Chapter 1

"Mr. Blackwood, here's all the evidence you requested."

Aaron Blackwood's heart went cold as he accepted the USB drive from the private investigator.

In the video, Esther Butterfield was being held in the arms of a charming man as they walked into a hotel room, laughing and chatting with one another.

That man was Russell Stringer, the man Esther was having an affair with. In fact, this wasn't the first instance of their affair. According to the private investigator, Esther seemed to never get enough. Each time, she and Russell would stay in the room for an extended amount of time.

Sometimes, they even did it in her SUV. In the middle of the night, sounds of desire and pleasure would come from the back seat of the car, through the windows that were not shut tight.

An image formed in Aaron's mind. His stomach churned, but he held it in.

Having been in the business industry for years, his rational mind told him that he could not afford to collapse at a time like this. Even so, his heart ached uncontrollably.

Esther had once called themselves young, devoted lovers and said that she would be faithful. At the end of the day, those were just superficial words uttered by a woman who had fallen into promiscuity.

She had probably gotten sick of him after toying with him, huh?

Aaron pulled out a stack of documents from his drawer and walked straight into Esther's office.

The smell of red wine in the air was so strong that it was rather choking. Esther had drunk again.

Glancing at the articles of clothing on the floor, Aaron quickly spotted Esther leaning against the couch, looking half-conscious.

He pushed a document toward her. "Esther, this is the latest tender document. I need you to sign it."

Esther opened her eyes just a crack. Upon seeing Aaron, a beautiful yet weary smile spread across her face. She had probably overexerted herself with Russell last night.

"Just get the assistant to do this. Why did you have to come here personally?" While she said that, she grabbed a pen and signed the document.

Aaron continued flipping through the pages. "There are a few more spaces behind that require your signature."

As such, Esther heeded and continued signing on the relevant pages.

The moment Aaron closed the file for the tender document, Esther grabbed onto his wrist coquettishly. "Darling, do you know what day it is today?"

Aaron caught a whiff of a rosy fragrance blended with the scent of alcohol.

Staring at the red mark underneath Esther's collarbone, he was reminded of the report submitted by the finance director last week that indicated that Butterfield Group had given up 3% of their profits to Stringer Group.

The vibration of his phone snapped him back to his senses. A text message from his mother-in-law, Dolores Patel, popped up on the screen.

"Thirty million dollars is the maximum. But only on the condition that you delete all photos and videos of Esther's affair. Also, you're not allowed to reveal your secret marriage to Esther to the public. If you agree, we'll treat it as if your marriage to Esther never happened."

Aaron pried Esther's fingers off him. In an emotionless tone, he said, "You're drunk. I'll get someone to make some hot tea for you."

When he walked past her lounge, he noticed that eye-catching, custom-made, Incarian blue suit through the gap in the door. It was the exact same suit that he had discovered in the wardrobe half a month before.

Aaron's heart went completely cold.

He hurried out of Esther's office and back to his desk, where he retrieved the divorce agreement from within the tender document. Then, he sent a photo of Esther's signature to Dolores.

All of a sudden, there was a rainstorm.

After having a cup of hot tea, Esther fell into a deep sleep.

There was an important meeting that required her personal attendance, but her assistants did not dare to wake her up. In the end, they sought Aaron out for help.

Expressionlessly, he stared at the woman who was fast asleep. Memories of their past flashed through his mind, but he just felt insulted and despondent.

Suddenly, a groan of dissatisfaction escaped Esther's lips as she turned on the couch.

Shocked, her male assistant opened his mouth to defend her. But right at that moment, he saw Aaron taking a blanket and laying it over Esther. Then, he turned around and left without looking back.

Not long after leaving work, Aaron rushed to an appointment that he had with the CEO of Wringer Group.

"Mr. Blackwood, I heard that you've been having discussions about the land at Dewsbury East. Is that so?" asked Blair Wringer while swirling a glass of whiskey. "But Butterfield Group's focus this year is on investing in the film and television industry, isn't it?"

While the ice in Blair's glass clinked, a burst of laughter came from the private room next door. The sound of a few men and women chatting light-heartedly with one another came from the said room.

"Oh, did you realize that Esther no longer brings Aaron with her whenever she comes to have fun with us?"

Aaron recognized that voice. It was someone from Esther's circle of friends. They were a bunch of bad apples who didn't even engage in proper work.

He had once advised Esther not to hang out with these people so often. She voiced her agreement, but she continued meeting them for drinks and enjoyment as usual.

"Of course. Russell is young, handsome, and from a family on par with hers. Why should she bring Aaron, who's always pulling a long face, along instead of Russell?"

