Spencer felt his breath catch in his throat. He immediately retorted, "How can I possibly do such a thing? My darling, even if every single man in this world cheats, I'll never stoop to their level."

He then said, sounding very convincingly ashamed, "I asked the doctor about this, and he told me that because of the fluctuating hormone levels, pregnant women can undergo mood swings and feel very insecure at times. This is all my fault, my darling. I've been spending too much time away from you lately. I'm ashamed of myself. The company is hosting a luncheon the day after tomorrow. Would you like to join me? It'll be good to get out of the house."

He hugged Nikita so close to him that she could hear his pounding heart as clearly as though it were her own. She resisted the urge to ask him whether his heart was racing out of concern for her, or because he was terrified that she found out about his affair.

On the day of the company luncheon, Spencer and Nikita's appearance immediately caught everyone's attention. Spencer placed his secretary in charge of overseeing the luncheon so that he could spend time with Nikita. When Nikita was thirsty, she did not even need to tell him. He could sense her every mood and handed her a drink with a straw in it before she could ask. When she munched on some cherries, Spencer was there to catch the seeds in his palm. When she went to the bathroom, Spencer waited patiently for her outside the door. If anything, Spencer seemed like the more clingy one in the relationship.

The female employees were all green with envy.

"What do I have to do to find myself a husband like that?"

"Mr. Ford is so obsessed with his wife. They're inseparable!"

"Hey Queenie, we invited our spouses and families today, so where's your husband?" someone piped up, and immediately, all eyes were on Queenie.

Queenie's husband always spoiled her with luxuries like Spencer did Nikita, so naturally, everyone was curious to meet her loving and generous husband for the first time.

Queenie gave a forced smile and replied, "It's a shame. He's busy and couldn't make it today."

Everyone seemed disappointed by this. "We were all looking forward to meeting your husband. I'd like my husband to learn a thing or two from him."

"I wonder if Queenie's husband is anywhere as handsome as Mr. Ford is!"

Nikita emerged from the bathroom, and who would she run into but Queenie?

Queenie pursed her lips and muttered, "Oh, finally! The entitled brat has finally emerged. We've been waiting for ages."

Everyone gasped. Queenie had always been snarky and rude, but everyone knew there was one person not to be messed with—Nikita. She was the apple of Spencer's eye, and one could easily lose one's job if they crossed her.

What was wrong with Queenie? Why was she deliberately picking on the CEO's wife?

One of her colleagues nudged her and hissed, "Are you out of your mind, Queenie? Apologize to Mrs. Ford right now!"

Queenie turned her head away and refused to budge.

Before Nikita could even say anything, Spencer barked, "Queenie, I won't tolerate such behavior. I'll deduct your bonus for this month, and you're officially off the project. Wendy will take over instead."

Queenie's eyes were as wide as saucers. She stared at Spencer in sheer disbelief, but Spencer ignored her. Instead, he straightened Nikita's dress and said gently, "Let's go, darling."

Nikita did not reply. She could see out of the corner of her eye that Queenie was glaring at Spencer. Angry tears slid down her cheeks, but no one else seemed to have noticed.

They all checked into a luxurious five-star hotel for the night. In the middle of the night, Nikita jolted awake, but when she turned around, she discovered that the other side of the bed was empty.

Her stomach was churning, and that was what woke her. She rolled over, and after a brief moment's hesitation, she decided to check the dashcam in Spencer's car.

She pulled up the footage and could hear a familiar voice as clear as day. Queenie said, her voice dripping like honey as she giggled, "For a moment, I thought you forgot me, Spencer. You were so mean to me this afternoon! I was so upset. Is that how you're going to treat me from now on?"

Spencer's husky voice came in short bursts. All of a sudden, he thrust, and Queenie gasped. He said coldly, "You were out of line this afternoon, Queenie. Have you forgotten what I told you? We can fool around all we like, but I draw the line with my wife. If you pick on her ever again, this will be the last we see of each other."

This seemed to put Queenie in check. She hooked her arm around Spencer's neck and crooned, her voice interspersed with moans of pleasure, "I was just jealous. I'm jealous of her, Spencer. She gets all of your attention, and I get the leftovers."

Spencer's tone softened. "Don't cry, baby. You had your eye on the bungalow on Second Promenade, didn't you? I'll buy you anything you want. I love you, Queenie, but I hope you won't make things difficult for me."

Queenie was satisfied by this. She beamed and replied in a syrupy tone, "I'm willing to be your mistress forever, Spencer if that means I get to be with you."

Their conversation was interrupted by another round of passionate moans that ended in a climax of ecstasy. Nikita felt as if she was shaken to the core. Tears streamed down her face, and she could not even bring herself to utter a single word.

I love you.

Spencer told Queenie that he loved her. Those three sacred words that he said to her at their wedding. Nikita felt as if her world shattered into pieces, and Spencer's wedding vows were like maggots crawling out of the remains of their ruined marriage.

A long time ago, Nikita idolized a celebrity, who practically changed into a different person after her divorce. At that time, when interviewed regarding her failed marriage, she replied wistfully, "In the end, it was nothing more than ashes and dust."

