After five years of marriage, my husband suggested we try an open marriage.

He thought I would reject the idea, but the moment I heard the words, my eyes lit up.

An open marriage?

Did that mean I could finally be with the father of my unborn child—out in the open, without guilt?

***

When Oliver Tobt spoke those words, my mind was still trying to grasp their meaning.

I stood there, stunned. He waited, watching me, irritation creeping into his eyes.

"Marie, you know how it is. Feelings diminish over time," he said.

"Our life now is like we're stuck in still water, incapable of creating any ripples.

"Why don't we stay married while exploring new experiences?

"This way, we can keep our shared interests alive without squandering the years ahead. It'll be beneficial for both of us."

Sitting next to me, he held my hand while trying to convince me.

It was only then that I snapped out of my trance. I quietly lowered my gaze.

I couldn't help thinking what good luck I had. I held back the surge of emotion, regained my composure, and gazed at him with tears brimming in my eyes.

"Does it really have to come to this?"

Oliver sighed, his voice tinged with resignation.

"Marie, I genuinely have no feelings for you anymore.

"Whether you accept it or not, it's an unchangeable truth."

I lowered my head, my eyes momentarily catching the red mark on his neck. But I didn't feel any emotional stir.

After a prolonged silence, I spoke up in an aggrieved and helpless voice.

"Alright, I agree."

As soon as I spoke, Oliver exhaled with obvious relief.

Perhaps realizing the harshness of his reaction, he quickly added a reassurance.

"Don't worry, Marie. I promise no one from outside will ever trouble you."

After he spoke, he quickly stood up, pulled his hand away without the slightest hesitation, and hurried out—leaving behind only his fading silhouette.

"I have to go. There's still work to do at the company."

As the door clicked shut and his figure disappeared from view, the room fell into silence once more.

Once he was gone, I sank onto the couch with my limbs sprawled out, unable to contain the smile that crept onto my face.

To be honest, he wasn't the only one feeling weary of this marriage.

I, too, had long since lost the affection I once held for him. It had been buried under the dull routine of everyday life.

But caught up in the complexities of property division and the challenges of divorce, I ended up hesitating over it for years, never finding the right moment to bring it up.

Never would I have imagined him to suggest such a mutually beneficial solution. Of course, I welcomed it.

I could hardly wait to share this exciting news with my lover, Adam Fallon.

When I hurried over to Adam's house, I found him shirtless with just an apron on. He was busy cooking in the kitchen.

A delicious smell filled the air, and his impressive abs were a sight to behold.

The spark that had slowly dimmed in my marriage was suddenly rekindled. I quietly approached and embraced him from behind.

Adam smiled, took my hand, and softly kissed the back of it.

"What brings you here so soon?"

I playfully slipped my hand beneath his apron.

"Can't a girl miss her sweetheart?"

The cheesy line left my lips effortlessly, causing Adam's cheeks to turn a soft pink.

I loved his innocent expression and eagerly leaned in to kiss him.

He set the final dish on the table, then lifted me onto his lap and tenderly caressed my belly.

"Has the baby been restless lately? Do you feel any discomfort?"

I shook my head with a grin, taking in his handsome face up close.

"No, the baby is as well-behaved as you."

He breathed a sigh of relief, though his cheeks still held a hint of color.

"I'm glad. I was afraid you'd be in pain."

As I accepted the food he offered, I was reminded of the true reason for my visit.

"Oliver mentioned he wants an open marriage."

Adam's expression suddenly became uncharacteristically stiff at the mention of Oliver's name.

"Is it because of that secretary of his?"

I nodded, then shook my head.

"It's not just her. He's been unfaithful with others too."

Adam laughed derisively.

"What an idiot."

I smiled, neither agreeing nor denying.

"Did you agree to it?" he asked.

I nodded again.

Adam gently wiped the sauce from the corner of my mouth before offering me another bite.

"That's fine with me. This way, we can be together openly, and the baby can have a legitimate status sooner than we had initially thought."

Drawn in by Adam's handsome features, I paid no mind to the insignificant Oliver.

I lifted his chin and playfully teased, "Your lips are moving too fast for me to follow. I just want to kiss you."

As expected, Adam's ears flushed a deep red.

Our eyes locked, and we shared a long, tender kiss.

Only when we were breathless, and a thread of saliva connected our lips did we reluctantly pull apart.

The atmosphere around us grew warm, and just as things were about to escalate, my phone chimed with a notification.

Adam grabbed the phone before I could reach it.

As I leaned over, I saw that Oliver had sent just a photo.

In it, a man was holding a woman in his arms. She was showing off an enormous gemstone ring, which sparkled brilliantly and screamed extravagance.

Although the photo was cropped to hide their faces, I instantly recognized Oliver.

The woman with him was his secretary, Sally Basom.

Adam recognized them as well and snorted, his expression full of mockery.

"Tacky beyond words."

I smiled and gave him a comforting kiss on the cheek.

This didn't seem typical of Oliver. Sally must have used his phone to send it.

To be honest, this wasn't the first occurrence. When Sally first started her affair with Oliver, she had already tried to provoke me.

