Chapter 2
Hearing Rose’s remark, the nurse fell silent, feeling a little embarrassed.
She hadn’t expected Rose to expose her husband’s “secret” so matter-of-factly.
Yet she also believed it.
After all, Rose had been married for seven years without children. With Rose’s beauty and figure, if they still couldn’t have a child, then there had to be something wrong with her husband.
As a result, the nurse looked at Rose with sympathy.
Seeing the young nurse’s eyes full of sympathy toward her, Rose merely smiled and walked away.
The cold white corridor lights stretched her shadow thin and long across the floor.
Erectile dysfunction?
She had only said those words casually to shut them up.
Yet the ridiculous thing was...
Most people actually believed it.
However, no one knew that Ryan was perfectly healthy.
The reason they didn’t have a child was because he simply never wanted children with her.
Rose stepped into the stairwell and finally let out a quiet laugh.
Her thoughts drifted uncontrollably back to seven years ago.
On their wedding night, the Knight family mansion had been brightly lit. Every guest had smiled and congratulated them as though it were truly a joyous marriage.
However, only the two people involved understood the truth.
This marriage was nothing more than a transaction.
After entering the bedroom, Ryan had loosened his tie and looked at her calmly beneath the warm lights.
“There’s something I need to make clear first.”
His tone had been polite.
Rose looked at him, only to meet his cold and indifferent eyes.
“I don’t want children,” he had said.
At the time, Rose had only paused briefly before nodding.
“Understood.”
She had assumed he simply disliked family responsibilities.
Or perhaps he valued freedom.
After all, neither of them loved each other.
A child born into such a marriage would indeed be unfortunate.
So she had understood him.
Even cooperated with him.
Until tonight—
When she saw the tenderness in his eyes while holding Samantha.
Only then did Rose suddenly realize the truth.
It wasn’t that he disliked children.
He simply didn’t want to have children with her.
Because once a child existed, Samantha would forever become the shameful outsider in their relationship.
And how could he allow the woman he loved to become a shameful existence?
So Ryan had chosen the cleanest method from the very beginning.
With no children involved, there would be no complications when they divorced in the future.
Ryan really had planned everything well.
However, surprisingly, she didn’t feel heartbroken anymore.
Just... completely disillusioned.
Just then, footsteps approached from behind.
Rose turned around and immediately met Ryan’s cold, unfathomable gaze.
Did he hear what she had told the nurse about his condition?
Even better if he did.
So what if he heard?
She no longer cared what he thought anymore.
However, Ryan quickly withdrew his gaze and walked toward the nurses’ station, retrieving several medical documents left behind during the transfer procedures.
One nurse hurriedly handed them over nervously.
“President Knight, these are the forms—”
“Mm.”
His expression remained indifferent.
Rose wasn’t surprised.
Ryan had always been like that.
He had never hidden his impatience toward her. To him, even speaking with her was a waste of time and energy.
Even with a husband, she had no one to lean on.
Nor did she have any emotional support.
For seven years, she had once hoped—however faintly—that someday this man might treat her differently.
Now she finally understood.
You could never wake someone pretending to be asleep.
And you could never make someone love you.
Ryan signed the last page before finally looking toward her.
“What are you still doing here?”
The question sounded colder than if he were speaking to a subordinate.
Rose answered calmly, “Working.”
He frowned slightly, seemingly displeased by her tone.
But before he could speak, his phone rang.
The moment he saw the caller ID, the frost in his eyes visibly softened.
“Didn’t I tell you not to move around?” he said quietly into the phone.
“Wait for me. I’ll be there soon.”
Rose lowered her gaze.
There it was again.
That tenderness reserved exclusively for Samantha.
After hanging up, Ryan left immediately.
From beginning to end, he never once asked how she was feeling.
Nor did he explain anything.
As though she were completely irrelevant.
Rose watched his figure disappear before finally turning away.
