My Future Self Begged Me to Walk Away Chapter 06

The general public of Port City had absolutely no idea that the golden boy, Ulysses Vanderbilt, was completely infertile.

It was a congenital condition—his sperm motility rate was trace-level low, making it practically impossible for him to ever have biological children. This secret was kept under tight wraps by the Vanderbilt family, with fewer than five people alive aware of its existence.

I had discovered the medical diagnostic report three years ago, sitting inside an unlocked drawer in his study. He happened to push the door open right at that moment, catching me frozen with the papers in my hand.

I would never forget the expression that flashed across Ulysses’ face in that exact instance. There was shock, followed by acute humiliation, and then an overwhelming surge of pure, unadulterated rage.

He stepped forward sharply, snatching the report out of my grasp and tearing it to pieces, then shouted fiercely at me with eyes puffy from crying.

“Are you happy now? Did you get a good look?”

“Claire, now you know that your future husband is a broken man!”

Everything had changed after that day. He began to frequently pull long nights at the office, growing distant and detached toward me. It wasn’t long before Melody appeared at his side under the guise of a personal lifestyle assistant.

Looking back, I realized he likely felt he had stripped away his final ounce of masculine dignity in front of me, and he desperately sought to reclaim that power with another woman. For years, I endlessly rationalized his emotional neglect and infidelity, constantly whispering to myself that he hadn’t stopped loving me—he was just sick, broken, and in immense agony.

It wasn’t until this very moment that I finally understood: the second you start treating a toxic man like a patient, your own tragedy begins.

Snapping out of his initial shock, Ulysses continued to stare down at Melody, the last vestige of warmth disappearing from his eyes until they turned completely hollow.

“Speak,” he commanded, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. “Tell me exactly whose bastard is growing inside your belly.”

Melody’s lips trembled violently as she frantically shook her head. “No… Uly, you have to believe me…”

“It’s Claire! Claire set me up! She deepfaked the security footage, she forged the clinic reports! She’s doing this to completely destroy me!” She sobbed so intensely she could barely catch her breath, reaching out with trembling fingers to clutch his sleeve.

But this time, Ulysses stepped back sharply, leaving her hands clawing at empty air.

“Port City is only so big,” he countered, each word clipping out like a razor-sharp blade. “Turning your entire itinerary from last month completely inside out to drag that man into the light won’t be difficult at all.” He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. “I am giving you one last chance. Speak. Whose child is it?”

As the final syllable echoed through the microphone, Melody completely unraveled. She knew Ulysses’ operational methods all too well. In Port City, nobody dared to cross the Vanderbilt family; if Ulysses launched a full investigation, she wouldn’t be able to conceal a thing.

Abandoning her defense entirely, she broke down into violent, shuddering dry sobs. “I don’t know…”

“I genuinely don’t know…”

“That night… at the lounge, I had way too much to drink… when I woke up, I was already in the hotel room… I have absolutely no idea who that man was…” She suddenly threw herself forward again, wrapping her arms tightly around Ulysses’ leg. “Uly, please forgive me… I was forced! I’m the victim here!”

“I was so terrified… I didn’t dare tell you… I was so afraid you’d look down on me…”

“I had no choice… I had to stage the jump into the river… I thought if I faked my death and left the country, I could find a way to clear things up and come back