After seven years of marriage, Kayla Campbell had finally become pregnant.

But during her prenatal checkup, she noticed something was wrong. The space to fill in the name of the child’s father was blank.

She instinctively spoke up.

"The father should be Luke Hudson. Was it missed during registration?"

In Havenport's upper circles, almost everyone was aware of how devoted the head of the Hudson family was to his wife. He loved her so deeply that he had once been willing to undergo a vasectomy for her.

"Kayla, watching you take medicine and get injections again and again breaks my heart. You're everything to me. If having a child means you have to suffer like this, then I would rather never have one."

Perhaps the heavens were touched by them.

Luke was a man known for his decisive and ruthless nature. On the day they confirmed her pregnancy, he had knelt and pulled her into his arms, crying until his voice gave out. He had personally handled all the medical registration paperwork afterward.

With how carefully he treated her, a mistake like this made no sense.

The staff member was clearly new to the job, and she worked at the computer for a long while before finally nodding.

"The father's name was blank when the file was created."

As she continued checking, her expression changed slightly.

"But Mr. Hudson's name does appear in another patient's record. He's listed as the father of her child. The mother's name is Stephanie Campbell. Do you know her?"

Kayla froze.

Her thoughts went blank.

People in their social circle all knew Kayla's background. She had been adopted by the Campbell family. But when the family finally found their biological daughter, they accused Kayla of having taken their real daughter's place for years and kicked her out without mercy.

That biological daughter was Stephanie.

Kayla Campbell clutched her prenatal check-up papers and felt completely lost. She didn't expect to run into Luke Hudson and Stephanie Campbell in the hallway just as she was leaving the clinic.

"Luke, isn't today Kayla's appointment too? Wouldn't it be better if you were with her instead of me?" Stephanie asked.

Luke noticed her shoelace was untied. Without hesitation, he knelt down and tied it into a perfect bow, his movements so practiced it was clear he'd done this countless times before.

"Look at you, you didn't even notice your shoelaces were untied. How am I supposed to trust you like this? As for Kayla, I've already told her to wait for me at home. Once I'm done here with you, I'll go with her to her appointment."

Sunlight streamed through the window, catching Stephanie's slightly rounded belly. It made her look radiant, soft, and unexpectedly joyful.

"So you came with me first. Does that mean you... care about me a little more? Oh! I think our baby is kicking, Luke! Can you feel it?"

Luke's expression immediately shifted to concern. Without a second thought, he swept her into his arms, holding her sideways in a protective embrace. But then, as he turned, his eyes landed on Kayla standing silently in the corner.

Panic flashed across his face. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Kayla stepped forward slowly, her hand swinging sharply to deliver a slap.

She put everything she had into it. Luke's cheek instantly swelled from the impact.

"Luke, explain yourself."

Before Luke could say a word, Stephanie had already stepped in. Her arms spread wide as if shielding a chick, her face full of defiance.

"I'm carrying Luke's child. He's here with me for my appointment. Who are you to hit him?"

At that moment, Kayla could no longer hold back her tears. Her chest ached so much she felt like she might collapse.

Luke immediately saw that something was wrong with Kayla. Without a second thought, he pushed Stephanie aside and held his wife tightly in his arms, his voice thick with concern.

"No, Kayla, don't cry. Stephanie's baby isn't mine. I just couldn't bear to see her suffer from the gossip about being pregnant out of wedlock. The father ran off, and she couldn't terminate the pregnancy because of her condition. I just wanted to help her.

"After all, she's your sister, isn't she?"

Kayla froze.

Even now, she could still remember the day Stephanie returned to the Campbell family. She had tumbled down the stairs all on her own, then had run crying to their parents.

"I don't blame Kayla. She didn't mean it. She was just afraid I'd take your love away from her."

Lara Smith had slapped Kayla hard, screaming at her for being malicious. She stripped Kayla of all her clothes and threw her out of the Campbell family's residence.

"You took Stephanie's life from her, and even your clothes belonged to her. You have no right to stay here. Get out!"

If Luke hadn't happened to pass by that night, Kayla might have frozen to death in the winter cold.

"She's not my sister!" Kayla cried, breaking down completely. Luke held her tighter, whispering soothingly.

"Shh, it's okay. Don't be upset, all right? My heart is breaking for you."

Stephanie noticed the prenatal checkup report in Kayla's hands and began to explain, her voice carrying an odd, self-satisfied edge.

"Luke was only worried will gossip about me, Kayla. I'm not as strong as you, and I really won't be able to handle it. That's why Luke agreed to be my baby's father.

"You know the Hudson family can only have one eldest grandchild. That means your child will have to start out without a father, but just for a while. I promise I'll make sure Luke adopts your child, and he'll never strip them of their clothes and chase them out of the house just because they're adopted. Don't worry, Kayla."

The faint scent of Stephanie's perfume still clung to Luke.

