Chapter 3

Thinking I was wavering because of Julian, he quickly added:

"Yes! We've raised Julian for ten years. Ever since we brought him home from the orphanage as a baby, you said it was fate."

Seeing my guard slip slightly, he walked over and wrapped his arms around me, trying to soothe me the way he always did.

In his embrace, a memory flashed in my mind.

It was when Julian first came to our house.

He was only three or four months old, and he wouldn't sleep at night. Stockton and I took turns holding him, staying up all night.

Stockton would hold Julian just like this, patting his back and softly singing lullabies to him.

Back then, I thought he was the gentlest man in the world.

I felt so incredibly lucky to be his wife. I wondered if he would be even happier if I could give him a biological child.

But I couldn't. Due to some health issues, my chances of getting pregnant were extremely low. For the first four years of our marriage, we never used protection, yet I never got pregnant.

I used to feel so guilty and broken over it.

But he had comforted me, saying, "It’s okay, Caroline. Having you and Julian is already the greatest blessing of my life."

I didn't say anything else that night, and Stockton assumed he had successfully calmed me down.

But he forgot one thing. I had always said I would never throw the word "divorce" around lightly. But once I said it, I would never look back.

The next day, I packed my bags and moved back to my parents' house, leaving the father and son in our marital home.

Stockton didn't object. He claimed I was just in a bad mood and that spending time with my parents would help clear my head.

I played a song on repeat—a sad ballad about being the third wheel in one's own relationship.

I'm just a shadow in your perfect picture, always there but never seen.

My finger slipped, and I accidentally shared the song to my public Instagram story.

Five minutes later, I saw that Stockton had posted a quote on his private account: Some people aren't meant to belong to you, but it was still nice meeting them.

Ha. I had just provided him with fresh material for his tragic romance.

He was really pushing my limits.

On the third day of moving back, I sat in my father’s study, sorting through our marital assets.

When Stockton married me, he had absolutely nothing. It was my father's financial backing and professional connections that paved the way for his career to take off.

I could accept that he fooled my heart—that was on my own stupidity. But he was not taking my money.

When my dad pushed the door open to call me for dinner, Stockton's voice drifted in. He was downstairs, chatting with my mother about the real estate market.

He was always so smooth. He talked about art with my dad, business with my mom, and played the romantic hero with me.

When I sat down at the dinner table, Stockton looked over with a warm smile. He mysteriously pulled a designer gift bag from behind his back.

"The new seasonal bag. I picked it up for you the moment it hit the store. I also came to take you home."

I kept my head down and ate without saying a word. Sensing the tension, my dad playfully scolded me in front of Stockton for being stubborn.

Watching Stockton act as if nothing had happened, I sighed inwardly.

My mom asked, "Where's Julian? Why didn't he come to dinner?"

"I sent him to my mother's place for the weekend. Caroline and I had a little misunderstanding, so I’m taking her home for some quality couple time."

My mom laughed. "Stockton, you're always so romantic. When Harrison makes me mad, he just tells me to calm down. He even made me angry yesterday!"

Stockton pulled out another gift bag with a smile.

"Then it looks like I bought the right gift. The associate said this style suits you perfectly, Mom. See if you like it."

My mom loved receiving gifts, and she was always the best hype-woman.

She pulled the bag out, immediately draped it over her shoulder, and asked my dad, "How do I look, Harrison?"

"Beautiful, beautiful! Anything Stockton buys looks good on you!"

I rested my chin on my hand, watching the three of them. I felt like whatever I said right now would just ruin the perfect family picture.

I almost regretted finding that private account. It had shattered a very comfortable illusion.

Right then, Stockton’s phone rang. It was a custom ringtone he had set specifically for Julian.

My mom hadn't seen Julian in a while, so she gestured for Stockton to put it on speaker.

But as soon as he picked up, Julian’s panicked voice screamed through the speaker:

"Dad! Quickly go online! Mom got hurt on set!"

Stockton’s smile instantly shattered. My parents froze in their tracks.

Aside from me, my dad was the first to snap out of it. He frowned. "Julian has another mom?"

Stockton’s face turned white, and he couldn't speak. Hearing my dad's voice, Julian realized his mistake, went quiet, and instantly hung up.

Stockton had been my dad's student for half his life. He sat there, stiff as a board, not daring to say a word.

My dad turned his sharp gaze to me. "You suddenly moved back. You found out something, didn't you? If he won't talk, you tell me."