"Should I rub your feet, Mother?"
In a luxurious living room, a middle-aged woman sat adorning herself with jewelry while another woman in her thirties stood beside her, watching with a small smile.
While the elderly woman was dressed in expensive, shiny clothes, the younger woman wore faded blue jeans and a plain white shirt, her hair tied up in a messy bun.
Upon hearing her, the middle-aged woman paused to glared at her with hostility.
"Why? Do you think that'll make me forget you've been married to my son for eight years and still haven't given him a child?"
Instantly, Ayla Caddel's eyes dropped sadly.
Yes, that was true, but had she not noticed she got STDs from…
Talia Dawson immediately sensed something off and turned to glare at her daughter-in-law again.
"Oh, don't go blaming my poor son for giving you STDs. You two were married long before he gave you that disease. Instead of blaming him, thank him for making it impossible to tell that you're naturally barren."
Ayla squeezed out a smile and nodded in agreement.
Of course, she knew.
She hadn't conceived for three years after their marriage, yet Ezra got another woman pregnant after sleeping with her just twice.
The problem was obviously hers, which was why she had been undergoing fertility treatment for the past five years.
Talia watched Ayla's reaction in satisfaction.
Crossing her leg on the other, she smacked her lips in irritation.
"My son works hard at the office every day to put food on the table, but you come back from that clothing store late and still delay dinner."
"Don't you know it's better to finish your work on time so you can return early to do the house chores and cook for the household?"
"My apologies, Mother. I just wanted to be sure you're fine before starting dinner," Ayla solemnly apologized, turning to leave, but paused when Talia's phone rang.
The way she reached for it so eagerly made it obvious it was her so calling.
As someone who equally loved her son, Ayla quickly turned back to her, nervously fidgeting with her fingers as she strained her ears to hear the conversation.
"Yes, my son! Oh? You have nothing to worry about!"
Talia was grinning from ear to ear as she spoke.
When the call ended, she tossed the phone onto the space beside her and lowered her eyes to inspect her manicured finger, addressing Ayla without looking at her.
"My son is coming home with two people and has some news to deliver. So make sure the food is delicious so it doesn't ruin the mood."
"O-of course, Mother!" Ayla nodded vigorously, her face instantly brightening up as she strutted off to the kitchen.
The smile didn't leave her face as she began making dinner.
Some news to deliver.
Surely, Silas had seen the fertility results she'd mailed to him and was thrilled she was finally fertile.
Finally, she could make babies with the man she loved so deeply—the one who had swept her off her feet eight years ago.
Though she lost many things along the way, she slept better at night knowing he loved her and stayed by her side all these years she was barren.
Sure, he cheated a few times, but it was in men's nature, and he had promised never to do it again.
He was so caring he hadn't touched her in the last five years because he didn't want to interfere with her fertility treatment.
Three hours later, a tired Ayla, who returned from her 8–5 and started dinner immediately, felt her exhaustion vanish when she heard Silas Locke's bubbly voice as he entered the house.
She quickly plated everything and filled the table.
In her excitement, she barely acknowledged the gloomy man in the corner and rushed toward Silas to give him a hug.
However, as she hastily set down the tray and tried to hug him, he stepped away, making her slip.
Silas saw this, but didn't budge.
Her head was just about to collide with the sharp edge of the table when a hand shot out from nowhere and shielded her from the impact.
The room fell into stunned silence.
Then came Silas's frantic, pleading voice.
"W-what? I'm so sorry about this, Mr. Hale. This woman is just a clumsy little fool!"
Ezra Hale was not a new name to Ayla.
He was, after all, the only reason Silas had made it big in the industry so quickly.
Realizing he was the one who saved her, she was so shaken she didn't dare raise her head and fervently apologized with her head still lowered.
"I'm so sorry, Mr. Jake. Please forgive this clumsy woman!"
"It's fine." The man's cool voice filled the room almost immediately.
Only then did Talia release the breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
Now relieved, she turned toward Ayla, chastising her angrily, "Mr. Hale is worth more than you think. And now a worthless thing like you has dared to touch him. Do you think we can afford to offend someone like him?"
Ayla clenched her jaw, still apologizing. "I'll be more careful. Please forgive me!"
The words had barely left her mouth when…
Smack!
Her head forcefully whipped to the side from the impact of the slap and her eyes bulged, not out of disbelief, but out of confusion.
"Ho-honey, I apologized to Mr. Hale."
Silas pointed a trembling finger at her nose, his voice shaking with rage.
"You—how many times have I told you not to come near me right after you've come out of the kitchen? Look how dirty you are! How dare you touch me?"
"I-I was just so excited to see you." Holding her slapped cheek, Ayla's eyes welled with tears as she slowly turned to look at him.
Seeing this, Silas scoffed and placed both hands over his hip, leering at her.
"What? You're crying? I barely even hit you!"
Talia huffed. "There she goes with the fake tears again. You did something wrong and now you're crying because my son corrected you? You're not the victim here—Mr. Hale is!"
"Honey, since it's come to this, why don't we just give her the divorce agreement and tell her the news?" A woman Ayla hadn't noticed earlier suddenly spoke from behind her.
She blinked back her tears, stunned at the familiarity.
That voice…
Why did it sound so much like the woman Silas had…
As the thought formed, the woman stepped beside Silas, casually entangling her arm with his.
Seeing Elena Simmons, Ayla paused.
This woman…. came to their home six years ago and outrightly told her Silas kept her as a mistress.
Of course she confronted him, but he didn't deny it and apologized. Then he vowed not to do such a thing again.
Such honestly made it easy to forgive him. He had always been so honest, so she didn't want to jump to conclusions.
Recalling the last time she had jumped to conclusions and accused Silas of cheating, it turned out he was just being nice to a mannerless store attendant.
So forcing on a smile, she exhaled shakily, "Wh-what is going on, Silas? Why is she here?"
Silas simply reached for a pen and paper inside his bag and tossed them toward her, then gripped Elena's hand tighter, announcing with a straight face.
"Elena is pregnant. I don't want my child born out of wedlock, so I've decided to be with her instead. Let's get a divorce."