Chapter 1

"I'll marry you, Mr. Stone."

Before making the call, Anne Stafford drank half a bottle of whiskey.

The other end of the line went silent for a few seconds. Then, a low, groggy voice answered, thick with irritation, "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

Clearly, she'd woken him up. She hadn't even checked. She glanced at her phone and noticed it was past 2:00 am.

"Sorry. I'll call you tomorrow."

"It's a deal."

"What?"

"But I'm flying overseas for a business trip tomorrow. I'll be gone for about a month. We'll register our marriage when I'm back."

"Okay."

After hanging up, Anne still felt a little dazed.

Half a month ago, her aunt, Doreen Hartley, called from the countryside to set her up with someone. She said the man was the grandson of their neighbor, Rowena Parker.

The man, Harvey Stone, was a bright student who had gotten into college in Northia and later landed a well-paying job with great benefits, full insurance, and holiday gifts.

Anne agreed out of politeness, but she had no intention of taking it seriously. She didn't expect Harvey to call that very night.

Harvey got straight to the point, saying he had no time for a blind date, let alone a relationship. If she was willing, he wanted to skip everything and get married right away.

"Is this guy insane?"

That was her first thought.

But he hadn't given her the chance to refuse, just telling her to think about it and hanging up.

The truth was, Anne hadn't given it a single thought for the past two weeks. But tonight, she said yes.

She checked out the trending news. The Internet was still buzzing.

A-list actress, Sophia Weaver, was rumored to be pregnant, and the alleged father was a married A-list actor, Sean Lewis.

Just as she was being slammed as a mistress and the topic trended online, Zachery Judd, the second son of the Judd family, stepped forward to clear the air. He said that he was Sophia's real boyfriend, the baby was his, and the two were about to get married.

To silence the doubters, he released a video of himself proposing to Sophia on one knee at her recent birthday party.

Just like that, the tide turned. Both fans and the public showered Sophia with blessings.

The number one trending news at this moment was still "Sophia's Wedding Confirmed! Groom Is the Judd Family's Second Son!"

Anne stared at the screen, finding it all painfully ironic.

If Sophia was Zachery's girlfriend, then what did that make her?

Eight years.

Eight years of being with him. What the hell did those eight years mean?

One could call her an idiot, but at least she was cutting her losses now.

Anne decided to marry Harvey because he once said, "I want to live like most ordinary couples—support each other, respect each other, and grow old together."

It was such a plain statement, yet it was exactly the kind of life she wanted. And Zachery would never give it to her.

After taking a deep breath, she started packing her things. This house belonged to Zachery, and she had to move out.

…

Anne got up after barely two hours of sleep for her early shift. As she went downstairs, she saw Zachery sprawled on the couch.

His hair was a mess, and his brows were furrowed. He was probably still feeling the effects of last night's drinking.

She ignored him and headed to the kitchen to make breakfast.

Just as she was making pasta, he wandered over, reeking of alcohol, and wrapped his arms around her from behind. He rested his chin on her shoulder.

"Ugh… My head hurts. Make me some hangover soup," he said.

Anne frowned. "Go wait outside."

Eyes still shut, he mumbled, "Let me hold you for a bit."

"You stink."

"Do I?" He sniffed himself. "Alright. I'll take a shower first."

Once he was gone, she opened a cupboard and pulled out a box from the top shelf. Inside were ingredients for his hangover soup.

Since Zachery often drank at social events, the habit had taken a toll on his liver over the years. Anne had specially consulted an alternative medicine practitioner to create this recipe, tailoring it to his condition.

It took a lot of time to simmer the hangover soup. She had to stay in the kitchen the whole time to monitor it.

Stirring the pot, she let out a bitter laugh. For eight years, she nursed his hangovers and looked after him. Yet, she had never won his heart.

This would be the last time. Anne considered this the final chapter of their story.

When Zachery came downstairs, freshly showered, she set the bowl in front of him. Rubbing his temple, he spooned the soup absentmindedly, showing no intention of explaining about the events of last night.

"Congratulations!" Anne broke the silence first.

Zachery looked up, puzzled. "For what?"

"For getting what you wanted after all these years. You proposed to Sophia on her birthday every year, and she finally said yes this time," she replied coldly.

She'd always known Zachery loved Sophia since he was in middle school. It had been 15 years. Even after they started dating, he never stopped proposing to Sophia on her birthday.

Did it hurt? Of course, it did.

But she loved him—loved him enough to degrade herself.

Zachery frowned. "You saw the news?"

Anne just looked at him without saying a word.

He nodded and said casually, "It's a fake marriage just for PR. Once the heat dies down, we'll get divorced."

"Fake marriage?" She let out a helpless laugh. "Are you registering it? Are you going to hold a wedding?"

"Of course. My family wouldn't accept it otherwise."

"Then, how is it fake?"

"It just is. You don't need to know the details." Zachery took another sip of soup and stood up to go upstairs.

"I don't care about you and Sophia. But we need to talk about us."

Zachery turned to her. "What about us?"

Anne took a deep breath. "I want to break up."

"Are you fucking deaf? I told you it's a fake marriage. We'll divorce soon. What are you making a fuss for? This has nothing to do with you. Just pretend you don't know. Must you get my attention like that?"

Attention? Did she even exist in his eyes anymore?

Anne lowered her gaze. "Whether you're really marrying Sophia or just faking it, I'm breaking up with you."

"Anne Stafford!"

"I'm tired." Anne closed her eyes for a moment. "Loving you for eight years has drained me completely. Let's end this here."

"Fine. You want to break up? Go ahead. Just don't come crawling back."

Zachery didn't go upstairs. He grabbed his coat and stormed out.

And just like that, their eight-year relationship was over. Anne suddenly felt a weight lift off her shoulders.

…

Anne was an OB-GYN at Windbrook Hospital. When she arrived at work, she juggled patient consultations while listening to her nurse, Mindy Ziegler, gossip beside her.

"So, who's the father of Sophia's baby? First, they said it was Sean. Then, it's the Judd family's second son. If it were me, I'd totally pick Mr. Judd. He's rich and hot.

"Plus, I heard that he's a total romantic. He has pursued Sophia for 15 years! That's 15 years! Even God will be moved."

Anne had no interest in hearing any of it. She quickly found an excuse to send Mindy upstairs with a pregnant patient for a checkup.

Just as she finally got a moment of peace, her phone rang.

It was Zachery.

"Be prepared. Sophia's going to your hospital for a prenatal checkup tomorrow."