Kayla shoved away the man she had loved for so many years, her eyes burning red as she screamed, "For Stephanie, you're willing to let our child grow up without a father? You worry about her reputation, but what about me? Doesn't my reputation matter at all?"

Luke stayed silent for a long moment, swallowing hard, his voice rough and hoarse when he finally spoke.

"If Stephanie hadn't come to warn me at the gala, you might have..." Luke's voice faltered, heavy with guilt.

"So I really can't just stand by and watch Stephanie be dragged through the mud."

At a gala three years ago, someone had slipped Kayla a potent drug. A group of thugs had almost taken advantage of her, and it was Stephanie who had alerted Luke, saving her at the last second.

Afterward, Luke had given the Campbell family dozens of projects and even added five million dollars in cash as thanks. But he still felt it wasn't enough.

For the past three years, he had been constantly helping the Campbell family. He managed their business affairs, secretly buying Stephanie several priceless pieces of jewelry, even rushing to care for her whenever she caught a cold.

Every time Kayla tried to stop him, Luke would cut her off with, "Stephanie saved you. I can't ignore her."

It was only now that Kayla bitterly realized the debt her husband felt toward Stephanie might consume his entire life.

And for the first time, she felt it. That heart which had once burned so fiercely for Luke was slowly going cold, bit by bit, until there was nothing left at all.

So this was what it felt like for love to fade.

Suddenly, Stephanie doubled over and screamed in pain.

"Luke! My stomach... it hurts so much! Our baby... is something wrong with our baby?"

Kayla felt the large hands holding her tense for just a moment. She allowed herself a bitter, hollow smile.

"Go ahead. Don't let yourself regret it."

Luke's expression was conflicted. In the end, he let go of Kayla and carried Stephanie straight toward the exam room.

Kayla wiped the last of her tears from her face and turned to take three decisive actions.

First, she scheduled an abortion.

Second, she contacted her lawyer to draw up divorce papers.

Third, she bought a plane ticket to fly across the ocean in two weeks.

Luke could let Stephanie ruin his own child's reputation, but Kayla couldn't. She would rather make sure this baby never saw the world.

As for her marriage to Luke, she realized it had no purpose left. In two weeks, she would leave this place that had broken her heart and never return.

The abortion was scheduled for three days from now.

When she picked up the appointment slip from the doctor's office, she ran straight into Stephanie.

"The baby in your belly is just a fatherless child. Do you really need a check-up?"

With Luke absent, Stephanie's true colors surfaced immediately.

"You didn't know, did you?" Stephanie said, a smug edge in her voice. "I made sure to schedule my check-ups at the same time as yours. Luke always chooses to come with me first. He won't rest until he's made sure I get home safely. I think there were several times he made you delay your appointment just because he came back too late, right?"

Kayla clenched her fists.

No wonder something always came up at the company whenever it was time for her prenatal checkups.

Last-minute emergencies. Meetings that stretched deep into the night.

How pitiful she had been back then. She'd pushed through her morning sickness and exhaustion, even when the nausea threatened to make her vomit, just to make a pot of hot stew for her husband so he would have it waiting when he got home from work.

The memory made her stomach churn, pain flaring up as anger and disgust swirled together.

She had no time for Stephanie's taunts. All she wanted now was to go back to bed and rest.

But before she could react, Stephanie's lips curved into a faint smile.

The next second, she pretended she lost her balance and fell backward.

"Stephanie!"

Luke lunged forward without hesitation, catching her just before she hit the ground.

Stephanie's voice trembled with quiet sobs.

"It's all my fault. That's why Kayla is so angry. She hates me... and she hates the baby in my belly. I don't blame her. She didn't mean it..."

It was the same kind of script all over again.

Kayla couldn't take it anymore.

"That's not true! I didn't—"

But Luke only looked down at Stephanie with a pained expression.

"Stephanie, don't blame Kayla, okay? I'll apologize on her behalf."

Kayla froze.

She couldn't believe it. Luke hadn't even given her a chance to explain. He had already decided she was guilty.

"That's not true! I didn't touch her! If you don't believe me, check the surveillance in the hallway!"

She pointed toward a hidden camera in the corner.

She hadn't expected there to be cameras here. Stephanie's face went pale, and she gripped Luke's arm so tightly her whole body shook.

Luke rubbed his forehead helplessly.

"Kayla, I know you're upset. I'm not asking you to apologize to Stephanie. Just... don't provoke her anymore, okay?"

At that moment, Kayla heard the sound of her own heart breaking.

The boy who had once carried her out of a freezing winter night, gently draped his coat over her shoulders, and promised he would always believe in her... had finally broken that promise.

Stephanie threw Kayla a triumphant smile before collapsing into Luke's arms, sobbing.

"Luke, I'm not feeling well. Can you take me back first?"

Luke's eyes flickered with hesitation, but he turned to Kayla.

"Stephanie's shaken. I'll take her to the car first and come right back for you. Stay here, okay?"

Without another glance, he scooped Stephanie up in his arms and hurried toward the exit.

