Bella's POV

My husband and I were on vacation, enjoying a short trip together. That night, while scrolling through my phone, I happened to click into a nearby livestream.

The host was selling secondhand jewelry, but his sales pitch was bizarre.

“Purebred little lucky bitch, five months pregnant, brings fortune and good luck. Works like a charm. If you get it, you get it. First come, first served!”

I frowned, confused. Then the streamer suddenly posted a picture of the actual “item.”

It was only a back view, but it looked almost exactly like me, nine out of ten, easily.

And I also happened to be five months pregnant.

The livestream exploded instantly. The so-called “lucky bitch,” priced at one hundred and forty grand, sold out in seconds.

The buyer, someone called Morgan Reed from NextGen Builders, started bragging loudly in the chat about how blessed he was to snap it up.

The host reminded him, “Tonight at ten, at the underground parking lot of the Luxe Hotel. Inspect the goods in person. If you’re late, I’m not waiting.”

I stopped breathing for a moment.

Because I was staying at the Luxe Hotel.

Right then, my husband, Nate Blackwell, walked out of the bathroom and said, “Babe, get dressed. I’ll take you downstairs for a late-night snack.”

——

Nate gently towel-dried his hair while nudging me to change clothes.

My heart pounded. I hurriedly exited the livestream, clutching my phone like it might explode. My face went pale.

It took me a long moment before I forced out a shaky smile. “Huh? But it’s almost ten. Isn’t it too late? Feels kind of unsafe.”

He walked over and rested his hand on my round belly, his voice warm and doting. “It’s only ten. What’s unsafe? The elevator goes straight to the underground parking lot, and cameras are everywhere. And you said dinner didn’t fill you up. I can’t let you or our baby go hungry.”

He sounded normal, just like always.

But the moment he mentioned the underground parking lot, my whole body went stiff.

That host’s voice echoed in my mind as he said, “Tonight at ten, at the underground parking lot of the Luxe Hotel. Inspect the goods in person.”

And right now, it was 9:40 in the evening.

I stepped back, avoiding his hand, forcing my voice to sound playful. “I… I’m a little tired. My feet are swollen from walking all day. Could you just go buy it for me instead?”

Nate frowned for a moment, then the expression smoothed away. “You’re pregnant, so rest is important. How about we just order delivery?”

“No!” I shrieked.

My reaction was too sharp. His eyes widened slightly, so I quickly softened my tone. “Delivery gets cold… and it doesn’t taste good. I really want something fresh. Please? Honey?”

I tugged on his arm, gently swaying it.

He sighed, tapping my nose helplessly. “Alright, little foodie. I can never say no to you. Wait here, your husband will go right now.”

After that, he changed clothes and headed out. Only when the door closed and I heard his steps fade away did my legs give out and I collapse onto the sofa.

How could this be happening?

The picture in the livestream showed a pregnant woman in a maternity dress.

And I owned that exact same dress.

Even with the grainy quality, the silhouette, I was almost certain that it was me.

Meanwhile, that Morgan from NextGen Builders was still flooding the chat:

[I’ve heard forever that this lucky bitch brings insane wealth! Finally got one!]

[My luck is unbeatable! Can’t wait to inspect the goods!]

He even tried to buy more, but the host laughed and said, “There’s only one little lucky bitch from this seller.”

If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I’d think it was a nightmare.

Ever since I got pregnant, Nate had been unbelievably attentive. He never let me eat anything heavy at night, saying it was bad for digestion.

But tonight, out of nowhere, he insisted on taking me downstairs for barbecue.

Was he planning to deliver me?

My hands shook uncontrollably as I grabbed my phone.

I didn’t dare think further.

I dialed the number of my best friend who worked in this city.

Bella's POV

After hearing my suspicions, my best friend Cassie Harper went silent for a few seconds on the phone, then burst out laughing.

“My girl, are your pregnancy hormones messing with you? Is pre-birth anxiety hitting early? How big is that imagination of yours?”

She kept laughing as she continued, “Nate treats you like you’re made of glass. He adores you. How could he possibly sell you? And on a livestream auction? Come on, that sounds like a movie plot!”

I hesitated. “But that photo…”

“It was just a back view! Tons of people look alike from behind. Don’t scare yourself. And even if something did happen, my brother and I live right here in the city. He just finished his military service. Ten guys couldn’t beat him. You’re safe,” she reassured.

She had a point. Nate was known for being a model husband—gentle, considerate, meticulous.

Nothing strange had happened lately, either, except for maybe the fact that he’d been taking and making more phone calls than usual, which was probably work-related.

Maybe I really was overthinking it.

After hanging up, it was already 10:10 p.m., past the supposed meeting time.

Then, some unknown instinct pushed me to open that livestream again.

Someone in the chat asked, [@Morgan Reed, so how was it? How’s the quality?]

A few minutes later, Morgan replied, [Damn! Don’t mention it! The owner of that little bitch messaged me saying it threw a fit tonight. Got all aggressive. Won’t go out. Delivery postponed to tomorrow! What rotten luck!”

[If that little bitch weren’t so fair and hairless, I’d have asked for a refund already!] he even added.

My mind went blank.

Being naturally hairless down there was one in a million, almost impossible to meet one. And that was my secret.

Because it was so rare, even Nate didn’t know until the first time we were intimate.

He’d even joked back then that I was a “heaven-sent treasure.”

No one else knew except him.

