The day I found out I was pregnant after five years of marriage was the same day my husband was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

He knelt before me, tears streaming down his face. "Regina Thomas, you should terminate the pregnancy. I don't want you raising a child alone."

I pretended to be heartbroken, playing along with his little performance. "Darrell, we've waited so long for this baby. Do we really have to?"

"A child without a father's love is a pitiful thing."

I agreed through my tears.

The truth was, I already knew about his scheme with his college ex-girlfriend to fake a cancer diagnosis and stage his own death.

If they wanted to put on a show, I'd give them one worth watching.

...

Earlier, at the hospital, the moment the pregnancy was confirmed, I wanted to share the news with Darrell Simmons right away. After all, five years of trying had led to this.

I figured he'd be just as thrilled as I was.

I was about to call him when I spotted him holding a piece of paper, walking toward the elevator with Naomi Henson.

My grip tightened around my phone. I followed them. I knew Naomi was back in the country.

But seeing the two of them together at a hospital was strange.

As I drew closer, Naomi's voice reached me.

"Darrell, now that we have this diagnosis report, the rest of the plan should fall right into place."

They were scheming together?

I ducked behind a wall and kept listening.

"Right. Pancreatic cancer progresses fast. We'll squeeze some money out of her first, then I'll fake my death. After that, you take my will and..."

They stepped into the elevator, still talking. Whatever Darrell said next, I couldn't hear.

I stood frozen in place, watching the red floor numbers on the display tick slowly downward.

Darrell and I weren't each other's first love, but in five years of marriage, we'd been steady. Solid. I'd been with him from nothing to everything.

When he started his company, I gave him the three hundred thousand dollars from my dowry as seed money. Now the business was thriving, the future wide open.

The only thing missing had been a child.

That had been my one heartache. I'd lost count of how many hospital visits I'd made over the years. The holistic treatments alone could have filled a room.

And now I was finally pregnant, only to discover that Darrell's heart had already wandered.

Naomi Henson was Darrell's college sweetheart. She and I had been classmates. After graduation, she'd gone abroad to build her career.

She'd returned six months ago, and my best friend Sophie Whitney was the first to tell me.

I hadn't given it a second thought. That was ancient history. Darrell and I had been married for five years. I trusted that he wasn't the kind of man to throw away a stable life just to chase an old flame.

But I didn't know Darrell as well as I thought. He hadn't just rekindled things with Naomi. He was plotting against me.

What they seemed to have forgotten, though, was that I was no pushover.

On the drive home, I steadied myself and started digging into our marital assets: real estate, savings, and the company's books.

Since we'd never had children, I'd spent all these years working at the company. Pulling up the financial records was child's play.

Then I reached out to Hudson Dickerson, the company's legal counsel. He was Sophie's husband, and I figured he'd be on my side.

I explained the situation. Hudson cleared his throat and asked to meet in person.

I skipped going home and headed straight to a coffee shop to meet him.

The moment I sat down, he slid a manila envelope across the table.

"Actually, I've had these ready for a while. I was planning to bring them to you myself."

Hudson studied my face. People always said lawyers could read anyone like an open book. He was living proof.

I allowed myself a small smile and flipped through the documents. They were exactly what I needed: a complete record of the company's finances.

"Darrell actually already let me go. These are the records I compiled before I left."

"Darrell plays dumb, but he's sharper than he looks. After working with him for years, I've learned to read him. He'll probably come after you next. Be careful."

Hudson Dickerson's words caught me off guard, though the more I thought about it, the less surprising it was. Sophie Whitney was my best friend. If my marriage stayed intact, keeping Hudson on as company counsel made perfect sense. But if Darrell and I divorced, there was no way Naomi would let him stay.

"I'll make up for what you lost. From now on, you're handling my divorce case."

Hudson smiled. "The case, absolutely. But don't worry about compensating me. Sophie doesn't know I was fired yet. Don't tell her. I'm afraid she'll tear Darrell apart."

Knowing Sophie's temper, that was a real possibility. I nodded.

Then something Darrell had said at the elevator doors came back to me.

"Has Darrell ever drawn up a will?"

The coffee shop was busy, people coming and going. Not exactly the best place to discuss something like this.

The surprise on Hudson's face told me everything. He didn't know.

"We can talk about that later. For now, just draft me a divorce agreement. Something I can have ready."

"If he did make a will, how would that affect me? After the divorce, how would assets be divided? If I use this pregnancy as leverage, could I get a larger share? And the three hundred thousand dollars I put up when Shuwell Corp was founded needs to be accounted for too."

I laid everything out in one breath. Hudson took careful notes on every point.

This war was about to begin. When I'd first held that pregnancy report, I thought today would be a day of celebration.

Instead, it had become the opening move.

After parting ways with Hudson, I stopped by the grocery store and loaded up on ingredients.

I was going to welcome Darrell home with a lavish dinner.