A passing nurse watched them go, envy written all over her face.

"This man is way too good to his wife! We're on the sixteenth floor, and he didn't even wait for the elevator. He just ran down the stairs carrying her! When will I ever meet a husband like that?"

"Good husbands aren't easy to find. Look at that other pregnant woman over there. She's so pale, and her husband isn't even with her. Poor thing... wait, what's happening? Someone call for help! A pregnant woman just fainted in the hallway!"

Before Kayla lost consciousness, the last thing she saw was the nurse's terrified face.

When Kayla woke, Luke was sitting by the bed.

He looked exhausted, probably from a sleepless night. His handsome face was shadowed with stubble, and he looked utterly worn out.

The moment he saw her open her eyes, he grabbed her hand, his voice trembling.

"Kayla, you're awake. Do you know what the doctor said? Your mood swings have already seriously affected the baby. If anything happened to you or the baby, what would I do? You'll be the death of me!"

Kayla felt dazed. She couldn't understand how the man before her could love her and their child so fiercely, and stab her heart over and over at the same time.

"The doctor says you need more vitamins. You love apples the most. I'll peel one for you, okay?"

As he spoke, Luke rolled up his sleeves.

He picked up the knife with practiced ease, handling it even more carefully than the multi-billion-dollar contracts he signed every day.

As he carefully peeled the apple, exposing the glistening white flesh inside, Kayla remembered that he hadn't known how to peel apples at first.

But ever since she had accidentally nicked her finger with a small knife, Luke had forbidden her from touching anything sharp. The pampered, wealthy young man who had grown up pampered and protected had clumsily taught himself how to care for someone else.

Even something as trivial as peeling an apple, he did with painstaking care.

Halfway through, Luke's phone rang abruptly.

The moment he answered, Stephanie's sobs filled the room.

Luke's expression changed instantly. He grabbed his coat from the sofa and rushed out.

"Stephanie's in trouble. I have to go see her."

In his haste, the door slammed behind him. The half-peeled apple fell to the floor, and Kayla felt her heart shatter along with it.

Luke kept saying he was doing everything to repay a debt on her behalf. But which of his choices had not placed Stephanie above her? And this time, what else was he planning to do for Stephanie in the name of gratitude?

It didn't take long for Kayla to find out.

Someone had filmed Luke carrying Stephanie down the hospital stairs yesterday and posted it online. Others had captured her own pale, fainting form at the entrance to the maternity ward.

Netizens were quick to condemn Stephanie, accusing her of shamelessly seducing her sister's husband.

Some people also noticed the slight swell of Stephanie's belly and began hurling accusations. They said she was pregnant out of wedlock, carrying a bastard no one even knew the father of. They called her shameless, loose, a woman anyone could have.

Gossip reporters and furious netizens crowded outside her home, shouting insults and shooting her furious glares. Luke hurriedly pushed through the crowd and shielded her.

He stood firm, a solid wall between Stephanie and the chaos.

In panic, Stephanie blurted out, "The baby I'm carrying is Luke's!"

A stunned hush fell over the crowd. Cameras whirred, microphones shoved in Luke's face.

"Is what Ms. Stephanie just said true? Is the baby really yours?"

Stephanie clung to Luke's sleeve, silent tears streaming down her face. Luke's resolve softened slightly, but he spoke firmly.

"Yes, I am the father of Stephanie's child."

The reporters erupted.

"Your wife Kayla has been photographed pregnant too. Are you saying Ms. Stephanie's baby is your illegitimate child?"

"Ms. Stephanie seduced her sister's husband while Ms. Kayla is pregnant. How is this any different from having an illegitimate child?"

"No!"

Just as someone lunged forward toward Stephanie, Luke couldn't hold back. His voice cut through the chaos.

"The baby in Stephanie's womb is not illegitimate. Kayla's child is!"

In an instant, everything was clear to everyone.

It had been Kayla who had cheated first, shamelessly carrying another man's child. That left Luke no choice but to have an heir with Stephanie.

In an instant, all the anger and insults that had once been aimed at Stephanie now exploded onto Kayla a hundredfold.

"Kayla is a wretch."

"Kayla's child is illegitimate."

"How many men has Kayla slept with?"

"Kayla's been used and discarded."

The cruel words came in endless waves.

When Luke returned, he saw Kayla being pulled at. Her clothes were torn as vicious insults rained down on her. Someone even shoved her roughly.

Luke surged forward instinctively, but Stephanie grabbed his arm.

"Luke, I'm scared," she whimpered.

Those few seconds of hesitation were all it took. Kayla's collar was ripped open, and she was thrown hard to the ground.

Luke didn't care about anything else. He shoved Stephanie aside and scooped Kayla into his arms.

"Kayla, are you okay?"

Then his hand felt something wet.

Blood. Kayla was bleeding!

"Kayla!"

Luke let out a raw, shattered roar, but Kayla had already gone limp. Her eyes were closed as if all strength had drained from her body.