I was considerate enough that day to give Gideon plenty of time to handle the situation, and it wasn't until 1:00 am that I slowly returned home.

But the moment I opened the door, Gideon's expression was stormy as he stared at me.

"Where did you go? I called you a dozen times."

I paused mid-yawn. "I went shopping with friends," I replied flatly.

He looked at me incredulously before he carefully studied my face. He had expected tears, a tantrum, maybe even a suicide attempt. The only thing he hadn't expected was for me to do nothing and instead go out and enjoy myself leisurely.

"What are you up to now?" he asked. "Helena's your sister, after all. Have a little heart. Don't go and hurt an innocent person."

I shook my head, my tone gentle. "She's my sister. I wouldn't do anything to her."

Halfway through, I suddenly remembered something and added, "She's not feeling well, probably from being scared. You should go check on her tomorrow."

A shocking silence fell over the room.

Gideon's voice sounded like it was being forced out of his throat.

"You… want me to go see her?"

I knew why he was so shocked. In the past, I never would've asked him to see other women; I would've interrogated him for three days straight if he'd so much as looked at another woman for a second too long.

Thinking about it now, I must have really lost my mind.

He grabbed my wrist tightly, his eyes filled with confusion.

"Ophelia Fairchild," he started, his voice carrying a slight tremor. "What on earth is going on with you?"

I brushed his hand away, my tone calm throughout. "Nothing. Don't overthink it."

I was tired after spending the whole day outside, not to mention I was carrying a baby in my belly.

Gideon's expression was livid as he followed behind me, but just as his hand reached for me, the phone suddenly rang.

As soon as it connected, Mom's shrill cry came through.

"Helena tried to kill herself! Someone leaked intimate photos of her. She had a mental breakdown and swallowed some pills!"

Gideon's gaze snapped to me, his eyes fierce and hard.

I was slightly taken aback. I had indeed done things like this in my past life, but what did it have to do with me this time?

Before I could explain, however, he dragged me into the car, completely unfazed by my resistance.

When we arrived at the hospital, Mom dropped to her knees with a loud thud.

"Please, I'm begging you," she pleaded, her face etched with desperate worry for Helena. "Let Gideon be with your sister. She's too pitiful."

I couldn't help the dull ache in my chest at her blatant favoritism. Shouldn't I be the pitiful one? I was the one who had been mistakenly switched at birth and had suffered greatly while growing up in the countryside.

By the age of four, I was climbing onto chairs so I could reach the stove to cook. If I made even the slightest mistake, my adoptive mother would slap me across the face.

At 12 years old, I dropped out of school and was sent to a textile factory by my adoptive father. Both my thumb and my index finger were crushed by a machine, leaving me with permanent disabilities.

Yet on the very first day I was brought back, Mom showed obvious disdain and suspicion.

"Is she really our daughter? Why is she so uncouth?"

Her crying snapped me out of my thoughts. I slowly turned toward Gideon, only to find him staring at me without blinking, as if he were waiting expectantly for my answer.

I smiled and looked back at Mom again.

"Of course. Other than giving her a marriage certificate, Gideon can be with Helena as much as she wants."

Her expression froze.

Gideon, however, stepped closer, grabbed my arm, and pinned me against the wall.

"You messed up, and now you're using me to pay for it? What the hell am I to you, Ophelia Fairchild?"

His roar pierced my ears, even breaking into a sob at the end.

Looking at his bloodshot eyes, I felt nothing but confusion.

"Isn't this what you wanted, though?"

All along, Gideon had been dissatisfied with our marriage, looking down on me for being low-class and rough around the edges. And even though he'd married me, it hadn't stopped him from having affairs.

So, why was he acting like this now?

While we were arguing, Helena was successfully resuscitated.

The moment she saw me, she screamed and recoiled, as if I were some terrifying monster.

"Don't come near me! You've already leaked my photos! What more do you want? Get out! Get out!"

Mom and Dad immediately stepped between us, the wariness in their eyes piercing me like sharp blades.

A metallic taste rose in my throat.

"I didn't spread your intimate photos," I said in a low voice. "You don't believe me? You can call the cops and have them investigate."

As I spoke, I looked down and unlocked my phone. The next second, however, Gideon snatched it from me and smashed it to the floor.

"Isn't this enough of a mess for you?"

The sound of the phone shattering echoed down the hallway. Someone recognized me and secretly began filming me.

"So this is the infamous cheating-spouse catcher."

"She's actually quite pitiful. Her parents don't love or care about her. I also heard that on her wedding night, her new husband ditched her to go to a bar."

"Yeah, she chased after him in her wedding dress and even got into a fight with other people."

The hallway rang with stories of the stupid things I'd done in the past. My mind buzzed nonstop, and the memories of my wedding day seemed to appear before my eyes.

It had been a stormy night. Gideon had his arms around a long-haired woman, kissing her wantonly.

I charged at them, losing all sense of reason, and started fighting with them. But because I was outnumbered, I ended up pinned to the ground and beaten by the woman and her friends.