At that time, I still had feelings for Oliver, and receiving such a blatant challenge sent me into a furious rage. I ended up losing all control of my emotions.

Naturally, I went to confront Oliver and ended up having a massive argument with him—even going so far as to demand that he fire Sally.

And what did he say to me back then?

He called me unreasonably and said I was beyond help.

I could still vividly recall the scene. He was sitting in the CEO's chair that I had just vacated, giving me a cold look and speaking in an indifferent tone.

"Marie, Sally, and I are just colleagues. Stop causing a fuss over nothing.

"You've been away from the company for too long and no longer understand how it operates or is managed. It's best if you don't meddle in personnel matters."

During this confrontation, Sally was standing next to him, gazing at me with a blend of victimhood and challenge.

"Mrs. Tobt, Mr. Tobt and I have nothing more than a typical superior-subordinate relationship. Please don't read too much into it."

She continued, "I understand you're worried about Mr. Tobt leaving you, but I've worked tirelessly to secure this position. It's unfair for you to accuse me like this."

Her words were so plaintive, pulling at everyone's emotions, that I appeared as the spiteful, envious wife.

Observing their ambiguous exchanges that lingered just shy of crossing any boundaries, coupled with the unspoken code they shared in covering for one another, left me with a profound sense of emptiness in my heart.

As I exited the office, I noticed the employees had just returned to their desks, their eyes still sparkling with gossip and excitement.

Their mocking and sarcastic looks were directed at me, making each step feel overwhelmingly challenging. I felt akin to a stray dog cast out by its owner, utterly disoriented and adrift.

For a long while after that, Sally kept provoking me in every way imaginable.

I watched as Oliver showered her with flowers and designer bags while he only gave me leftovers and freebies. I saw him take her to various banquets while I was left confined at home like a disgraced mistress who was unable to show my face in public.

I was overwhelmed with endless pain, feeling like nothing more than a walking shell.

"Stop thinking about him." Adam's voice snapped me back to the present.

He buried his face into my neck, biting softly but insistently. His voice was muffled when he spoke again.

"Don't you dare think about him?"

I chuckled quietly and gently held his face.

His eyes were like a vast galaxy, reflecting the dim, fragmented light. I saw my own reflection in them.

Had I not met him after the whole incident, I couldn't fathom what sort of path my life would have taken.

Oliver had broken me into pieces, yet there were still those who cared for me, enduring numerous challenges to help me put myself back together.

I would never repeat that mistake.

The following day, it was already 1:00 p.m. by the time I arrived home.

As I rubbed my aching thighs and opened the door, I noticed Oliver in the living room, looking impatient.

His expression showed clear annoyance when he saw me enter.

"Where have you been? You didn't come home last night either, and you ignored my messages."

I checked my phone and saw multiple messages from him.

"I had my phone on silent mode and didn't realize. What's going on?"

He let out a breath and settled onto the couch, crossing his long legs.

"It's nothing serious. There's this woman who's been bothering me. I need you to take care of it."

I stopped in my tracks and shot him a look filled with clear displeasure.

Although it wasn't the first time, Oliver's audacity still left me speechless.

Even before Sally came into the picture, I had handled similar situations for him.

The first time, I had no clue what the real story was as Oliver had merely described her as an overly attached admirer.

When I went to address the issue, I was met with a distraught, shattered young woman instead.

The young woman hadn't finished college yet. When we first met, she eyed me cautiously and inquired about my identity.

Upon revealing that I was Oliver's wife, she realized he was already married.

Overcome with emotion, she burst into tears, knowing she had been misled.

She confessed that in an effort to please Oliver, she had risked an encounter with him that resulted in a ruptured corpus luteum. Now, just as she was recovering, Oliver was ending things with her.

Her cries were loud, and in her distress, she spoke openly.

Onlookers stared at us, some with sympathy and others with ridicule.

It was at that moment that I discovered the full extent of Oliver's infidelity. He had been deceiving me in numerous ways for a long time.

And since he had the audacity to ask me to deal with this situation, it was clear he wasn't worried about me discovering the truth.

That day, I went back home feeling bewildered and started asking him a barrage of questions. He offered a heartfelt apology, embraced me, and insisted he had just been momentarily confused and promised it wouldn't happen again.

Despite my disappointment, I couldn't bring myself to be resolute and end our relationship over his mistake.

Reflecting on it now, his smirk and nonchalant demeanor at the time seemed to mock me.

He was confident that I wouldn't end things because of this, which was why he kept making the same mistakes without qualms.

Taking a deep inhale, I didn't hesitate as I headed straight upstairs.

"Deal with your own problems. I'm done cleaning up your messes."

Oliver paused for a moment, his expression thoughtful.

After a while, he remarked, "You seem different."

I glanced back at him.

His eyes roved over me from head to toe before stopping on my face and then my slightly rounded belly.

"More open-minded, more attractive, and a bit heavier too."

I pressed my lips together and turned away to continue upstairs, all while suppressing a laugh.

What a self-assured man.

I wondered how long his self-assurance would last.

Days passed. Oliver kept up with his playful antics with Sally outside, and I continued to receive a daily flood of provocative messages from her.