"Exactly. No matter how good-looking Aaron is, she's probably already sick of sleeping with him after seven years."

"I heard that Aaron has been giving his all and working hard for her company all these years. It's such a pity that it's all for nothing. I've been eyeing that face of his, though. If Esther no longer wants him, she should give him to me so that I can have some fun."

"What the hell? How could you stomach someone who used to be someone else's toy?"

Another bout of laughter sounded.

The glass in Aaron's hand cracked. What did these people think he was?

He got to his feet, then walked over and kicked the door to the private room open.

The men and women in the room jumped in fright. They turned their heads toward him simultaneously.

At the same time, Russell was lazing on a leather couch, swirling the glass of red wine in his hands. Looking at Aaron with a condescending glint in his eyes, he said, "Right on time, Mr. Blackwood."

Russell raised his phone. His lock screen wallpaper was actually a photo of Esther's side profile from when they were at a charity dinner.

He mocked, "We were discussing the new film company that Butterfield Group set up. What do you think of 'Upmarket Plaything' as a project name?"

Aaron grabbed a bucket of ice and flung it at the stone table.

Crushed ice flew up in the air. At that moment, he could vaguely see his 20-year-old self standing on the steps to the city clerk's office and the blissful smile on Esther's face as she shoved their wedding certificate into his arms.

"You're so hot-tempered, Mr. Blackwood."

Suddenly, Esther's voice came from the door. The fragrance of her Chanel No. 5 perfume filled the room in an instant.

Strutting in her heels across the mess on the floor, she positioned her lace gloved hand on Russell's necktie, which was stained from the wine that splattered.

"Russell, how could you tease Ronny like this?"

Aaron stared at Esther's hand, on which she wore their wedding ring. With that hand, Esther was tidying the shirt collar of the man she was having an affair with in a well-practiced manner.

Esther turned her face toward Russell, her expression intimidating and frigid. Instantly, everyone in the room sensed her fury.

"Sorry, Aaron. We were just blabbering earlier."

"Aaron, there's nothing between Esther and Russell. I swear."

"Aaron, don't take it personally."

Taking Aaron by the hand, Esther led him outside.

In the car, Aaron's expression looked extremely gloomy. He recognized this to be the SUV in the videos. As he sat in the passenger seat, he could almost smell the revolting scent from the back seat.

After a long silence, Esther spoke up. "Aaron, they're my friends. You'll put me in a tight spot if you make a big fuss like that. Others will feel like I found an unrefined man who gets jealous easily."

Unrefined and easily jealous?

Aaron scoffed on the inside.

Esther finally revealed the deepest thoughts of her heart.

"So?" he responded calmly.

"If you want to continue being with me, be like a real man. Be broad-minded. Don't speculate unnecessarily. Doing that will really annoy me."

Aaron remained silent. The next moment, he got out of the car. Disregarding Esther's calls to him from behind, he got into his car and drove off speedily. Soon, she would no longer have to feel annoyed.

Chapter 2

It was raining cats and dogs out there.

As Aaron sped through the wet roads, drops of rain pitter-pattered on his car windows.

Soon, Esther called. Aaron's phone vibrated continuously as it lay on the passenger seat, but he ignored it. He was not in the mood, and neither did he have the energy to bother with her. There was something else he needed to attend to as soon as possible.

After her eighth attempt, Esther seemed to finally give up and stopped calling him. Nevertheless, the caller ID "darling" on his list of missed calls was such an eyesore to Aaron.

The rear-view mirror reflected the exhaustion on his face that made him appear as if he had just come back from the dead.

"You have a new message—"

His phone vibrated. The photo Esther sent to him was actually the date on their wedding certificate.

"Aaron, it's our wedding anniversary today. Must you make such a fuss?

"I really don't get it. It was just a meaningless joke. Do you have to get so mad?

"I've told you so many times that Russell is just like a younger brother to me. Could you stop getting so suspicious over everything?"

After taking a glance at her messages, Aaron felt insulted and ridiculous. But in the next second, he heard a bang from behind him.

Through the rear-view mirror, he spotted a white Maserati coming at him in the rain. Its side mirror scraped past his car door, giving off an ear-piercing screech as the metals scratched against one another.

Aaron immediately turned his steering wheel to the right and slammed on the brakes. Only then did he manage to prevent an accident from happening.

He encountered such a close call when he was already in such a horrid mood. He burned with so much rage at that moment that he was on the brink of losing it.

The moment he pushed his car door open, the rain beat down on him and on his face like daggers.

