Keon, who had always refused to have children with me, suddenly became relentless. For three days and nights, he took me over and over again, without any protection.

I thought he had finally accepted me. Blushing, I held the pregnancy test in my hand, ready to share the good news with him. But before I could, I overheard a conversation in the company lounge—his voice, along with his childhood sweetheart and two close friends, filled with laughter.

"You guys spoil me too much. I was just curious about whose child it would be after doing this. The three of must treat Kelsey the worst you could. If she finds out she doesn’t even know who the father of her child is, do you think she’ll be mad?"

Keon scoffed. "Mad? She should be grateful! You didn’t see how happy she was when she thought she could have a baby."

"But, big bro, Kelsey is practically born for this"

"Keon, you’re really the only one ruthless enough to do this!"

"How about we make a bet? Let’s see who’d win. Whoever loses has to buy Kizzie jewelry at the auction—nothing under ten million!"

With their pride as men on the line, all three of them went all in, upping the stakes for themselves.

Kizzie watched them argue, their faces flushed with excitement and laughed delightedly. She glanced at me casually through the blinds, her expression indifferent.

——

"Big bro, what if Kelsey finds out the child isn’t yours? What if the truth slips out?"

Keon let out a disdainful snort. "If she ends up pregnant with someone else’s child, it’ll only make her look like a whore cheating is bad enough, but getting knocked up? Even if Kelsey finds out, does she really have the face to say anything?"

"Besides, do you think I’d do something like this without a backup plan?"

As he spoke, he pulled a stack of photos from his pocket and scattered them across the table.

"Damn, her face isn’t even covered! If someone else sees these, there goes her so-called innocent reputation, hahaha!"

"Just like those magazines from over in Japan you can practically feel how filthy it is just from the pictures!"

Kizzie picked up a photo, glanced at it with disdain and casually tossed it aside.

The photo slid precisely through the crack of the door and landed right in front of me.

My breath nearly stopped. I scrambled to the ground, desperately picking up my dignity and shattered pride, shoving them into my sleeve as if that could make them disappear.

Tears poured uncontrollably from my eyes.

Keon had only married me because of his parent’s wishes. For years, he barely even touched me.

I thought he had finally warmed up to me. So even though I knew there was something in the drink that night, I still obediently swallowed it, letting my reason slip away bit by bit.

For the chance to have a child, for the hope of pleasing him, I had thrown away all my pride during those three days, giving in to him, responding to him, doing everything to make him happy. I didn’t even know when they switched people or when those photos were taken.

All of this happened just because of a single sentence from Kizzie, their beloved childhood sweetheart.

I ran out of the office as if my life depended on it. My clothes were perfectly in place, covering me from head to toe, yet I felt like every pair of eyes on the street was seeing me as I was in those photos bare, exposed, utterly humiliated.

The overwhelming shame pressed down on me, suffocating.

With my head down, I ran blindly forward. A walk that should’ve taken minutes stretched into what felt like an eternity.

When I finally got home, I rushed to the shredder, feeding the photos into it again and again, watching them turn into tiny, meaningless scraps. I wished I could shove my filthy self inside and destroy it too.

The loud slam of the door startled me, snapping me back to reality. It was Keon.

"Did your period come this month?"

I froze, unable to process his words. "W-what?"

He curled his lips into a smirk, his tone almost teasing.

"Sweet Pie, it was three whole days. I have plenty of confidence in my abilities. Come downstairs, I'm taking you to the hospital for a check-up."

Without waiting for my response, he grabbed me and pulled me toward the garage.

I sat motionless in the passenger seat, dazed. He sighed, then reached over to fasten my seatbelt.

I grabbed his hand in return, blurting out,

"Are we going to the hospital to check if I’m pregnant? Keon, do you really want to have a child with me?"

He ruffled my hair, his eyes so gentle they seemed almost so tender, so loving.

"What kind of silly question is that? Of course, I do. A girl like you, a boy like me wouldn’t that be perfect?"

He acted so convincingly. If I hadn’t overheard their conversation at the office just moments ago, I might have actually believed him.

When we arrived at the hospital, Keon’s two brothers and Kizzie were already waiting.

The group eyed me with ill intentions. The two men’s bare, lingering gazes sent shivers down my spine.

Keon pulled me behind him. “They heard you might be pregnant and they came to congratulate you.”

The test was quick and just like my own test, it confirmed it I was pregnant.

Keon held the report, his expression unreadable, but Kizzie’s displeasure was obvious. He looked up at the doctor. “Can we do a paternity test now?”

The doctor glanced between Keon and me several times before replying, “It’s only been three weeks. It’s possible, but generally, we don’t recommend it.”

He interrupted in a low, firm voice, “Then do it. Right now.”

The doctor quickly added, “The only option at this stage is a uterine puncture. It’s harmful to both the mother and the fetus and we can’t use anesthesia—it will be extremely painful. Sir, are you sure you don’t want to reconsider?”

Keon’s brows furrowed, his patience clearly running thin.

"No anesthesia, then. Are you deaf? Do it!"

The doctor turned to me instead.

I forced a bitter smile. “Go ahead.”

The paternity test would take a week. They had already been waiting eagerly for the results any delay would interfere with Kizzie’s auction plans. Why would they care about whether I suffered or not?

In the crowded hospital, people began whispering and pointing at me.

After collecting Keon’s hair sample, the doctor was about to wrap up when Keon dropped another bombshell.

"Take samples from my two brothers as well. Test all of us together."

The crowd erupted instantly.

"What the hell? This woman’s been messing around with three men?!"

