Whenever my stepbrother Alexis Pitts and I kissed, my father Hyman Pitts's friend, Miquel Logan, always seemed to notice. It terrified me.

Then one day, I woke up in Miquel's bed.

When my father found out, he forced me to marry him. It was a disaster-I didn't even like the man.

So I ended up trapped in a loveless marriage. That was, until the doctor told me I had late-stage uterine cancer.

Oddly enough, I felt relieved. With whatever time I had left, I decided I was finally going to live for myself.

*****

"I'm sorry, Ms. Hoover. you've missed the best window for surgery."

Penny stood frozen, holding the test results in her hand for a long time. Then, she finally picked up her phone and called Miquel's secretary, Kent Burton.

The phone rang for a while before it was answered. The tone on the other end was as dismissive as ever. "Mrs. Logan, what can I help you with?"

Penny's fingers curled stiffly around the phone. "Where's Miquel? I need to speak to him."

"Mr. Logan is unavailable at the moment."

"Can you please just put him on-"

Before Kent could reply, Penny heard a soft, teasing voice in the background. "Miquel, what's the surprise? You've been so secretive all day."

"Look up."

Then came a voice she knew all too well-low, deep, and warm. The kind of tenderness he never showed her.

A second later, Kent hung up without hesitation.

Boom-A loud explosion echoed from across the harbor. Penny looked up, her face pale.

Bright fireworks erupted in the sky, painting the deep blue night with brilliant color-like something straight out of a fairytale.

Outside the hospital, a crowd had gathered, murmuring with excitement.

"Did you hear? Mr. Logan of Wonder Group threw this firework show for his girlfriend's birthday! They say it cost over 7 million dollars!"

"No kidding-it's Delia Robinson! She's a Caltech PhD, top of her field, every major company here wants her. Gorgeous, smart, comes from money. and her boyfriend? Total catch."

"No wonder Mr. Logan's so into her. A girlfriend like that? She's the whole package."

Penny stared at the dazzling fireworks for a long time. Then, slowly, her grip on the diagnosis report loosened. The thin paper slipped from her fingers and drifted to the ground.

She turned and walked away.

*****

It was past midnight when Miquel came home and found Penny sitting alone in the dark living room.

He flipped on the lights, frowning. "Why are you still up?"

Penny looked up at him. His coat was draped over his arm, and his dark, unreadable eyes rested on her-distant, as always.

She used to think he was just emotionally reserved. But tonight, she finally understood: The man who'd always been ice in her bed was someone else's burning flame.

"I couldn't sleep," she said quietly. "I went to the hospital today."

Miquel tossed his coat onto the couch, sounding indifferent. "What did the doctor say?"

She'd been complaining about abdominal pain for weeks. He'd promised to go with her to the hospital, but kept putting it off. There was always some billion-dollar contract or urgent business emergency.

He had promised again yesterday. But then, he'd found out Delia had secretly planned a birthday celebration.

He rushed over from the office-only managing to show up in time to set off fireworks. As for Penny, he didn't spare a thought.

"Nothing serious. They said I should wait and see," Penny murmured, lowering her eyes. "Why'd you even come home tonight?"

Miquel paused for a moment, then stepped toward her.

He pulled her into his arms. His breath brushed against her neck, warm and ragged.

"It's your ovulation period."

"You're the one who insisted-we'd sleep together during these few days each month to try for a baby. What, did you forget?"

The smell of another woman's perfume clung to him-sharp and undeniable. It felt like a bullet, shattering what little pride she had left.

He wasn't wrong. In the three years they'd been married, Miquel had never warmed to her. The only times he touched her were when the family matriarch pressured them to "carry on the Logan family line."

And now? A child? That wasn't going to happen anymore.

Penny had always been gentle, obedient. She was used to swallowing her pain. But tonight, something in her snapped.

"Miquel," she said, voice steady, "you really think your girlfriend's okay with you sleeping with me?"

Her eyes gleamed in the dark-like a small creature finally baring its teeth.

