Chapter 2

Before I could say anything, Elijah Watkins furrowed his brow and said, "Don't be silly, it's nothing to stress over."

He reassured Paisley Campbell, "You've been involved in the oil exploration work as well, and these opportunities are well-deserved. Besides, now that you're divorced and have a child to care for, you need this promotion more than Alora does. How else are you and your daughter supposed to make ends meet?"

I'm working at the ground level in oil exploration, surviving on basic sandwiches, and whenever I get the chance, I head into the Alps. I endure the biting wind and scorching sun, my body covered in bruises, and during the toughest times, I almost slipped off a cliff in extreme weather. But it was those tough moments that led me to discover an oil field.

And Paisley? She was given this position by Elijah due to her foreign qualifications. Every time we went out for surveying, she would complain of headaches or colds, or she'd bemoan that no one was home to watch her child. Despite this, Elijah pulled strings so that Paisley's name appeared ahead of mine, taking credit for my discovery.

Thus, my hard-earned achievements became hers, and the promotion and recognition that I had struggled to attain went to her instead! When I confronted Elijah, he looked at me with irritation and said, "You just spend your days hiking in the mountains. How tough can it be?"

To make it easier for his first love to accept my 'gift', he glanced at me with an air of authority and added, "Alora is still young. She'll have plenty of chances for advancement in the future. Besides, I'm often busy with work, and she needs to focus more on the family. Whether she gets a promotion or not isn't a big deal to her."

Last night, Elijah had already snapped at me. He warned that if I dared to make a fuss about this and brought any trouble to Paisley, he'd divorce me. He was convinced I'd simply swallow this injustice, just like I did when I gave up the opportunity to study abroad for Paisley's sake.

But this time, I chose to let him go and focus on my own path.

Chapter 3

Back home, Elijah began gathering up our belongings.

Years ago, on a mission in the Alps with Elijah, my back was injured. He nearly slipped, and when I grabbed him to prevent his fall, I slammed against the rocks. Since then, lying on a hard bed or feeling cold causes sharp pain.

When we got married, my parents spent a lot on a memory foam mattress as part of my dowry. But Elijah dismissively discarded it, carefully covering it with a clean white cloth: "It's getting cold, and Paisley is alone with Ace, especially since Ace is young and sensitive to the chill. Even if we have to endure discomfort, the child shouldn't suffer..."

I then noticed the TV from the living room was gone too. Elijah had packed it into a cardboard box, intending to send it to Paisley and Ace. Seeing my confused expression, Elijah explained: "Ace is a little kid, and Paisley is tied up with work and doesn’t have much time to entertain him. We hardly watch that TV anyway; let it keep the kid company."

If our child were still alive, he’d probably be around Ace's age now.

Early in our marriage, Elijah wasn’t keen on having kids. Only under pressure from his parents did he reluctantly suggest we wait and see. The pregnancy was unexpected, and with Elijah unsure about it, he insisted I keep it from my family.

That same year, Paisley returned flaunting her pregnancy with her new partner, even having Elijah drive the company car to pick them up. On the way, there was a car accident. Despite his injuries, Elijah immediately carried Paisley to safety. When help arrived, I was stuck in my seat, bleeding, while all I could hear was Elijah shouting—

"Get Paisley to the hospital first, I've got Alora!"

In the end, Paisley escaped with just a few scratches and a fright, but our child did not survive.

Faced with this tragedy, Elijah was even more adamant about keeping it from the family.

In the hospital room, as I was weak and grieving the loss of our child, Elijah stood firm and claimed, "I am a soldier; it is my duty to protect civilians. As my spouse, you should be ready for sacrifice in the most critical moments."

"If you can't handle this sacrifice, how can you be fit to be a leader's wife?"

And now, with nerve, he asked me, "Have you finalized those transfer papers for Paisley?"