"Why else would he bring his newly pregnant wife for a paternity test? He doesn’t even know if it’s his kid!"

"Her husband is tall and handsome, yet she still went out to cheat? If I were him, I’d beat her to death!"

The doctor seemed sympathetic earlier, but he looked at me like I had deceived him now. With no anesthesia, the sharp pain in my abdomen was unbearable. My vision went dark at the edges as hot tears slipped silently down my face.

Clutching the wall for support, I stumbled out of the room.

Keon strode toward me, ready to catch me in his arms. But then, Kizzie ran off, her eyes red. Keon’s two brothers immediately rushed after her.

The momentarily warm embrace around me stiffened then, just as quickly, he let go. I crashed to the floor, landing hard on my backside.

"Go home by yourself. I’m going to check on Kizzie."

With that, he turned and ran after Kizzie.

That’s right. He ran to her.

The bystanders, who had been watching the drama unfold, snickered at my pathetic state, their eyes filled with glee at my humiliation.

"Considering she opened her legs for anyone, it’s no wonder her husband ran off with someone else!"

"Hey, gorgeous, drop me your LetsTalk. How much for a night? I can definitely afford you."

"She needs money? Please! Call her once and she’ll jump right into your bed for free!"

Clutching onto a railing, I slowly pulled myself up. Head down, I stared at my feet, forcing myself to move forward, step by step.

By the time I finally got a cab and made it home, the sky had already turned dark.

Gasping for breath, I clutched the doorknob. The moment I pushed the door open, a thick, humid scent of intimacy hit me in the face. Kizzie and Keon’s tangled moans and the sound of fabric tearing nearly pierced my eardrums.

I broke down, slamming the door shut.

Sliding down against the wall, I hugged my head, curling into myself as despair swallowed me whole.

"Enough! I’ve had enough! I don’t want to hear it! Not a single word!"

I had no idea how much time had passed before the door creaked open again.

The soft sound of running water drifted in from the bathroom.

Kizzie stood there, dressed in something skimpy, her face flushed. Faint red marks dotted her slender neck. She leaned against the doorframe with a smug air, looking down at me with pure disdain.

Her voice was laced with venom as she said, "Throwing yourself at Keon so presistently. You’re also desperate to have his baby! Do you even hear yourself?"

"Since you're so eager to spread your legs, does it feel good now? One word from me and all three of them could have their way with you. Maybe next time, I'll just dump you on the street and see how long you last."

She took a step closer, forcing me back.

"Even if Keon marries you, so what? You think that means you’ve won? His heart belongs to me. Have you ever seen the way he looks at me when he’s really lost in the moment? Face it—you’re just something he uses when he’s bored."

Her red lips moved, her white teeth flashing with every spiteful word. But all I could see was the jealousy distorting her face.

A bitter laugh rose in my throat.

Violated by three men, shattered, left in ruins—and yet, she was the one who’s jealous?

No—what she was really jealous of is my one-in-three chance of carrying Keon’s baby.

The thought made me place a hand on my stomach out of reflexes. I didn’t expect such a small movement to set Kizzie off.

“You think you have something to be proud of? Carrying some bastard when you don’t even know who the father is? Do you even deserve to act smug?!”

Worried Keon might hear, I forced myself to play dumb.

“Kizzie, what are you talking about? I don’t understand. I have no idea why Keon wants me to get a paternity test, but I know for sure this baby is his.”

That set Kizzie's jealousy into a spiraling rage.

“Who said you could have his baby? Who gave you permission?! If I can’t give him a child, then neither can you!”

With that, she raised her hand and shoved me hard.

My heel caught on the edge of the stairs and before I could react, I tumbled backward. My vision spun, pain exploding through my body—worst of all, a sharp, searing agony in my stomach.

Hearing the commotion, Keon rushed out.

Before I could even gather myself, Kizzie dramatically collapsed onto the floor, wailing. “Kelsey! I came over to help since you’re pregnant and this is how you treat me? Did you really have to hit me?!”

“Why would you throw yourself down the stairs? Are you trying to frame me? I swear, I didn’t do anything! Kelsey, why are you doing this to me?!”

Then, as if just noticing Keon, she sniffled and put on a show of concern for me.

“Keon, don’t worry about me. Go check on her first—she fell down by accident.”

Keon’s gaze flicked over to the red marks on Kizzie’s exposed skin and for a split second, guilt flashed in his eyes. He quickly pulled off his jacket and draped it over her.

“Kizzie, are you hurt? I’ll take you to the hospital.”

“I’m fine, just a little sore… but look. Kelsey have it worse!”

Keon shot me a cold glare before scooping Kizzie into his arms, his voice laced with anger. “Don’t think I didn’t hear what happened! Kizzie came here out of kindness and this is how you treat her? I never realized you could be so... petty.”

I lay there on the cold floor, my eyelids growing heavier by the second. My lips trembled as I tried to explain.

“No, I didn’t—she pushed—”

“Cut the act, Kelsey! Are you really trying to pin the blame on Kizzie? Do you even hear yourself? She’s so delicate she can’t even open a bottle cap and you expect me to believe she pushed you? Besides, Kizzie has a good heart—why would she do something like that? Kelsey, since when did you become this kind of person?!”

With that, Keon carried Kizzie downstairs. As he passed me, he kicked me aside like I was nothing more than trash.

“If you like lying there so much, then just stay there. Don’t get in my way.”

Kizzie turned her head, flashing me a smug, victorious smile.

The sound of an engine roared to life outside. My vision blurred, fading into darkness.