Miquel stared at her. She wasn't joking. Her expression was serious, her gaze sharp and cold.

After a moment, he chuckled. But the laugh didn't reach his eyes.

"She knows about you," he said. "She's very understanding."

Penny felt her heart tighten sharply, the blood draining from her face.

The central heating kept the house at a steady temperature year-round, yet she felt like she'd stepped into a freezer.

Seeing her fall silent, Miquel waited a few seconds before finally looking away. "Delia's mother isn't doing well. Her only wish is to see Delia with someone dependable. She needs support. Don't make trouble-just keep playing your role as Mrs. Logan. I won't lay a hand on you."

He made infidelity sound righteous.

'You won't lay a hand on me?' she thought.

Penny stood there, stunned, before a small, bitter laugh slipped from her lips. Swallowing the sharp ache in her chest, she said quietly, "If she needs someone by her side, then maybe you shouldn't be here at all."

Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked upstairs, slamming the door behind her.

Minutes later, she heard the engine start downstairs. He was gone. She didn't have to ask-he'd gone to Delia.

Exhausted, she dragged herself into the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face. The icy sting brought her back to her senses.

Then she opened her laptop and messaged a lawyer she'd added three years ago, asking him to draft a divorce agreement.

The lawyer replied, "Ms. Hoover, do you have any special requests? Property, car, financial settlement?"

Penny paused, then answered calmly, "I don't want anything."

'I don't want Miquel-why would I want his things?' she thought.

Besides, she'd read that the less you ask for, the faster the process goes. And with her body getting weaker by the day, the last thing she needed was a drawn-out negotiation.

The lawyer sent the completed documents quickly.

She printed them out. Her grip on the pen was so tight her knuckles turned white, but she didn't hesitate. Hand steady, she signed her name, stroke by deliberate stroke.

After that, she packed a few of her belongings-just the essentials.

At the door, she paused for a long look at the home she'd kept for the past three years.

Then she turned and walked out without looking back.

The next morning, Penny took the day off. She arranged for a same-day courier to deliver the signed divorce papers to the front desk of Wonder Group.

Miquel never handled minor errands himself, so she addressed the delivery to Kent.

Penny had started working at the Wonder Group the moment she married Miquel.

He didn't want their marriage made public, and he refused to let her get too close to him at work. So he placed her in the PR department, where she managed the company's public image.

Over the years, she'd worked her way up to department manager purely on merit. She'd never missed a single day of work.

She did the job well-not because she loved it, or because it suited her background-but because she'd always held herself to the highest standards, no matter what she was doing.

Now that she'd made up her mind to divorce, she had no intention of staying at Wonder Group either.

After handing off the package to the courier, she glanced at the time. Almost ten o'clock.

She clenched her fingers slightly. There was something far more important she needed to do now.

At Qaco Prison in Qaco, Penny's hands were slick with sweat on the steering wheel. It had been three years-but still, she couldn't shake the nerves.

Alexis Pitts was being released today.

She'd reserved a private dining room a month ago to welcome him back.

Alexis was her stepbrother. They'd grown up together. In the cold, brutal Pitts family, he had been the only one who'd ever truly protected her. For over a decade, he'd shielded her with everything he had, never once raising his voice, never once turning his back.

He once told her, "Anyone might disappoint you-but not me. Never me."

She glanced in the mirror. Her small, pale face looked sickly, so she dabbed on some extra blush to make herself look more alive. Just in case, she took another painkiller. Then she slipped on a pair of sunglasses and pulled a hat low over her eyes.

The prison gates slowly opened.

She got out of the car without even realizing it, her limbs stiff and unfamiliar, like they didn't belong to her.

A tall man in black strode out, carrying an old backpack. His hair was cropped short, neat and sharp. His gaze swept calmly across the people outside-until it landed on her.

Just that one glance nearly made Penny's heart stop. She took a breath-and walked toward him.

"Alexis!"

A woman brushed right past Penny and threw herself into Alexis's arms.

