PART 1
The private conference room of a prestigious Frankfurt law firm felt colder than winter itself.
Clara Becker sat in silence at a glass table; her trembling hands rested beside three copies of a divorce agreement she had never wanted to see.
Six months pregnant with triplets, she struggled to grasp the reality unfolding before her. Opposite her sat her husband, Rainer Kuhn. Dressed in an expensive charcoal suit and sporting a brand-new luxury watch, Rainer appeared more annoyed than emotional. He didn’t look like a man ending a seven-year marriage; he looked like a businessman waiting for a tedious meeting to finally end.
“Just sign it, Clara,” he said coolly. “There’s no point in dragging this out.” Clara gripped the pen tighter.
“Hard for whom, Rainer?” she asked quietly. “For me, or for you—since you’re flying off on vacation with Sabrina this afternoon?” Rainer rolled his eyes. “Don’t start that again.” The words cut deeper than she had expected. For seven years, Clara had stood by his side through every crisis. She had helped him build his investment firm from the ground up. She had endured his family’s criticism, attended countless charity events, and sacrificed her own ambitions to support his dreams.
Two years earlier, they had endured the painful loss of their first child. Now, she was carrying triplets. And Rainer was leaving. News of his new relationship with Sabrina Berger—a glamorous social media influencer nearly ten years Clara’s junior—had already gone public. Photos of them flooded the internet: luxury vacations, expensive gifts, and smiling interviews. The worst part? In almost every photo, Rainer wore a gold cross necklace. It was the very same necklace Clara had given him after their earlier loss—a symbol of love, healing, and hope. “Tell me one thing, honestly,” Clara said. Rainer finally looked at her. “What?” “When did this family stop mattering to you?” His expression hardened. “Don’t use the babies to make me feel guilty.” Clara stared at him in disbelief. “They’re your children.” Rainer merely shrugged. The silence that followed seemed endless. Clara instinctively placed a hand on her belly as one of the babies moved. “How can you say something like that?” Rainer walked around the table and slid the pen closer to her. “Because I don’t trust you anymore,” he replied. “And because I’m tired of living like this.” Tears came before Clara could hold them back. Rainer showed no reaction. “You can keep the apartment until the end of the month,” he continued. “After that, you’ll have to figure things out on your own.” Clara looked down at the document.
Divorce by mutual consent. The label felt cruel. Nothing about it felt mutual. She signed anyway. Her hand trembled against the paper. Rainer immediately took his copy. “Thanks for understanding,” he said. Clara slowly raised her head. “One day, you’ll fully understand exactly what you’ve abandoned here.” Rainer gave a mocking grin. Then he left. No goodbye. No concern. No final glance at the children he was leaving behind. Clara sat alone for a few more minutes before finally standing up and leaving the building. Outside, rain was pouring down over Frankfurt. She wandered aimlessly through the busy streets, trying to numb the pain in her chest. Then she looked up. A huge digital billboard on a nearby building lit up. RAINER KUHN AND SABRINA BERGER ANNOUNCE THEIR LUXURIOUS WEDDING CELEBRATION IN KITZBÜHEL. The smiling photo beneath the headline felt like yet another betrayal. Rainer was standing next to Sabrina, wearing the gold cross necklace. Clara stopped in her tracks.
For a moment, the city seemed to spin around her. She tried to keep walking. Then, a sudden pain forced her to double over. Fear surged through her. She wrapped both arms around her stomach. “No… please…” The rain soaked her coat as concerned passersby began to gather around her. Everything around her faded away. And then came the darkness.
PART 2
“Call an ambulance!” The voice sounded distant. Clara struggled to keep her eyes open as concerned strangers approached her. Among them was a tall man in a dark winter coat. Without hesitation, he knelt beside her. “Stay with me,” he said calmly. “How far along are you?” “Six months,” Clara whispered. “And… triplets.” Something in the man’s expression shifted. No panic. No shock. It looked almost like recognition. “We’ll get you help right away.” Within minutes, he arranged transport and accompanied her to the hospital. Throughout the journey, Clara kept drifting in and out of consciousness. Whenever she opened her eyes, the stranger was there. Steadfast. Calm. Reassuring. “What’s your name?” she asked weakly. “Ethan Carter.” The name sounded familiar, but she was too exhausted to dwell on it. At the hospital, doctors quickly assessed her condition. Hours later, Clara finally received the news she so desperately needed. All three babies were fine. Relief washed over her. For the first time that day, she allowed herself to cry. The doctors ordered strict bed rest and instructed her to avoid any stress. Clara almost laughed at the advice. How was one supposed to avoid stress after losing one’s marriage, home, and planned future? The next morning, she discovered that Ethan was still sitting in the waiting room. He looked exhausted. Two untouched cups of coffee sat beside him. “You didn’t have to stay,” she said to him. Ethan lowered his gaze. “Years ago, I left when I should have stayed,” he replied quietly. “I’ve regretted it every day since.” Before leaving, he handed her a business card.
ETHAN CARTER – CARTER HOLDINGS Clara tucked it into her bag without giving it much thought. A few days later, her best friend Emma took her to a quiet terraced house outside Heidelberg, where she could recover in peace. That night, unable to sleep, Clara searched for Ethan’s name online. The results shocked her. Ethan Carter was one of the country’s most successful entrepreneurs. But that wasn’t what caught her attention. It was the headline beneath his profile: BILLIONAIRE AND WIDOWER RETURNS TO THE PUBLIC EYE AFTER FOUR-YEAR ABSENCE. Another article explained the reason. His wife had died years earlier while pregnant with their child. Clara slowly closed her laptop. Now she understood the sadness she had seen in his eyes.
He wasn’t pitying her from afar; he understood the pain from his own experience. Meanwhile, Rainer and Sabrina were celebrating their wedding in Kitzbühel. The event dominated social media. Luxury resorts. Celebrity guests. Magazine interviews. Public praise. Rainer told reporters he had finally found someone who truly understood him. Clara stopped reading. But she couldn’t escape every headline. Soon, Rainer’s mother appeared in a viral video, speaking disparagingly about women who allegedly use pregnancy to prevent a relationship from ending. The internet exploded with speculation. Thousands of strangers debated Clara’s life without knowing her. She chose silence. Not because she lacked answers, but because she refused to turn her children into entertainment for the masses. Every day became a battle between heartbreak and determination. Her babies deserved better. And that was what she intended to give them.
