Chapter 1

Five years into my marriage with billionaire Ethan Carter, we still didn't have a marriage license.

He told me it was a strict rule in his family—no signing the marriage license until we had a baby to secure the family trust.

Five years had passed, and I still hadn't gotten pregnant. I always thought it was my fault.

But a sudden, random check by our insurance clerk shattered my entire world. Ethan had already signed a marriage license—with Serena Miller, his first love.

I drove to his office, my heart in my throat, desperate for an explanation. But through the cracked door of his office, I heard him talking to his friend:

"I'm never having a baby with Vivian. And I'm definitely not signing a marriage license with her. I had a vasectomy years ago."

"Everyone in high society knows Vivian as my wife. I've given her the social status of Mrs. Carter. That's enough. The only thing I can give Serena is this marriage license. It's what I owe her."

What Ethan didn't know was that five years ago, I made a promise to his mother.

If I couldn't produce an heir within five years, I would leave him.

And now, there were only three days left.