Christopher strolled in, tall and sharp in his custom dark suit, looking every bit the refined CEO, not some playboy fresh from another woman’s bed. He frowned at us, clearly not happy.

I forced a smile. “Back already? What’s with the new outfit?”

As he shrugged off his jacket and hung it up, he casually said, “Got spilled on at the party last night. Sent the suit to the cleaners.”

Then he turned to Evelyn, who was standing there awkwardly. “What are you doing here?”

Seriously? Did he not know what Evelyn had done, or was he just putting on a show for me?

“Christopher,” Evelyn pouted, showing off the red mark on her cheek. “I just wanted to check on Hope, but she got jealous and slapped me when she found out you were with me last night!”

She made it sound like I was the bad guy here.

Christopher’s eyes flickered with confusion for a moment before he softly scolded her, “Stop talking nonsense. If you took better care of yourself, I wouldn’t have had to stay with you all night.”

He turned to me, apologizing, “Sorry, Hope. I forgot to mention it last night.”

Not a word about the slap. I looked at him, half his face hidden in the shadows, and realized I didn’t understand him at all. Maybe I never had.

I pointed to the shattered pieces on the floor. “Evelyn gave me divorce papers. Care to explain? Is this your decision?”

Christopher looked genuinely shocked. “Hope, I never wanted a divorce!” He yelled for the guards, “Get Evelyn out of here and don’t let her come back!”

His tone and expression were flawless. He stepped closer, trying to hug me, but I instinctively pulled away. The thought of him with Evelyn last night made me sick.

Christopher paused, then tried to soothe me. “Evelyn’s not in a good place mentally. Don’t believe anything she says. I stayed with her because she just got divorced and needed support.”

So that diamond necklace was a divorce gift for Evelyn, not an anniversary gift for me.

My thoughts slipped out.

Christopher kissed my forehead like it was nothing. “My bad, I forgot our anniversary. Tell me what you want, and I’ll get it for you.”

I smiled sweetly at him. “Didn’t you buy that diamond necklace I love? It’s all over the news! Everyone’s praising you. Where is it? Let me see.”

“Hope,” he said calmly, “That necklace was for a company charity event. It’s already been given to the organizers.”

My smile almost faltered. “Really?”

“Yeah, but those brands you like have some new pieces. I’ll have my assistant bring them over tomorrow.”

“I just want that necklace.”

I decided to give him another shot. The video Evelyn sent me was meant to stir up trouble. The man’s face wasn’t visible, and Christopher did say he had to change clothes because of the spill. Maybe Evelyn set it up, having another guy wear Christopher’s clothes to fool me.

Christopher was silent for a moment, then said, “I’ll ask about it tomorrow, but reclaiming a donated item isn’t simple.”

I couldn’t push further. “Okay.”

Post-shower, in bed, I watched the clock strike past 3 AM.

Christopher’s warm body pressed against mine, his lips trailing hot kisses from my neck down my spine.

“Hope,” he murmured, his voice low and thick with desire. His breath on my skin sent shivers through me. Before I could respond, his hand slipped under my silk nightgown, teasing and caressing.

“Stop,” I whispered, but Christopher was always dominant in bed. He pushed my nightgown up, his mouth finding my breast, his tongue flicking over my nipple. was dissolving under his touch, but I had to hold firm.

“Not tonight,” I managed, my words a whisper.

“Hmm?” His hand continued its exploration, fingers finding my most sensitive spot. He didn’t stop, even as he spoke against my skin. “Your body seems to want me,” he said, showing me his fingers glistening in the dim light. “You’re soaked.”

Embarrassed, I turned my head away, but he just smiled wickedly and kissed me again.

“My stomach hurts,” I said, trying to push him away.

Christopher paused. “Is it bad? Maybe Donna should take you to the doctor tomorrow.”

“I already went this morning.”

“What did the doctor say?”

I hesitated. The doctor had told me I was a little over a month pregnant. The pain was due to an unstable fetal heartbeat, a sign of a possible miscarriage. I needed medication.

Finding out I was pregnant on our anniversary should have been the best gift. I had the pregnancy test results in my pocket, planning to surprise Christopher at dinner. But now, I hadn’t had the chance.

“The doctor said…”

I decided to keep it under wraps for now. “The doctor said it’s nothing serious, probably because I’ve been drinking too many cold beverages lately.”

Our marriage had a third wheel. If Christopher couldn’t sort things out with Evelyn, we were doomed. Telling him about the baby would just add more stress.

The next day, I was back at work after my break. Since we got married, Christopher and I kept it a secret at the office. Only my best friend, Elissa Wilson, knew the chief designer was married to the CEO.

“Ms. Royston, what are you up to?” Elissa sashayed over as I made coffee in the break room.

“Got any coffee that makes you forget feelings?”

“Whoa, Ms. Royston, what’s got you down? Mr. Valence not treating you right?” Elissa teased.

“What’s up?” I sighed.

“Got your speech ready for the design contest awards?” Elissa winked. “Don’t forget to thank your amazing friend,” she clutched her chest dramatically, “Thank you, everyone, for supporting Hope. She totally deserves this award.”

“Cut it out,” I laughed. “We don’t know the results yet. Don’t jinx it.”

“Alright, alright, let’s get going.”

The Valence Group loved innovation, so they made a big deal out of this contest with huge prizes and a fancy ceremony.

We took our seats in the front row of the massive conference hall. The place was packed with design department staff, other department heads, and some board members.

I didn’t expect to see Evelyn so soon. She showed up in a champagne-colored gown, looking like she was ready for a gala.

“Hope, fancy seeing you here,” Evelyn smirked, squeezing in next to me.

Elissa whispered, “Who’s this?”

“Christopher’s half-sister.”

“Oh,” Elissa dragged out the word sarcastically, “Christopher’s sister, huh? Aren’t you a bit old to be calling Hope ‘sister’?”

I couldn’t help but laugh. Evelyn’s face turned red; she hated being reminded she was older than Christopher.

“Just wait, you won’t be laughing soon,” she snapped, storming off in her heels.

The ceremony kicked off, and the host announced the awards, starting from the bottom.

When it got to the top two, my name still hadn’t been called.

“We got this!” Elissa whispered excitedly.

I was on edge, glancing at Christopher as he slipped in through a side door.

“And now, the first place winner is… Ms. Valence! Congratulations!”

The screen showed Evelyn’s winning design and her smiling with the blueprint. The room fell silent, except for murmurs of confusion from the old-timers: “Evelyn, who?”

Evelyn didn’t care about the awkward silence. She gracefully took the stage and accepted the trophy from Valencia Grimaldi, a top international designer.

“Mr. Grimaldi, I’ve always admired your work and read many of your books. This design was inspired by your theories.”

“Really? Which book inspired you?” Valencia’s eyes gleamed.

Evelyn froze. The room buzzed with whispers as she struggled to answer.

Christopher stood in the corner, stone-faced, offering no help.

Panicking, Evelyn stammered, “Uh, the one about the art of color!”

“It’s called ‘The Emotion of Art.'”

I stood up, all eyes on me, and walked to the stage. “Ms. Valence, care to explain why my months of hard work are now your winning design?”