The company held a team-building event at the seaside. Dakota Morrone, my husband's assistant, knew I was pregnant and couldn't do intense activities, but she still insisted I join the jet ski ride.

I clearly refused, but my husband, Milo Dornan, gave me a cold look and said I was killing the mood and should leave. The atmosphere instantly turned heavy, and my colleagues looked at me as if I had done something terrible.

"Just because you're pregnant, you think you're a princess?" Milo's voice was so cold it felt like he was a stranger. "Which woman can't get pregnant?"

Ever since Dakota joined as his assistant, the man who once promised to protect me forever had changed.

"Milo, my body really isn't fit for this."

"If I say you can do it, then you can. If you won't play, then we'll get a divorce." His words were firm and final.

——

Dakota quickly spoke up. "Milo, she's pregnant. It was my thoughtlessness. Please don't divorce her over such a small matter. What would people in the company think of me?"

"What's so special about being pregnant? You didn't ruin everyone's mood when you were on your period, but she gets special treatment just for being pregnant?" Milo glared at me. "Today, she has to play."

"Milo, look at my belly. It's hard for me to even bend over right now," I said.

"Did I ask you to come?" Milo's face grew colder. "You insisted on coming. Did you come here just to disgust me?"

His words made him feel more and more like a stranger to me. I forced back my grief and held in my tears. It was true, he hadn't invited me to this trip. I was the one who had wanted to come.

Ever since I got pregnant, Milo had made me stay home to rest. Lately, I had been hearing too many rumors and often saw Dakota posting photos of her and Milo together. Sometimes, when Milo stayed out late at night, Dakota would post on her Instagram Stories.

In the quiet company at night, it was just the two of them. As a woman, my instincts told me their relationship was not normal.

I was an orphan, and I cherished this marriage deeply. I was afraid of losing him. Hearing his cold words now, I understood he was angry because I had shown up and ruined his good time with Dakota.

Thinking back to all the small changes since she joined, I realized deep down that the Milo who once loved me no longer existed. I just hadn't been willing to give up and had wanted to save us.

But now, with my big belly and him trying to force me onto a jet ski, I knew it was time to let go.

Looking at him, I felt a strange calm inside. I was relieved and said evenly, "I've just been lying to myself. When this team-building ends, let's get a divorce. I wish you and Dakota happiness."

Milo hit me across the face, catching me completely off guard.

"Who are you wishing happiness to?" he glared at me. "Dakota and I are pure. It's one thing for you to argue with me, but to slander her? Apologize to Dakota."

"Milo, forget it. I've heard pregnant women tend to overthink things." Dakota quickly grabbed his arm.

"No. She's my wife and a company leader. To slander you like this, she must apologize."

Nothing felt more tragic than my heart turning cold. I only wanted to leave as soon as possible.

"Dakota, I'm sorry."

"Alia, what are you doing?" Dakota came over to hold my hand. "It's all my fault."

I didn't want to speak to her; her touch only made me feel more disgusted. I pulled my hand away sharply.

"Oh!"

Because of my movement, Dakota fell to the ground and looked at Milo. "Milo, don't blame her. I just fell by accident."

If she hadn't said that, it might have ended there, but once she did, Milo immediately stepped forward and slapped me again.

This time it was even harder. I stumbled and fell onto the sand. Milo glared at me. "Kneel and apologize to Dakota."

"Milo, did you really not see what just happened? I only pulled my hand away. I didn't push her."

Dakota stepped forward and tugged on Milo's arm. "She really didn't mean to push me."

"I didn't push you at all. Dakota, have some conscience when you speak. If you want to be with Milo, I can just step aside."

"Alia, what are you talking about? Milo and I are innocent. If you misunderstand me and give me trouble, fine, but Milo is your husband. Don't you trust him? Do you two really not even have the most basic trust between husband and wife?"

Dakota looked at me pitifully. "I've been yielding to you in every way and even speaking up for you, yet you still talk about me like this. Alia, about something you came to me for earlier, I wasn't planning to bring it up, but now I have to."

I didn't understand what she meant about me going to her, but she was already speaking again. "Everyone, listen to this. This is a recording from when Alia came to me earlier."

I listened to the recording in shock. I had never been to Dakota at all.

The colleagues all looked as if they had suddenly figured everything out.

"I know Dakota isn't that kind of person. How could she purposely invite a heavily pregnant Vice President Alia Coleman to ride a jet ski? Turns out she went to Dakota in private, forced her to do it in the name of work, and planned to later accuse her of trying to cause harm. What a trap, just because Dakota is capable, she's jealous. With a person like you, this company is doomed sooner or later."

"Yeah, if Dakota didn't have this recording, we'd still be in the dark. Truly a venomous heart."

"You wicked woman," Milo glared at me. "What do you have to say now?"

"Milo, I never went to Dakota in private."

"With the recording right there, you still won't admit it?"

