Chapter 1
Edward Paxton, Camilla Lockhart's husband, inherited everything from Elijah Lambert, his late sworn companion.
Including Elijah's wife, Aurora Collin.
Edward reassured Camilla, "Aurora is like family to me."
Camilla chose to believe him.
Then one day, she heard Aurora's son Nicholas Lambert call Edward "Daddy".
Only then did she realize she had been kept in the dark all this time.
***
After the wedding, Camilla lay in Edward's arms. It was such a long day, and they could finally get some rest.
Edward had just closed his eyes when his phone rang. Irritated, he got up and grabbed his phone from the nightstand.
"Who is it?" he said impatiently.
Camilla heard a woman's voice. "Ed, Nico's been running a fever and convulsing since we got back from the wedding. I called an ambulance, but it's still nowhere to be seen. What should I do? Could you come over and go to the hospital with us?"
Upon knowing Nicholas was sick, Edward was no longer sleepy.
His eyes snapped into focus as he said without hesitation, "Don't worry, Aurora. I'll be there right away to take you to the hospital."
Hearing this, Camilla turned around and stared at him coldly.
She thought, "Aurora knows exactly it's our wedding night, yet she's calling him away now? That's just too much. Does she think I'm a pushover or what?"
A sarcastic smile played on her lips.
"If you go out now, don't bother coming back. I'm serious."
Edward was uneasy under her icy stare. For some reason, he just couldn't bring himself to leave.
Their eyes met, hers unflinching, and his evasive.
After quite a while, he plucked up his courage and said, "Camilla, that was Aurora. She said Nico had a high fever. I gotta go with them to the hospital. I promise I'll be back the second I know he's fine."
Remaining silent, Camilla stared at him without blinking.
He couldn't help but feel uneasy under her gaze. He knew it was their wedding night and leaving her alone was such a lousy thing to do.
On the other hand, it was late at night, and how was Aurora supposed to take care of the sick Nicholas alone? After all, she was just a widow with no one to turn to. He should check on them-make sure Nicholas was OK at least.
"Camilla, I'm sorry. From now on, you get to call the shots on everything, alright? Here's my secondary card. Buy whatever you want."
He lowered his head to kiss her with a fawning smile, trying to make her feel better, but she pushed him away coldly.
Knowing there was nothing she could do to stop him, she said flatly, "Go. Don't bother coming back tonight. I'll see you at the courthouse tomorrow to get a divorce."
Her face fell as she slammed her earrings onto the vanity, walked into the bathroom, and started to remove her makeup.
Edward paced back and forth outside, not daring to leave.
He then walked over to the bathroom and continued to reason with her, "Camilla, we've been together for years, and you know how much Elijah meant to me. Now that his son is sick, I can't just sit around and do nothing. I'm sure you understand, right?"
Camilla stopped wiping her face. She turned around and questioned him, "Are you a doctor? What could you possibly do at the hospital? If Aurora can't manage, there are nurses to help her. Doesn't she know it's our wedding night? Why does she have to call you tonight?"
As a woman, she knew exactly what Aurora was planning.
Chapter 2
She had said enough. If Edward still didn't understand, then there was nothing she could do.
Seeing that Camilla was indeed upset, Edward walked to the bed and sat down in silence.
Soon, his phone rang again. Nicholas' cries were so deafening that he could no longer sit still.
He strode over to the bathroom door, saying, "I'm sorry, Camilla. Nico is crying so hard... I have to go and check on him. You know Elijah entrusted them to me before he died. I... I won't feel at ease unless I see them tonight. Forgive me. I swear I'll make it up to you after I come back."
All she heard next was the sound of his footsteps, the door opening, then closing with a click.
Soon, the room fell silent again.
Biting her lip, Camilla glanced at herself in the mirror and saw her slightly red eyes.
Her family and Edward's family went way back, and they had played together a lot when they were kids. Since they were close in age, their families had arranged for them to get married ever since they were little.
As they grew up, they came to realize they were bound to spend the rest of their lives together. After all, their families' businesses had become inseparable, and the arranged marriage would make the alliance unbreakable.
However, Elijah fell sick and passed away three years ago. On his deathbed, he entrusted Edward with Aurora and Nicholas. Ever since that day, everything had changed. Aurora and Nicholas had started to occupy most of Edward's time and energy, so much so that Camilla, his fiancee, had stopped being his priority.
