Fifteen minutes later, Levin Martin pulled up, tires screeching.

"Really? We can get the license? You and me?"

His eyes barely hid his joy—and disbelief.

"Cut the crap. Got your ID?"

Levin muttered, "I dropped a 135-million deal to come here. Can't even ask one question?"

But after we got the license, he kept staring at the paper.

"I really married you, Clarissa? You're my wife now?"

Then he apologized, saying he had to head back and finish the deal, and told me to take a cab home.

While I waited for the car, Caelum pulled up with Vivienne.

"Get in."

I tapped the bag holding the marriage license and opened the door.

"This is for you."

He handed me a box. Inside was a silk scarf.

Caelum was always like this—after upsetting me, he'd give me a small gift.

Then we silently agreed to drop it, like nothing had happened.

Vivienne touched her handbag calmly.

Then she glanced at the scarf in the box. It was just a freebie from the handbag.

I acted like I didn't notice, like always, and set the gift box aside.

Vivienne smirked with a mocking smile.

"Where to?" I asked.

Caelum looked at Vivienne with a soft gaze.

"Pick up a gift. Then we'll go back to the Powell's manor."

That was when I remembered—today was his grandfather, Ronald Powell's, 80th birthday.

We had agreed to attend.

It's just as well. I could say goodbye to Ronald.

In the rearview mirror, Caelum kept sneaking glances at me. Then, for once, he explained, "Clarissa, don't overthink. Vivienne being pregnant alone... people will talk.

"If we raise the baby under our name, she can get married more easily in the future."

I said flatly, "True. Out-of-wedlock pregnancies ruin reputations. No boyfriend makes it worse. Best to raise the baby under your name."

Vivienne's face turned purple with anger. She snapped, "You..."

Caelum corrected me, "Under our name."

Then looked at me, full of hope.

I let out a cold laugh. "And if I say no?"

His face darkened instantly.

"Then we break up."

"Fine," I said.

His face eased slightly.

But my "fine" meant break up.

He must've misunderstood.

Then he said, "See, Clare? If you'd been this obedient earlier, we'd have the license by now."

I didn't answer. I just stared out the window at the rushing scenery.

Like our three-year relationship, flying away from me.

Vivienne was the same age as Caelum. She was adopted by Ronald.

She was always the thorn between us.

When we dated, Caelum brought her along.

When we ate, she was there.

Even in the house we lived in, she had a room.

I brought it up many times. He'd always say, "She's my aunt. What do you want me to do?"

They grew up together. Their bond ran deep.

Every time he said that, I'd drop it.

But Vivienne never knew her place, always acting overly close to him.

When they got out to pick up the gift, she purposely held onto his arm.

From the back, they looked just like a couple.

And I stayed in the car—like an outsider.

That was how it had been for three years. Like I was the third wheel.

But it took me two years to win him over. No way I'm letting him go.

He knew that. That was why he kept leaving me at the City Hall.

As I drifted through the memories, my phone rang. It was Levin.

"Honey, I signed the deal. But I have to meet clients tonight. Might be home late.

"I'll call you when I'm done."

That was when it hit me. I was already someone else's wife.

It happened so fast, and I hadn't adjusted to the role yet.

But when I answered Levin's call, I felt more relaxed than ever.

"Who was that?"

Caelum opened the car door just as I hung up.

His eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"Just a friend."

I didn't know why, but I didn't want to tell him I'd gotten the license with Levin.

Vivienne got in too, carrying the gift box.

After setting it down, she kept rubbing her hands together, blowing on them.

"So cold."

Caelum immediately wrapped her hands in his. "Let me warm them."

As if I wasn't even in the car.

In that moment, I felt lucky he left me at the City Hall.

If we'd really gotten married, how could I survive decades of this kind of intimacy between them?

I gently shook my head.

"Caelum, it was freezing outside just now. Is my baby okay?"

At her words, Caelum looked visibly nervous.

He quickly took off the rosary on his wrist and fastened it around Vivienne's.

She glanced at me through the rearview mirror with a smug smile.

That rosary—I had climbed the steps of a hillside chapel while on my period, all 999 of them, just to beg for it.

It rained on the way down. I nearly got swept away.

When I gave it to him two years ago, he'd cried and said he'd wear it for life.

Just two years later, and he gave it away like it was nothing.

The memories flashed past like shooting stars. I fought back tears.

Then I grabbed Vivienne's wrist, ripped off the rosary, and flung it out the window.

A flash of anger crossed her face. Then she blinked away fake tears. "Caelum, why's Clarissa mad? Is it because you gave me the rosary? Even if she's upset, she shouldn't throw it away. It was yours. She really doesn't care about you at all."

Caelum's face turned stormy. "Clarissa, what nonsense are you pulling now? It's just a stupid rosary, not some priceless heirloom. Why can't I give it to Vivienne? If you keep being like this, I can't marry you."

I sneered. "Then don't. Big deal."

He got even angrier.

But wasn't I the one who should be mad in the first place?

He clenched his jaw and started driving fast, blowing through two red lights.

When we arrived, Ronald had already pulled Vivienne into a room.

"Whose baby is it? If you can't get engaged, get rid of it. No daughter of the Powell family has a child out of wedlock."

Even from afar, I could hear him shouting—and her sobbing.

Caelum looked deeply worried.

He pulled me aside and spoke solemnly.

"Clarissa, you see how hard things are for her.

"Go tell Grandpa you can't have kids. Say she's carrying ours—she's just a surrogate.

"You're afraid of pain anyway. This way, you won't have to give birth."

I shook off his hand.

"You want me to lie and say I'm infertile? Just to help Vivienne? Are you insane? Or is that your baby?"

His face went dark. He clearly wasn't pleased.

"Clarissa Juventino!" he barked.

