CARTER’S POV:My wife seems like a different person now.How can I make her see reason when she’s so damn stubborn? My threats aren’t working, even bankruptcy doesn’t faze her anymore. I need to find a way to reach her heart again.A bottle of beer dangled loosely from my fingertips, my other hand absentmindedly massaging my cheek where the sting of Hazel's slap still lingers, days after the fact. The memory of her angry and pained face flashes before my eyes again.“It’s just a kiss,” I hiss.We’re married, for crying out loud! Her need to humiliate me in front of the other families was evident in every fiery word she spat. To add insult to injury, she found herself a divorce lawyer – Marius Thorne, of all people!Marius is known for his ruthlessness in the courtroom, his unyielding determination to win at any cost. I drain the last dregs of beer from the bottle and set it down on the bedside table with a hollow thud. Rising from the couch, I make my way to the bathroom.I sink int

LILIAN’S POV:Is Carter really over Hazel, or is he just saying that to keep me around? I see the way he looks when he talks about her, and it makes me wonder if I'm just a distraction. My reverie is interrupted when a sharp desperate knock comes to my door.As I fling the door open, my irritation evaporates. Standing at the threshold, swaying slightly, is Carter."Carter," I breathe as I take in his disheveled appearance. His face is flushed, his eyes half-closed, and his necktie hung loose around his neck. His shirt is wrinkled and stained, a far cry from his usual meticulous attire."Lilian," he mumbles, stumbling forward. I catch him just in time, my arms steadying his larger frame. The smell of alcohol is overwhelming, and I wrinkle my nose but hold him up, guiding him towards the living area.Carter collapses onto the sofa, his head lolling back against the cushions."What happened? Why are you so drunk?" I ask.Carter's eyes struggle to focus on me, his words slurring togeth

The fluorescent-lit room flickers into focus as I gradually stir from unconsciousness. My body feels like it has been subjected to a thousand blows, every muscle throbbing with pain. But amid the discomfort, a profound sense of realization washes over me - I’m alive!As my senses sharpens, memories of the accident flood back with vivid clarity. The screech of tires, the sickening crunch of metal, and the jolt as the truck careened into the side of the Uber. Thank goodness for that split-second decision that saved my life - opting for the passenger seat instead of the back where fate had intended. That airbag saved me!Tears trickle down my cheeks. But my relief is short lived when fear grips my heart like a vise. My hand instinctively goes to my abdomen. My baby!Frantic, I call out to a passing nurse, my voice trembling with urgency. "Nurse, I was in a car accident... I'm pregnant. Please, please… my baby."The nurse pauses and checks the file in her arms. Then, a smile tugs at the

MARIUS’ POV: Two years had passed since that fateful day, yet the memory is as vivid as if it had happened yesterday: the mangled wreck of the Uber, the panic of the ones who saw it and the blaring sirens. But most of all, Hazel’s pale and bloodied figure.I rushed Hazel to the nearest hospital and that’s when I learned that she’s pregnant, which made her escape all the more urgent. It’s then that I made a choice that’s been haunting me even up to this day.I paid the doctor a hefty amount of money to switch Hazel's identity with the woman named Veronica Shultz, the other passenger who died in the accident. Veronica’s family was also compensated handsomely to remain silent about it.Some may understand it as helping someone in need, but it’s still a crime, given that I’m a lawyer. But that’s the best thing I can do to help Hazel escape. And I’m glad she didn’t waste that opportunity I created for her."Have you told Carter about me?" Hazel asks, her voice trembling."No, and I won't.

I can’t look Marius straight in the eyes out of embarrassment, perhaps to also keep my remaining collectedness. “I can stay and look for Sammy,” Marius says. “No, you should go home and rest, Marie will soon be here.” I can’t entrust Sammy to someone I don't fully know. What if he steals Sammy and brings him to Carter? I shake my head at the absurd thought, feeling guilty for thinking about it even after receiving financial assistance from him. Marie finally arrives. Though it aches me with worry for briefly leaving Sammy, I have to personally go to work to properly file an immediate leave so I can take care of him myself. I kiss Sammy on the cheek before slipping away from the hospital. Marius offers to give me a ride, but I refuse again without forgetting to thank him for his kindness. I can’t be too close, or too involved with him. Whatever we have, it can’t be more than that. I can’t make the same mistake. By the time I reach my workplace, my supervisor is already on bre