Camilla had thought of calling off the marriage because she knew she wouldn't be happy. However, the wedding invitations had been sent out, and it was too late to regret it now. Her protest was ignored.
As it turned out, she was right-getting married was the beginning of her nightmare. On their wedding night, Edward left her for Aurora, making her the biggest joke.
"This is so unfair," she thought bitterly. "I don't deserve this. Since I'm upset, I'm gonna drag the whole world down with me."
No longer in the mood to remove her makeup, she washed her hands, grabbed her phone from the vanity, and opened the chat group with members from both sides.
She tagged everyone before texting, "Edward left me alone on our wedding night to take care of his best buddy's wife and son. I know how much friendship means to him, and I get it. But I also take this as a blatant insult to both me and my family. So, I'm gonna go to the courthouse with him tomorrow morning. I'm getting a divorce."
She clicked "send" without hesitation.
Since Edward chose Aurora over her, why would she show him any mercy? She might as well let everyone be the judge.
Both families had just come home after the wedding, and many of them were still awake.
Their faces fell as they saw Camilla's message.
Especially the Lockhart family.
They felt insulted. What was more, they knew Camilla well. She had said she didn't want to marry Edward before the wedding, but they had turned her down because of family interest.
Now she was left behind on her wedding night, and her message was her protest against them. If they asked her to endure being treated like this, she'd probably throw caution to the wind and turn everything into a mess. If that really happened, the Lockhart family would forever be inferior to the Paxton family.
Chapter 3
With such considerations, her brother Kieran Lockhart immediately called the Paxton family to make things right for her.
After going at each other over the phone, the two families reached a consensus-for the sake of their friendship and partnership, the Paxton family would take Edward back from the hospital to make sure he apologized to Camilla properly.
They immediately sprang into action after hanging up.
As the Lockhart family kept calling Camilla, trying to change her mind, the Paxton family headed to the hospital.
Camilla was utterly bugged by her phone, which wouldn't stop ringing at all. She simply switched it to airplane mode.
Then she went into the bathroom to take a shower, trying to calm herself down with cold water.
After quite some time, she finally felt better. Walking out while wrapping herself in a bath towel, she heard a commotion from the courtyard downstairs. She pulled back the curtains and poked her head out, only to see several cars parked outside, illuminating the courtyard brightly.
Looking closely, she recognized their license plates-those were the two families' cars. She figured they had come here to persuade her.
Knowing what they'd say, she couldn't be bothered to deal with them. She drew the curtains shut, lay in bed, pulled up the covers, and closed her eyes to sleep.
Unfortunately, someone wouldn't let her.
Kieran slammed on the door with great force nonstop, shouting, "Camilla! I'm here to stand up for you! Open the door!"
His knocking was like a drum, almost deafening.
Camilla sighed and changed her clothes before opening the door.
Waiting at the door for a few minutes, Kieran complained, "Camilla, what took you so long? You're driving me insane! Our whole family is here to back you up."
She curled her lip, pointed downstairs, and said flatly, "I was in my pajamas. I gotta change before seeing you, right? I know you're gonna take turns to talk me out of it. It's gonna be forever."
She saw through them easily, and her calm demeanor made Kieran slightly scared.
A bit uneasy, he said, "Camilla, the way Edward treated you is unfair. I know that. But are you serious about getting a divorce? You've been going out for years, got married three days ago, and held the wedding today. Don't you think getting a divorce so soon is a bit ... impulsive?"
Instead of answering him, Camilla asked, "What's so wrong about getting a divorce? I married him just like you wanted. And now, I don't think I can be with him anymore and want a divorce. It's my own business. You have no say in this."
She stepped forward and then realized Kieran was standing in place, not following her.
She rolled her eyes helplessly and then turned around, raising her voice. "Kieran, what are you waiting for? Keep up. When I ask for a divorce later, you can take advantage and use me one last time to ask for more money from the Paxton family."
Her words were so blunt that Kieran's cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
He then followed her downstairs. On the sofa in the first-floor living room sat several people.
Edward's grandparents, parents, and sister were here, and so were Camilla's parents and sister-in-law.
Upon seeing Camilla, Edward's sister Jadeana Paxton trotted over and took her hand affectionately.
