Lucas Turner’s lover, Lily Shaw, was kidnapped while filming on location. She vanished for three days and nights.

Two months later, she stood on a rooftop, sobbing over the phone. “Lucas, I’m pregnant! The media’s hounding me! I don’t want to live anymore!”

He rushed to the rooftop and, in front of all the cameras, declared, “The child is mine.”

Overnight, I became the laughingstock of Beijing’s entire social circle.

That night, Lucas knelt in front of me, eyes red, voice trembling. “Nina, Lily is suffering from depression. If I don’t help her, she’ll fall apart. Just let her have the baby, and once everything’s over, I’ll make it up to you. Please?”

I loved him so much, so I swallowed my pride and agreed through clenched teeth.

But the next day, the internet exploded.

The woman in the blurred-out photo was obviously me.

I found Lucas shaking all over. He pulled me into a hug, trembling.

“The news couldn’t be contained,” he whispered. “Nina, you rarely appear in public. Just bear with it for now.”

He tried to hold me, but his next words froze my blood.

“Or… you can terminate the pregnancy. We can try again later.”

In that moment, something in me broke.

I brushed away my tears and dialed a number I hadn’t called in years.

The man on the other end answered with a low, dangerous chuckle. “So, you’ve finally come to beg me?”

——

“What… what did you say?” My voice shook.

“Lily’s kidnapping can’t be exposed,” Lucas had told me coldly earlier. “She just signed a major international endorsement. If this leaks, it’s over for her. But you—your name’s not out there. If you admit it happened to you, the public will move on quickly.”

I stared at the man I had loved for so many years. “Lucas… do you even hear yourself?”

“You wanted to acknowledge Lily’s child, and I let you. Now I’m just asking for one more thing.”

“You want me to pretend I was the one kidnapped and raped?”

“Nina,” he said gently. “Please help me.”

“You want me to destroy my reputation for her?” I asked, my voice cracked.

“Lily can’t handle this. Her depression is serious,” he pleaded. “But you—you’re strong. You can take it.”

“So I should be the one to suffer?” I forced the words out.

“It’s not suffering. It’s temporary,” he said, softening his tone. “Nina… can you… have the abortion first?”

My world crumbled.

“Lucas,” I said in a broken voice. “This is your child, too.”

“I know!” he snapped, losing control. “But Lily can’t take any stress right now!”

I went still, stunned.

Then I laughed bitterly as the tears fell. “Fine. I’ll do it.”

He opened his mouth to speak, but his phone rang.

From the other end, a soft cry rang out. “Lucas, I had a nightmare… I’m scared. What if people find out about me?”

Lily’s frail voice made him melt. His tone softened instantly. “Don’t worry, Lily. I’ll protect you. No one will hurt you.”

When he hung up, he turned away without another word and left.

I went to the hospital.

A nurse handed me a form, her expression full of pity.

“Mrs. Turner, are you sure you want the surgery?”

I looked down. Lucas’s signature was already on the consent form.

He had planned this all along.

I nodded stiffly. “Yeah.”

The doctor adjusted his glasses and said calmly, “Your condition is delicate. This miscarriage might lead to permanent infertility. Are you sure you want to take the risk?”

I looked up abruptly. “Permanent infertility?”

“Yes. Your uterine wall is thin. If you go through with the abortion, your chances of getting pregnant again are extremely low.”

My fingers trembled.

Lucas… you knew this. You knew, and still wanted me to get rid of our child.

All for Lily.

I bit down on my lip until the taste of blood filled my mouth.

Suddenly, I felt something flutter gently in my lower abdomen—like a butterfly’s wings brushing from the inside.

Without thinking, I grabbed the doctor’s wrist. “Stop. I’m not doing this.”

The doctor frowned. “Mrs. Turner, your husband gave strict instructions…”

“I said I’m not doing it!” I snapped, sitting up from the operating table, tearing off the surgical gown. “I want to keep this child!”

The sunlight outside was sharp and blinding as I walked out of the hospital.

I unlocked my phone, and the top trending search nearly made me stagger:

#LucasTurnerAndLilyShaw spotted shopping for baby items at a luxury store#

In the photo, Lucas gently supported Lily’s back while she caressed her visibly round belly.

The comments were cruel:

“They’re such a beautiful couple. A wealthy heir and a famous actress—perfect match!”

“Lily’s belly is huge. Why is Mr. Turner’s wife still pretending to be relevant?”

“I heard the wife disappeared and got pregnant by someone else. Mr. Turner is so kind not to dump her!”

“Missing? Maybe she was just off cheating. Who knows what she was doing?”

My nails dug into my palms, but I felt nothing.

“Don’t worry, baby,” I whispered, placing a hand over my stomach. “Mom will protect you, no matter what.”

I turned around and went straight to the law office. I asked them to draft a divorce agreement.

When I returned to the villa, the front door was left slightly ajar.

I pushed it open. Inside, Lily was lying on the couch, smiling brightly. Lucas sat beside her, hand resting on her belly.

“Lucas, the baby kicked me again!” she squealed, grabbing his hand and pressing it on her stomach.

His face softened with a tenderness I had never seen before. “It really moved.”

