"Ethan, we’ve been married for five years now. When are we going to make it public?"

Sophia froze, completely stunned.

That voice—it couldn’t be more familiar. It was Grace Zephyr, their university advisor.

Grace was six years older than Ethan, but aside from her age, she was practically perfect—stunning looks, flawless figure—the kind of woman who’d stop anyone in their tracks.

Back in college, Grace was immensely popular; everyone liked her, be it guys or girls. She was even dubbed the best student counselor the school had ever seen.

Sophia held her breath, gripping the doorframe as her chest tightened.

The next second, she heard Ethan's voice—it was that same soothing, magnetic tone that she’d once found comforting. "The company is about to go public, and there's still a lot that she needs to handle. Besides, Grandfather left a will forbidding you from stepping into the house. If we make our relationship public now, I'm worried Grandmother might give you a hard time. I would feel terrible seeing you suffer..."

Sophia felt a deafening buzz in her ears. She instinctively covered her mouth with her hand to keep herself from choking on the sob that almost escaped.

That torn-up fake certificate—she had carefully pieced it back together again and again, treating it like a treasure, safely tucking it into her bag.

Turns out she was the pitiful fool who had been kept in the dark from the very start.

Sophia rushed out of the company and immediately dialed a number.

Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself, her voice calm and resolute, as if she had transformed into someone else: "Mr. Lawson, I'm ready to sign the inheritance papers now."

"Also, I am single and childless, and I will inherit everything alone."

After finishing the paperwork, Sophia got into her car and headed home. Her mind was scattered the entire way, and before she realized it, her car was rear-ended. The accident left her with a small injury on her forehead.

After getting her wound treated at the emergency room, she suddenly remembered something and decided to stop by the gynecology department.

When she received the test results, her heart completely sank.

"Doctor, are you saying... there's absolutely nothing wrong with my uterus?"

"That's right. According to the report, you're in excellent health."

"Can I... have children?"

"Of course."

"Then... it wouldn't affect intimacy either?"

The moment Sophia said this, even the fifty-plus-year-old female doctor looked uncomfortable. "Do you really need me to answer that?"Before they got married, Ethan Whitaker had taken her medical report and told her directly, "Your uterus has a serious problem. Not only can you not get pregnant, but even normal intimacy could cause permanent harm to your body."

"Even so, I still want to marry you."

Back then, he held her hand tightly, his eyes filled with determination and tenderness. "For this life, it’s you I’ve chosen."

Because of those words, they weathered the relentless attacks from the Whitaker family together.

She had seen his father shatter a cup in anger, yelling, "Bringing home someone who can’t have kids—is he trying to end the Whitaker family line?"

She had also overheard his mother crying at a family gathering, saying, "Ethan must be under some kind of spell. He won’t listen no matter what we say."

But every time, Ethan would reassure her with a smile, "Don’t worry about what they say—I’ve got you."

For the past two years, though, her mother-in-law’s subtle and not-so-subtle digs—calling her things like a "barren hen" or saying "What’s the point of keeping someone who can’t even have kids?"—had haunted her nights, turning countless hours into sleepless torment.

*

The moment Ethan heard Sophia Yeats had been in a car accident, he rushed to the hospital.

Dressed in a crisp white shirt, his tall figure moved hurriedly toward her. Watching him approach, Sophia found herself drifting into the memories of their six years together.

They had first met in Grace Zephyr’s office. She had been delivering some documents for a classmate while Ethan was there talking with Grace. When their eyes met, he had simply nodded politely, nothing more.

It was after that meeting that an unwavering, four-year-long pursuit began.Ethan Whitaker was the ultimate campus heartthrob—insanely good-looking, top student, and ridiculously wealthy.

On top of that, he was crazy determined when pursuing someone and had a knack for being unbelievably sweet. Honestly, most girls couldn’t resist him.

Sophia Yeats was no exception.

She’d grown up an orphan, with a reserved personality and a tendency to keep to herself.

But even someone like her couldn’t hold out against Ethan’s relentless charm.

After talking to her for ages and getting zero reaction, Ethan assumed she was scared stiff. Without hesitation, he reached out, ready to pull her into his arms.

Suddenly, Sophia stiffened like she’d been jolted awake and shoved him away before standing up, her movements sharp and brisk.

"Let’s go."

She tossed the two words over her shoulder and stormed past him, her pace fast and deliberate.

The warmth she used to find in his embrace now only churned her stomach, making her feel utterly nauseous.

Back in the car, Ethan was still fussing about how she was acting.

"What happened? You’re always so careful driving—what was up with that today?"

"…"

Sophia said nothing, her gaze fixed on the dazzling diamond ring on her hand, the sparkle so glaring it was hard to look at.

Ethan didn’t press her when she stayed silent. Instead, his hand naturally stretched out, aiming to hold hers.

She dodged again.

"Are you mad at me? Fine, if you don’t wanna talk about it, I won’t force you.""There's a guest at home today. I had Auntie cook a bunch of your favorite dishes. Hope it'll cheer you up," Ethan said gently.