"Camilla, it's Edward's fault. No matter what, leaving you alone on your wedding night is inexcusable. Don't worry-we'll definitely teach him a good lesson to make things right for you.
Chapter 4
"But... No more jokes about a divorce, alright? Camilla, listen to me. You shouldn't bring up a divorce so easily. If you get a divorce right after marrying him, it won't do any good to anyone's reputation, especially yours.
"It's not that big a deal today. Camilla, could you let him slide this time? You're the bigger person here. When he comes back, we'll scold him so harshly until he cries. Trust me-we're on your side. Just ... don't talk about getting a divorce again, OK?"
Finding Jadeana's words grating, Camilla looked up at Jadeana and then slowly withdrew her hand.
Regardless of what Jadeana said, she knew Jadeana still favored Edward. She turned around and said firmly, "No."
Looking around, she noticed the displeased looks on those people's faces and quickly organized what she was about to say inwardly.
Then she said, neither humble nor pushy, "I know how much his promise to Elijah means to him, and I totally get it. But it doesn't mean I deserve to be treated like this. I made it very clear to him before he left today that as long as he stepped out, we'd get a divorce. The fact that he's at the hospital instead of here right now suggests deep down, he doesn't want me. Getting a divorce as soon as possible is good for us both."
If she got a divorce, she could spend the rest of her life having fun. If she didn't, she'd be disgusted every day, seeing him waiting on Aurora and Nicholas hand and foot.
It was such an easy choice, and she had figured it all out a long time ago. After saying this, she sat on a chair slowly and met their complicated gazes, totally unfazed.
Then she continued, "Before getting married to Edward, I repeatedly said that I didn't want this marriage. But you all thought it was too late to call it off. What did you say to me back then? You promised that I'd be his priority after our marriage, but he still cares about Aurora so much even to this day. As his wife, I can't stand seeing him choosing the other woman over me."
She seemed both angry and helpless.
"The last thing he'd do is break his promise to Elijah, but his promises to me obviously mean nothing to him. He takes meticulous care of Aurora and Nicholas and ignores me as if I were invisible. You can say whatever you want. It won't change the fact that he left me for them on our wedding night. Don't you think they should be a family? Just leave me alone. I really think I deserve someone better."
Some of the people here came prepared with speeches, wanting to talk her out of it. But after hearing her words, they just parted their lips but didn't know what to say.
She looked around. Upon seeing the looks on their faces, she knew they were more or less swayed.
Then she continued, appealing to their empathy, "Most of you have daughters, and I believe you can relate. If you think this is acceptable and still try to talk me out of it, think about it-how would you feel if your daughter's husband left her for another woman on their wedding night?"
Edward's grandfather William Paxton was a bit uneasy after hearing her words. He looked up and stared at her, his gaze complex.
She noticed his gaze and met his eyes with a smile, not flinching at all.
He sighed, stood up with his cane, and slowly walked toward her. Then he patted her shoulder with his weathered hand.
Chapter 5
"Cami, I know this is unfair to you. I apologize to you on behalf of my family. I know those talks about being the bigger person are all empty. How about this? After Edward comes back, I'll beat him up till you say stop."
Knowing this was his way of trying to change her mind, she smiled and patted his hand.
The look on her face was still calm and composed.
"William, deal with him however you want. It's your family's business, and I have no say in it. I've decided to get a divorce, so whatever you do doesn't concern me. But you don't have to do anything just to make things right for me. That won't be necessary."
Every word she said dripped with her determination to get a divorce.
The Paxton family exchanged glances helplessly. Not knowing what to do, they could only turn to the Lockhart family for help.
Kieran called the shots in the Lockhart family. His parents nodded at him, and he stepped forward. "Camilla, we all know it's Edward's mistake this time. The Paxton family has already agreed to punish him for you, and they're being sincere enough. Why don't you cut them some slack? If he upsets you again, we'll talk about a divorce. OK?"
Camilla grabbed an apple from the coffee table and hurled it at him.
"Kieran, you have a daughter, too. How could you say this? What if it were your daughter standing here today? If you think family bonds are nothing compared to profit, I suggest we cut ties right now. And if you really mean what you just said, then I weep for your wife and your daughter. Guys like you deserve to stay single forever."
Kieran was enraged by her barb, clutching his chest while panting, at a loss for how to retort for a long time.
