A Legacy of His Lover's Lie

Despite the resentment churning in my gut over his history with Sloane, I bit my tongue and tolerated his frequent hospital visits, telling myself she didn't have much time left. However, two weeks later, he suddenly approached me, a hesitant look on his face, saying he had something to discuss.

I didn't know what it was, but seeing his serious expression, a knot of dread tightened in my stomach.

After a moment’s hesitation, he spoke in a firm tone that left no room for argument. "I want to have a child with Sloane."

"What?" My mind went completely blank. What was he saying? Was my husband actually telling me he wanted to have a baby with another woman?

Wyatt glanced at me, nodded, and then continued, "Sloane stayed single all these years for me. Now that she's dying, I have to fulfill her wish."

His cheeks flushed, as if embarrassed by his own admission. "Sloane... I'm the only man she's ever loved. So, I've decided to have this child with her."

Noticing my stiff expression, he quickly added, "I've discussed it with her. After the child is born, we can raise it together. That should be fine, right?"

I stared at him in disbelief, then shot to my feet. "What in the world are you talking about, Wyatt? You want to have a child with Sloane and expect me to raise it? I refuse. I will never accept this."

"I’ve put up with you running to her side every single day, and now you're telling me you're going to cheat on me? What is wrong with you, Wyatt?"

My anger flared, burning away all reason. Because I loved him, I had tolerated his lingering feelings for Sloane. I had even accepted him going to take care of her.

However, his words were a vicious slap to my face—stinging and humiliating.

Wyatt was stunned, seemingly unprepared for such a vehement reaction from his usually compliant wife. When he snapped out of it, he roared, "What the hell are you getting so worked up about, Aveline? I'm not asking for your opinion. I'm informing you."

He frowned, looking at my flushed face with irritation. "Besides, marrying you doesn't mean you own me. I don't need your permission to have a child with someone else."

"Most importantly, if you hadn't wedged yourself between us back then, Sloane and I would have been together long ago. You swooped in when I was at my lowest!" With that, he shot me a resentful glare.

Suddenly, the fight drained out of me. I never imagined he would blame me for his breakup with Sloane.

Back then, a video of Wyatt accepting bribes to throw a game was leaked. Overnight, he went from a celebrated rising star to a disgrace in the sports world. His girlfriend at the time, Sloane, found out and immediately abandoned him, disappearing without a trace. His parents, who had been university professors their whole lives, couldn't handle the shock and both fell ill.

That was when I, having secretly loved him for years, stepped in. And it was true—I had swooped in at his absolute lowest.

But I had no choice. From the first time I saw him in college, I knew he was the one. Everyone knew about his relationship with Sloane, and I never dreamed of getting between them.

When she left and he was drowning in despair, I couldn't bear to stand by and do nothing.

I stayed by his side for two years as he battled depression. I never knew if it was my devotion that finally moved him or if he'd simply let go of Sloane, but two years later, he proposed. I thought my love had finally won.

Even after we were married, I continued to care for him meticulously. I never dared to slack off for a moment, terrified his depression would relapse.