Early in my pregnancy, on what was supposed to be the happiest day of my life, I walked in on my fiancé and my best friend tangled in bed—the bed meant for our wedding night.

Neither of them showed a shred of remorse. Instead, my fiancé humiliated me further by publicly calling off our engagement, turning me into the laughingstock of everyone we knew.

Just when I thought I had hit rock bottom, Ian Seymour, my childhood friend, suddenly dropped to one knee before me.

“I’ve loved you for a long time,” he said. “I’ll take responsibility. I’ll be the father of your child and I promise to protect you both for the rest of my life.”

In an effort to reassure me, Ian took me to register our marriage that very day and even arranged a grand wedding ceremony for me.

I thought I had found my salvation. But at eight months pregnant, I overheard a conversation between Ian and my ex-fiancé, Jaime Ashton, that shattered my illusions.

“You actually married Zara just to use the baby’s cord blood to save Trish? Aren’t you afraid she’ll find out and go berserk?” Jaime asked.

Ian scoffed, completely unfazed. “You just need to know that I’ll do whatever it takes to save Trish.”

My hands trembled as I pulled out my phone and dialed the hospital.

“Hello, I’d like to schedule an abortion.”

——

Even after ending the call, my hands were still shaking.

“You’re crazy and… scarier than I thought,” Jaime sneered, swirling the liquor in his glass as he studied Ian with disdain.

Ian’s expression darkened, his grip tightening around his own glass.

“If you hadn’t let Zara catch you and Trish together, I wouldn’t have had to resort to this. You think I enjoy looking at her bloated, whale-like figure every day?” Ian downed his drink, his eyes filled with nothing but disgust and resentment.

Jaime’s gaze flickered. “Aren’t you worried she won’t agree to donate the cord blood once she finds out?”

“Trish is running out of time,” he added his voice grim.

At the mention of Trish, Ian's expression turned cold, his gaze sharp with determination. “I’m her legal husband. If Trish needs the cord blood, I can sign the authorization anytime.”

A chill ran down my spine, my entire body shaking.

So that was the truth behind Ian’s rush to marry me. I wasn’t his wife. I was nothing more than a resource, a means to keep Trish Barton alive.

I turned to leave, but before I could escape, a figure stepped into my path. I looked up to see Trish standing across the hall, her chin lifted in triumph.

“Thought I saw some fat cow wandering around. Then I wondered, how could such a high-end bar be so careless and let an animal in?” She sneered. “Turns out, it’s just you.”

“What more do you want?” I clenched my fists, forcing myself to stay calm. “You stole my fiancé and turned me into the town joke. What makes you think you can still look down on me?” I demanded.

Trish smirked. “Just proving a point—that every man you thought loved you actually loved me.” Leaning in, she whispered in my ear, “Did you really think Ian married you out of love? Don’t be delusional. Who would ever love a fat, pregnant cow carrying another man’s child?”

Then, suddenly, she let out a dramatic scream and fell backward.

The door burst open and Ian rushed in, catching her in his arms.

Tears welled in Trish’s eyes as she clung to him. “I just wanted to apologize to Zara, but she lost her temper and told me I should drop dead.”

Ian's face twisted in fury as he turned to me. “What the hell is wrong with you? Trish and Jaime love each other. You were the one who failed to keep your man. What right do you have to lash out at Trish?”

Ian’s icy gaze bore into me and I felt like I was sinking into a frozen abyss.

I should have seen it sooner. Love—or the lack of it—was always obvious.

“Ian, don’t you have anything to say about Trish’s illness?”

He didn’t even glance at me. “If you already know she’s sick, then you should be more understanding. You two used to be best friends. Maybe I’ve spoiled you too much and that’s why you’ve turned into such a hateful woman.”

I let out a bitter laugh, about to speak, when Trish let out a weak cough.

“Ian, it hurts… I can’t… breathe.”

Even as her fingers clutched Ian’s arm in a feeble grip, she managed to shoot me a triumphant look.

Jaime immediately stepped forward and scooped her up in his arms. “I’m taking you to the hospital.”

He suddenly stopped, turning to Ian with a pointed gaze. “Trish is in this condition because of Zara. She needs to take responsibility for what she’s done. You need to take her to hospital.”

“I’m not going anywhere. Her condition has nothing to do with me.”

I clung to the doorframe, refusing to move. Ian pried my fingers off the handle, his grip bruising my wrist. “If you hadn’t pushed Trish, she wouldn’t have had an episode. You’re coming with me.”

Ignoring the fact that I was eight months pregnant, he dragged me outside.

At the hospital, Ian and Jaime hovered anxiously over Trish’s side, anxiously waiting for her test results. I took the opportunity to slip away, heading straight to the reception desk to pick up an appointment slip—for an abortion.

Without hesitation, I swallowed the pills the doctor prescribed.

As I held the appointment slip, ready to leave, I suddenly heard a familiar voice echoing from the hallway.

“Trish can’t wait any longer. We need to extract the umbilical cord blood from Zara’s baby as soon as possible.”

Ian’s brows furrowed, his expression unreadable.