He could only awkwardly scratch his nose and step aside in silence.
Right now, Camilla was like a ticking time bomb, and anyone who tried to persuade her faced the risk of getting shredded to pieces. The other members of the Lockhart family stood up, hoping to change her mind, but they all froze in place as they met her murderous gaze.
She grabbed another apple in her hand, seeming she might aim it at them at any second. Then she motioned for the standing people to sit back down.
"Those of the Lockhart family, sit. Save your breath. I know all your dirty little secrets. If you push me, I'll air every one of them in public. If you think I won't do it just because we share the same surname, you're wrong. After all, you choose to side with Edward over me first."
Hearing this, her relatives sat down awkwardly and lowered their heads, no longer daring to say anything. In fact, morally kidnapping her was the only way they could think of to try to change her mind. Yet now, facing her threat, they all decided to remain silent to save their own skins.
The living room fell deadly silent.
No one dared to cross Camilla anymore. They all sat on the sofa, waiting for Edward to be brought back.
Half an hour later, the oppressive silence was finally broken when the Paxton family's housekeeper and bodyguards dragged Edward inside.
At the sight of him, William spat, "Edward, you're such a disgrace! Apologize to Cami now!"
At the hospital, Edward had already gotten the calls from his family and had seen Camilla's message in the group chat. He had been torn, thinking of coming back, but Aurora had grabbed his hand firmly, crying pitifully nonstop.
Chapter 6
Unable to bring himself to leave her, he had planned on going back to apologize to Camilla after Nicholas was admitted.
Yet, before that, the housekeeper had already shown up with the bodyguards and dragged him back.
On the way back, the housekeeper had already informed him how serious this was and warned him William might have to beat him up to appease Camilla if necessary.
He had already psyched himself up. And now, sensing the tension in the living room, he figured things didn't go well.
He walked toward Camilla, held her in his arms, and said apologetically, "Camilla, I'm so sorry. Nico was sick, so I had to go and see how he was doing. I wanted to come back and apologize to you right after he was admitted. Camilla, we've been together for years. Don't bring up the word 'divorce' again, alright? It hurts me so much."
Camilla curled her lip in disgust, pushed him away, and brushed off the spot he had touched. He made her skin crawl.
She stood up and stepped back, looking at him. The despise in her eyes was undisguised.
"Don't apologize to me. In your eyes, that widow and her son need you more. I can't control what you do, but at least I get to decide whether to divorce you or not. Do you really think this marriage will work? Oh, please. Give me a break. Let's get a divorce as soon as possible to cut losses in time."
Her barb was nothing but sarcastic.
Then she walked toward Kieran and said, "Kieran, you were all for me marrying Edward, right? You said if I married close to home, you'd be there for me if he upset me. You know what? Now's the time you stand up for me. But why are you not saying anything? Are you siding with Edward?"
Kieran didn't want them to get a divorce, but her words left him no choice. He could only step forward.
Then he raised his fist and punched Edward in the face.
"Edward, what's it to you that Aurora's son got sick? Are you a doctor? How could you be of help? It's your wedding night, and you actually left Camilla for Aurora? You totally disrespected Camila and our entire family!"
With this, he punched Edward again. Caught off guard, Edward lost his balance and fell to the floor. The others were all stunned.
Seeing Edward's face twisted in pain, the Paxton family was heartbroken. Jadeana ran over, helped Edward up, and barked angrily, "Are you insane, Kieran? Why did you hit him so hard? None of this would have happened if Camilla could keep Edward in check. Don't punish him for her incompetence!"
Utterly pissed off, Camilla let out a derisive laugh.
"Jadeana, gosh, are you listening to yourself? You really have no bounds in protecting Edward, huh? You want me to keep him in check? How, exactly? Shall I break his legs so that he can never leave here?"
The expressions of the Paxton family darkened even more at her sarcasm.
Camilla was such a loose cannon right now. She'd lash out at anyone who provoked her.
Seeing that things were getting out of control, William raised his cane and tapped Edward a few times, though he didn't exert any force at all.
Poking Edward's head, he said, feigning fury, "Cami, Edward is so stupid and doesn't know what's good for him. He failed you. As for Jadeana-she's been doting on him over the years, and she didn't mean that. We're all sensible people, and we know who's wrong this time. Don't worry. We have your back and will make it up to you.