The driver of the Maserati was in a blue suit. He emerged from the car with an apologetic look on his face.

"Hello, sir. I'm really sorry for my mistake while I was changing lanes. We'll bear all costs involved.

"But my employer is in a rush at the moment. How about I leave our contact number with you? Once you've calculated the compensation amount, you may send it to us right away and we'll compensate you accordingly."

While the driver suggested a resolution, he tilted his umbrella over Aaron's head.

Aaron noticed the platinum lapel pin that the driver had on his collar. Its simple design reflected a cold gleam in the rain. That did not look like an accessory that a regular driver would have.

He looked back briefly at the scratch mark on his car. It didn't look like a particularly bad scratch.

"Sure—"

"Share my personal number with the man."

Suddenly, a woman spoke up from the back seat, prompting Aaron to hold his breath momentarily. Her voice was soft and gentle yet a little icy. He couldn't tell how she was feeling through her voice.

Aaron felt like the voice sounded familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before.

The car window was lowered an inch. The hand that reached out to hand Aaron a name card had an emerald bracelet around it. The extremely simple-looking platinum ring around her index finger gave off a cold gleam.

"I'm sorry. Were you hurt?"

Surprisingly, the woman's voice carried a tone of concern.

Aaron accepted the name card from her and replied, "Nope."

There was only a phone number on the name card. It seemed like she wasn't willing to reveal her identity to him.

Aaron couldn't be sure if he had misheard, but he felt like he heard the woman let out a soft chuckle.

"Feel free to contact me at any time."

Right after the woman said that, her driver walked Aaron back into his car under the woman's instructions. Thereafter, they sped away in the rain in the white Maserati.

While Aaron was still caught in a daze, his phone rang all of a sudden. It was Esther calling once again.

Feeling extremely annoyed, Aaron decided to just turn his phone off.

Half an hour later, he arrived at the restaurant that Dolores had made a reservation at, just as they had agreed.

Dolores sat at the head of the table, looking calm and composed. Seeing that Aaron had entered the private dining room, she scrutinized him from top to bottom with a look of disdain on her face.

Even though Aaron noticed the look in Dolores' eyes, he wasn't bothered by it. Calmly, he removed his wet coat and hung it on the rack beside.

Without waiting for Aaron to sit down, Dolores presented him with a non-disclosure agreement.

"I gave it some thought and figured that we should put it down in writing," Dolores said with an arrogant expression on her face, as if she were looking down at Aaron from a position of superiority.

Staring coldly at the agreement before his eyes, Aaron asked, "Is this necessary?"

He had done lots for Butterfield Group throughout all these years. He would give his all to fight for everything that should belong to him. But he wouldn't want anything that wasn't his.

Dolores took a sip of her tea. "Of course, it's necessary. Esther is not like you. She's the only daughter in the Butterfield family and has been very loved since she was young. She's also the executive CEO of Butterfield Group now. One day, all of the Butterfield family's assets will belong to her. So…"

Her gaze turned sharp. "I'll remove anything and everything that might threaten her reputation, including you."

"I'm just taking what I deserve." Aaron maintained his neutrality and confidence. "I won't take even an extra penny."

However, Dolores clearly did not believe him. "How can I be sure of that? There are so many men who want to find success after getting involved with a rich family. Moreover, people change. I'm sure that you're very well aware of this."

Dolores' implied meaning made Aaron ball his hands into fists. "Fine. I'll sign it."

He signed his signature on the final page of the agreement at the speed of lightning, then rose to his feet.

"Please don't contact me again moving forward. I'll find time to get the divorce with Esther finalized as soon as possible."

Upon saying that, he spun around and left.

Getting a sense that Aaron was dissatisfied, Dolores was displeased with his attitude. So, she immediately called out to him to stop him. "Aaron, truth be told, you don't deserve Esther at all."

Aaron stopped in his tracks.

Dolores curled her lips into a smug smirk. "When she chose you back then, we didn't approve of you. Based on her qualities, she deserves someone better. As for you, you're just a poor man who was born into a low social class. But she really adored you, so we had no choice but to agree to your marriage.

"Now, your divorce is simply putting everything back in its place. I'm sure you've met Russell. In that case, you should be aware that they're a match made in heaven. I hope that you'll keep your promise not to affect their relationship. Get out of their lives as soon as possible."

The way Dolores said all this made it sound as if Aaron was the shameless man Esther was having an affair with. He quivered in anger, and his knuckles cracked.

Suddenly, he let out a scoff. He looked back and replied in a mocking tone, "Don't worry. Your daughter isn't that popular of a catch. Plus, she's a woman with horrible morals."

