A memory from two months ago hit me the moment I saw Vanessa's face.

Severe pregnancy sickness had woken me in the middle of the night. Ethan wasn't beside me. He sat on the sofa with his back turned, holding a black-and-white ultrasound image of a fetal heartbeat. I was about to call out to him, but then I heard his muffled sobs.

"You didn't want me to marry… so you punished me by ending your life?

"You're so cruel… I was wrong. Please… come back to me."

Ethan's shoulders trembled with pain. He had just returned from a funeral in his hometown not long ago, and no matter how many times I asked, he refused to say a word.

I had no intention of competing with a dead woman, so I quietly returned to the bedroom.

But now, thinking back… that was Vanessa in the photo. Someone who was supposed to be dead was standing right here, alive. Vanessa had faked her death. The funeral was nothing but a ploy to torment Ethan.

My heart sank.

Meanwhile, the baby inside me cheered. [Yes! My real mom is here, she's gonna feed me so much good stuff!]

[Gain one pound, unlock Smart Brain. Two pounds, Strong Limbs!]

[When I grow big enough, I'll kick this sacrificial lamb to death. Perfect!]

I clenched my teeth in fury, but then I remembered something. Every time I completed a mission, the system rewarded me with tons of items. Back then, I thought life would finally be smooth and happy, so I never even checked the storage.

Looking at this mess now… that was a huge mistake.

I immediately equipped myself with the Heartband and used it on Vanessa. It was a device that would let you feel what someone else was feeling. Vanessa looked fragile and weak, and I was pretty sure she couldn't even lift a grocery bag. There was no way she could be a good nanny.

At dinner, she brought in a bowl of oily soup. I took one look at it and nearly threw up… it was placenta soup. No one knew where Vanessa got the placenta, but she actually cooked it for me.

Seeing the disgust on my face, Vanessa scoffed and slammed the bowl down.

"Mr. Kingsley, it wasn't easy for my aunt to send this over. A pregnant mom wouldn't let me down, right? My aunt had eight kids by the age of fifty. This soup is great for both mom and baby!"

Ethan frowned and said coldly, "Claire, Vanessa made this for you. It's very nutritious."

Obviously, it was nutritious for his precious son, not for me.

But if I refused outright, who knew what they'd do next?

So I forced myself to play along. I took the bowl, held my breath, and gulped it down. The nasty smell churned my stomach.

Then I heard the excited voice of the baby inside me again.

[Haha! Great! I'm so close to completing my mission!]

I swallowed it all, then rushed to the bathroom to force myself to vomit. My nose was running, tears streaming down my face, but I couldn't help laughing.

Suddenly, the voice inside my belly panicked. [What's wrong with her? Why is she throwing up?! System, don't deduct my points! How am I supposed to be born healthy?!]

Outside, Vanessa suddenly began gagging as well because I had equipped the Heartband, making her feel everything I felt.

I saw Ethan gently pull her into his arms, comforting her softly. "What's wrong? Are you tired? It's all my fault…"

That gentle voice stabbed straight into my heart. I washed my face and stared at my pale reflection in the mirror.

'Claire Everly, get a grip! Surviving matters more than whether a man loves you or not. Your mission is clear. Get rid of this filthy couple and the bastard child growing inside you!'

From that day on, I made it my mission to go against whatever that fetus player wanted.

He threw tantrums on purpose, trying to exhaust me so badly that I wouldn't have any energy left to watch that filthy couple sneaking around. But of course every time I was in pain, his real mother Vanessa would feel the same too.

Of course, since I was the pregnant one, I would use every excuse to make Vanessa serve me. She started looking worse each day, like she had aged ten years overnight.

The voice in my belly screamed in frustration. [Damn it! You deducted my happiness points again. What am I supposed to do for the next checkup?]

[How dare she boss my mom around?! This woman is really wicked! Mommy, I feel so bad for you.]

That wasn't all.

I bought exercise equipment to keep myself fit and a tiny camera to track my fitness progress. After working out, my body had grown visibly healthier. The fat I had gained from being force-fed finally started to disappear, and even my terrifyingly huge belly shrank a little.

The baby's voice started to sound weak. [System, if she doesn't gain weight, how am I supposed to get nutrients? I'm so tiny now.]

[If this continues… what if I'm born missing arms or legs? ]

Hearing his complaints made me feel relieved. As long as he couldn't become a giant baby, I still had a chance to live.

As days passed, the ultrasound showed the fetus getting even smaller. Vanessa stormed off to complain to Ethan.

She glared at me in outrage, "Mr. Kingsley, she refuses to eat and keeps moving around. This is terrible for the baby."

Ethan shot me a dark, cold look.

At the hospital, he was always gentle but this time… even with his patients still watching, he lost control and grabbed me by the wrist. "Claire, stop being difficult. This baby must be born healthy!"

Ethan and Vanessa did not just send me home, they escorted me back like I was a prisoner. The front door was locked and the passcode had been changed.

