When I was eight months pregnant,I slipped on the stairs while cleaning the house.Blood instantly stained the floor crimson.The doctor called my husband frantically,but he never answered,not even once.

My vision swam in a haze of agony.In the end,I was sobbing,shaking uncontrollably,as I signed the surgery consent form myself.

When I woke up,I found out that the baby didn’t survive.Before the tsunami of grief could even hit,I overheard the doctor speaking to my husband on the phone.

“Mr.Harvey,the procedure you requested has been completed.The fetus’s heart has been removed.But…are you sure this won’t be too monumental a shock for your wife?After all,this marks the tenth heart we’ve taken.”

Hearing that,I felt as if an invisible hand had brutally torn my own heart from my chest cavity.

I had miscarried nine times before.The hospital insisted my genes and Noah’s were incompatible,making survival impossible.But my desire for a child with him was an obsessive.So when I conceived again,I vowed to keep this baby,whatever the cost.

I had always clung to the naive belief that those losses were cruel accidents.I never dared imagine they were a series of calculated murders.

I didn’t want to believe something so cruel,but the next second,I heard Noah’s cruel voice through the phone.

“I paid you to execute the job,not to pass judgment.So what if it’s the tenth baby?If the hearts from the first nine hadn’t been utterly useless garbage,I wouldn't have let her get pregnant again.Those nine failures were worthless.”

That sentence was a frigid chisel,instantly nailing me to the spot.

My hands curled into fists of unbearable pain,and the world before my eyes violently fractured and collapsed.

The doctor looked at me with pity.“After ten miscarriages,I’m afraid she might never be able to have children again.”

“If Eine’s child didn’t need a heart transplant,I wouldn’t have done this.But if she can’t have children anymore,that’s even better.Then I don’t have to worry about her giving birth and fighting Eine for the Harvey Family business.”

I couldn’t listen anymore.My legs gave out and I collapsed onto the floor.

My devoted husband had orchestrated the death of our ten children...all for the sake of his first love.

Tears obliterated my vision.I was a broken,abandoned husk,crumpled on the cold tile.In that single instant,the crushing agony of losing ten children slammed into me with double the force,utterly destroying me.

Laughing maniacally and weeping hysterically at the same time,I fumbled for my phone and called my father.

“Father,I agree to the divorce.I’ll remarry anyone if I have to.Just promise me one thing.”

My father agreed immediately,without a moment’s hesitation.

I gripped my phone tightly,my eyes burning with an all-consuming fire of vengeance.

If Noah dared to commit such an inhumane,soulless act,then I would personally demolish the entire Harvey Family.I would ensure both him and Eine Dawson were dragged to the depths of a prison cell.

For the rest of my life,I never want to lay eyes on him again!

——

After ending the call,I could barely breathe.My throat felt tight as I touched my empty stomach,holding onto my last bit of strength and forced myself to stand up.

The doctor had already hung up the call with Noah.

Before he could return,I left the hospital,the place where I had lost ten babies.

When I reached the front door of the villa,before I even stepped inside,I saw the beautifully decorated living room.

And there,Eine was wrapped around Noah’s body.Her top was wide open,showing everything in front of him.

And my husband was kissing her passionately.

On the dining table were candles and a fancy dinner.Anyone could tell it was prepared by Noah himself.

I stood frozen in place.Anger and pain burned through my whole heart.

My ten babies were lying in cold graves,but they felt no guilt at all.Instead,they were shamelessly holding each other.

I wanted to rush forward to tear everything apart.I wished to expose the truth and drag them down to abyss with me.

But in the end,I could only stand there in silence,drowning silently in pain.

When they finally stopped kissing,a long line of saliva still connected them.

Eine laughed softly,tracing circles on his chest with her finger.“Noah,thank you for everything you’ve done for our child.And you even brought me here just because I said I wanted to stay with you.”

“But if Shannon finds out what happened,I’m afraid she might leave you.If it wasn’t because our baby needs a heart,I wouldn’t want to hurt her.”

Her words were so fake and disgusting,but Noah listened like he was enchanted.

He gently held her hand and promised,“Don’t worry.I’ve planned everything.Shannon will never find out the truth.And even if she does,she can’t leave me.”

“I already prepared the divorce papers.I’ll make her sign them.Then she won’t be able to fight you and our child for the Harvey Corporation.”

I couldn’t take it anymore.I stumbled back two steps as tears filled my eyes.

When the Harvey Corporation was in crisis,I ignored my father’s objections and married Noah.I even used my own company’s funds to save them from bankruptcy.

All I ever wanted was him.I thought he understood me.

But the truth was so bitter.In his eyes,I had always been a woman greedy for his family’s company.

For seven years,he treated me like I was precious and I truly believed we would grow old together.

But everything changed when Eine Dawson came back.

Noah started staying out late.Our friends hinted to me that Eine was his first love.All those nights,he said he was working overtime when he was actually with her.

But I refused to believe it.I stubbornly trusted that he still loved me.

