2

##Chapter 2

Kaiden emerged upon hearing the sounds of an argument, his face etched with irritation. His gaze shifted past me, settling on Quinn's tear-brimmed eyes.

Quinn, her head bowed, fumbled with the buttons on Kaiden's shirt while quietly sobbing as if deeply wronged.

"What madness is this now?" Kaiden asked, looking at me, his tone a mix of annoyance and impatience.

I scoffed coldly, pointing at the familiar blue shirt on Quinn, my voice filled with gritted anger. "Don't you see? She's wearing the anniversary gift I bought for you."

Kaiden paused briefly, but his expression quickly turned cold. "Isabella, she's pregnant. Can't you stop being so petty? Learn to be a bit more forgiving, will you?"

It wasn't the first time. Every time I tried to point out Quinn's overstepping behaviors, he silenced me with the same excuse—she was pregnant. He wrapped responsibility, sympathy, and care into a moral high ground, painting me as the heartless villain. But this time, I refused to endure any longer.

"Forgiving? So should I also graciously accept your movie nights together, cooking together, her sleeping on the couch in your T-shirt?" My eyes blazed with anger. "You are my husband, not hers. I'm tired of being tolerant, tired of your 'shared' routine."

Kaiden's face darkened completely. He complained about my loud voice and called me unreasonable.

"Quinn is my step-sister. It's my duty to take care of her. You should understand that."

"Duty?" I laughed mockingly. "And that gives you the right to sleep beside her, wash her hair, and stay up with her through nightmares until dawn?"

Kaiden fell silent.

Not waiting for him to speak, I pressed on, "What time did you go to bed yesterday? And the day before? Last week, did you have her wait outside the bathroom after your shower? She was still in your pajamas!"

Each question hit like a bullet, tearing through his carefully crafted facade. Kaiden grew paler. He hadn't expected me to know so much or to confront him directly.

Quinn immediately stepped forward, gently placing her hand on Kaiden's arm, her voice choked and frail. "Kaiden, don't be mad at Isabella. It's all my fault. I never meant to be a burden between you two..."

Her tears fell, tracing down her delicate cheeks. Her tone was disgustingly gentle as she played the victim perfectly, while I became the cruel wife driving away a pitiful pregnant woman.

Kaiden immediately wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her close as if fearing she might break down any second. "No, Quinn, don't go anywhere. This is your home."

My throat burned with suppressed emotions, and finally collapsing, I softly said, "Let's get a divorce."

"Divorce?" Kaiden laughed coldly and dismissively. "Stop making a fuss. What do you want? More money? A new designer bag? Jewelry? I'll buy it for you. Just stop this nonsense."

My heart felt like it had been brutally struck with a blunt object. So in his eyes, all my emotions and persistence were just greedy tactics. He had always thought so. He believed that as long as there was enough money, I would stay and continue to endure.

I remained silent then, just watching them coldly. Seizing the moment, Quinn added softly, "Kaiden, it's my fault... Maybe... maybe I really should leave. You and Isabella are the couple."

"You don't need to leave," Kaiden reassured her quickly. "Isabella is just emotionally unstable right now. She'll be fine."

He still didn't glance my way.