I thought back to the day we got married. He had suggested keeping our marriage a secret to protect my career and I had believed it was because he truly loved me.
I had even planned to have his child, but he shut me down, saying he didn’t want kids. He claimed he didn’t want me to be burdened by motherhood.
His thoughtfulness had so touched me. For two years, I put him first. Outside, I avoided anything that could cause suspicion; inside, I played the perfect housewife.
Then came our second wedding anniversary. I was not feeling well and could not reach Asher all day. When I went home to rest, I saw Nora sitting in his arms outside the bedroom door, embracing him in a passionate kiss.
He also whispered that he asked Nora to give him a child.
That was the moment it all clicked. It was not that he didn’t want children—he just didn’t want one with me.
His voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
"Come on, don’t be mad. Look, I got you this necklace."
The cold touch of pearls against my skin brought me back to reality. Asher fastened a pearl necklace around my neck, looking at me with an almost childlike hope as if expecting me to thank him.