Chapter 1
Felix Cole walked through the doors of my postpartum care center, his little mistress clinging to his side, their brand-new third baby bundled in her arms.
The mistress couldn't hold back a sneering laugh,
"Aww, I've already popped out three kids, and you still haven't even managed to seduce Felix into touching you, huh?
"How about you sit in next time we get intimate and pick up a few tricks? We're both women, I really do feel bad for you..."
I ignored the smug triumph oozing from every word she said, and calmly went through the room arrangement process for them.
Felix arched an eyebrow in surprise when he saw how compliant I was.
He had every reason to be shocked.
After all, when they'd come to book rooms for their first two babies, I'd thrown a screaming fit right in front of them.
I'd screamed hysterically at Felix, demanding to know why he refused to touch me.
I'd even gone so far that night, slipping on the most scandalous lingerie I owned, just trying to beg for a single crumb of his affection.
Instead, he ordered his bodyguards to throw me, naked and humiliated, straight out the front gate. His voice had been thick with disgust,
"If you've got an itch down there, go at it with steel wool. Don't come near me.
"You love being a slut so much? Go slut it up for someone else!"
It was right then and there that I finally accepted the truth. He really didn't remember me anymore.
That same night, I printed out our divorce papers, then dialed my dad's number.
"Dad, I want to come home."
*****
As soon as I finished checking them in, I texted my best friend and asked her to find someone to take over the postpartum center for me.
She got so excited.
My friend: You're finally ditching that scumbag! I told you ages ago, he forgot everything that happened eight years ago! In contrast, the son of the governor of Washington, D. C, has stayed single all these years because of you!
As soon as Felix finished signing, his gaze drifted over to me, so I slammed my phone screen black in a panic.
He was too busy doting on Selene Mark and their new daughter to notice the tiny, crucial detail.
Tucked right under the postpartum center room, was the contract, he'd just unknowingly signed our divorce papers too.
He scoffed dismissively,
"I don't get what Selene sees in this place of yours, why'd she have to pick here of all spots! Selene's spoiled rotten by me, she's delicate and has a short temper. Tell your staff to put up with it!"
Selene punched his arm playfully and glowered at him, and Felix, completely smitten by her little pout, couldn't hold back and kissed her right there.
A sharp, unexpected ache knifed through my chest. I wrenched the contract out of his hand, ready to wrap up this last transaction and be done with it.
But as I took the papers, my hand brushed against Felix's by accident.
Waves of ugly old memories crashed over me all at once, and I fumbled back, panicking to apologize for the accidental touch.
But Felix was faster than me. He lashed out and kicked me hard in the stomach, sending me crumpling to the floor.
The blow landed square on my lower abdomen, right when I was on my period. The agony was so bad I couldn't even stand up straight.
Ice-cold with disgust, he immediately pulled out a bottle of rubbing alcohol and disinfected every spot my hand had touched.
"Cut out all these little schemes of yours! All you do is make me hate you even more!"
I laughed bitterly to myself. Before this, I'd deliberately brushed up against him over and over, trying to jog his memory of what we'd once had.
The last time, he'd almost remembered… and then Selene had caught us.
Felix panicked immediately. To win Selene over, he ordered his goons to hang me upside down for three straight days. I almost died at that time.
After that, even if I accidentally brushed against him, Felix would still order his bodyguards to hurt me over and over.
I sucked in a shaking deep breath and forced myself to stand back up, then led the pair to their room.
When he saw how deathly pale my face was, Felix froze. His mouth opened instinctively to say something, but in the end, no words came out.
When Selene caught sight of the luxurious suite, her face lit up with delight.
Felix furrowed his brows, thrown off by how differently I was acting this time. He asked,
"Why aren't you throwing a fit this time?"
The last two times they'd come, I'd deliberately stuck them in tiny rooms just to drive them away.
I ignored him entirely and kept my tone cool and professional.
"Mr. Cole and Mrs. Cole, please make yourselves comfortable here first. A nanny will be over shortly to take care of the baby."
When the two words, "Mrs. Cole" left my mouth, Felix's frown only deepened.
I finished my instructions and turned to leave, but Selene called out to stop me.
"Wait a sec... Ariella, could you run and get us a pack of condoms? Felix's been holding it in for ages now..."
I fought to keep my voice from trembling as I answered.
"Sure."
But when he watched me obediently bring the condoms back just like she'd asked, a hot, irrational anger flared up out of nowhere in his chest.
