Chapter 1

During a car accident, I spotted Zach Stark in a passing vehicle.

As I lay bleeding heavily with my unborn child barely surviving, the driver wanted to stop and assist. However, Zach prevented him, saying, "Leave her be. She'll survive!"

He instructed the driver to accelerate and depart.

This man was my spouse. Yet he abandoned me.

That evening, while recovering in the hospital, I saw a news report. His cherished Vicky Cain, supposedly his "first love," had come back to the States.

I calmly reached for my phone and contacted my attorney.

"Mr. Miller, I need your help to prepare divorce papers."

The following day, I presented Zach with the documents.

He was preoccupied at work, and his face soured upon seeing me.

When I produced the papers, his scowl intensified.

"How childish are you? Still playing at writing our names together?" He mocked as he quickly signed, cutting off any chance for me to explain.

He didn't even look at the document. He assumed it was just another immature act from a wife seeking attention.

For seven years, I pursued him. I pleaded for his affection, pressured him, and even rescued him when the Stark family went broke. That's when he became my husband. We had brief moments of happiness. But everything shifted when Vicky returned.

He clearly saw me at the accident site but rushed off to collect her from the airport. He couldn't bear Vicky facing the cold, yet he left me bleeding on the roadside.

This time, I chose to release him.

He was oblivious that the papers he signed would soon take effect.

Impatiently, he urged me to leave. I went home and began packing.

Unexpectedly, Zach showed up. He entered, carrying a bouquet of vibrant roses.

"Yvette, I was swamped at work today. I didn't treat you well this morning. You're not upset, are you?"

I was surprised by his gesture with the flowers.

The pollen filled the air, making my throat burn intensely. I stumbled, searching for my allergy medication.

Noticing my reaction, Zach's face showed irritation.

"Are the flowers I brought not good enough? What more do you want, Miss?"

But when he saw my struggle to breathe, his expression changed to concern.

He hurried to me, his hands shaking as he held me. I felt his quick breaths as he carried me.

I awoke in the hospital again. Zach sat beside me, his eyes filled with remorse as he gripped my hand tightly.

"Yvette, I apologize. I didn't intend to trigger your allergy."

For once, his gaze was completely focused on me.

My throat ached as I asked the question I had suppressed for years.

"Zach, have you ever loved me?"

Throughout our years together, I had wanted to ask this countless times.

He didn't answer directly. Instead, he touched my stomach and said softly,

"Yvette, don't worry. I'll take good care of you and the baby from now on."

But his words felt like a knife through my heart.

I realized that for seven years, I had been the only one fighting for our relationship. He never loved me.

Our baby had died because of him.

Pain overwhelmed me, making it difficult to breathe. Zach gently rubbed my back, his face full of worry.

Then his phone rang, interrupting the moment. A woman's voice came through the speaker. He gave me an apologetic look and left the room.

Alone, I curled up under the covers and took out my phone.

I browsed through Vicky's social media, tormenting myself.

[My former husband came to greet me as soon as I arrived in America. Those roses he gave me were so gaudy.]

It turned out the apology gift Zach had given me was merely the flowers Vicky had rejected.