Upon saying that, Aaron slammed the door shut behind him and left.

When he got back into the car, he gave his steering wheel a punch to let out his anger.

If Esther hadn't persistently gone after him during their college days and used all sorts of methods to attract his attention, he never would have agreed to get together with her.

Back then, he was so naive to have thought that he had found his true love. So, in order to support Esther in her career, he gave up on a high-paying job overseas. He studied finance management all on his own so that he could assist Esther in managing Butterfield Group. Within seven short years, he managed to push Butterfield Group to the top of its industry.

In order to please Esther's parents, he was even willing to keep his marriage with Esther a secret and put up with the judgmental looks from the people around them.

Nonetheless, the Butterfield family had looked down on his background since the very beginning and had never even looked him in the eye.

Deep down, a great sense of dissatisfaction grew within Aaron. He dialed Dolores' number. Succinctly, he said, "Sixty million dollars and nothing less."

Without waiting for her response, he ended the call.

Chapter 3

When Aaron arrived back home, he felt like almost all his energy had been drained from him. The moment he pushed the door open, an intense smell of alcohol and women's perfume wafted right in his face, making him gag.

The sensor lights lit up, revealing a state of disarray in the living room.

The pair of burgundy heels that were strewn at the entrance were stained with some mud, and it looked like they had been kicked off one's feet. A crumpled-up shirt and a pair of stockings were piled up on the leather couch while a black lacy bra was hanging off a corner of the glass coffee table.

A bottle of champagne lay on the floor with its contents spilled out.

The most glaring of them all was the ring that was giving off a silver gleam while lying on the carpet. That was Esther's wedding ring from when they got married.

Aaron's wedding ring was still on his finger.

Right away, he knew what had happened here earlier. With his trembling fingers, he tapped into the surveillance camera software on his phone.

Because their manor was once burglarized two years ago, he had taken the effort to hire someone to install two hidden surveillance cameras. Esther knew about this too. But she barely came home these two years, so she had probably forgotten about them.

Aaron hovered his finger over his phone screen for a moment. In the end, he tapped into the recording from 6:00 pm.

In the footage, the tail of Esther's dress looked like a burning flame. The sight of it left a scorching pain in Aaron's heart.

She backed up until she fell back onto the couch. With her arms around the neck of the person before her, she called out in a coy tone, "Russell…"

Her coquettish and tipsy voice played through the speakers. Suppressing the raging anger within him, Aaron turned his phone screen off immediately.

Suddenly, the sound of the electronic lock unlocking startled him.

Esther entered the door from outside. As she leaned against the door frame, her cheeks were flushed unnaturally red and the angle of the collar of her silk nightgown revealed the hickey on her collarbone.

"Darling…"

Calling out to Aaron coyly, Esther pounced at him. Aaron turned to the side to shun her, resulting in her stumbling into the side cabinet with a loud thud.

"You drank?" Aaron questioned as he stared coldly at the mark behind her ear.

"What's wrong with drinking some red wine on our wedding anniversary?"

Suddenly, Esther raised her voice. With her fingernail that was painted red, she poked him in his chest. "But you! You showed your temper during the day and walked off, and you didn't answer my calls or reply to my texts. Why are you acting like this now?"

Aaron closed his eyes momentarily and took a deep breath. "Where were you? Who did you drink with?"

In actual fact, he didn't need to ask to know.

Suddenly, Esther slammed her Hermès handbag onto the coffee table. A sharp screech sounded when the diamonds embedded in the bag scratched against the glass surface.

"What do you mean, Aaron? I postponed three meetings in order to come home and spend time with you. Yet I have to be subjected to your interrogation? What about you? Where have you been all afternoon? Why didn't you answer my calls?"

Aaron stared calmly at her and did not answer. It was as if he wasn't going to give up until he heard an answer from her.

All of a sudden, the air around them came to a standstill.

Esther's fingers trembled slightly. Out of the blue, she grabbed the half-full bottle of whiskey, lifted her head, and downed all of it.

"Yes. I was with Russell!" She staggered as she approached Aaron, exhaling her alcohol-laced breath onto his face. "He remembered that today is our wedding anniversary, so he put his work aside and gave me a gift! What about you? You didn't even get me a bouquet of roses!"

Aaron was forced into a corner and ended up hitting his hip against the display shelf.

"I've been putting up with you lately no matter how great of a fuss you make. I've forgiven you even if you're always suspicious about my relationship with Russell."

Esther's diamond ring scratched Aaron's chin.