For a long time, Nikita did not understand it, but now, she felt the words ringing right down to her bones.

People changed, sometimes in seconds. The only thing constant about the world was that nothing was.

All of a sudden, Nikita felt a tearing sensation through her lower belly. She rolled out of bed, feeling as if someone had taken an axe to her uterus. She summoned all the strength she could to crawl to the door. She forced the door open, startling a passing employee as she passed.

"Mrs. Ford! My goodness!" the woman screeched.

Nikita felt a wave of relief. She glanced appreciatively at the woman, but the next moment, she passed out cold.

The next thing Nikita knew, she awoke in a hospital bed. Spencer was sitting next to her bed, nodding off. When he sensed Nikita moving, though, he jolted awake.

"My darling!" he gasped. He was relieved to see that Nikita could see and hear him. He said, sounding guilty, "This is all my fault, darling. I got hungry in the middle of the night, so I went down to the buffet. I shouldn't have left you alone. This wouldn't have happened if I didn't leave you alone."

Nikita had to stifle a sneer. Hungry? Well, he was not technically lying.

Spencer knew that he would be discovered if he checked into another room with Queenie, which was why they resorted to doing it in the car instead.

Spencer once again proved to her that she did not know him at all.

Spencer did not seem to pick up on Nikita's mood. "Hit me, Nikita. I deserve to be punished."

He stroked Nikita's hand lovingly, then set it down and slapped himself instead. "I should've stayed by your side. None of this would have happened if I didn't leave you alone in the room. This is all my fault!"

Nikita did not reply. Instead, she glanced down at her belly and asked, "How's the baby?"

Spencer's face lit up. "The baby's fine, darling. The doctor said that the bleeding was due to some changes in your mood, but otherwise, the baby would be fine. Darling, was it a bad idea that I brought you here with me? It doesn't seem like you're having a good time."

He fished a necklace out of his pocket and handed it to her. "Take this, darling. I bought this just for you. The pendant on it is a good luck charm. I hope that it'll bring you and the baby good health. I want to spend the rest of my life with you!"

Nikita gazed deep into Spencer's eyes. For a split second, she wanted to confront him. It was sickening just how good at acting he was getting. However, she chose not to. She was too tired for this.

All of a sudden, Spencer's phone rang. He glanced at it and declined the call, but whoever was calling refused to give up. The call came again, then again, then again. Finally, Spencer had no choice but to take it. He apologized to Nikita and then left the room to take the call in the hallway.

Minutes passed, but yet he did not return. Nikita yanked the IV drip out of her arm and stepped out of the room. She found Spencer just a few feet away, but he was not alone.

He had Queenie in his arms, who was stroking her belly lovingly as she grinned from ear to ear. "We're finally going to have a child of our own, Spencer."

Nikita heard her voice as clear as day. She stood there, rooted to the spot. She could not believe her ears. All of a sudden, the room began to spin, and she swayed. A passing nurse grabbed her just in time. "What's going on? Miss? Miss? Can anyone help me?"

Spencer turned around and felt an electric shock go through him when he realized Nikita was right behind him. He hastily shoved Queenie away, then leaped to Nikita's rescue and asked nervously, "What are you doing here, darling? Do you need to use the toilet?"

Nikita kept staring at Queenie, and he replied, sounding sheepish, "Darling, this is Queenie. She's one of my assistants. Not long after you woke, she found out that she's pregnant. Her husband is one of my partners, but he couldn't be here today, so I'm helping him look after her. This is not what it seems, darling."

Nikita did not hear even a word. Her gaze was trained on the medical report that Queenie was holding. She asked, "How far along are you?"

A glimmer of triumph flashed through Queenie's eyes. She replied, sounding pleased with herself, "The doctor said I'm almost fifty days along now. I'm such a doozy. I've been so busy the past couple of months that I didn't even notice I missed my period. My husband felt so bad that he gave me his card, and he promised he'd take a month off work to be with me during my first trimester."

50 days?

Nikita closed her eyes. If Spencer did not hold her, she would have collapsed and fallen to the ground.

She and Spencer's child was only 33 days old. He and Queenie's child was conceived earlier than hers. He probably just left Queenie's house the very night that their baby was conceived. What kind of sick joke was this?

Even if she took the pregnancy to term, his child born out of wedlock would be older than his legitimate child.

All of a sudden, Nikita caught a glimpse gave her earlier.

That was it. She had enough.

Nikita replied stiffly, "Well, congratulations, then."

Then, she removed her hand from Spencer's and shuffled back to her room. She just laid down on the bed when her phone buzzed with a series of messages. They were from Queenie.

[You know everything by now, don't you? That's right, my child is Spencer's. Nikita, I'm not as selfish as you. I don't want to keep Spencer to myself. All I ask for is a sliver of his love and affection. Besides, my child will be older than yours, and he or she will be the first in line for Spencer's inheritance. Who's laughing now?]