"In court, recordings can't even be used as evidence. Technology is advanced now; she could easily fake my voice and make a fake recording."

Milo slapped me hard across the face, first on one side, then the other. "Even now, you still dare to slander Dakota. How blind was I to have fallen for such a vicious woman like you?"

"Right now, kneel down and apologize to Dakota."

"I don't ask her to apologize." Dakota wiped her tears away. "I just don't want to be wronged for nothing. As long as everyone knows the truth, that's enough."

"Milo, my fate with this company is shallow. Everyone, enjoy yourselves. When I return, I'll resign and no longer disturb your and your wife's life."

Milo pulled Dakota into his arms. "With me here, no one can bully you."

His words left me stunned. As an orphan, I had always been bullied. The first time he stood before me to shield me from the wind and rain, he had said those very words.

Now, he was no longer my shelter; he was the one hurting me.

"Alia, kneel down and apologize to Dakota, or I won't let this go."

My face burned with pain, but my heart hurt even more.

Seeing I didn't speak, Milo hit me again. "Something born of a mother with no father to teach her, kneel down and apologize, didn't you hear me?"

Before I could react, he raised his foot and kicked me in the stomach. "Still thinking of using the child to secure your place? I'll kick you to death."

I fell to the ground, my heart aching as if it were bleeding. I was an orphan. When he first learned that, he had promised to protect me and give me a real home. Now, he was using it to attack me, throwing those cruel words about being born of a mother but not raised by a father.

I tried to get up, but Milo came over and pushed me back down. "Kneel for me."

"Milo, I have a child in my belly. I can't kneel. I know I was wrong; it's all my fault. Please stop hitting me."

I felt pain in my stomach, and if it kept up, I might lose the baby. I said quickly, "I'll ride the jet ski, I'll ride the jet ski, just stop hitting me."

"Milo, everyone came out to have fun and be happy. Seeing you hit your Alia like this makes me feel bad too." Dakota came over to help me up. "Milo's just angry right now. Let's go ride the jet ski for a bit. Once his anger passes, it'll be fine. Let's just stay away from him for now."

"Dakota is really generous."

"It's rare to find someone this kind nowadays."

The colleagues all spoke up one after another. With that, Dakota pulled me toward the jet ski area.

I was truly scared now, because no one was willing to help me. I was used to swallowing my anger.

Dakota was not a good person, but what she said was right. I needed to stay away from Milo for now.

There were two jet skis. Dakota got on one, and I got on the other. The engines roared as we sped over the waves toward the open sea.

I thought that if I were careful, riding the jet ski would still be better than being beaten by Milo. But I didn't expect the driver to keep doing dangerous tricks.

On the shore, colleagues kept shouting in surprise. When the jet ski lifted into the air again, I fell into the water.

Dakota's side also had trouble; she fell in, too.

After we both fell, Milo jumped into the water. When I saw him swimming toward me, I felt conflicted. Maybe, in the face of life and death, he still cared about me.

But when he swam right past me and headed toward Dakota, my heart went completely cold.

"Dakota's on her period. You hold on a bit longer," he said, then swam farther toward her.

Those words were like a knife to my heart. Watching him get farther away, a desperate will to survive rose inside me. You want me dead? I refuse to die.

Calm down… I had to stay calm.

In recent years, there had been more focus on drowning prevention, so I had read a lot about it. Even if I couldn't swim, if I stayed calm and didn't thrash after falling into the water, my chance of survival was much higher.

Good luck to me. I kept leaning back, keeping my face above the water so I could breathe. There was hope.

It didn't matter if Milo saved Dakota first, as long as he still came back for me.

Milo brought Dakota to shore, and he did seem ready to go back into the water for me. But Dakota suddenly clung to him. "I'm scared, I'm so scared."

"I thought when Alia privately asked me to invite her to ride the jet ski, it was just to use her old trick to make me leave the company. I didn't expect she wanted my life."

Milo frowned. "That's not possible. She's been unreasonable lately, but usually she wouldn't even dare kill a fish. Calm down, I'll go save her."

"Milo, it was the driver who pushed me into the water. I can't swim; by common sense, you should have saved me first. But I was farther from shore, and by the time you came for me, I would have drowned."

"My instincts are always right. Look, the two drivers have already run off. This was clearly on purpose. It's murder."

Dakota pointed at me. "Look, she can swim. Think about it, didn't she thrash on purpose earlier to get your attention so you'd save her first?"

Milo's face grew colder. When I first fell in, I had panicked, thrashing and shouting for help. But once I calmed down, I didn't dare move.

"Vicious woman," Milo said coldly. "Swim over here and apologize to Dakota."

His voice was colder than the seawater. I didn't know exactly what was happening on shore, but his words made it clear that he wasn't going to save me. I might really drown here.

The water was freezing, and my legs cramped.

Because of the cramp, I choked on a mouthful of water, and things quickly got worse. I struggled helplessly, swallowing more and more water.