"What the hell are you talking about? How could I do something like that?

"Weren't you the one in the car just now agreeing so nicely?"

I let out a cold laugh.

"Everything you've done—I couldn't list it all in one day if I tried."

He suddenly grabbed my wrist.

"Clarissa, if you still want to marry me, you'll accept the baby and stop making things up about me and Vivienne. Otherwise, we're over.

"Think carefully."

Before I could reply, he shoved me away and walked off.

Near the end of the party, I was about to say goodbye to Ronald.

But as I turned the corner, Caelum suddenly grabbed me and dragged me out to the terrace.

Vivienne was waiting there.

Her eyes were red.

Caelum gripped my wrist tightly, his voice cold as ice.

"Clarissa, I need a clear answer today. Will you put the baby under your name or not?"

I struggled, but he didn't let go.

"Caelum, let go. You care so much about this baby—it must be yours."

The moment I said it, I saw a flash of panic on Vivienne's face.

His grip tightened. My wrist throbbed in pain.

"Still slandering me? I've been way too lenient with you."

He grabbed my chin with his other hand.

"Grandpa scolded Vivienne today. Seeing her embarrassed made you happy, didn't it?

"If I'd known how vicious you were, I never would've said yes when you chased me."

He used to say that during every argument. And every time, I gave in and comforted him.

No matter whose fault it was—it was always mine.

I apologized. I promised to do better. Until he grudgingly forgave me.

But this time, I swallowed my anger and said softly but firmly, "It's not too late. Let's break up."

Caelum froze.

He let go of my wrist and stepped back.

His eyes scanned my face in disbelief.

"Clarissa, are you serious?"

Before I could answer, he cut in, "You know me. If I agree to break up, you won't even get the chance to regret it.

"Don't ever throw that word around again in front of me."

Then he turned and walked out.

I turned the other way.

This place, the Powell family—none of it had anything to do with me anymore.

I'd just taken a step when Vivienne shoved me hard.

I instinctively grabbed her arm.

We both tumbled down the terrace stairs.

She landed on top of me.

It hurt. I pushed her off.

She rolled to the ground.

I twisted up, sat, and slapped her across the face.

So hard my hand stung.

Caelum heard the noise and turned back.

He shouted "Vivienne!" loud enough to shake the whole hall.

He rushed over, kicked me aside, and scooped her up.

"Vivienne, are you okay? Where does it hurt?"

She looked fragile as ever.

"It hurts. She hit me."

She pointed at me. Tears streamed instantly.

Caelum looked at me like he could kill.

"Clarissa, this time I won't let it slide. Just wait."

"You're not even gonna ask why?" I shouted, my eyes wet too.

Part from pain.

But more than that—he always believed Vivienne over me.

Three years, and nothing changed.

He didn't answer. Just carried her out.

After a few steps, he turned back.

"Clarissa, come to the hospital too. If anything happens to her, I'm calling the cops."

His voice was cold as death.

Everything hurt.

Especially my leg—Vivienne had fallen right on it.

My elbow hit the ground, blood all over.

Anyone could see I was more injured.

But to Caelum, I might as well have been invisible. All he saw was his precious Vivienne.

I stood up, barely, grabbed my coat, and followed them to the car.

He drove even faster than before. Almost hit the guardrail.

As he drove, he kept saying, "Vivienne, stay awake. We're almost there."

Like she was dying.

Vivienne, hearing that, acted like she was barely hanging on—even though she was just on her phone minutes ago.

At the hospital, after they drew her blood, Vivienne made me hold the cotton on her arm.

Once I was done, I quietly kept the cotton ball.

They ran the tests. It turned out she just had mild anemia.

The baby was fine, growing perfectly.

The moment he heard "anemia," Caelum broke into a cold sweat.

"Anemia? What now?

"Oh right, Vivienne has a rare blood type. Clarissa does too. She can donate to her."

He dragged me straight to the doctor.

The doctor looked at him and said mockingly, "Mild anemia is common in women. No need for a transfusion."

But Caelum wouldn't listen.

"She needs blood today. She's pregnant. If something happens, you won't be able to handle it."

The doctor tried to reason with him again, but Caelum pulled out his business card.

"This hospital is funded by my family. If you don't want to lose your job, draw her blood now."

Seeing how stubborn he was, I tried to break free and leave.

The doctor noticed my reluctance and sighed. "Even if we use her blood, she still needs to consent."

He looked at me, waiting.

"I don't want to. Why should my blood go to someone else?"

Caelum grabbed my wrist tighter.

"Clarissa, try to understand. Vivienne is pregnant. She can't be harmed."

"But I can, right?"

My voice shook with anger.

I couldn't believe this was the man I'd spent so much time with.

Caelum hesitated for a second.

But he still didn't let go.

"Clare, be good. After the transfusion, we'll get our marriage license tomorrow.

"You've always wanted that, right? I won't go back on my word this time."

I kept shaking off his hand and shouted, "Let go! Let go!"

He still refused.

Then started calling for security to hold me down.

Panicked, I called Levin. "Help me—"

Before he could answer, my phone was smacked to the ground.

His voice still came through the speaker.

"Clare? What's wrong? Where are you?"

But the noise drowned him out.

They dragged me into the blood draw room.

I couldn't move at all.

I've always had heavy periods. Chronic anemia.

Been treated many times, with little effect.

Caelum knew that.

He even referred me to a traditional medicine doctor.

But now, in front of his aunt, he could be deaf, blind, and mute.

My health wasn't worth a single hair on Vivienne's head.

Tears streamed down uncontrollably.

As the nurse brought the needle closer, I shut my eyes in despair.

Then—footsteps. Chaotic and fast.

Seven or eight people rushed in.

"Who the hell is taking my wife's blood?"

It was Levin.