I stood silently at the entrance, my fists clenched.

Lucas looked up and saw me. His expression flickered.

He walked over quickly and spoke in a hushed tone. “Nina, Lily tried to harm herself again today. The doctor says it’s prenatal depression. Can you… stay away for a while? Just for her mental state.”

I laughed coldly. “This is my house.”

“She grew up with me. I can’t just leave her alone right now.” His voice softened, almost pleading. “Once the baby’s born, I’ll send her abroad—Hollywood, maybe. Let her start fresh there.”

I said nothing. I just turned and went upstairs.

Even from the bedroom, their voices carried through the walls.

“Ouch, the baby kicked again!” Lily’s voice was high and sugary sweet.

I curled up in bed, my back to the door, my tears soaking into the pillow.

Late at night, I felt the bed sink slightly. Lucas lay down behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist.

“Nina, I’m sorry,” he murmured, his voice rough. “We’ll have children. I promise.”

I froze.

He still didn’t know.

I hadn’t gone through with it. Our child was still here, growing quietly inside me.

Then, a sudden scream shattered the quiet.

“Don’t touch me! Get out of here! Don’t hit me!” Lily’s hysterical voice echoed from the next room.

Lucas shot up, didn’t even put on his slippers, and rushed out of the room.

All night, the hallway echoed with his soft, soothing whispers, trying to calm her.

By early morning, I dragged my weary body downstairs. My legs felt heavy, but I moved as if in a daze.

From the kitchen, the smell of fried eggs drifted into the air.

Lucas stood at the stove, frying eggs. Lily slipped behind him, gently wrapped her arms around his waist, and rested her cheek on his back with a sweet smile.

The moment she saw me, she let go and took a step back, putting on a delicate expression. “Sister-in-law, I have a headache. Can Lucas get my hat for me?”

Without a word, Lucas turned around and headed upstairs.

As soon as he disappeared, the softness on Lily’s face vanished. She approached me, her red lips curling into a smug smile.

“Lucas said that the bastard in your belly should’ve never been kept.”

My eyes snapped up, fingers trembling.

She gave a mocking smile and leaned in. “Do you know the Carter family? They’re backing me.”

She paused, watching my face change.

“If the Carters so much as lift a finger, Beijing will shake. What can you use to fight me?”

My fists clenched.

The Carter family—an elite lineage with over a century of power—held influence over half the country’s economy. Even the mighty Turner family was insignificant in comparison. In front of the Carter's, everyone else was dust.

Suddenly, Lily stumbled backward and threw herself onto the floor, crying out.

“Sister-in-law! I know you hate me for stealing Lucas! Are you going to kill me now?”

“Nina!” Lucas rushed down the stairs and shoved me aside.

I stumbled onto the edge of the coffee table, pain shooting through my lower back.

He knelt and wrapped his arms protectively around Lily, eyes ice cold.

“What did you do to her? Can you stop being so unreasonable for once?”

“I didn’t touch her!” I said, my voice shaking.

“You’d better not have,” he snapped. Without sparing me another glance, he picked her up and walked toward the door. “Lily, let’s go.”

I stood frozen in the living room, my hand slowly moving to cradle my belly.

Lucas didn’t come home for two days.

I quietly took down our wedding photos from the wall, one frame at a time. The sound of the last one hitting the trash echoed like a final goodbye.

My phone vibrated.

“Nina, I’m sending someone to pick something up. Can you give it to him?”

In the walk-in closet, the set of jewelry worth tens of millions lay quietly in a velvet-lined drawer. I remembered how he once said while taking photos of it, “This is for the most important person.”

I stared at it for a long time, then smiled faintly.

Expressionless, I took out the jewelry and handed it to the driver at the gate. Then I turned and came back with a manila envelope.

“Wait,” I said calmly. “I’ll go with you. Take me there.”

The driver hesitated but nodded.

The car pulled up in front of a lavish estate, ablaze with lights and the sound of a live orchestra flowing out into the night.

“Ms. Shaw, happy birthday!” Cheers and well wishes rang out as I walked in.

All eyes turned toward me.

“Isn’t that Mr. Turner’s wife? What’s she doing here dressed like that? So tacky.”

“I heard she’s clinging to him shamelessly. How pathetic.”

“Mr. Turner should’ve dumped her ages ago. Ms. Shaw is carrying his child now. Why won’t she just leave?”

“She even tried to push Ms. Shaw down. What a heartless woman…”

I ignored the murmurs and kept walking.

Lucas’s brows furrowed when he saw me. “Nina, why are you here?”

I smiled. “It’s Ms. Shaw’s birthday. How could I not attend?”

I held out the jewelry box. “What she wanted.”

Lily’s eyes sparkled as she reached for it. She opened it slowly, deliberately, so everyone could see.

“Lucas, this is for me?” she asked sweetly.

Lucas didn’t respond. His gaze lingered on me, unreadable.

She giggled, “Put it on for me?”

After a pause, he picked up the necklace and fastened it around her neck.

Then, on tiptoe, she suddenly threw her arms around his neck, kissed his cheek, and turned to me with a triumphant smirk.