The more he acted like this, the harder it was for Sophia not to scoff inwardly.

"Don't be mad. Once this busy period is over, I'll spend more time with you. The company is preparing to go public, so I've been swamped lately."

Ethan saw that Sophia wasn't avoiding him anymore and thought she'd cooled down. He smiled, assuming all was well.

"Yeah, it's true. Life sure feels colorful and full of twists," Sophia replied, her tone carrying a hidden edge. But Ethan completely missed the undertone.

The Whitaker family's mansion stood in the most expensive neighborhood in Haishi, a 500-square-meter villa in Riverside Gardens. But all this luxury was built through Sophia’s efforts—giving up her own career to work with Ethan at the company.

As soon as they walked in, she heard laughter and chatter coming from upstairs—a boy’s cheerful giggles mixed with a soft, sweet female voice.

That boy was Aaron, whom she and Ethan adopted after marriage. He was five now.

Sophia looked up and, just as she'd guessed, she saw Grace. It had been five years since they'd last met.

Grace wore a teal knitted dress, her long, wavy hair cascading over her shoulders. Despite being in her thirties, her face was youthful, glowing like someone in their early twenties, exuding elegance and maturity.

"Look who's here, Sophia?" Ethan said, his voice low but unable to hide his excitement.Sophia Yeats could clearly feel the surge of emotions radiating off Ethan Whitaker for the very first time.

No matter how kind or tender he had seemed before, he had never displayed this kind of feverish excitement.

It was raw, intense, and primal—like a man driven by his most basic instincts.

“Ms. Zephyr?” Sophia raised her eyebrows, feigning surprise.

Yet, deep down, disgust churned within her, threatening to overflow.

In front of her stood Grace Zephyr, composed and polished, a stark contrast to the coy and overly sweet persona she had exhibited in the office earlier. It was like looking at two completely different people.

“Sophia, it’s been so long!”

Grace smiled warmly as she held Aaron Whitaker's hand and descended the stairs, acting unusually friendly.

Sophia's gaze shifted to Aaron.

Soon after she married Ethan, he had brought up the idea of adopting a child from the orphanage Sophia had once lived in. That’s how Aaron came into the picture—Ethan wanted to placate the Whitaker elders so they would stop pressuring Sophia about having a child.

Back then, Sophia had naively believed it was for her benefit, and she readily agreed.

But raising Aaron over the past two years had been nothing short of exhausting.

The boy had a temper like a firework, lashing out whenever he was upset. He even hurled things at Sophia, as if he harbored some unspoken grudge against her.

Once, in the heat of one such moment, Aaron had looked Sophia straight in the eye and bluntly demanded that Ethan “bring his real mom back.” Sophia Yeats was fuming. She had once said they shouldn’t keep this child, but Ethan Whitaker always talked her into enduring it.

He’d say things like, “Aaron doesn’t have a mom; it’s already tough enough for him. Try to be more understanding. Remember, you were abandoned by your parents too when you were little.”

And now, watching Aaron Whitaker clinging tightly to Grace Zephyr’s hand, combined with everything Ethan had done, it all clicked for Sophia.

Married for five years. Aaron was five years old.

The Whitaker family wouldn’t let Grace step through their doors, so Ethan had used her instead. What—made her into their nanny? A shield?

During dinner, Ethan and Aaron kept piling food onto Grace Zephyr’s plate, chatting away happily, the three of them acting all chummy. Sophia, sitting silently and eating by herself, looked like she didn’t even belong there.

“Sophia, Grace’s been working on a parenting book lately. She’s looking for a quiet place to focus. With everything going on at work and how busy you’ve been, I thought...”

Ethan set his chopsticks down, softening his tone as he turned to Sophia.

“I thought maybe Grace could stay at our place for a little while. She could watch over Aaron too. Looks like Aaron really likes her.”

Ha.

Five years of a secret marriage wasn’t cutting it anymore? Now he wanted to parade her right into the house?

Sophia didn’t even react—barely looked up as she calmly continued eating.

The room grew uncomfortably silent.

Ethan, clearly uneasy, leaned in and muttered, “Sophia, did you hear me?” "Bang!" Sophia Yeats set the bowl down with a thud.

Before she could even get a word out, Grace Zephyr quickly cut in, "I'm really sorry. It's all my fault, making things awkward for everyone. Sophia, Ethan was just speaking offhandedly. He was worried you were too busy with work, managing the house, and taking care of Aaron. He thought I'd lend a hand..."

"No! I want Auntie Grace to stay!"

As soon as those words left his mouth, Aaron Whitaker, sitting right next to Grace, immediately exploded.

Before Grace could even finish her sentence, he started throwing his chopsticks around and slamming his hands on the table.

"Aaron, don’t act that way..."

"Aaron, where are your manners!"

Grace hurried to stop Aaron, while Sophia instinctively scolded him at the same time. Their voices collided mid-air.

Aaron shot Sophia a fiery glare, clearly fuming, and grabbed a cup of water before hurling it straight at her—