Looking at his retreating figure, she sighed inwardly.
Three months.
Just three more months.
Then everything would end.
Late that night, Rose returned to the villa.
The enormous living room was dark and empty.
It had never resembled a home anyway.
She walked upstairs and opened the safe in the study.
Inside lay two documents.
The prenuptial agreement.
And the divorce agreement prepared seven years ago by Mr. Knight himself.
Back then, the old man had worried that the two young people might become entangled in future disputes, so he had arranged everything in advance.
After seven years of marriage, the agreement would automatically take effect.
A clean separation.
No complications.
Ryan had signed it back then without even reading the contents carefully.
To him, the marriage itself had never mattered.
So naturally, neither had the agreement.
Rose flipped through the papers silently.
Three months remained until the official expiration date.
Then she carried the documents downstairs.
At nearly midnight, the villa doors finally opened again.
Ryan entered while loosening his cuffs.
The faint scent of disinfectant mixed with a trace of women’s perfume lingered on him.
Rose sat quietly on the sofa.
“Let’s divorce.”
Ryan’s movements paused slightly.
Then he looked at her calmly, unsurprised.
“You’re making trouble because of tonight?”
Rose found it almost amusing.
Even now, he still believed she was acting out of jealousy.
She placed the agreement on the table.
“There are three months left. That should be enough time for asset division and public arrangements.”
Ryan glanced casually at the papers without picking them up.
His voice remained indifferent.
“You can do whatever you want privately. But publicly, maintain proper appearances.”
He looked at her meaningfully.
“Especially regarding Samantha.”
Ah.
So that was his true concern.
Not their marriage.
Not the divorce.
Only Samantha’s reputation.
Rose suddenly felt absurdly tired.
She nodded lightly.
“After the divorce, your affairs won’t concern me anymore.”
Ryan seemed satisfied with that answer.
“Good.”
Then he added coldly, “Draft the final agreement yourself. Send it to my lawyer afterward.”
There was no hesitation in his voice, nor any attempt to stop her.
As though ending a seven-year marriage was no more important than concluding a business meeting.
Rose stared at him quietly for several seconds before smiling faintly.
“Alright.”
Ryan apparently interpreted her calmness as another attempt to gain his attention.
His expression remained completely unconcerned.
Without another word, he turned and walked upstairs.
Soon, the sound of the shower echoed from the bedroom.
Rose sat alone in the silent living room for a long time.
Then she finally stood up and began packing her belongings.
There was not much.
Most of the things in this villa had been prepared by servants under the Knight family’s instructions.
Very little truly belonged to her.
Halfway through packing, her phone suddenly lit up.
A video call request.
The moment Rose answered, a tiny, soft face immediately filled the screen.
“Mama!”
Ariel’s face appeared on the phone screen. The little girl looked at her sweetly while hugging her stuffed rabbit excitedly.
“I’m coming to New York soon! Grandma said I can finally live with you!”
The child’s eyes sparkled brightly.
Rose’s heart softened instantly.
All the coldness from tonight seemed to melt away.
“Really?” she asked gently.
Ariel nodded enthusiastically.
“Yes! Then I can see Mama every day!”
Rose’s eyes grew slightly warm.
At that moment, she suddenly felt grateful.
Grateful that she had insisted on keeping the child back then.
Otherwise, in this empty marriage, she truly would have been left with nothing.
After ending the video call, another message quickly arrived.
From Diana.
[If Ryan ever finds out he has a five-year-old daughter, he’ll probably go insane.]
Rose stared at the message briefly before replying calmly.
[He doesn’t care enough to deserve being a father.]
Diana immediately sent back a string of exclamation marks.
The entire upper-class circle had long rumored that Ryan was infertile.
After all, after seven years of marriage, Rose had never become pregnant.
Only Rose herself knew the truth.
The man was perfectly capable.
He simply refused to give her a child.
And now—
She no longer wanted to give him the chance.