I chose to ignore them, maintaining my affectionate demeanor with Adam.

My marriage with Oliver had long become a mere formality, with no real reason to persist.

I wanted to pursue a divorce but had always struggled to find the right moment to discuss it with him.

If I were to bring it up impulsively, Oliver's pride would never allow him to endure such embarrassment. It would only prolong the situation and make it more complicated.

However, I didn't anticipate that Oliver would be more eager for it than I was.

One day, he unexpectedly came home shortly after his working hours. He took my hand, sat me down, and spoke sincerely.

"Marie, I need to talk to you about something."

I blinked, signaling for him to go ahead.

He hesitated and thought over his words for a long while, which was uncharacteristic of him, before finally saying, "Marie, Sally is expecting a baby."

I was stunned.

Concerned about my reaction, he gently took my hand and continued, "Marie, please don't read too much into this. Her pregnancy wasn't planned, but I genuinely want this child.

"Your health isn't the best, and after the last miscarriage, it's not safe for you to get pregnant again. I've been worried about bringing this up for fear of hurting you.

"But I've been longing for a child this whole time. Now that Sally's pregnant, I don't want to abandon this opportunity."

I took a deep breath and asked, "So, you want a divorce to reassure her?"

Oliver nodded and quickly spoke up once more.

"But don't worry. We can remarry after the baby is born, and you can raise the child. It won't affect our relationship."

I glanced at him with a faint smile, feeling the slightest bit entertained.

How could he dare say such things?

It all clicked now. His suggestion for an open marriage, his insistence on involving me with his issues with other women—everything was for the baby Sally was expecting.

Men would truly stop at nothing to reach their objectives, treating everyone as mere tools.

But what made him think a wealthy heiress like me would repeatedly tolerate his sleaziness, let alone agree to raise his mistress' child?

No matter. His wishes coincided with mine. All that mattered was wrapping up the property settlement.

I looked down, contemplating for a moment before saying, "Alright, I agree."

Oliver was startled, clearly surprised by my swift concession. His eyes studied me with a new intensity.

"Are... you sure?"

I nodded.

"Even if it's just a sham divorce, we need to properly finalize the property distribution."

A heavy silence filled the room until Oliver slowly nodded.

"Okay."

Having planned ahead, my divorce with Oliver went smoothly, allowing me to move out right away so I wouldn't miss any time with Adam.

Adam was thrilled when he heard the news and quickly asked me to marry him. Each day, he would embrace me and excitedly discuss wedding plans.

One moment, he was debating the venue; the next, he was fixated on finding the perfect style for our wedding rings. It was a stark contrast to his normally decisive nature.

Ultimately, I decided we should get our marriage certificate first and have the wedding ceremony after the baby arrived.

Happiness truly seemed to be the best thing for a thriving life. With Adam's attentive care during my pregnancy, I barely experienced any discomfort.

Being so worry-free, I even put on a few weight.

The only thing that bothered me was a message I received from a long-time company employee.

They mentioned that ever since my divorce from Oliver, Sally had been openly flaunting their relationship both at work and on social media, acting as if she was concerned people wouldn't realize she was a mistress who had broken up a family.

She showed no shame, strutting around the office daily with her pregnant belly.

Despite her role as a mere secretary, she frequently crossed boundaries by taking control of matters, defying her superiors, and pretending to have knowledge she lacked, which annoyed numerous employees.

Even more troubling, Sally used this as a chance to undermine the veteran employees who were aligned with me. She seized every opportunity to dock their pay and performance bonuses, even reallocating their projects to others.

Oliver just ignored it all, acting as if he were unaware.

The veteran employees were full of complaints and approached me, hoping I would reclaim authority in the company.

I had been cautious before my marriage, cleverly wording the contract to limit Oliver's rights. Otherwise, reclaiming authority in the company would've been impossible.

However, none of this required immediate attention. I was eight months along, and the baby was due soon, so these issues had to be set aside for the time being. I'd gather my strength after childbirth and address the situation then.

As my pregnancy progressed, Adam's anxiety increased.

He attended every prenatal appointment with me. He had been personally managing everything regarding my pregnancy, and this occasion was no different.

Thankfully, the doctor assured us that the baby was healthy, so we just needed to be patient until the delivery.

As we exited the hospital, Adam let out a deep sigh of relief.

He reached over to support my round belly, resting his chin on my shoulder. Although we were expecting a child, his voice was filled with concern rather than joy.

"Marie, I was so terrified. Thank goodness you and the baby are alright.

"If anything were to happen to you, I'd rather we never had this child."

I gently tapped his forehead, feeling both amused and a bit irritated.

"What are you talking about? Everything will be fine."

Only then did Adam ease up and give me a kiss on the cheek.

As we reluctantly separated, I spotted two figures lingering behind us.

My cheeks reddened, and I was about to push Adam away when the figures struck me as oddly familiar.

When I turned around, I locked eyes with Oliver, who looked utterly taken aback.

His eyes locked on my visibly pregnant belly, filled with genuine disbelief.

He exclaimed, "Marie, you're expecting? It's not mine?"