I had nowhere to go!

Ethan got his hands on some kind of medication and injected me with it every day. Soon, I could barely move and was left lying helpless in bed. Vanessa fed me her so-called 'nutritious' meals one spoonful at a time, and my body just kept getting heavier. My back felt like it was going to snap from the weight. I had no strength left to fight the fetus's noisy demands in my head anymore.

Every second was torture.

Maybe because Ethan and Vanessa had realized I couldn't escape anymore, they stopped pretending and cheating right under my nose.

Vanessa sat on Ethan's lap, teasing him sweetly, "If you hadn't married her, I'd be the one having your child."

"All because my naughty beloved decided to fake her death, just to get a rise out of me." Ethan pinched her cheek.

"I know better than anyone how painful a pregnancy will be. I will never let you suffer like this." She smiled, sliding her fingers under his belt. "If I hadn't faked my death…would you ever have realized how you truly feel about me?

"You only learned to cherish me after I was gone. Such a bad boy." Their playful laughter faded and turned into heavy breaths.

They started making out right there, too desperate to even bother hiding it from me!

I shut my eyes. Their moans cut into my ears like knives while the metallic taste of that so-called 'nutritious' blood filled my mouth.

The demon inside my belly was practically bouncing with joy.

[Daddy and Mommy are amazing! My happiness value is skyrocketing. Oh no, I'm too young for this… guess I shouldn't watch!]

They were making love in the place I once called home…

The hospital was Ethan's territory, and he had made himself look like the perfect loving husband there. If I told the truth, they would say I was the crazy one, so I had no chance to fight back.

At worst, I would kill myself and die with the fetus inside. It would feel better than sacrificing myself for their happiness as they wouldn't get their baby.

Just when I felt hopeless, I heard a familiar buzzing sound. [Host survival at 1%. Request for assistance?]

A shiver ran through me… It was the system! A surge of excitement flooded my heart as the voice continued.

[Do you want to end the mission and leave this world?]

"Leave and go back to that place? And let those two scum stay happy?

"Over my dead body." I sneered.

"System, show me everything you've got!"

I picked everything I needed. Suddenly, a sharp, tearing pain ripped through my belly.

[Finally! I'm coming into the world! Mom and Dad, here I come!]

The fetus's voice was thrilled. I couldn't help but scream in pain as cold sweat poured down my back.

"The baby's coming!" Ethan's expression changed. He grabbed me and rushed downstairs while Vanessa followed closely behind. Tears blurred my vision as I clutched Ethan's sleeve tightly.

"Ethan, please! Promise me you'll let me go after I give birth to this baby okay? I swear I won't get in your way with Vanessa." He looked at me with a hint of complex emotion.

"Don't be ridiculous. After this baby's born, you'll be the real hero of this family." He steadied himself and gently wiped the sweat off my face. But I knew then that he would never let me go!

When we got to the hospital, all the nurses swarmed around us.

"Dr. Kingsley, is your wife going to give birth?"

"Don't worry, Dr. Kingsley is the best OB in town!"

Ethan bent down. He gently kissed my forehead and murmured in my ear, "Claire, don't you dare say a word. No one here's going to believe you."

"I'm not scared. My husband's here with me." I forced a sweet smile at the nurses. Ethan seemed satisfied with my act and left with Vanessa.

My heart was beating so hard as I hit the call button.

"Could you get your department head for me, please?" The nurse smiled and nodded.

The director showed up.

"Director, my husband works really hard for the family. Can we livestream my delivery? It'd boost his reputation and the hospital's too." I swallowed the bitterness down and kept my voice steady.

"Just… don't tell Ethan. He's super low-key. He wouldn't go for it."

The director's eyes brightened.

"No wonder you're his wife, such a supportive partner." He agreed right away and went to make the arrangements.

The fetus's voice suddenly freaked out.

[What is she doing?! Daddy! Mommy! Something's wrong! Come back!]

"Shut up. Your good days are over." I closed my eyes and whispered.

Silence fell…

The fetus inside let out an angry scream, but I ignored it as the nurses wheeled me into the delivery room. The glaring surgical lights came on, shining down from above. Ethan suited up and looked at me like I was already dead. Vanessa stood nearby with her eyes sparkling in cruel excitement.

"The baby's head is too big. We need to cut her open!" A nurse glanced nervously at the monitors.

"No!" Ethan snapped.

"A natural birth is better! Keep pushing!" He continued but the ripping pain nearly knocked me out.

"No! The baby's stuck! We need to do a C-section now!" The nurse yelled.

"Shut up! Who knows better, you or Dr. Kingsley?" Vanessa snapped while the pain tore through me.

"System! Now! Use the equipment!" I screamed in my mind.

[Bloodline Obscuration Charm: Activated]

A strange power surged through me, and a moment later, the baby was out. The medical staff screaming and trembling in horror, "Oh my God! What the hell is that?!"