Eight months into my pregnancy, my husband finally makes time from his police duties to go to a prenatal checkup with me for the first time.

The moment we step into the hospital, his satellite-encrypted phone buzzes urgently. The caller ID flashes briefly, and just like that, the man who's always calm and collected panics.

"Honey, it's a red alert. Another international fugitive just crossed the border. I… I'm sorry…"

He's clearly anxious, yet his tone is firm, leaving no room for argument. After apologizing, he rushes off.

As I watch his SUV speed out of sight, my fist clenches tightly, crumpling the prenatal checkup sheet. I flag down a cab, slide into the car, and swiftly instruct the driver, "Follow that car. Don't lose it."

A Red Notice for a fugitive? What a joke.

My father, who works at the National Security Agency, barely catches wind of a notice like that. Yet, somehow, a mere police chief who only assists with cases is suddenly tasked with catching a high-priority criminal.

Fine, then. I can't wait to meet the superior who's given him such an urgent assignment.

As soon as the cab driver heard that I was trying to catch my cheating husband in the act, he floored the gas pedal.

My husband, Harvey Lowe, was on his way to see someone. I didn't know who the other person was, but I felt a crippling sense of anxiety.

To my surprise, after plenty of twists and turns through the streets, the cab eventually stopped in front of the police residential area, a villa compound.

I let out a sigh of relief. At least it wasn't some hotel.

The residential area was housing allocated to high-ranking officers at the precinct, and Harvey had a villa there too.

I had stayed here for a few months before I got pregnant the first time. I remembered that the neighbors had all been very polite and friendly.

Now, with just a glance from afar, I could see that the place was packed with luxury cars and lit up with bright decorations.

I blinked, puzzled. Was today some kind of special occasion?

I was ready to head in and take a look when a security guard stopped me at the gate. "This is a police residential area. No unauthorized visitors allowed."

I froze briefly, then explained with a smile, "I'm Mrs. Lowe; I'm married to the man who just went in."

Yet, the guard looked at me with disdain. "Excuse me? Everyone knows Ms. Bennett is Chief Lowe's wife. Didn't you think to do some research before posing as someone else?"

In an instant, I froze. The woman he had mentioned, Chelsea Bennett, was the living blood bank Harvey had arranged for me.

Snapping back to reality, I ignored the guard and rushed to the villa's entrance, despite being heavily pregnant.

When I reached the living room, I saw a dazzling array of elite guests—from high-ranking officials to socialites—mingling, their laughter echoing through the ornate room.

My usually withdrawn mother-in-law, Marilyn Clark, who swore she loved her peace and quiet, was uncharacteristically socializing with the crowd, deep in conversation.

As for Harvey, he was cradling a baby and feeding him with a milk bottle, all while grinning blissfully at a petite woman standing right beside him. There she was—Chelsea.

The air around me seemed to thin, and I found myself struggling to breathe. Tears uncontrollably ran down my cheeks.

When I was pregnant with our first child, Harvey had been worried about complications because I had Rh-negative blood.

So, he searched the entire country and finally found a blood donor for me. That person was none other than Chelsea, who was a struggling student back then.

After I gave birth, Harvey said that he would send Chelsea away. I felt sorry for her and chose to keep her around, eventually helping her get a clerical job at the precinct. I even occasionally asked him to take some nutritional supplements for her.

Who would have known that he would cheat on me with her and secretly keep her here?

This very villa had once been our marital home, meticulously decorated by Harvey himself after he was promoted to chief.

However, it was too far from the hospital, so he bought us a new place near the city hospital and moved us there after I became pregnant again.

I had never imagined that he would use our marital home for his second family.

"Congratulations, Chief Lowe! A lovely wife and now a beautiful baby—you're living the dream!"

The deputy chief's wife, Nancy Whitmore, patted Marilyn's hand and chimed in fawningly, "Chelsea is so lucky to have a man who treats her like a queen. Honestly, I'm jealous."

Marilyn's eyes sparkled with pride as she boasted, "No, Harvey's the lucky one to marry a sweet woman like Chelsea."

As she finished, Harvey leaned in close to whisper something in Chelsea's ear, not caring that everyone was watching. Chelsea smiled shyly, then raised her glass to the guests.

"I didn't want to affect Harvey's reputation at the precinct, so we kept our relationship private. I hope everyone understands."

She continued, "Since today's our baby's first birthday, please drink up! Think of it as making up for the wedding reception we never had!"

She played the perfect hostess, and the crowd responded with cheerful praise.

"We should be congratulating you on your marriage instead!"

"Actually, how about a little toast between them? Maybe even a kiss?"

Harvey's subordinates started cheering him on, and the whole party quickly reached a fever pitch.

Chelsea tried to refuse, backing away in faux embarrassment, but Harvey wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her.

The moment they broke the kiss, his gaze suddenly locked on mine. I stood at the door, watching as surprise crept onto his face.