"But I can't put up with this!"

Initially, Esther wanted to take a preemptive measure by accusing Aaron of being the problem because she assumed that he would take the initiative to coax her like he always did when they argued in the past.

However, Aaron did not budge. He simply watched her act silently.

Suddenly, her phone rang.

After taking a glance at the called ID, Esther's gaze softened instantaneously. "Hello? Yeah, I'm home…"

She turned around and walked to the balcony. In an extremely gentle tone, she continued, "Stop it. Didn't we agree not to talk about that…"

Aaron seized the opportunity to return to the study and lock the door from within. While spacing out, all he could hear was the pounding of his heart.

Not long after, he heard the sound of heels kicking the door from outside the room.

"Get out here, Aaron Blackwood!" Esther shouted from the other side of the door.

"What's with this attitude? All I did was rebuke you. Why are you throwing a tantrum? Was I wrong? All these years, I've always shown you respect when we're out in public. What about you? Who am I to you? What's wrong with me having a few friends? Do you have to make such a scene?"

Nonetheless, Aaron did not respond to her at all.

Esther became so enraged that she started to blurt out anything that came to mind. "Don't forget that what you have today is thanks to the support of my family, Aaron! Come out! What are you doing in there? Get the hell out of the room!"

Suddenly, she seemed to get an idea and continued, "Aaron, are you seeing someone else? Come out here and explain yourself!"

Aaron let out a sarcastic laugh. Esther was such a natural at putting the blame on him instead.

Out of nowhere, the yelling from the other side of the door stopped.

Aaron heard the sound of a porcelain item being smashed. Esther had probably smashed the porcelain vase by the entrance.

His phone vibrated, and Esther's message popped up on the screen. "Aaron, just stay in the room forever if you can, then!"

Aaron switched his phone off.

In the dark, a cold white gleam from the moonlight reflected off their wedding photo. In the photo, Esther was wearing a silver ring—the same one that had now been abandoned at a random spot in the living room as if it were just a piece of trash.

Aaron recalled the night he proposed. Esther had slammed her identification card on the dining table.

"I'll handle my own parents. All you need to do is feel at ease when we register our marriage."

Yet right now, Esther was even bringing another man back home so openly.

The look in Aaron's eyes went completely cold. Without saying a word, he took their wedding photo off the wall and threw it out the window on the second floor of the manor.

His clothes were still wet, so he planned to take a shower first. When he slipped his hand into his pocket, he felt the name card. Looking at the number written on it, he was reminded of the voice of the woman in the Maserati.

Instinctively, he furrowed his brows. That voice sounded familiar, but he simply couldn't recall anything about it. He figured that he'd just let it go. It didn't matter.

He saved the number into his phone, then walked into the bathroom, where he had a hot shower to wash away all the weariness he was feeling.

At this moment, his phone lit up. Dolores had sent him a text message.

"I really underestimated you. I didn't think that you'd be so shameless!

"Sixty million dollars? Aren't you ashamed to ask for an amount like this? Anyway, fine. I can give you 60 million dollars, but you have to divorce Esther this week! Also, go as far away as you can, but don't ever show up in Dewsbury again."

Aaron replied calmly. "I can make the divorce happen, but there's no way I'm leaving Dewsbury."

He had been striving so hard in Dewsbury for the past seven years. All of his connections and work partners were in Dewsbury. There was no way he would give up on everything he had now.

Dolores immediately sent him a voice message.

"Aaron, do as I say while I'm still being nice!"

A frigid glint flashed across Aaron's eyes. Fine, then. He would like to find out what Dolores was capable of doing to him!

Having been a deputy director at Butterfield Group for seven years, he had his hands on as many secrets as Esther did—if not more. Moreover, he had photo and video evidence of Esther's affair.

He might not lose to Dolores if she actually wanted to go head-to-head against him!

Chapter 4

Aaron got up early in the morning the next day. He planned to start packing his bags today.

However, the moment he emerged from the study, he heard the sound of someone cooking in the kitchen. This was really unusual. Jane Oswald was on leave today, and Esther normally wouldn't cook.

The more Aaron listened to the sound of ingredients being chopped, the weirder it felt to him.

Could it actually be Esther?

Nevertheless, before he could walk to the kitchen to see who it was, Russell emerged from within with an apron around him. He was even carrying a steaming hot serving of breakfast in his hands.

"Mr. Blackwood?"

They both noticed the flicker of shock in one another's eyes when they made eye contact.

More than that, Aaron couldn't believe that Esther actually brought Russell into their home so blatantly. He turned livid. "What are you doing here?"

