Cesar shot a displeased glance at the man in the corner, his brows tightening. “If that’s the case,” he said coldly, “then I’ll make sure she never finds out.”
“Cesar always has a way…” someone murmured, and the room returned to its lively chatter.
But Naya could only hear the sound of her heart shattering.
Still gripping the doorknob, she slowly crouched down, her body weak and trembling as tears streamed down her cheeks.
So it was true. Her child had died long ago, discarded like trash. The daughter she had loved so deeply, so fiercely, was born of her husband’s affair.
And that husband… had married someone else behind her back, without even a shred of
hesitation.
She was nothing more than a cruel joke.
Her lips parted, as if to speak, but nothing came out. Only more tears. She didn’t understand how things had come to this.
So she ran. When she finally came to her senses, she found several unread messages waiting on her phone.
[Naya, I postponed an important meeting and bought your favorite strawberry pudding, just so we could celebrate our anniversary. Are you happy?]
[Oh, and I have a secret gift too. You’re going to love it. We both will. I’ll be waiting for you to come back.]
Naya stared at the messages, crying, then laughing.
All these years, Cesar had played the role of the perfect husband. He loved her, pampered her, showered her with everything she adored.
She once mentioned loving the aurora, so he flew her to Northern Europe and even bought an island with the best view, just so she could watch the lights dance across the sky.
She loved pink diamonds, so Cesar scoured every auction he could find, collecting pieces one by one until he built an entire exhibition hall filled with them just for her to enjoy.
When Naya became pregnant, he was there through every wave of morning sickness, every prenatal checkup, every ache and discomfort, never missing a moment.
He never avoided the topic of his past. In fact, he had told her openly that he once had a lover, someone he had loved deeply, someone now long gone.
Every year, without fail, Cesar would travel abroad around the same time. He said it was to pay his respects to her.
He had even made a trip abroad the night before their wedding. According to him, it was to visit her grave, to let everything go before starting a new chapter.
But now, Naya knew the truth. It hadn’t been closure. It was a secret reunion.
And she… she had been too blinded by love to see it. She had been played for years.
But now, finally, the veil had lifted. Naya had seen Cesar for who he truly was. It was time to let
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- go. Time to leave him for good.
With that resolve, she pulled out her phone and made a call.
A familiar voice answered, bright with joy. “You’re finally calling me. How have you been all these years?”
Naya’s brows drew together slightly.
She hesitated for a moment before answering, her voice cold and steady. “I’m calling to ask for two favors. That doesn’t mean I’ve forgiven you.”
There was a beat of silence, then a sincere reply, “What are they? Tell me. If it’s within my power
I’ll do it.”
“First,” Naya said, “help me fake an accident. I want to disappear from Cesar’s life… forever.”
“What? Don’t you love Cesar more than anyone?” The voice on the other end spiked with disbelief.
Naya didn’t respond. Tears slid down her cheeks as she made her second request, voice trembling. “I want you to investigate my childbirth.”
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