I hurled the ring in my hand at Cody with force. "Then this ring is also back where it belongs."

Cody caught the ring with an unpleasant expression, "Elise, don't regret this later."

"I'll only regret not waking up sooner," I replied coldly.

Not wanting to stay and face them any longer, I walked out of the house with my phone in hand. Behind me, I heard Brittany's deliberate tone, "Cody, Elise is upset. You should go after her!"

Cody sneered, "Go after her? What a joke! She'll come crawling back to me in less than two days."

That was how it used to be. Every time Cody and I argued, I was always the one to compromise. But this time, I wouldn't turn back.

Seven days flew by. During this time, I was busy handling work transitions. Life felt fulfilling and hectic. Cody sent me two messages asking when I'd return, but I ignored them completely.

Just as I was eagerly planning for my overseas training, I discovered I was pregnant.

After the examination, the doctor cautioned me, "The fetus is not stable and there are signs of bleeding. I'll prescribe some medication to help you maintain the pregnancy. You need to rest and avoid overexertion."

I placed my hand on my abdomen, overwhelmed by a surge of emotions. Why did this have to happen now? If I'd found out about the pregnancy a week earlier, I would have been ecstatic.

I had always dreamed of having a child with Cody, someone who shared our blood, making us a real family. But now, I wasn't sure if I should keep the child or not.

At that moment, Cody called me, "Today is your birthday. I've arranged a party for you at the Orchard Hotel. Come and have dinner with me. Let's put the past behind us."

My heart wavered slightly. For the sake of the baby in my belly, I decided to give him one last chance. It was raining and the roads were congested, so I arrived a bit late.

I found the room number Cody had given me. As I pushed open the door, lively chatter reached my ears. Most of the people in the room were his friends, the same group that had attended Brittany's birthday party.

They had already started eating and even the cake on the side had a piece taken out of it. When they saw me standing at the door, everyone's attention turned to me and the atmosphere froze for a moment.

Cody frowned and said, "Why are you still standing there? Everyone's been waiting for you for ages."

I looked at him and sneered, "Waiting while eating already?"

Brittany chimed in gently, "I have a weak stomach and can't go hungry, so Cody let everyone have a few bites first."

I walked over, glanced at the table full of leftovers and said with a mocking tone, "A few bites? You sure have big appetites."

Catching the sarcasm in my words, Cody immediately showed his displeasure, "Elise, everyone went to great lengths to come here for your birthday. What's wrong with having a few bites of food? Who asked you to act so high and mighty, showing up so late!"

"I was late because …" Before I could finish, Cody interrupted. "Forget it. It's your birthday today and I don't feel like arguing with you."

He then tossed a box in front of me. "Here, your birthday gift. I spent ten thousand on it."

I opened the box to find a jade bracelet inside, but its quality and appearance were far inferior to the family heirloom bracelet he gave to Brittany.

But what mattered wasn't the bracelet itself, it was the meaning it carried.

Seeing me remain silent, Cody assumed I was pleased. In his mind, someone like me, who wore a 9.9 dollars engagement ring for three years, should be content with a jade bracelet worth ten thousand.

Cody poured a glass of white liquor and handed it to me, "Drink this and it'll count as your apology to Brittany. We'll consider your rude behavior at her birthday party resolved." So, this was what he meant by letting it go?

The last shred of hope I had for him completely crumbled. I raised my hand and knocked the glass out of his hand, looking at him coldly, "Apologize to Brittany? Don't even think about it. Cody, we're done."

His friends, eager to fan the flames, chimed in, "Cody, you can't spoil her. Give her an inch and she'll forget who she is."

"Exactly! She used to follow you around like a lapdog. Today, you're throwing her a birthday party and giving her gifts and she dares to threaten you with a breakup?"

"Cody, if you don't put her in her place today, she'll walk all over you in the future."

Provoked by their words, Cody grabbed a bottle of white liquor from the table and strode toward me.

An uneasy feeling crept into my heart and I instinctively stepped back, "Cody, what are you doing?"

He reached me in a few steps, gripping my chin tightly. His voice was vicious, "Elise, you're drinking this whether you like it or not!"

"No, I …" The fiery liquor was forced into my mouth. I struggled desperately, but I couldn't fight his strength.

The liquor I couldn't swallow dripped down my chin and soaked into my clothes. Only when the entire bottle was emptied did he release me. I collapsed to the ground, disheveled and humiliated.

Cody glanced at me indifferently and said, "Elise, stop pretending. I know one bottle of liquor is nothing to you."

I looked at him with hatred. A sharp pain radiated from my lower abdomen, so intense I couldn't form a coherent sentence.

Suddenly, someone nearby screamed, "Blood! She's bleeding!"

Warm blood seeped from beneath me and I could feel the life inside me slipping away.

Cody finally realized I wasn't faking. In panic, he picked me up and asked, "Elise, what's wrong? Why are you bleeding so much all of a sudden?"

Using the last of my strength, I said, "Cody … you … killed … your own … child …"