Chapter 1Dead Wife Walking

The scholarship student I had been sponsoring for years stormed into my birthday party, waving a pregnancy test like a weapon.

"Ava is pregnant with my child! You better be smart about this and divorce her right now!"

I stared at him, bewildered, pointing a trembling finger at the test result.

"Are you sure... Ava Rhodes is pregnant with your child?"

Caleb Hunt smirked, proudly twirling the paper in his hand.

"Of course. We conceived this baby on our cruise last month!"

Caleb's words sent shockwaves through the room. My guests gasped in unison.

Because my ex-wife, Ava Rhodes, died three years ago.

* * *

I looked at Caleb blankly, needing to confirm what I just heard.

"Do you really know who Ava Rhodes is?"

Caleb gripped the pregnancy test, his expression arrogant.

"Julian Thorne, cut the crap. Divorce Ava immediately and vacate the position of her husband."

"Otherwise, you're just going to embarrass yourself further."

The Caleb standing before me now wore an expensive Italian suit, his hair styled perfectly.

He was unrecognizable from the scrawny, timid boy I met eight years ago—the boy wearing clothes scavenged from a dumpster.

Although I was annoyed by his provocative tone, I still held onto a sliver of hope for him.

"Caleb, stop joking. It's my birthday. Have a piece of cake."

Caleb shoved the slice I offered him away, slamming his hand onto the table.

"To hell with your cake! Are you divorcing her or not?"

"If you don't, don't blame me for taking other measures."

His long finger nearly poked my eye.

My girlfriend, Sophia, immediately pulled me back, her voice sharp.

"Don't touch Julian!"

Seeing everyone staring and whispering, I felt the humiliation burn. As the host of this party, this was a disaster.

"Caleb, if you keep making a scene, I'm cutting off the funding for you and your family tomorrow."

When I decided to sponsor Caleb years ago, he was in rags, dirt under his nails, and I swear I saw a roach crawl out of his hair.

Hearing that both his parents were paralyzed and he was raising his little brother while scavenging for scraps and studying, I was moved.

"Caleb, I will pay for your college tuition. I'll also help your family improve their living conditions."

From then on, I transferred $3,000 to him every month like clockwork.

On holidays, I sent extra bonuses and gifts.

But this boy, who had received my immense kindness, now looked at me with a sneer.

"You think I care about your little sponsorship?"

He leaned in, patting my cheek condescendingly.

"Get this straight. I got my sister pregnant."

He showed off his designer loafers and flashed the diamond watch on his wrist.

"Ava said once she gives birth to our son, she'll not only buy me a mansion but also bring my whole family to live in luxury."

"You keep your stingy three grand a month. Save it to buy yourself a grave!"

He scoffed, then grabbed a bottle of wine and smashed it onto my four-tier birthday cake.

The masterpiece my friends had custom-ordered was ruined in an instant.