When I heard his car pull into the driveway, I settled onto the couch and placed the prenatal report beside me.

The moment Darrell walked through the door, I rearranged my expression and rushed toward him.

"You're home! I have great news."

"Oh? I actually have something to tell you too."

I blinked up at him. I knew exactly what he was going to say. He had no idea what I was about to say.

"You first," I said, keeping my voice light.

Darrell gave me a gentlemanly smile. "Ladies first."

Fine. Why bother being polite? I carefully pulled out the prenatal report and held it up in front of his face.

"We're having a baby."

I knew full well Darrell didn't want this child. But I needed to throw a wrench in his plans.

The excitement that had been on his face a moment ago froze solid.

A good ten seconds passed before he managed to force the corners of his mouth upward. "Really? We're... having a baby?"

I watched beads of sweat slowly form along his hairline. A telltale sign of nerves.

"Honey, are you so happy you're in shock?" I teased, grinning wide.

Darrell let out a hollow laugh. My news had clearly derailed whatever script he'd rehearsed.

Then his phone buzzed with a notification. He glanced down, a flicker of panic crossing his face. I was close enough to see the screen. The message was from Naomi.

Probably asking if he'd told me yet.

Darrell drew a long breath, as if steeling himself for something.

I seized the moment. "Didn't you say you had something to tell me too?"

His lips curved into a stiff half-smile, and his words came out halting. "Right. I... also have news."

He fumbled in his pocket for what felt like forever before finally producing a crumpled diagnosis report.

I put on my most expectant face and waited for him to speak.

"Regina, I went to the hospital today too. But my news... isn't good."

I played along, letting the smile drain from my face inch by inch, eyes widening as I stared at him.

Darrell turned the diagnosis report to face me. "I've been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer."

I looked at the forged document. I knew it was fake, but this was a performance. The props might be fake, but the emotions had to be real.

"Darrell, it has to be a misdiagnosis. You've always been so healthy."

I shook my head in disbelief, and my eyes stung with heat. Tears actually welled up, threatening to spill.

Darrell saw my grief and took it for the real thing. He gripped my shoulders, his expression the picture of tender devotion. "Regina, I wish it were a misdiagnosis too. But I went to a specialist. I know I seem fine on the outside, but the truth is I've been feeling off for a long time."

When the scene called for deeper emotion, I threw my arms around him and sobbed against his chest. "Cancer isn't a death sentence anymore. The baby and I will be right by your side through all of it."

The words had barely left my mouth when Darrell suddenly pushed me back. His knees buckled, and he dropped to the floor in front of me.

It wasn't until he was kneeling there that I noticed actual tears rolling down his cheeks.

He clutched my hands in his. "Regina, please. End the pregnancy. I can't bear the thought of you raising a child alone."

Hearing those words, a nerve twitched at the corner of my eye. This piece of garbage. For the sake of his own interests, he could be this heartless. I hadn't imagined he could sink this low.

I was watching his cruelty play out right in front of me. But I was still in character. I had to see this performance through.

"Darrell, we tried so long for this baby. Isn't there any other way?"

"Medicine has come so far. Cancer isn't what it used to be..."

The words tasted like ash in my own mouth, but I had to say them. It was part of the script.

Darrell's mind was already made up. I was only going through the motions.

He kept up his act of selfless concern, still on his knees, crying harder now. "Regina, I understand how you feel. I know how long you've wanted this child."

"But this disease could take me at any moment. I don't want our baby growing up without a father. A child without a dad... that's no life for a kid."

I scoffed internally. I had to hand it to him. His delivery was flawless. Oscar-worthy, really.

I pulled him to his feet, keeping up my own look of stubborn refusal to give in.

"There has to be a chance. As long as we don't give up, your condition can be treated."

Darrell wiped his tears and doubled down on the devoted-husband routine. "I've already looked into it. Pancreatic cancer is the most aggressive of all cancers. By the time it's detected, it's almost always late-stage."

"If we pour everything we have into treatment and it doesn't change the outcome, then what's the point of wasting that money..."

"How can you say that?" I cut him off. "As long as you're here, we're still a family. If I lost you, what would I even be living for?"

He was "putting himself in my shoes," so naturally I had to match him beat for beat with my own passionate devotion.

Darrell pulled me into his arms and held me tight.

If anyone had walked in on us at that moment, they would have envied what a deeply loving couple we were.

But in reality, we were both scheming behind each other's backs, each running our own calculations.

"Regina, I'm not trying to be cruel. I just can't stand the thought of you struggling alone with a baby. This is all my fault." His performance was so convincing it was almost a shame he'd gone into business instead of acting.

Then again, I was every bit his equal.

"Darrell, let me take you back to the hospital tomorrow for a thorough reexamination."

"No need." He shook his head. "Tomorrow, let's go to the hospital and schedule the procedure. The earlier it's done, the less strain it puts on your body."