I don't know what happened after that. I lost my consciousness. I had no idea who picked me up and took me to the hospital. I was unconscious all this time. However, sometimes I would open my eyes and could feel what was going around me.

There was a time when I opened my eyes and listened to Christian's conversation with the Doctor.

"Are you sure, Mr. Walton? You really want to do this?" The doctor asked.

"Yes, I'm sure, Doctor. I don't want the baby inside her." Christian said in an indifferent voice.

"It's too risky, Mr. Walton. If we force it, she might not be able to become a mother in future. Are you willing to let her sacrifice the biggest happiness of a woman's life?" Doctor asked. Christian seemed irritated while replying," Why are you continuing to mention the risks to me I'm already aware of? Don't forget my company develops all kinds of medical instruments. I know everything. I just don't want the kid inside her. If I wish to have a child, I can have it with any woman but not by her. So, take it out immediately."

They were killing my child. I couldn't listen to their conversation anymore and fell unconscious in remorse.

***

I was an orphan, adopted by Miss Georgia. She was a divorced woman and had no intention of marrying again. She had raised me with great difficulties. When I turned eighteen, she fell sick. To pay her medical fees and take care of us, I had to seek jobs at a very young age. I started working as a caregiver. I was soon hired by Mrs. Rosaline Walton, Christian's grandmother. She was a very kind woman and liked me very much. She would share her thoughts with me. She remained worried about her grandson's marriage. She would often tell me that she wanted her grandson to marry a girl like me. But, Christian already had eyes for someone. That woman was Izzy Watson.

Mrs. Rosaline didn't like Izzy. For this reason, she would often have arguments with Christian. He was determined to marry her.

One day, Mrs. Rosaline's condition got worst yet she was refusing to take medicine. Everyone tried their best to persuade her but she refused to take medicine. Her only condition was to see her grandson getting married. She was very stubborn and made her point loud and clear that she would not take medicine until she saw her granddaughter-in-law. However, Christian was also stubborn. He said he would marry only one girl in his life and that girl would be Izzy Watson. In the end, Mrs. Rosaline gave up and agreed to his wish.

In the midst of the night, Christian went to propose marriage to Izzy. But, she refused. She had received an offer from abroad. She was going to become a movie star in a foreign country. She couldn't marry for two years according to the contract she had already signed.

Christian returned home empty handed. He knocked at the door of Miss Rosaline's room. I opened the door and he called me out. Our eyes met for a second and I immediately moved my eyes away to avoid eye contact with him. It was the first time when I saw Christian from such a close distance. His aura was calm and demeanoring. I had never believed in love at first sight until today.

" You are Laura Green, right?" He asked in a deep male voice.

"Yes, Sir." I replied hesitantly, trying to hide my emotional imbalance caused by his sudden call.

"Grandma talks about you a lot. She really likes you, doesn't she?"

"She is a very kind woman. She likes everybody. She makes me feel so good with her presence that it feels like she is my family." I said with a genuine smile.

"Now she would really be." He said before adding in a commanding voice, "From now on, the Walton family belongs to you, including me as your husband, Laura Walton."

"I'm sorry, what?" I chuckled.

"We are getting married tomorrow!”

I remained silent for a while, trying to process what I heard just now. I then raised my eyes to meet his gaze for a second before adding," Sir, please! Don't make fun of me. Your Grandma is sick. There is no time for joking around."

His eyes turned dark as he said in a deep voice, " Miss Green, look into my eyes and tell me, Do I look like a person who cracks jokes?"

His words made me speechless. He seemed pretty serious about the words he said to me. But, it was too much for me to believe. I still protested, saying," I-I don't get your words, Mr. Walton. Why would you want to marry me? You love Izzy Watson. She is the love of your life. For her, you always argue with your Grandma. Then, why change your mind all of a sudden? Besides, even if you are not to marry Miss Watson, there are a million girls who will want to marry you and are worthier than me. Then, why are you asking me instead?"

"In response to your first question, I can't marry Izzy because she rejected me. As for your second question, you are right. There are millions of girls who are a better option for me but my Grandma likes you. Besides, I have only one day. And at this time, I can't find any reliable girl other than you. That is why you will be my bride." He replied calmly.

So, I was just an option for him!

