Chapter 1
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At the entrance of Houston’s City Hall, Valerie Schwartz stood, neat and composed in a gray suit. The autumn wind ruffled her hair, but her strikingly beautiful features remained as cold and sharp as ever.
In her hand, she gripped her birth certificate so tightly it was crumpled at the edges.
Today was supposed to be the day she and her boyfriend, Terrence Crawford, would get their marriage license.
She had waited for what seemed like hours, but still, Terrence hadn’t shown up.
How many times had he stood her up? She had lost count.
She dialed Terrence’s number again, but the call went unanswered.
Valerie lowered her head, frustration clouding her thoughts. Just then, a notification appeared on her phone.
It was a news article: The CEO of Crawford Group, Terrence, made a high-profile appearance at the airport today, picking up his girlfriend, who had just returned from abroad. Their reunion was full of affection and tenderness.
Valerie clicked the link, and a photo loaded. It was of a tall, dignified man dressed in a black suit. Even in profile, Terrence’s strikingly handsome features were evident, and his eyes carried a tenderness Valerie had never seen before.
A bitter smile curled on her lips.
She had never seen him look so gentle.
No, she corrected herself, she had never seen him look like that with her.
The undeniable truth hit her hard: Margaret Levine—his unforgettable crush—held a special place in his heart.
Just a phone call from her was enough to make Terrence abandon Valerie, even on the very day they were supposed to get their marriage license.
Suddenly, a text message popped up on her phone.
“Did you see the news online? If you’re smart, you’ll leave Terry.”
It was from Margaret Levine.
Valerie scrolled up through their previous messages and saw a prenatal examination report Margaret had sent a few days ago.
Eight weeks pregnant.
Mother: Margaret Levine.
Father: Terrence Crawford.
Valerie wasn’t surprised.
Every year, Terrence would fly to France and spend nearly half the year with Margaret.