Spencer entered the room. Nikita turned off her phone just in time, but Spencer did not notice this. Instead, he showed Nikita his online shopping cart, which was full of baby items, along with some toys and clothing. He grinned, looking proud of himself. "Why don't you take your pick, darling? Or shall I buy them all? I'm going to make our baby the happiest child on earth!"

Nikita did not reply. She stared at Spencer. She could not discern which woman with whom he was expecting a child that brought him so much happiness. She could not help but ask, "Spencer, are you so excited for this baby?"

Spencer replied without even thinking, "Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be excited, when it's the child that my beautiful wife is bringing into this world? I'm planning on buying a bigger house for us, so we can have room for a nursery. It'll be perfect. The renovation will be complete by the time the baby arrives, and he or she will have all the toys they want."

Spencer's eyes were glinting with excitement. Then, a moment later, he snapped out of his stupor to bump his nose gently against Nikita's face. "Thank you for everything, darling. You've had it rough lately, but I promise I'll do everything I can to take care of you."

Nikita did not reply.

Ever since returning from the luncheon, Spencer became more doting. He would turn down meetings just so he could go home and spend more time with Nikita. The change came so abruptly that everyone soon realized what was going on. Word on the street was that aside from being obsessed with his wife, Spencer was also a devoted father to his unborn child. People teased him, but in secret, they admired his devotion.

Nikita was the only person who knew Spencer's whole heart was not with her.

One morning, Spencer and Nikita just came home from a walk outside. Half an hour later, he had to leave, feigning that that was an urgent meeting he had to attend. Nikita, however, received a text message soon after his departure. It was a photo of Queenie and Spencer's hands entwined, along with a message that read, [Do you honestly think you have Spencer all to yourself? The truth is, whenever he's not around, he's always with me.]

That afternoon, Spencer returned home to cook Nikita her lunch. It was soured by another message from Queenie. [So what if you're his wife? I'm his mistress, but he cooks for me just like he does you.]

He promised Nikita that he would not stay even a single night away from her. Therefore, he made sure to have some fun with Queenie before returning home. Almost every evening, Nikita would receive messages from Queenie, accompanied by pictures of the two of them in bed. That day, it was one of Queenie and Spencer lying together naked, with Spencer's arm draped around Queenie's shoulder. There was a bite mark on Spencer's neck, with an apt message from Queenie, [Your man is mine, too.]

Nikita never replied, but she made sure to save every last one of the photos and messages.

On the morning of June 15, Nikita said to Spencer, "Darling, I want to visit the university today."

Nikita and Spencer met during their senior year of grad school. They were not from the same majors but crossed paths because they shared a mutual mentor. The very same mentor gave a tear-jerking toast at their wedding.

Nikita wanted to take him to the place where they first met. It would be a full circle moment to end things where they started.

Spencer froze when he heard this, but he replied without hesitation, "Of course we can, darling."

He drove them to the university, but they barely reached the gates when his phone rang. He glanced at the number, then stepped out of the car to take the call. A few minutes later, he returned, looking apologetic. "I'm sorry, darling. Something urgent has come up at the office, and I'll need to check on it. Can you wait for me here? You can stroll around the campus. I promise I'll be back soon."

Unbeknownst to him, Nikita was at that moment being bombarded with messages from Queenie.

[What gives you the right to keep Spencer to yourself? He should be with me at this very moment!]

Nikita did not have words to describe how she felt at that moment. Was she disappointed? Perhaps, but the truth was, she was disappointed long ago.

She nodded coolly, then got out of the car. Spencer watched her enter the university compound. He did this over a hundred times, but for some reason, watching Nikita leave this time made him nervous. It was as if he would never see her again, but it did not make any sense.

Queenie was still blowing up his phone with her calls, so he had no choice but to put the thought behind him. He rushed to her place as fast as his car could take him.

Meanwhile, Nikita strolled over to the notice board at the university's main building. Spencer was one of the university's most famous alumni, so naturally, his photo was right at the top. It was a photo of him when he was younger. His handsomeness was refreshing. Staring at the photo, for a moment there Nikita almost got fooled into thinking this was still the man she loved.

She stared at the photo for a few moments before whispering, "This is the end, Spencer."

Then, she turned and left. She hailed a taxi to the hospital, arriving at exactly 2 pm on the dot.

She soon found herself lying on the cold operating table, where she spoke to her unborn child for the very last time. "I'm sorry, baby. I was looking forward to meeting you, but I can't bear bringing you into this world knowing that you would have a cheating man for a father. I can't do this to you. I'm sorry. Goodbye, baby."

Silent tears streamed down her cheeks.

An hour later, she awoke again, frail and pale-faced. Her flesh and blood were ripped out of her body, but she knew she made the right decision. Her mind was still sharp.

She took out her phone and realized that Queenie was still sending her scathing texts. It seemed that Spencer was still with her. Relieved, Nikita returned to the house. She found the envelope she gave Spencer, tucked the pregnancy termination consent form into the envelope, and then resealed it. She looked around one last time at the house she called home for years, then left without so much as a second glance.

She would never return.