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.

I couldn’t let myself pass out despite the killing pain in my stomach wasn’t normal.

Keon wasn’t coming back for me—I had to take care of myself.

It took a long time before I could gather enough strength to grab the railing and pull myself up.

Worried that something might start leaking out of me on the way, cab wasn't in any of my options. I had no choice but to walk to the hospital.

The night soon covered the entire sky. The shift nurse at the ER took one look at the blood soaking my clothes and rushed to get me checked in.

The doctor flipped through my earlier records. He asked as he shook his head.

“Three weeks in and you already had an amniocentesis? The pregnancy wasn’t even stable yet! Your uterus is in distress, contracting from the trauma—and with a fall down the stairs on top of that… I’m sorry, but the baby probably won’t make it.”

After the exam, the doctor grew even more frustrated.

“You’ve been hemorrhaging this whole time and you just powered through the pain? Do you have a death wish?!”

I just let out a long breath—then, unexpectedly, I laughed.

“Doctor, just go ahead and terminate the pregnancy.”

From the moment I learned the truth, I had felt nothing but disgust toward the tiny, unformed thing inside me.

Now, it was gone.

***

Good.

This baby had been nothing but a bad dream—one I was finally waking up from.

A day later, when I returned home, the place was empty. I knew Keon had not come back since leaving with Kizzie.

The bed and the floor were still covered in the mess they left behind. I stepped around the stains, rushed into the bathroom and scrubbed myself clean over and over again.

I kept feeling like there was a lingering scent on me—as soon as the world fell silent, it would intensify unbearably.

The scent of a man. The scent of a dead child. No matter how hard I washed, it wouldn’t go away!

I broke down, throwing things all over the floor, then collapsed into the bathtub, sobbing. Just as the suffocating feeling took hold, I suddenly thought of my parents.

Back then, when I found out I was going to marry Keon, I was overjoyed. I carefully picked out every piece of my dowry, while my parents paid for everything. Except for one thing—the file folder at the bottom of the pile, which they handed to me themselves.

I remembered the day I left home. Mom gave me that folder and said, “Kelsey, even though this marriage has a purpose behind it, your father and I still wish you happiness. If, one day, you no longer feel happy, remember—your parents will always be there for you.”

“If possible, we hope you never have to open it.”

I got up and ran to the study, digging out that file folder.

Inside was a divorce agreement that my parents had prepared for me.

I didn’t know what they had done behind the scenes, but somehow, they had already gotten Keon to sign it. The asset division was written entirely in my favor—protecting me completely.

Without hesitation, I signed my name. The ink had barely dried when my phone rang. It was Keon. His voice was cautious.

“Are you… okay?”

I kept my tone cold. “Should I not be?”

“I’m just glad you’re fine. I know I was out of line that day. I shouldn’t have yelled at you—I just got too worked up when I saw Kizzie hurt. Then, I said things I didn’t mean.”

“I went back to look for you, but you were already gone. I figured you must’ve been fine.”

There was something pathetic in the way he tried to sound apologetic yet still unwilling to back down. It almost made me laugh.

“Do you need something?” I asked flatly.

Keon was clearly annoyed by my coldness. He lost patience in an instant.

“I already apologized. What more do you want? You think you did nothing wrong? I called to tell you that Kizzie forgives you for pushing her that day. She even invited you to the auction with us. They’re planning a gift to congratulate you on the pregnancy.”

Then he scoffed. “Seriously, your belly isn’t even showing yet, but the attitude sure is. Can’t you learn from Kizzie?”

I stayed silent.

Hearing no response, Keon seemed to hesitate. His tone softened slightly. “Alright, enough of this. Kizzie’s leg is hurt, so I’m staying here to take care of her. The driver will pick you up later.”