Chapter 0001

“Mia, I’m pregnant. You need to divorce Hunter as soon as possible. It would be awful for the child to be born without a father.” A woman’s tearful voice came through the phone.

Mia Smith pinched the bridge of her nose and responded coldly, “Anything else you’d like to add, Jenna? Get it all out now so I can record it together. It’ll be useful when I file for divorce from Hunter Jasper and go after more of his assets.”

“Mia, you witch! How dare you record me!” Jenna Walker cursed before abruptly hanging up.

Listening to the busy tone, Mia glanced down at the early pregnancy test report in her hand. The words "four weeks pregnant" stared back at her, glaring and undeniable.

She had planned to tell Hunter about the pregnancy tonight, but now it seemed pointless.

This baby had come at the worst possible time, yet it was her salvation!

*

After work, Mia returned home. As soon as she stepped inside, their housekeeper, Mrs. Lincoln, greeted her. “Mrs. Jasper, I’ve prepped all the ingredients from the recipe you gave me this morning. You can start cooking once you change.”

Mia slipped into her house slippers and walked past her. “You cook. I’m going to take a bath.”

Mrs. Lincoln blinked in surprise before quickly replying, “Oh, um, okay!”

She always insisted on cooking for Mr. Jasper, even when she wasn’t feeling well. What was going on today? Did they have a fight?

Exhausted from the long day, Mia sank into the bath and, before she knew it, drifted off to sleep.

She was in a deep sleep when a sudden feeling of weightlessness jolted her awake.

Startled, she opened her eyes. She found herself staring into Hunter’s deep eyes.

“Mrs. Lincoln said you’re not feeling well. Are you sick?” Hunter asked with indifference, his expression cold and unreadable, as always.

Meeting his gaze, Mia was reminded of Jenna’s phone call. She smiled faintly and asked, “Your sister-in-law is pregnant. Is she planning on keeping the baby?”

Hunter answered with a simple, “Yes.”

Mia searched his face for any emotion but found nothing.

She pushed him away, jumped out of the tub, grabbed a towel, and wrapped it tightly around herself. She declared in her ice-cold voice, “I won’t let her have that child!”

No woman would tolerate someone else interfering in her marriage, let alone let a mistress have a baby!

Between her and Jenna’s child, only one could stay.

If Hunter was going to side with Jenna and keep her child, Mia knew she would have no choice but to ask for a divorce.

As soon as the words left her mouth, Hunter’s sharp gaze locked on her, cold and menacing. “It’s not your decision whether she has the baby or not! Mia, I’m warning you. Don’t you dare touch her child!”

Mia looked at the man in front of her, the husband she had shared a bed with for three years. Now, he was glaring at her with so much hatred it felt like he could tear her apart.

The pain in her chest was as sharp as if a knife had been plunged into her heart, leaving it bleeding and raw.

He was really going out of his way to protect that child!

No wonder Jenna had the nerve to call and demand a divorce!

It hit her, painfully clear, that the love she had held onto for years, the initial spark, the growing affection, and the deep feelings, had finally come to an end.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed down the pain in her chest and slowly said, “Hunter, let’s get a divorce.”

Once Jenna’s child was born, she would have to make space for them anyway.

It was better to leave now than wait to be pushed out later.

Jenna was pregnant, and with proof of Hunter’s affair, Mia could at least walk away with more in the divorce.

When Hunter heard the word "divorce," his face darkened instantly. "You want a divorce? Is it because Zac Ford, the man you’ve always loved, is back?"

Mia was momentarily stunned, then let out a cold laugh. "Since you already know I love Zac, hurry up and sign the divorce papers so we can finally be together!"

For the three years she had been married to him, she had done her best to be a good wife.

Even though her own family didn’t treat her well, she had been raised in comfort, never having to lift a finger. But for Hunter, she spent her free time learning to cook, bake, and arrange flowers.