"What if I refuse you?" I asked, looking deeply into my eyes. He smiled faintly before saying, " You can't!"

"And what made you think that?" I asked while raising my eyebrows. He added," It's because I have investigated you before offering you the marriage. Your Foster mother is sick. She would die in a month if you don't arrange money for her surgery. No job is going to let you earn the money you need for surgery. But, I can. Only if you agree to this marriage."

This is how I got married to Christian Walton. Despite falling for his charm in our first meeting, my marriage to him was only for money. At least in his knowledge, I married him for money. But, only I know that it wasn't all about money no matter how much I try to convince my heart conversely. It still had feelings for such a money-centric person who thought he could buy anything in this world with his money.

The next day, we registered our marriage and returned to Walton Villa to seek blessings from Mrs. Rosaline. She was overjoyed with the news and immediately agreed to take medicine. She gave me a home to live with Christian. According to her, newly married couples should live separately.

We were chatting with Grandma while Christian's phone rang. He went outside to receive the call. Just then Grandma winked at me, saying," How was my acting? Did you see any flaws in it?"

"WHAT?" I was surprised. Grandma laughed before saying in an excited voice, " I left a spy on Izzy and I found she has received a film offer and she can't marry anyone according to the contract she has signed. That is why I created all this drama. I knew she wouldn't agree to marry my idiot grandson and in the end, he would have to marry you."

"Grandma, you shouldn't have done this. This is not right." I said, didn't know what to say on this. She made me speechless. I never thought she could do something like that.

"Oh please! Everything is fair in love and war and this is my love for my grandson. He will understand later that a woman like you suits him best, not that greedy Izzy."

Earlier a few days of our marriage went in silence. He didn't talk to me nor did I take the initiative. I just received a call from the City's Hospital. They notified me that Aunt Georgia's medical bill of ten years was paid in advance including the charges of surgery she needed to go through. The next day I thanked him and he only replied 'Hmm...'.

Slowly, we began performing our duties of a normal couple. I used to cook food for him and take care of his home while he provided me with everything I needed. He would often come with several gifts. Sometimes he would say that they were sent by Grandma and sometimes he would say nothing. But, when I thanked Grandma about the gifts, she would be completely unaware of those items. I wondered who among these two were lying, Grandma or Christian? However, remembering what Grandma did just to tie our knot, I could only assume that it was Grandma who was lying to bring us closer.

Even though we married each other in a very awkward situation, both of us performed our duties quite well. There were times when we shared bed together as well. He didn't hesitate in showing his rights to me at night and also paid me with his loyalty. Out of many qualities, the one thing that I was fond of him was his loyalty. He never betrayed me or cheated on me even if I was just an option for him to marry until that day.

" Laura, Izzy has returned..." He said in an excited voice. My hands trembled while serving him dinner as I looked up into his eyes and said, "Congratulations, your love has returned for you. Should I pack my stuff and leave this place and you for her?"

" As you wish... I'm going to receive her from the airport." He said before leaving the dining table. He had taken a few steps before he stopped and turned to me, saying in a serious voice, " Don't do anything foolish. Have faith in me."

It seemed like he noticed what I said to him after a while and realized he said something wrong to me. That's why he stopped to clarify for me before he left.

Those were the words that stopped me from leaving him for too long. Despite his continuous betrayal and complete ignorance of our marriage, I stayed in this marriage for too long. He would often receive calls from Izzy and leave me in the middle of the night. He would return only in the morning and didn't find it necessary to explain to me. I would often smell ladies perfume from his shirt or worse see the lipstick marks. I endured everything just because he asked me to have faith in him. This was the only reason why I kept refusing his mother when she asked me to divorce him. However, when he asked me to do it, I had no reason to refuse.

He was never mine. I was a substitute lover to him and he was a bank balance to pay my foster mother's medical bill. I told this to my heart and signed the papers.

But, the life, that was breathing in my womb, was mine. I wasn't planning to share him with anyone. I would have left Christian and his world with my kid. I would have spent my whole life with my baby. But, he took the only happiness from my life. He killed my baby.

In just a second, he turned himself into a villain from being a crush to me. I hate him now. I hated myself because I loved this person once. He was a murderer. I wasn't going to forgive him in future. Never!