Feeling rather diffident, Russel's hands shook. Even so, he smiled at Aaron right after, saying, "Esther said that you've left home to go to work, so I—"

"Just because I'm not at home, you can barge in as you wish?" Aaron stared at him intensely. "Get out."

Perhaps Russell was intimidated by Aaron's presence, so he took a step back.

Aaron repeated, "Get out."

But this time, Russell no longer cowered. He looked Aaron straight in the eye with a fearless expression on his face. "Mr. Blackwood, you're not the one who has the final say in this house, are you? Even if you want me to get out of here, you should first seek Esther's opinion."

Aaron took a step forward. With a threatening look in his eyes, he said, "I will not repeat myself. You'd better bugger off while I'm still patient."

Russell was stunned. The next second, a hurt expression came across his face. He turned and looked toward the second floor. "Esther, Aaron seems to have misunderstood…"

The rustling sound of Esther's genuine silk nightgown brushing against the railing of the stairs became louder as she approached them.

Esther walked down the stairs with fresh hickeys around her collarbone. She attempted to cover the red marks on the side of her neck with a blue scarf.

"What's with the argument? I asked Russell to come by. Why are you letting your anger out at him? Plus, you're older than him. Don't scare him."

As Esther said that, she placed a wide, silk shawl over her shoulders.

Aaron noticed that she seemed to have gained a little weight. Her lower belly was protruding a little, and her beige-colored nightgown was cinched slightly at the waist, seemingly to intentionally create a loose effect.

"Why did you get him to come over?"

"To cook," Esther lied without batting an eyelid.

"Jane isn't around, you've got to work, and I can't cook. So, I called Russell to help me with making breakfast. We can also talk about the partnership between our corporations. Who would've thought that you didn't go to work today?"

Aaron knew about the partnership between their corporations. Butterfield Group and Stringer Group began their partnership around half a year ago. In other words, Esther's affair with Russell very likely started then.

Aaron was reminded of the notice he received two days ago about changes in equity. Stringer Group had increased their stakes in Butterfield Group by 2%.

"Get him to leave," Aaron ordered with a frigid look on his face.

Esther was clearly a little displeased about his unyielding attitude. "Aaron, what are you doing? Russell is a guest. Moreover, he's like a younger brother to me. You shouldn't embarrass me like this, should you?"

Deep down, Aaron sneered. He shouldn't embarrass her? Why was she embarrassing him, then?

Right at that moment, neither of them refused to back down.

At this moment, Russell approached them with a miserable look on his face. "Esther, I reckon I should leave. My presence is only going to affect your relationship with Aaron. I don't want to put you in a tight spot either."

As he said that, he started to walk away. However, Esther grabbed onto his wrist. "Don't go."

Glaring at Aaron, she said, "Just look at how understanding Russell is, then look at what you're doing. You're suspicious all the time. Who's going to put up with you if you're going to continue acting like this?"

Expressionlessly, Aaron said, "Fine. I'll leave, then."

However, Esther became flustered. "Stand right there!"

She let go of Russell's hand and said, "Forget it. Go and wait for me in the car, Russell. I'll just have a quick chat with him."

Russell nodded obediently. Looking a little reluctant, he replied, "Okay. I'll wait for you."

Esther gave him a comforting smile, then watched him as he walked out of the manor.

Aaron and Esther sat down facing one another at the dining table. He figured that he could make things clear with Esther today. Nonetheless, the first thing Esther said really took him by surprise.

"I'm pregnant. I'm over two months along."

Esther placed her hand on her small bump. "I just received my report yesterday."

She pulled out a test report, and the HCG levels indicated on it were so glaring to Aaron's eyes. His mind flashed back to the board meeting two months ago. Because of a project, Esther and he had a huge argument.

"When did you become the decision-maker of the company? Get out!"

That night, she locked her office from within. After that, the surveillance footage showed Russell's Mercedes-Benz leaving the basement at 2:00 am.

Meanwhile, Aaron flew overseas.

In order to get their hands on a precision instruments factory in Winzerland, he brought a team to the Winzer Alps, where they spent 23 days there.

During that time, Russell's Facebook posts pinned his location at Palicat Island. The photos he posted were all photos of Esther having fun at a beach in a bikini.

"We have an heir now." Smiling, Esther took Aaron by the hand, pulling him back into reality.

Aaron realized that she had slipped her ring back on her finger. "So, I hope that we won't continue fighting. Let's live happily together moving forward, okay?"

Aaron pulled his hand back forcefully.