Alexis caught her instinctively, letting her cling to him without protest.

"Do you know how long I've been waiting for you? If you didn't get out today, my dad was seriously going to marry me off to someone else!"

Alexis looked down at her, his gaze steady as she kissed him. A faint smile tugged at his lips. "Then let's give your dad a little surprise later."

She pouted playfully but didn't let go, wrapping herself tighter around him. "Don't mess around. My family still thinks we're just friends..."

Penny stood rooted in place, staring blankly at the scene.

A wave of embarrassment and helplessness hit her all at once.

The Alexis she remembered-the gentle, devoted boy who always put her first-felt like nothing more than a dream she'd been holding onto for over ten years.

Her stomach began to cramp, sharp and familiar. Like a knife slicing through the years, cutting her all over again.

She remembered his soft promise from long ago: "When you're older, marry me-okay?"

Penny's head spun.

"Look out!"

A shout snapped her back to reality. She turned and saw a motorcycle barreling straight toward them.

Alexis didn't hesitate-he pulled the woman behind him and shielded her completely.

Penny had no choice but to dive out of the way on her own. She stumbled, covering her face with her hands, and twisted her ankle in the process.

"You?" Alexis looked over at her, his eyes dark, a flicker of recognition and unease flashing across his face.

"I'm fine..." Penny turned away and fled before the tears could fall.

"Who was that?" the woman asked, curious.

Alexis stared after Penny for a long moment. Then he gently lifted the woman's chin and kissed her. "Just someone I used to know."

Used to know... Someone he'd grown up with. Someone he once said he'd marry.

Back in the car, Penny collapsed against the steering wheel, clutching her cramping stomach. Her breathing came in ragged gasps, cold sweat soaking her back. She couldn't tell which hurt more-her failing body or her breaking heart.

Her phone rang, cutting sharply through the silence.

It was Kent.

*****

At Wonder Group, Kent frowned as she looked over the documents Penny had sent.

'We work in the same building-what is she trying to pull? Is this about being banned from the executive floor? Is she really trying to get Mr. Logan's attention with a stunt like this? Childish,' she thought.

Frustrated, Kent headed straight to the PR department, only to be told that Penny hadn't shown up today.

Already swamped with a hectic schedule, Kent grew more irritated and called her directly.

"Ms. Hoover, I don't know what kind of stunt you're trying to pull, but get back to the office. Now."

Penny lowered her gaze. 'Could this be about the divorce papers? Has Miquel read them and wanted to talk?' she thought.

That was the only thing that made sense.

Without hesitation, she turned the car around and headed straight for Wonder Group.

When Kent saw her rushing in, her suspicions were confirmed. 'Same old Penny,' she thought, 'her contempt practically written on her face. Still trying to get special attention from Mr. Logan.'

"Where is he?" Penny asked, her face pale and drawn.

She still needed to stop by the hospital for her medication. Once treatment began, she wouldn't be able to keep her illness a secret from her grandmother Kristie Hoover and uncle Rickey Hoover much longer.

"This is a professional workplace, Ms. Hoover," Kent said with deliberate formality. "Mr. Logan doesn't drop everything to meet just anyone. But he did assign you something to handle."

"Is it about the divor-"

"Last night, during Ms. Robinson's birthday celebration, there were some negative rumors online-people accusing her of stealing someone else's man to climb the social ladder. Ms. Robinson isn't just some influencer-she's about to be the face of Wonder Group's flagship project. We can't afford any public backlash, and her reputation must remain spotless."

"Mr. Logan personally requested that you manage the situation. Clear her name. Calm the public."

Penny froze. Her lips tightened, turning bloodless. "That's what Miquel said?"

"Yes."

To be honest, Kent had never liked Penny. Sure, she was competent and diligent-but the way she'd allegedly forced her way into marriage by seducing Miquel? It was distasteful. Women like her, in Kent's eyes, were beneath contempt.