In the next second, he shoved Chelsea away so hard that her wine splashed all over her, soaking her front.

"Sadie…"

I wiped away my tears with one hand, stepped forward with my pregnant belly in full view, and swung hard. The sharp crack of the slap sliced through the air, stunning everyone into silence.

"Harvey!" Chelsea's eyes widened, and she threw herself at Harvey, screaming at me in disbelief, "Sadie Walker, what do you think you're—"

Another slap rang out, this time landing across her face. One of her cheeks turned red and swelled up almost instantly as she stumbled into his arms, sobbing.

I shook out my stinging hand.

"Sadie—"

Harvey snapped out of it and shouted at me, but I countered with a cold shriek. "For goodness' sake, Harvey!"

I turned my head, glaring at him with everything I had. "Is this the fugitive you were after?"

Harvey was stumped. His lips parted, but not a single word came out.

The crowd, consisting of elites and their families, were so stunned that they were speechless. The air was thick with tension.

Suddenly, a baby's cry sliced through the silence, jolting everyone. Marilyn quickly took the baby in her arms and calmed him down.

Then, she turned to me, shouting, "You're insane, Sadie! What right do you have to come and harass my son when you're already divorced? If you have any shame, get out of here right now. You wouldn't want to offend one of the officials here and end up in jail, would you?"

Nancy also jumped in to reprimand me. "Divorced or not, you can't just assault someone in public! And technically, you assaulted a police officer!"

As soon as the crowd realized who I was, the whole room erupted into chaos. Everyone started yelling, saying I should be locked up and taught a lesson.

I frowned and grabbed Harvey by the collar, ready to ask him how I had gone from being his wife to an ex-wife. But before I could speak, Chelsea slipped into his arms and flashed me a tearful look.

"Sadie, why are you doing this to us? Harvey has already divorced you… Why won't you just let us go?"

Her tears fell like water from an unfastened tap. "It's all my fault. Maybe I should just give Harvey back to you…"

At that, Harvey's expression turned cold. He could barely suppress his fury as he snapped at me, "Sadie, how many times must I repeat myself to you? I'm never getting back together with you, so stop harassing us! Get out of here before I lose my patience. I don't have time to deal with your nonsense."

With a wave of his hand, he beckoned over a few officers, who rushed toward me and dragged me out by force.

I struggled, stumbling backward, and accidentally bumped into Marilyn. The moment I caught a clear look at the baby in her arms, I felt my world shatter.

The baby, whom everyone called Chelsea's, was my firstborn son, Skyler Lowe. He was the baby I endured seven hours of labor for—the one I was told had died three months ago.

And Harvey… He had told me that he personally cremated our son.

I couldn't breathe. A sharp pain tore through my chest as the truth hit me like a truck.

Harvey, that bastard, had faked our son's death, just so he could hand him over to Chelsea!

"Give me back my baby! Give me back Skyler!"

I clenched my jaw so tight that my teeth ground together.

Without hesitation, I snatched the baby from Marilyn's arms and shoved her aside. I gently rocked the crying baby, my own tears falling uncontrollably as I held him close.

Chelsea panicked. She ran toward me, crying, as she tried to pull the baby from my arms.

"He's not your baby, Sadie! I know Skyler died, and it broke you. You lost your mind and kept clinging to Harvey even after the divorce so that he could give you another child…

"Still, I pitied you! I tolerated everything and gave you space to grieve, but that doesn't mean you can take my baby! Please, I'm begging you—let us go. I'll even divorce Harvey if that's what you want. Just give me back my baby!"

At her words, Harvey's face twisted in agony.

He gripped Chelsea's shoulders and roared, "Chelsea, stop! We're not getting a divorce. Don't even think about it! No one—and I mean no one—can tear our family apart!"

"And what about me?" I screamed.

I watched as the two clung to each other and poured their hearts out. I pointed at my pregnant belly and stared straight at him.

"I'm carrying your second child, Harvey! How dare you cheat on me right to my face and turn me into your ex-wife? Don't you have any shame?"

His Adam's apple bobbed, and he looked away, avoiding my eyes.

Chelsea's tears, however, fell even harder. She acted like she was the victim and turned to the guests, crying out loud.

"I'm so sorry you guys have to witness this. This is Harvey's ex-wife. She went mad after losing her baby. She kept clinging to him, asking for another baby.

"After being turned down multiple times, she went out and found some thugs to… get her pregnant on purpose… Since then, Harvey's only ever checked in on her out of pity.

"But now, she's trying to say he's the father of her baby and threatening to break up our family…"

A gasp rippled through the crowd as Chelsea's words added fuel to their fury.

The group of socialites sneered. "She ticks all the boxes for a psychotic witch. Somebody do something! Kick her out!"

I soothed the baby in my arms and let out a cold laugh. My gaze was icy as I turned to Chelsea.

"Acting all moral when you're the real witch, huh, Chelsea? Should I remind you how much a bag of your blood is worth these days?

