Chapter 1
“Come to Gilded Heights Hotel for a banquet now,” Ralph Walters said coldly.
Lia Adams was delighted to receive Ralph’s call. “I am at the hospital…”
Ralph ended the call before Lia could explain that she was getting a pregnancy test.
He had been away on a business trip for over two months, and this was the first time he took the initiative to call her.
Even though Ralph was as cold as ever, the call alone was enough to make Lia happy.
He must have prepared a surprise for her since it was their third wedding anniversary.
Lia soon left the hospital after she received her test results. Her tired face glowed with happiness.
She also had some good news to share with him.
It was wonderful to see two joyous occasions happening in a day.
Upon her arrival, Lia was crowded by countless reporters.
They were blocking her way, but she was brimming with happiness.
She thought that Ralph had shared the news about their wedding anniversary. So, when she saw the reporters that came to congratulate them, she waved at them happily.
“Mrs. Walters, you have been married to Mr. Walters for three years now. Are you aware that he has a two–year–old son?”
“Mrs. Walters, what is your take on the child? Would you agree to accept him into the family?”
“Are you both a pretend couple who have your own partners?”
“Are you the mother of the child? Does Mr. Ralph have another partner?”
There had been rumors about Ralph having a child, but Lia hadn’t believed
any of it.
“My husband has been busy, and we don’t have any children yet. He doesn’t have any children outside of our marriage. We are deeply in love, and I trust my husband.”
She had been married to him for three years already. As a result, Lia became adeptly skilled at handling these unexpected situations.
In a spitting distance, Ralph stood straight with a cold and piercing demeanor.
As he greeted others, he saw Lia walking toward him.
His smile faded, and he became as cold as ever.
The next moment, Lia’s smile faltered. Her expression stiffened immediately, and her steps became heavy,
All because she saw a cute little boy in his arma.
The boy was around two years old, and he looked exactly like Ralph.
With a smile in his eyes, Ralph looked at the boy in his arms affectionately,
The woman beside Ralph gently took the boy from him. They looked like a couple who had been together for many years.
That woman was Amber Gray. She had returned!
The little boy resembled both Amber and Ralph. As such, it was difficult for her to convince herself that he was not Ralph’s child.
Lia clenched her fists tightly to restrain her emotions and avoid losing control.
Three years ago, Amber had received money from Ralph’s mother to leave him. After that, she went
overseas.
Ralph was deeply hurt by his girlfriend’s betrayal. Afterward, his behavior changed. No one knew if it was just to seek revenge on his mother, but Ralph turned into a playboy.
Back then, Lia was already in love with Ralph. He had, in passing, saved her from a kidnapping when she was abroad.
From that moment onward, she believed in love at first sight.
After returning home, she joined the Walters Corporation to get closer to Ralph.
But, Ralph had long forgotten who she was.
All she could do was to put in extra effort to improve herself and make him notice her.
Within half a year, she had become his principal secretary.
Shortly after, Ralph’s sister fell so ill that she needed a bone marrow transplant..
During a health checkup, they found out that Lia’s bone marrow was a suitable match.
That was the first time Ralph spoke to her for personal reasons.
He had asked her what it would take for her to agree to donate her bone marrow to his sister.
Lia was willing to donate it, but she didn’t want money in return.
Suppressing her nervousness, she said tentatively, “Marry me.
He was stunned, but he replied carelessly, “Okay.”
He sounded as if he didn’t care who his wife would be at all.
On the flip side, Lia was over the moon. Becoming Mrs. Walters had always been her dream.
For the past three years, she was surrounded with ridicule, humiliation, and neglect. She had also become the subject of gossip and chatter.
It led everyone to harbor continuous expectations for their divorce. Despite that, Lia firmly believed that she would not regret marrying him.
She was confident that she could be a good wife. With time, she believed that she could prove that their marriage was the right choice. One day, Ralph would also fall in love with her.
But now, her confidence and determination has been destroyed.
Ralph walked onto the stage and glanced at the people around. Immediately, the crowd fell silent.
“Thank you everyone for taking the time to celebrate my son Hugo’s birthday. The photos taken by the media today have led to some groundless speculations.”
“I do not wish the situation to impact my child negatively. Thus, I would like to make an official
announcement. Hugo is the son of Lia and I.”
Lia was thunderstruck by Ralph’s speech. As she looked up at him with a stiff and appalled expression, her face turned ghastly pale.
The reporters in the lobby were still around.
They could hear what Ralph had said loud and clear.
She had firmly denied the allegations about Ralph having a son in front of the reporters earlier.
And right after, he admitted that he had a child.
Wasn’t he implying that he had a child unrelated to her?
It felt like she had been slapped straight in the face. Then, a scorching heat enveloped her, and her cheeks were burning hot.
What’s more, it just had to be on the day of their wedding anniversary!
She felt that Ralph had forgotten what day it was. He merely threw a banquet to announce his child’s existence. So, earlier, he had called to inform Lia just so she would attend the event.
Her eyes stung, and her vision blurred. The fickle marriage she had been so desperately trying to maintain over the years had ripped. The scene that unfolded in front of her had shattered all her efforts and self–esteem.
She looked at Ralph. He was still waiting for her to confirm his statement.
Without a single ounce of care for her feelings, Ralph had put her in a situation as such.
Embarrassment, indifference, and humiliation washed over her.
Under the pressure of his intimidating and piercing gaze, her heart racked with pain.
He was humiliating her mercilessly, and Lia felt that it was utterly ridiculous.
She finally realized how naive she was. There never was a chance for her to begin with.
She could never make Ralph fall for her, and she needed to accept the truth. It was time to end it all.
Lia took over the microphone. In a low and steady voice, she said, “Mr. Walters, are you mistaken? I am not the mother of this child. I would also like to know who his mother is.”
The crowd grasped and exchanged wordless glances.
Lia looked at Ralph. She saw the anger and restraint in his eyes.
With a cold look on his face, he replied in a lowered voice, “Lia, what are you doing? Don’t you know what you should be doing in a situation like this? Don’t forget your promise.”
She had promised him that if he married her, she would play her role well as Mrs. Walters. She had assured him that she would never let the Walters family down.
Concealing her disappointment, she wore a bitter smirk and shot him a cold glance.
“Am I the one being unreasonable, or are you the one who’s going too far?”
Her eyes were filled with disappointment. For the last time, she backed down for his sake and said in a lowered voice, “Let’s get a divorce.”
Then, she threw the microphone onto the floor and left the hall.
The crowd fell into complete silence.
Ralph and Lia were married for three years, and his child was two years old.
He hadn’t spent three years away because of work. Instead, it was because he had another family to take care of.
He had told her that he didn’t like children, so they didn’t have any children.
But, it turned out that he only didn’t like to have a child with her.
All this while, Lia had been acting like a clueless fool and tried hard to maintain their marriage.
When she walked out of the hall, she stopped and turned around to take one last look.
She saw Amber carrying their son and comforting him.
Then, she heard a gentle female’s voice.
“Ralph, why did Lia leave? Does she not like Hugo?”
Ralph replied, “Just ignore her.”