Looking completely perplexed, Esther asked, "What's wrong? Haven't you always wanted to start a family? Now that we finally have a baby, aren't you happy?"

Aaron clenched his fists tightly, and there seemed to be fury burning in his eyes. "Esther, I was in Winzerland two months ago. We haven't slept together in these two months either."

He did not expose her outright because he wanted to see how long she could keep this act up.

However, not a tinge of diffidence could be seen on Esther's face. She said, "Yeah, that's why the baby is more than two months old. Have you forgotten about that night two and a half months ago when we were on the couch at home—"

"I haven't forgotten," Aaron interjected. He did not want to think back to the past.

Even so, that didn't mean that the baby was his. Moreover, because Esther was afraid of pain and did not want to have a child, he had always used protection. So, this child might be…

"I want to look at the nuchal translucency test report."

Aaron's request made Esther's mind freeze. She was momentarily stunned, then she started guffawing. "Mr. Blackwood, you even want to examine the data from a pregnancy check-up? Don't cross the line, Aaron! What's the matter? Are you suspecting that this child isn't yours?"

"Why else would I ask?" Aaron questioned back.

Esther's face fell. In the next moment, tears fell from her eyes. "Aaron, you're a jerk!"

She grabbed a packet of tissues and flung it at Aaron's face. "Whose child could this be if not yours? I'm your wife! How could you say something so heartless? Are you actually seeing another woman out there? Tell me!"

Chapter 5

"Aaron!" Esther screamed, her voice reverberating throughout the entire house. "Did you actually betray me?"

But Aaron rose to his feet and said in a frigid voice, "Esther, you look really ridiculous right now."

The pot was calling the kettle black. This was such a joke.

For some reason, the mocking smile on his face made Esther panic deep down. She felt as if he had seen through her.

"Aaron!"

Before she could say anything else, Aaron had already slammed the door shut and left.

Right after, his hands were still quivering. He took a deep breath, feeling the cold air of fall entering his lungs. Even so, the coolness of the air could not extinguish the rage within him.

"Mr. Blackwood, shall we have a chat?"

Russell's voice came from behind him.

Aaron spun around, only to see Russell leaning against his black Mercedes-Benz, playing with the car keys in his hands.

"Fuck off!" Aaron marched straight toward his car.

"Don't be so angry." Russell stood in his way. "I'd suggest that you leave Esther as soon as possible. You're not right for each other."

Aaron sneered, "So? Do you think you're right for her?"

"At the very least, I won't embarrass her." As he straightened his sleeve, Russell continued, "Esther and I are from families of the same level. Plus, I'm younger than you are."

In this day and age, women loved men who were young and fit.

"Families of the same level?" Aaron suddenly let out a laugh. "Russel, that trash company of yours is closing down soon, isn't it? If Butterfield Group hadn't given you their support, you would've gone bankrupt by now."

Aaron had already looked into Russell in detail. After a few failed fundraising attempts, Stringer Group was already on the brink of closing down.

If Russell hadn't gotten connected with Esther, the Stringer family would have already ended up in bankruptcy. They might even have had to be imprisoned.

Nevertheless, it was after Russell became involved with Esther that he chased off his then-girlfriend, who was already expecting and with whom he had been discussing marriage. He even forcefully brought his then-girlfriend to the hospital to get an abortion.

Russell's face dropped.

"You even abandoned your expectant girlfriend for the sake of money." Aaron took a step forward toward Russell. "A scumbag like you doesn't deserve to be in a relationship."

"Aaron!" Russell flew into a rage. "Do you think you're more noble than I am? Didn't you also marry Esther because of money?"

Everyone chased after things that would benefit them. No one was nobler than anyone else.

Aaron slammed his fist on the hood of the Mercedez-Benz. "Bullshit! Back then, in order to marry her, I begged her parents and swore that I'd be good to her for the rest of my life! What about you? What else can you do other than coax women?"

Russell took a step back, his face looking pale.

Aaron turned around and walked toward his car. His hands were still shaking when he started his car's engine.

Through the rear-view mirror, he could see Russell scurrying into the manor like a clown who was escaping from danger.

…

Back at work, Aaron tidied up his office. After he was all done, he took a glance at the photo on his desk.

In it, he had a cast on while Esther leaned against his shoulder, smiling. That was a photo taken after his accident six years ago.

That accident happened too suddenly. Esther said that she wanted to take that particular route, but in the end, their car skidded while they were traveling down the mountain. Their car almost crashed through the guardrails. Esther passed out from the impact while Aaron's leg was stuck in his seat, so he was unable to move.

