02 | An Illegitimate Child Isn’t Worth the Trouble

Valentina's POV

This has to be a dream. It’s just a nightmare—a terrible, haunting nightmare. So wake up and end this.

A faint and distant voice whispered in my ears, trying to delude me into believing that the sight before me wasn’t real—that my husband of six years wasn’t holding another woman in his lap, wasn’t kissing her neck, leaving marks on her skin as if she were the most precious gem. And that woman… wasn’t Caelina.

“Damien, I want you. Please, I really want you now,” Caelina whispered to my husband, her eyes closed as soft moans escaped her lips.

“Naughty girl,” Damien murmured, his voice dripping with amusement. “You’re pregnant. Do you really think you can handle me? You know how rough I can be when I’m with you. Be patient, my love.”

I stood there, frozen, watching the scene unfold, neither of them noticing my presence in the room.

I wanted to speak—scream, demand an explanation for what I was seeing—but the words were stuck in my throat. I could do nothing but stand there, frozen, and watch.

“B-but Damien,” Caelina began, her voice soft as she opened her eyes, but she froze for a moment when her gaze locked with mine. Then, almost immediately, a slow, triumphant smirk spread across her lips.

“No buts,” Damien replied, his tone firm and tender, completely unaware of my presence. “You know I can’t risk anything that would harm my unborn child.”

My eyes widened in disbelief as my legs threatened to give out beneath me. My vision blurred, the world around me closing in while a wave of nausea churned in my stomach.

His unborn child? No, it couldn’t be. It was impossible. Yet the delight in Caelina’s eyes as she took in my horrified expression told me otherwise.

“You really love your child. You can’t seem to do anything that might hurt him,” Caelina laughed, guiding Damien’s hand to her belly, her gaze never leaving mine.

“Of course, it’s my—” Damien began, a proud smile on his face, but the words died in his throat when he finally looked up and saw me standing by the door, tears streaming down my cheeks.

“It’s your what, Damien?!” I screamed, my voice so loud it startled even me. My chest heaved as I fought to keep control. “It’s your what?” This time, my voice was barely a whisper, trembling with the weight of my emotions. My hand gripped the doorframe tightly, the only thing keeping me from collapsing right there.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, leaning against the wall for support. I couldn’t lose consciousness—not now.

When I opened my eyes again, Damien had already moved Caelina from his lap, settling her onto the bed beside him. I expected him to rush over, to scramble for an apology or at least offer some excuse for what I had just witnessed. But he didn’t. He simply sat there, staring at me with a cold expression. Not a flicker of remorse crossed his icy blue eyes.

"I had planned to tell you this myself in a better way," Damien said, his voice steady and devoid of emotion. "But since it seems you’ve heard everything, I’ll tell you now. Caelina is carrying my child, and I intend to divorce you and marry her."

“W-what?” I asked, my eyes widening in disbelief, unable to comprehend what I had just heard. I took a step toward him, but before I knew it, my legs gave out, and I collapsed to the floor, my knees scraping against the ground. The pain in my body was nothing compared to the agony that tore through my heart.

“You heard me, Valentina. Or are you deaf now?” Damien’s voice was cold as he stared at me on the floor. He didn’t even bother to stand and help me up. He simply held Caelina’s hand, his gaze unwavering as he watched me crumble.

This wasn’t the man I married. The person staring at me now was a stranger—a heartless man.

I closed my eyes, struggling to stand, and when I finally managed to rise, I grabbed onto the nearest support, which turned out to be the couch.

“A-Are you hearing yourself, Damien?” I managed to whisper, my voice shaky as I pointed to Caelina. "You cheated on me, and not only that—you cheated on me with the person who killed our child!"

Damien’s eyes flickered for a moment, and for the first time, I saw an emotion in them—guilt. But before he could say anything, Caelina rolled her eyes at me, quickly replacing her expression with a feigned timidness. "Valentina, I- I honestly didn’t push you down the stairs on purpose. It was really a mistake—" She couldn’t finish her words, as fake tears welled up in her eyes and she began to cry.

Anger surged through me as I glared at her, the memory of two years ago flooding back. I could still see the look on Caelina’s face when she shoved me down the stairs—I never believed it was a mistake, not after the smirk she wore as I bled on the ground. Damien had consoled me after the miscarriage, but when I demanded Caelina be sent to prison for what she had done, he turned cold. He called it an "honest mistake."

"Shut up!" I snapped, fighting the urge to use my last bit of strength to rush over and tear her apart. "You knew exactly what you did, and you knew it wasn’t a mistake. Aren’t you ashamed? You not only killed my child, but now you’re shamelessly seducing my husband and getting pregnant. You’re nothing but a snake and a slut!"

“Valentina! Watch your mouth!” Damien suddenly growled, his voice sharp as he stood up and stalked toward me. He grabbed my hand roughly, his icy glare sending a chill through me. “I told you to stop blaming Caelina for that mistake. If you want to blame anyone, blame yourself. You weren’t being careful enough, and you fell down the stairs.”

“What did you say?” I asked, my heart aching, the pain in my chest far more unbearable than his grip or the pounding in my head. “You’re blaming me? She killed our child, Damien. I know she was your first love, but are you blind? Or what, do you think with your dick? You can’t see the person she truly is?”

Slap!

For the second time today, I fell to the ground. But this time, it was because my husband—the man who had never laid a hand on me—slapped me without holding back.

“How dare you?!” Damien roared, his voice filled with fury. “Who gave you the right to speak to me like that? Have you forgotten your place? You blame everyone but yourself and always act like the victim, but do you ever stop to think about how I feel—how I want a child to call my own?!”

I could hear him scream despite the ringing in my ears. Every word sliced through me, but my consciousness was already fading. I clung to it, forcing myself to lift my head, staring at him in utter disbelief.

"Y-you slapped me?" I stammered, my voice trembling with astonishment. He only scoffed, his expression cold and unbothered.

"And I'll do it again if you don't shut your mouth," he sneered. "I don't want to see you anymore. Leave this house now. The divorce papers will be delivered by my lawyer. Sign them quietly and don't cause any more drama," he added icily, turning away from me to pull Caelina closer, his arms wrapping possessively around her waist.

Caelina smirked at me, and as they passed by, I finally came to my senses. I scrambled to my feet, rushing to the door to grab onto Damien.

I saw Tessa and her mother by the door, grinning at me, their mocking eyes focused on me. But I didn’t care. I only looked at Damien, tears falling from my eyes.

I should tell him about my illness, that I only had a year left to live. Maybe, just maybe, it would make him reconsider.

But instead of those words, something different slipped from my lips.

“My father would never agree to this divorce, Damien. You would be making a terrible mistake if you divorce me.”

I tried to sound strong, but Damien just looked at me with cold, unfeeling eyes.

“Your father agreed the moment I told him. According to him, an illegitimate child isn’t worth the trouble.”