“But Zara is only eight months along. Extracting the cord blood right now will put her baby at risk.”

Jaime sneered. “Don’t tell me you’ve developed feelings for her. Have you forgotten whose child she’s carrying—or why you married her in the first place?”

Ian shot him a murderous glare. “Like hell I’d fall for that ugly, pregnant cow. I only love Trish. I just don’t want this turning into a bigger mess.”

“The baby’s already fully developed at eight months. It’s strong enough to survive. Nothing will happen to her,” Jaime said indifferently. “But even if something does, isn’t it an honor for the child to save Trish?”

Ian’s gaze hardened. “You’re right. I’ll perform the procedure myself. I’ll extract the cord blood and give it to Trish.”

Terror gripped me. My whole body trembled as I bolted for the exit. I was almost to the parking garage when two tall figures blocked my path.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Ian’s voice was eerily calm. “The doctor just told me there’s something wrong with your test results. We need to run more tests. Come back with me.”

He reached for my hand, but I yanked it away.

“My last checkup was a week ago. And now you suddenly claim there’s a problem? Do you really expect me to believe that?”

Ian’s expression darkened. “I’m the head of obstetrics. If I say there’s a problem, then there is one. Now come with me.”

Ian stepped in front of me, blocking my path.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I said coldly. “If there really is a problem, they would’ve called me. Now let me go. I want to go home and rest.”

Jaime took a step forward and grabbed my wrist tightly before glancing at Ian.

“Why are you even wasting your breath on her? Just drag her back to the hospital. Trish has been texting me nonstop, saying she’s in excruciating pain. She can’t wait any longer."

At the mention of Trish’s suffering, Ian’s expression changed. His concern for her was immediate, almost instinctive.

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. “Trish's life matters, but what about mine? What about my baby’s? Don’t you care that having a C-section right now could put my life at risk?” I screamed at him.

Ian merely scoffed. “I'm the head of obstetrics. Nothing will happen under my care.”

“You’re only saying that because you refuse to save Trish, aren’t you? How could you be so selfish?”

My chest heaved with fury. “I won’t do it. I don’t care what you say—I would rather die than let you use me to save her! That treacherous bitch is better off dead!”

A sharp slap cracked across my face. Jaime had struck me so hard that a metallic taste flooded my mouth.

“You selfish bitch! How dare you insult her!”

My cheek burned, the sting radiating through my skull. I turned to Ian, hoping—praying—he’d stop this madness. But his face was void of sympathy, only filled with disdain.

“I can’t believe I ever married someone so cruel. Marrying you is the worst mistake I’ve ever done in my life.”

The words cut deeper than the slap, deeper than any wound. My breath hitched, my vision blurred with unshed tears. But I wouldn’t let them see me break.

Jaime turned to Ian, his voice sharp. “Enough of this. Tie her hands. We’ll take her to the operating room now. She’s pregnant; she won’t be able to fight us off.”

He tossed a rope to Ian, who caught it without hesitation.

“Don’t you dare—” I tried to pull away, but Ian was stronger.

With ruthless efficiency, he wrapped the rope around my wrists, tightening it until the coarse fibers bit into my skin. Blood welled up around the bindings, but he didn’t stop until I was fully restrained.

Then, they each grabbed one of my arms and began dragging me toward the elevator. My heart pounded wildly as I struggled, but it was no use.

Just as we reached the elevator, the doors slid open, revealing a familiar face.

Marilyn Howlett, a fellow expectant mother whose due date was close to mine, stepped out. Her round belly made her movements slow, but her sharp eyes landed on me immediately.

“Zara, what are you doing here?” She glanced at her watch, “At this hour?”

A flicker of hope ignited in my chest. I opened my mouth to scream for help, but before a single sound could escape, Ian clamped his hand over my mouth.

“My wife wasn’t feeling well,” Ian said smoothly. “She suddenly had stomach pains, so I brought her in for a checkup.”

Marilyn frowned. “That’s strange. She always said her pregnancy was fine. Why the sudden pain?”

I tried to scream again, but Ian covered my mouth tighter, muffling my voice into nothing more than a whimper. Please, please notice something is wrong. If she realizes something is off, she’ll do something. Or at least tell someone.

“She probably ate something bad,” Ian answered smoothly. “Her condition is serious and needs immediate attention. That’s why I brought her here. I’m the head of obstetrics at this hospital. We need to get going.”

Marilyn hesitated for a moment, then finally stepped aside.

“Yeah, of course. The baby’s health comes first. Sorry for standing in your way.”

Hope shattered in an instant and I felt as if I had plunged into a bottomless abyss.

The elevator doors closed. Jaime suddenly kicked me in the legs.

“Bitch, were you trying to rat us out just now? You just can’t stand to see Trish survive, can you?”

The pain shot through my calf and I collapsed to my knees with a dull thud. My stomach clenched, sending a sharp, twisting agony through me.

“Be careful! She’s still pregnant. If the baby dies inside her, the umbilical cord blood will be useless,” Ian snapped at Jaime in annoyance.