"Mr. Logan said you're not allowed to leave the office today. Stay put until the online backlash dies down."

"If you can't handle it, then there's no place for you at Wonder Group."

Penny had long accepted that Miquel didn't care about her.

But she never expected that, even on the verge of divorce, he'd still throw something like this at her.

He wanted his legal wife to clean up a scandal for the mistress-and worse, the so-called "rumors" were all true.

A surge of anger stabbed through her chest. The pain in her abdomen worsened, and she had to steady herself against the desk to hide her discomfort. Her eyes drifted to the employee badge on her desk. With a quiet scoff, she picked it up and began wrapping the lanyard around it.

"Wonder Group doesn't keep freeloaders? Fine. This job isn't one I care to keep anyway." She placed the badge down calmly. "I resign."

She had already submitted her resignation the night she finalized the divorce agreement.

Maybe the paperwork hadn't made it to Miquel yet. But either way, she wasn't touching anything related to Delia.

"Going forward, don't come to me with anything about Ms. Robinson. Ask Mr. Logan to assign someone else. Wonder Group's a massive company-I'm sure it won't collapse without me."

Kent stood there, stunned.

'Penny resigning? Is she really walking away from the one job that gives her proximity to Miquel? Maybe it is just another move in some calculated game-step back, only to get closer later,' she thought.

Kent headed back upstairs to the executive floor.

Miquel's schedule was packed. He was prepping for a meeting with Cortez Callahan from Callahan Group.

"Mr. Logan, here's the Callahan Group contract for your review."

Miquel glanced down at the document. "How's PR handling the situation with Delia?"

Kent paused. "Ms. Hoover."

"Speak."

"She said she's not handling it."

"She submitted her resignation and made it clear she doesn't want to be involved in anything related to Ms. Robinson."

Miquel stopped flipping through the contract. He looked up, eyes cold and unreadable.

"She handed it in today?"

"She had originally taken the day off, but I called her in. HR said the resignation was submitted yesterday."

"She took leave?" He didn't ask about the resignation-but his focus locked onto the leave.

Kent wasn't sure what to make of it. She hesitated, then said, "It must've been something important. After all, Ms. Hoover hasn't taken a single day off in three years."

That was something Miquel knew well.

Penny always came across as distant and reserved, not one to get close to others. But when it came to her work-or anything she cared about-she was meticulous, sharp, and resourceful. That was how she'd risen to PR Director in under two years.

For her to suddenly take leave-and resign? That wasn't nothing.

Miquel narrowed his eyes, deep in thought. Then, his expression turned ice-cold, and he stood abruptly.

"Approve the resignation. But not until she finishes cleaning up the situation with Delia. If this spirals and taints the company's reputation, let her deal with the fallout herself."

Kent was taken aback.

'By all logic, Mr. Logan should've been glad to see Penny go. So why hold her back now?' she wondered. She couldn't make sense of it.

"Oh-Mr. Logan, Ms. Hoover also dropped off a document."

Miquel was already on the phone. He waved her off without even glancing back. "Same as always."

That meant: ignore anything Penny sent.

She used to send over shirts, ties, cufflinks-little gifts, all carefully picked.

One time, knowing that Wonder Group's key tech initiative involved drones, she even hand-built a drone model to impress him.

Miquel never so much as looked at any of it. All of it went into a cabinet in his office-untouched, collecting dust.

Only when someone needed something in a pinch would they rummage through that cabinet.

Kent, already familiar with the drill, tossed the unopened file in with the rest.

All of Penny's efforts-all her careful gestures-had been for nothing.

After wrapping up her tasks, Penny received a call from Kent, who relayed Miquel's exact instructions.

In an instant, Penny understood what he was playing at.

Delia's relationship with him was, no matter how you spun it, a textbook case of infidelity. She was the other woman-and that wasn't just public speculation, it was the truth. Now, he wanted Penny-the legal wife-to step in and clean up the mess.

It was a PR move, pure and calculated.