Hunter had always struggled with stomach problems, but Mia had spent the last three years preparing healthy meals to nurse him back to health.

She had done so much for him, yet he still believed she was in love with another man. How could her heart not break?

Hunter clenched his teeth in anger and suddenly stepped toward her, his presence intimidating as he declared, “You’re mine, Mia. Even after the divorce, you’ll still be mine! If you think you can be with someone else, you’re dreaming!”

Mia stared back at him, unafraid. “If you don’t sign the divorce papers, I’ll expose your affair! Everyone in Haven City will know Jenna is the other woman. You cherish her so much. Surely you don’t want her reputation destroyed, do you?”

Mia used to ignore Jenna flaunting herself around, but now that Jenna was pregnant by the same man who fathered Mia’s child. How could she continue to look the other way?

Hunter lifted her chin with his fingers, his dark eyes cold and threatening. “If you don’t want your family’s company to go bankrupt, you’d better fall in line. Don’t go near Jenna.”

Every word felt like a hammer to her heart.

A chill ran down Mia’s spine.

Hunter released her, straightened his clothes, and returned to his usual polished, elite demeanor.

After he left, Mia looked down at her disheveled and pitiful state. A bitter smile crossed her lips.

She was the face of HH Law Firm, one of the top lawyers in Haven City. In public, she was admired and respected, but in front of Hunter, she was reduced to something powerless and pathetic.

Pushing away her thoughts, Mia changed into something comfortable and headed downstairs.

As she entered the dining room, she overheard Hunter’s gentle voice on the phone, “Don’t cry. I’ll be there soon.” Then, he hurried out.

Mia glanced at the table, set with multiple dishes and a bowl of soup, but her appetite had disappeared.

Thinking of the baby inside her, she forced herself to eat a little, though it all tasted like cardboard.

Back in her room, her phone rang. It was a client, clearly drunk, rambling about how she and her husband had built everything from scratch, how they had struggled together, only for him to change after they became wealthy. Now, he had mistresses everywhere.

Mia couldn’t help but think of her own three-year marriage to Hunter. Except for a few close friends, no one even knew they were married. At least her client had once experienced love and happiness with her husband.

The thought stung.

She had once believed that being with the man she loved, even if it meant living a modest life, would bring happiness.

Now she realized how naive she had been. She had been nothing but a doormat.

Eventually, her client fell asleep on the call. Mia glanced at her phone, sighed, and closed her eyes.

Tomorrow would mark the beginning of her new life!

In the middle of the night, her phone rang again, jolting her awake.

Still half-asleep, she answered and heard a voice, “Mrs. Jasper, sorry to bother you, but could you come to Serenity Cove to pick up Hunter? He’s drunk.”

Before Mia could respond, the call ended.

She took a deep breath. She had to be at the county courthouse in the morning, and if she didn’t pick up Hunter now, he might be too hungover to make it, delaying the divorce yet again.

Resigned, she threw off the covers and got out of bed.

After tomorrow, once the divorce was finalized, she wouldn’t care if Hunter drank himself into oblivion.

In the three years they had been married, Mia had made countless trips to Serenity Cove to pick up Hunter. She knew the way like the back of her hand.

When she arrived at the private room, it didn’t surprise her to see Jenna sitting there.

Jenna was well-acquainted with this group of wealthy heirs, while Mia, as Hunter’s legal wife, always felt like an outsider who didn’t belong.

“Mrs. Jasper, sorry to make you come out so late!” Carter Ford, the youngest of the group, apologized earnestly. He idolized Hunter and always went out of his way to handle anything involving him.

“It’s fine,” Mia replied with a soft smile.

Most of the people around Hunter didn’t show her much respect and just casually called her by her first name, but Carter, being Zac’s younger brother, always addressed her as 'Mrs. Jasper.' Because of that, Mia had a relatively good impression of him.

Just then, a cold voice interrupted. “Now that Jenna’s here, she can take care of Hunter. You’re not needed anymore. You can go.”