My pure white dress became utterly filthy and stained.

But Gideon just watched coldly, only casually stepping in to intervene once more people gathered.

"Go home. Don't embarrass yourself here," he said with disdain.

My thoughts snapped back to the present, and I found myself trembling uncontrollably. Clenching my numb hands, I frantically headed toward the exit.

But Gideon thought it was because I was feeling guilty. He grabbed me and pushed me toward the bed.

"Trying to run after doing something bad? Apologize right now!"

My knees hit the floor hard, and my face turned pale from the pain. I glanced at my parents for help, but they both averted their gazes.

My heart sank, and I forced a faint, bitter smile.

It was a good thing I had long since given up any hope for them. My only wish now was for the baby to be safe.

Helena watched me quietly, waiting for me to lose control and throw a fit like a lunatic—just like I had done all the times before.

But I simply, and calmly, accepted her slander. "I'm sorry, Helena."

Her expression stiffened, and she glared at me incredulously.

Gideon helped me to my feet.

"I'm very happy that you can admit your mistake," he said, ruffling my hair and looking pleased.

I barely reacted. Instead, I just said, "I have my eye on a bag. Can you buy it for me?"

Gideon blinked, frowning. He used to love using money to appease me, but now that I only had eyes for money, it made him oddly uncomfortable.

In the end, he still agreed to buy me the bag, though his expression did grow increasingly ugly.

Mom's eyes were filled with disapproval and disdain, as if to say I was still as uncouth as ever.

I ignored them. I just grabbed my bag, ready to leave.

Helena, however, suddenly ran up to me and hugged me as if we were loving sisters.

"I forgive you, Phee."

But before I could say anything, she suddenly fell butt-first onto the floor. She stared at me in terror, pleading, "Phee, don't hit me, please! I already promised you I wouldn't say anything."

The whole hospital room fell silent.

I approached her, completely baffled.

"What on earth are you talking about?"

Helena screamed even more shrilly as she burrowed straight into Gideon's arms. Shooting me a glance, he held her tightly.

"Don't be scared. Tell us everything you know."

Mom chimed in as well, "Helena, don't be scared. We're here. Just say what you need to say."

Helena looked at me nervously, then spoke as if she were mustering all her courage.

"Gideon, Ophelia tricked you. She had a boyfriend all the way up until the wedding, and she didn't break up with him afterward, either. She often sneaks out to rendezvous with this lover of hers."

My head buzzed, and I couldn't help but snap, "What nonsense is that?"

"Let her speak!" Gideon barked.

He grabbed me and then looked at Helena, his eyes cold. "How do you know that? What else do you know?"

She shot me a smug look, a flicker of ruthlessness flashing through her eyes, yet her tone sounded as if she were doing this for my sake.

"Phee, at this point, I can't keep helping you lie to Gideon anymore."

Then, with a clap of her hands, someone pushed the door open and walked inside.

The moment I saw Nolan Pembroke, my blood ran cold. He was the man my adoptive parents had once sold me to, and the bastard had tried to force himself on me despite knowing I was still underage.

In the end, I barely escaped with my life after smashing his head.

"This is Phee's lover," Helena continued. "Everyone in their village knows that they're a couple, but Phee never told you anything."

"You're lying!"

I lunged forward as if I were a cat whose tail had just been stepped on and slapped her across the face.

Helena screamed, and Gideon quickly slammed me against the wall. His eyes were bloodshot as he roared at me, "How many things have you been hiding from me exactly?"

"She's lying! I have nothing to do with Nolan Pembroke!"

I fought back tears, trying desperately to defend myself.

Nolan, however, suddenly grabbed my hand.

"Phee, you forgot your old lover now that you're living the rich life?" he asked, his face oozing with sleaze. "I, for one, still remember that red mole on your chest very clearly."

Gideon's head buzzed, and time seemed to stop. He slowly turned around and punched Nolan, sending him flying across the room.

Nolan lay sprawled on the floor, blood pouring from his nose. Seeing Gideon stalk toward him, he frantically got up and ran away.

The others in the room turned to me in unison.

I stood with my back straight, but my body wouldn't stop trembling.

"I have nothing to do with him. You can go check. I—"

Before I could finish, Gideon slapped me hard, sending me falling to the floor.

"How dare you betray me, Ophelia Fairchild!" he roared, his face filled with anguish.

Dad looked away, sighing, while Mom's disgust was as clear as day.

"I knew from the start you were never any good—lying, dropping out of school, messing around with men. What are you not capable of?"

In that moment, they all believed Helena's story.

My heart plummeted. I opened my mouth, but before I could say anything, a sharp pain suddenly shot through my abdomen.

Panic gripped me as I clutched my belly, scrambled to my feet, and tried to run outside.

Gideon's face darkened as he yanked me back.

"Trying to run now that you're humiliated, huh?"

Seeing blood running down my legs, my mind went completely blank. I turned around and, in complete despair, slapped him hard.

"I'm pregnant! The baby… I'm about to lose the baby!"