If the past ever resurfaced and someone decided to dig into the timeline, he'd be able to point to Penny's public "endorsement" of Delia to clear Delia's name. If the wife had defended her, then no one could accuse Delia of being a homewrecker. Case closed.

Miquel really was pulling out all the stops for Delia.

And that whole "weigh your choices" remark? That was a warning. If she refused to handle this, he could tank her career. With one word from him, no company would dare hire her. He could cut off her future completely.

For three years, she had done everything a wife should-loyal, diligent, dignified. From the moment she married him, she'd severed all ties to her past and given him her full commitment.

And what did she get in return? Nothing. Not even a flicker of affection.

She was exhausted.

A bitter smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "I'm on medical leave," she said evenly. "If you're forcing me to work through illness, that's a violation of labor law. We can settle it in court."

She was already divorcing him and had handed in her resignation. Whether or not Miquel was happy? She no longer cared.

*****

After work, Penny got into her car and saw a message from her father, Hyman Pitts: [Your brother's out. We're having a family dinner. Are you coming?]

It was worded like an invitation, but she knew what it really meant-he didn't want her there. Not really.

To Hyman, she had always been a stain on the family name. Her past with Alexis had been a humiliation in his eyes-something twisted and disgraceful. If she hadn't married into the powerful Logan family, he would've cut ties with her completely, thrown her out without a second thought.

But this was Alexis.

The person who had once meant everything to her.

After a moment of hesitation, she touched up her makeup to cover the sickly pallor in her face, started the car, and drove straight to the Pitts family villa.

If it weren't for Alexis, she'd have never set foot in that place again.

The housekeeper's face tightened when she opened the door and saw her. "Ms. Hoover. why are you here?"

Penny didn't answer. This hadn't been her home in a long time. Even the staff looked down on her now-like she didn't belong.

"Penny?"

Wendy Pitts came down the stairs and scoffed. "Wow. Shameless much? My brother just got back and here you are, throwing yourself at him again. Does ruining everyone's mood really make you feel better about yourself?"

Wendy was Hyman's illegitimate daughter, born from an affair-on the exact same day, month, and year as Penny. And yet now she strutted around like the rightful daughter of the house, acting as though Penny were the outsider.

"If you're so ashamed of me," Penny said calmly, "feel free to move out of my mother's house. Let's see how noble you really are."

This house had been bought with her mother's money-earned from her art, sold at high prices to build this home.

Now Hyman, Deborah Giles, and Wendy lived in it like royalty, enjoying everything her mother left behind. 'And Wendy still has the nerve to act superior?' she thought.

"You-!" Wendy's face flushed with anger, but then she smirked, like she was waiting for a show. "Let's see how smug you are in a minute."

A cheerful female voice interrupted the tension.

From the sitting room, two people walked out, arm in arm, radiating intimacy. The woman's eyes immediately landed on Penny. She tugged gently at Alexis's sleeve. "She's really pretty."

Alexis glanced at Penny-just once-before refocusing all his attention on the woman beside him. He casually placed a hand on her lower back, fingers lightly resting there, and said with no hesitation, "She's like Wendy-my sister. Jealous of my own sister?"

The woman teased, her cheeks turning pink as she playfully swatted his chest.

Then she turned to Penny with a sweet smile. "So there are two of you? What's your name?"

Penny stood frozen, caught completely off guard.

She hadn't expected Alexis to bring a girlfriend home. Introducing her to the family-he must be serious.

The Alexis who once said he'd marry her. who would've given up everything for her. no longer existed.

Now, she was just another "sister."

She forced down the tight lump in her throat. "Penny Hoover."

The woman blinked in surprise, then tilted her head thoughtfully. "Why don't you have the same last name?"

Penny didn't answer.

Still smiling, the woman extended her hand. "I'm Tania Oconnell. You can call me-"

"Call her Ms. Oconnell," Alexis cut in smoothly, this time actually looking at Penny. His tone was calm, but firm. "She's the woman I want to spend my life with. You should show her the proper respect."