On Our Tenth Anniversary, Two Children Called My Husband Dad

Anna's POV: At our 10th wedding anniversary celebration, two children I'd never seen before suddenly threw their arms around my husband and called him Daddy. Vincent Doyle didn't like children, so after we married, I'd agreed to a child-free marriage for his sake. The Doyle family and several of Vincent's old classmates insisted that the children had simply mistaken him for someone else. But the moment I saw their mother, my blood ran cold. She looked almost exactly like Vincent's first love, who had died years ago. Just 5 minutes earlier, Vincent had been onstage giving a speech about our 10 years of marriage. As he gazed at me lovingly and told everyone how much I meant to him, a reply came in from my private investigator. Vincent was having an affair. He'd been careful, though. The investigator hadn't managed to get a clear photograph of the woman's face. I'd seen the signs long before this. Even so, the confirmation left me drowning in pain. Then I'd seen those two children looking for their father. I felt as though a wildfire had burned through me, leaving nothing but emptiness and silence. Our guests that evening included family, friends, and prominent figures in business and politics. The media were livestreaming the event, too. AnnaVin Group was about to go public overseas, and we needed favorable publicity. Surrounded by our guests, Vincent and I cut the cake and opened the champagne. As a surprise for our 10th anniversary, he personally fastened a diamond necklace worth tens of millions of dollars around my neck. There was applause, congratulations, and no shortage of envious looks. On camera, our happiness looked perfect. For our opening dance, we even chose the waltz we'd danced to when we fell in love. Yet nothing between us was the same anymore. I rested my head against Vincent's shoulder. Beneath the classic cologne he always wore, I caught the faint trace of another fragrance. It was Chanel Gardénia. White floral notes made me dizzy and nauseated, so that scent could only have come from another woman. Vincent had always been quick to notice any change in me. "What's wrong?" I smiled. "When I saw those two children hugging you and calling you Daddy, I thought how lucky we were... not to have any children." Vincent went still. In the space of a few breaths, he looked confused, then suspicious, his eyes searching mine. He'd always known I wanted us to have a child. During our first 2 years of marriage, whenever I brought up trying for a baby, he would gather me gently into his arms. "Anna, pregnancy and childbirth are risky. I couldn't bear to put you through that. Besides, I don't know if I'd make a good father. Can't I just spend my life loving you?" Everyone said I was lucky. My husband was handsome and wealthy, but more than that, he was caring and devoted. He was even willing to give up having children for me. The truth was, Vincent hadn't given up having children. He just hadn't wanted them with me. I'd wanted to lose control, grab him by the collar, and demand to know why. But as we looked into each other's eyes, none of that seemed to matter anymore. Vincent sighed and drew me closer against his chest. "Didn't we agree not to bring up children again? The company going public has to come first. If you want to punish me, don't do it here. Once we're home, sweetheart, you can do whatever you want to me." His lips brushed my ear, his voice low and sensual, his breath warm against my skin. The thought of him whispering to that woman the same way made my stomach turn. The music ended just then. I pushed away from him. "We'll need new products ready after we go public. I'm going to talk to those leading researchers." The group had been established shortly before I married Vincent. I'd joined as director of research and development, bringing patents on my own inventions and receiving equity in exchange for my technology. AnnaVin Group took its name from the two of us. Anna came first, followed by the beginning of Vincent's name. He'd told me that was his promise to me. Once, we'd been in a car accident on a business trip. After I woke up, a nurse told me Vincent had been covered in blood when he'd rushed into the emergency room carrying me and screaming for help. His eyes were bloodshot, fixed on me. Only when they began treating me had he let go and collapsed. The doctor said Vincent's injuries had been far worse than mine. "I honestly don't know how he managed to carry you all the way here. Your husband must love you very much." Sadly, even the fiercest love could change. Vincent had probably forgotten what I'd told him when I accepted his proposal. "I'll love you just as much as you love me. But if you ever lie to me or betray me, I won't hesitate to leave you."