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.

I didn’t say a word.

Suddenly, Lily staggered with a cry. “Ah!”

Lucas rushed to catch her and then turned to glare at me. “What are you trying to do now?”

Without responding, I handed him the document folder. “Sign.”

He opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Lily clutched her stomach. “Ah! Lucas, my stomach... it hurts!”

Panic flickered in his eyes. Without even glancing at the document, he scrawled his signature, scooped her into his arms, and said, “I’m taking you to the hospital!”

I turned to leave, clutching the signed papers—only to be tripped violently from behind.

I crashed to the ground. My forehead slammed against a metal fixture, and a warm stream of blood began trickling down my cheek.

Lucas turned instinctively, eyes filled with hesitation as if he might come help me.

“Lucas! It hurts... please! The hospital!” Lily sobbed, gripping his sleeve tightly.

He froze, then turned away and carried her out without looking back.

I lay there, the blood in my eyes turning the world red and blurry.

Around me, people stared. Some looked amused. No one moved.

Grinding my teeth, I pushed myself up from the cold floor. It was only then that I noticed—my wedding ring was gone.

It must have slipped off during the fall. It had always been loose. I just hadn’t realized how loose.

Ignoring the gawking crowd, I limped out of the venue and flagged down a cab.

“To the hospital,” I said.

The driver looked alarmed. “Miss, your head’s bleeding!”

I wiped my cheek. My hand came away red. I gave a faint smile.

“It’s fine. I won’t die.”

At the hospital, the doctor frowned while dressing my wound. “Mrs. Turner, you’re still pregnant. Why are you doing this to yourself?”

Before I could answer, the television overhead blared a breaking news bulletin.

“Shocking report! President Turner’s wife faked her kidnapping and cheated on her husband! Suspected of carrying another man’s child and secretly seeking an abortion!”

My vision went black for a moment.

Before I could react, the door burst open.

Mrs. Turner stormed in and slapped me across the face. “You disgrace! You’ve humiliated our whole family!”

Reeling from the blow, I stumbled back. Before I could find my footing, men in black suits grabbed me and dragged me into the Turner family’s ancestral hall.

“Kneel!” Mrs. Turner barked.

I struggled, but my knees were forced down hard onto the freezing tiles.

She pulled out her phone, her voice sharp and unforgiving. “Lucas! Your wife’s scandal is all over the news! Everyone’s laughing at us!”

On the other end, Lucas’s voice was tense. “Mom? Weren’t you and Dad in Australia? Why—”

“What? We can’t come home now?” she sneered. “You see what kind of woman you married?”