Even so, he forced himself to withstand the pain as he freed his leg. Then, he carried Esther on his back and ran for four hours along the winding roads, limping.

In the end, both of them ended up in the hospital.

After Esther regained consciousness, she smiled at him and said, "We're people who have lived through life and death together. So, let's not separate till death do us part."

…

"Mr. Blackwood?" Aaron's secretary knocked and entered. "This is the document you asked for."

"Okay. Just leave it here."

After his secretary left his office, he slipped the document into his briefcase. With these items, he would be able to negotiate with Dolores with more confidence.

He took out his resignation letter, which he had prepared ahead of time, and placed it on his desk before leaving the company without looking back.

Aaron had just parked his car at the workshop when he spotted a white Maserati being slowly driven into the establishment. That car looked rather familiar to him.

A technician next to him checked the body of his car, then frowned.

"Mr. Blackwood, the scratch on your car isn't too severe. We'll just need to touch it up with some paint. But since the paint for the model of this car is custom, we'll only be able to get the paint a week later."

"No worries. I'm not in a rush."

At this moment, the door of the Maserati opened. A woman in a beige-colored coat got out of the car. Her long hair fluttered gently in the wind, highlighting her gentle elegance.

"Sir, I'll be paying for his car's repair fees," she said in a crisp voice.

Aaron was puzzled.

Sierra Thorne smiled slightly. She went up to him and explained, "It was my driver who scratched your car on the road previously. So, it's only right for me to compensate you."

Aaron was caught in a daze for a moment before he recalled the incident. "Oh, so that was you. What are you doing here?"

Deep down, he was mesmerized by Sierra's beauty. He couldn't believe that there was actually such a gorgeous woman in the world.

Sierra gave her car a tap. In a helpless voice, she answered, "Of course, I'm here to repair my car."

With a twinkle in her eyes, she continued, "Let me introduce myself formally. My name is Sierra Thorne."

"Aaron Blackwood," said Aaron while handing her a name card stamped with gold foil.

Sierra accepted the name card. Her gaze lingered on the wedding ring on his hand for a moment. "Where do you work, Mr. Blackwood?"

Aaron took a brief glance at the ring on his hand, and the look in his eyes dimmed.

"I just resigned."

Sierra was about to respond when an ear-piercing screech from a car that came to an abrupt stop interrupted her.

A Porsche had dashed into the workshop. Esther emerged from the car, her heels clacking as she strode toward Aaron. "Aaron! So, you do actually have a mistress!"

Aaron's expression turned gloomy in an instant. "How did you know that I was here?"

Sierra frowned. "This is—"

"I'm his wife!" Esther linked arms with Aaron aggressively. "Please stay away from my husband, miss."

Aaron shoved Esther's hands away in disgust. "What the hell are you doing, Esther?"

"What the hell am I doing?" Esther pointed at Sierra and continued, "You're both being so intimate with one another here. Did you think that I was blind? If I hadn't hired someone to follow you, I wouldn't have found out about your mistress!"

A frigid expression came across Sierra's face. "Ms. Butterfield, I'm afraid that you've misunderstood."

"I've misunderstood?" Esther scoffed. "Women like you are only after my husband's riches. Well, guess what? I'm the one who gave him all he has!"

"That's enough!" Aaron interjected in a stern voice. "Esther, are you done making a fuss?"

All of a sudden, Esther's eyes welled up with tears. "Aaron! Are you yelling at me because of this woman?"

Aaron couldn't take it anymore. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Esther, let's get a divorce."

In that instant, the air around them came to a standstill.

Esther staggered backward. Wondering if she had misheard, she asked, "What did you say?"

"I said, let's get a divorce," Aaron repeated in a soft yet clear voice. "I've had enough."

Suddenly, Esther burst out laughing. With a maniacal smile on her face, she questioned, "Aaron, have you forgotten what you swore when you begged my parents seven years ago? You promised that you'd never ever leave me!"

"I've installed surveillance cameras in the manor." Staring at Esther coldly, Aaron continued, "Esther, don't make me utter harsh words."

Esther froze. That came like a bolt from the blue.

"Esther, let's end things here."

Upon saying that, Aaron turned around and left with an air of determination.

Sierra hesitated momentarily before she went after him.

The sun was setting. Aaron stood by the side of the road outside the workshop, watching the stream of cars go by.

Sierra walked to his side. "Shall I drop you off somewhere?"

Aaron shook his head. "I'm fine. Thank you."

"About what happened earlier…"

"I'm sorry that you had to witness something so embarrassing."

Sierra fell silent for a moment. "Mr. Blackwood, if you need a job, I can—"