If even this detail matched, wasn’t that too much of a coincidence?

Could it be that the seller of that so-called lucky bitch was actually Nate?

Did he really take my most private feature and use it as a selling point?

I felt my entire body go cold. My legs gave out, and I slid to the floor.

Just then, a small cramp tugged at my belly. I quickly held it with both hands as a wave of grief and anger crashed over me.

If it really was him, why would he do this?

But before I could even think of a plan to protect myself, I heard knocking at the door.

I snapped back to reality, hurriedly wiped my tears, and went to open it.

Nate walked in carrying bags of barbecue, completely unaware of anything.

“Babe, you must be starving. Eat it while it’s hot.”

I took the bag. Normally, the smell of barbecue made my stomach growl. But tonight, it made me nauseous.

He sat beside me, watching me with gentle eyes. “Why aren’t you eating? Are you feeling sick?”

He leaned closer, reaching out to rest his hand on my belly like he always did.

But I flinched away hard.

“I’m… not feeling well. I don’t feel like eating anymore. I’ll just take a shower first.”

Before he could say anything, I practically fled into the bathroom and turned on the shower full blast.

Recalling Morgan’s words in my mind, the barbecue mustn't be safe.

But I had no proof.

By the time I finally stepped out of the bathroom, dragging things out as long as I could, Nate was lying against the headboard playing on his phone.

When he saw me, he set it aside and leaned in. His breath brushed behind my ear, and his hands began to wander.

“Bella, you’re already five months along. I asked the doctor and he said it’s fine. We’ll be gentle.”

He murmured the words as he kissed my neck.

“I heard pregnant women bring good luck. Maybe if we try tonight, I’ll win the lottery tomorrow.”

The moment he said “good luck,” every hair on my body stood on end, and I shoved him away instantly.

Bella's POV

“No! My stomach hurts. This could hurt the baby!” I refused.

Nate froze. His eyes dimmed for a split second, but he quickly softened his expression again.

“Alright. If you’re not feeling well, we won’t do anything. Just get some sleep.”

I pretended to agree, but I didn’t dare close my eyes.

It wasn’t until the middle of the night, when his soft snoring finally started, that I opened my eyes.

Carefully, I slipped my hand under his pillow, took his phone, and tiptoed into the bathroom. My hands shook as I typed in the password and scrolled through everything as quickly as I could.

But his recent contacts were normal—just me, his coworkers, and work group chats.

All the conversations were about projects, schedules, and reports. Not a single thing looked suspicious.

He had even set an alarm for the next morning to buy my favorite mini quiches.

And his phone password was still our wedding anniversary.

Was I really misunderstanding him?

Maybe Cassie was right. Maybe it was all just an awful coincidence.

I quietly placed his phone back where it was, then slipped into bed again. I had just started to relax when my phone lit up.

It was a notification. The livestream selling the “lucky bitch” was live again.

My heart lurched as I tapped into it.

The same host appeared. He hadn’t started selling anything yet, but the chat was blowing up.

Morgan was making a fuss again, commenting, [Can you make it tomorrow afternoon or not? Give me a straight answer! Otherwise, I’m canceling!]

The host typed back calmly, [Relax. The owner of the little bitch promised he’ll deliver tomorrow. As for the location, well, to keep the product fresh, it’ll be announced at the last minute!]

The livestream chat exploded.

[Mr. Reed! Can’t wait for the unboxing!]

[Is it true it’s top-quality? A rare white tiger and a first pregnancy?]

[Damn, so jealous! If you get bored with it, resell it to me!]

Morgan replied, [No problem! After I inspect it, if it’s really as amazing as he claims, I’ll share the blessing with you guys! And that kid said he’s fattening the bitch up for me. Barbecue one day, cake the next!”

I slapped a hand over my mouth before a scream could escape.

Every day recently, Nate had come home from work with my favorite cupcakes and barbecue.

He said I was too skinny, that he needed to feed me well.

It all lined up now.

Realizing all that, my stomach twisted violently. I dashed into the bathroom and dry-heaved over the toilet.

Turned out, this livestream had never been about secondhand jewelry, and the “lucky bitch” worth a hundred and forty grand was me.

My legs gave out. I sat on the cold bathroom floor, trembling.

I wanted to call the police, but what evidence did I really have? A strange livestream and a few cryptic messages? They’d never believe it.

And I was pregnant. If I spooked Nate too soon, things could get worse.

But I couldn’t just sit here waiting for whatever he planned.

When he was finally in a deep sleep, I quietly dressed, grabbed my phone and ID, and slipped out of the hotel. I flagged down a taxi and headed straight to my best friend Cassie’s place.

It was the only place I could think of where I might be safe.

When she opened the door and saw my messy hair and terrified face, she nearly screamed.

I collapsed into her arms and told her everything I had pieced together.

Her expression turned serious as she held me tight.

“Don’t worry. You’re safe with me. This neighborhood has great security. And my brother lives right across the hall. He’s ex-military. With him here, nobody’s going to try anything.”

She then settled me on the couch and passed me a warm cup of water.

“Get some rest first. You’re pregnant. You can’t let yourself get exhausted. When the livestream starts in the afternoon, we’ll record everything and take it straight to the police.”

My entire body felt worn out, so under her comforting voice, I finally couldn’t fight sleep anymore and drifted off.

I didn’t know how long I slept before a loud, urgent ringing jolted me awake.

It was Nate.