"You took three million dollars from me, then crawled back to me on your knees, begging for a secure job. That was you, wasn't it?"

Her face grew paler with every word, but I didn't stop.

"What, is Harvey not paying you enough for keeping you on? Is that why you came back to ruin my life? You're just a cheap homewrecker pretending to be the legitimate wife. Are you not ashamed of yourself?"

Before I could say more, someone shoved me, almost knocking me over.

Marilyn shrieked, "You're the homewrecker who destroyed my son's family!"

My back slammed hard against the wall, and a sharp pain tore through my belly. Before I could react, the baby in my arms was yanked away and handed to Chelsea.

Then, the officers stepped forward, bristling with righteous anger. "Yeah, everyone in the precinct knows Harvey and Chelsea are together."

"If Chelsea hadn't provided us with useful leads, allowing us to close many major cases, Chief Lowe wouldn't have been promoted so quickly."

"You're just an ex-wife who only holds him back. Maybe you should be ashamed."

Providing useful leads? Closing major cases and being promoted?

It was ridiculous—I was the one who helped Harvey achieve all of that.

So not only had Chelsea stolen my title as Harvey's wife, but she had also taken all the credit for my work. Harvey had probably done it to give her a leg to stand on.

But why did I deserve this?

"You need therapy, not another baby. Sabotaging the chief's marriage is a criminal offense as well!"

"You harlot. Stop pretending to be Mrs. Lowe and ruining our party. Chief Lowe is too kind for his own good. If I were him…"

Harsh sneers and bitter whispers filled the air around me.

In the midst of the chilling atmosphere, I looked pale and weak as I faced the man who had put himself on a pedestal.

"Harvey…" I muttered weakly. "Why don't you tell them exactly how you got your position as chief?"

His fingers curled tightly. He turned toward me, a rare flicker of resentment gleaming in his usually indifferent eyes.

I laughed. "You said being at the front line was too dangerous, that you didn't want to risk your life and just wanted a safe post in the back. I agreed.

"After our engagement, you said your rank was too low and that you didn't feel deserving of me. So, I begged my father on your behalf.

"You complained that the cases were complicated and too hard to crack, so I worked day and night to give you leads. And now, this is how you repay—"

"Enough!" Harvey roared.

Striding over, he gripped my neck, his eyes bloodshot. "Stop with all of this nonsense! I got to where I am today purely because of my own effort. What does my success have to do with a piece of trash like you?"

A sharp pain shot through my neck, and the suffocating pressure made my vision go black. My face flushed and darkened with the strain.

The more determined I looked, though, the more furious it made him.

The high-ranking officials and socialites nearby seemed to catch on to something and started whispering among themselves.

A cold glint flashed in Chelsea's eyes as she saw the unfolding scene. She clutched the baby and dropped to her knees before me, sobbing.

"Sadie, I usually just ignore your crazy ramblings, but not today! You'll only ruin Harvey's future if you spew such nonsense at a place like this. Please, I beg you, stop this madness!"

She crawled forward and began hugging my leg as a plea for mercy.

Shocked, Harvey released my neck and bent down to help Chelsea up. In that split moment, she clung to my foot and flung herself into the distance.

She let out a scream, crying, "Fine, Sadie! Just kick me to death!"

Chaos ensued immediately. I barely had time to react before Harvey hysterically slapped me across the face. "Know your place, Sadie!"

My right cheek throbbed painfully. I was ready to counter with a backhand slap, but Marilyn kicked me from behind. Caught off guard, I stumbled into the antique display shelf.

As I collapsed to the floor, a searing pain shot through my belly and lingered. Then, a pool of blood formed between my thighs. Within seconds, my lower body was drenched red.

I sat in the crimson pool, feeling the agonizing pain in every inch of my body. It was as though I were falling apart.

"My belly… Harvey… I'm in pain…" I muttered, reaching a hand out toward him for help as tears glistened in my eyes.

Yet, the next second, Marilyn's figure filled my vision. She came forward and stepped on my hand, crushing my bones.

"Stop pretending, you witch! My son is not someone you can threaten!"

Tears blurred my vision. My lips quivered as I forced out a plea. "I'm not pretending… Take me to the hospital, Harvey…"

Harvey didn't even turn around to spare me a glance. Instead, he fussed all over Chelsea, carefully checking up on her.

"I've had enough of you, Sadie!" he spat out cruelly. "I don't care what else you have to say. Just apologize to Chelsea now! You're always using the baby as an excuse. Did you think I'd fall for it again?"

With that, he finally turned around and saw the blood pooling beneath me.

The disgust on Harvey's face dissolved instantly, replaced by fear. He knew exactly who I was, and he sure knew he couldn't stand by and do nothing.

I met his gaze as he became increasingly panicked.

Fighting through the agony, I forced the words out through gritted teeth. "Listen up, Harvey! If anything happens to our baby, you'll be our child's murderer! My family will make the Lowes pay! Now, take me to the hospital!"