Now I realized they were right.Maybe the only person he ever loved was her.

Thinking of this,I forced a bitter smile.My stomach twisted in pain and I felt like I wanted to vomit.

Tears poured down like heavy rain.I took out my phone and sent a message to my father.

[The plan will take place at the Harvey Corporation investment meeting one month from now.That day,I will take everything from them.]

If Noah had already prepared divorce papers,then I would play along.

At the meeting,I would pull out every cent and send both of them to prison.

Suddenly,my phone chimed with my father’s response and the sound echoed in the villa.

Noah immediately turned his head.“Who’s there?”

I didn’t hesitate.I switched my phone to recording mode,hid it inside a nearby plant and quickly left the villa.

By the time Noah came out to check,I was already gone.

Two hours later,I returned to the villa and took back my phone.In the recording,after making sure no one was around,Noah went back to the living room.He and Eine finished their romantic candlelight dinner like they were the happiest people in the world.

Then Eine pretended to look sad,her voice soft and fake.“Noah,I heard you never once cooked for Shannon in all these years.Why don’t we leave these leftovers for her?Let her taste your cooking too.”

Noah acted like he didn’t notice the insult toward me and agreed as if was sweet.

Just then,I suddenly heard his voice behind me.“Shannon?What are you doing in the living room?”

My whole body froze.At that exact moment,the recording ended.

Keeping my expression calm,I closed my phone and turned around casually.“Nothing.I was just wondering why the villa looks different.”

He paused for a second,then smiled naturally.“It’s to celebrate your discharge from the hospital today.”

Before I could react,he took my hand and pulled me toward the table where the leftovers were placed.Even though he tried to make them look nice,anyone could see they were already eaten by someone else.

Acting like nothing was wrong,he gently touched my stomach.

“Shannon,I’m sorry.I was on a business trip and missed the doctor’s call.I’m sorry you had to go through everything alone.The baby is gone,but it’s okay.I know your heart is broken.”

“But as long as you’re safe,that’s all I care about.”

He kissed my stomach tenderly,pretending to be full of love and I froze.Looking at his fake gentle expression,I wanted to rip open his chest and see what kind of heart he had.

How could he act so loving?

There was no pain in his eyes,only coldness.My throat tightened so much that I couldn’t speak.

He saw the tears in my eyes and thought I was grieving for the baby.

A flicker of mixed emotions passed through his gaze.Then,when my phone made a notification sound,he placed a knife and fork into my hands.

He said softly,“Shannon,you just came back from the hospital.You need nutrition.I made this myself.Try it.”

Without giving me time to refuse,he pushed me firmly into a chair.

Looking at the table full of leftovers,my stomach twisted.Did he think I was so foolish now that he didn’t even need to act anymore?Or did he believe that my love made me blind,that I would swallow any lie he said?

I really wanted to cut off every place he touched me.

When I still didn’t move,he scooped up some food with a spoon and tried to feed me.

I leaned away slightly and looked straight into his eyes.“Noah,this looks like someone already ate it.Next time,cook again when your skills improve.”

At my words,his hand froze in the air.For a moment,he stared at me,surprised that I didn’t trust him like before.

But soon,he turned away and spoke,as if giving an order,“Shannon,I know you’re still upset about what happened at the hospital.If you don’t want to eat,fine.I bought a new estate for you.Sign this and I’ll take you there tomorrow.”

He then placed a contract in front of me.

He placed the pen in my hand,his face soft and gentle,pretending to be the loving husband he once was.

If this were before I knew the truth,I would have signed without even looking.I wouldn’t have questioned anything.

But now,my hands trembled as I picked up the contract.I was about to open it when Noah stopped me.

“There’s nothing to check.Just sign it.”

I paused.Even though I already knew he didn’t love me anymore,seeing this contract still crushed me like a heavy mountain falling on my chest.

“Noah…”My voice shook.“Do I really have to sign this?”

When he saw the pain in my eyes,his expression tightened.

He reached out,like he wanted to touch my face gently,the way he used to.But before his hand could reach me,his phone buzzed with a new message.It was from Eine.

It was a photo.She only showed her neck,covered in red marks,along with a single sentence.[Tonight…can I see you again?]

Just one message and every bit of softness disappeared from Noah’s face.Desire and impatience flashed in his eyes.

When he looked back at me,his voice turned sharp and cold.“Shannon,hurry and sign it.It’s only an estate.I still have work at the company and I need to go.You understand,don’t you?”

The moment he finished,I took the pen from his hand.Expression blank,I signed my name on the last page,stroke by stroke.

When I put the pen down,it felt like something inside my heart went empty,or maybe something finally let go.

Noah didn’t care about my expression at all.He grabbed the signed contract and rushed out of the villa.

Watching his figure disappear in the distance,I gathered every broken piece of myself and went upstairs to pack.

A few minutes later,my phone buzzed.It was a message from Eine.She showed a picture of her and Noah naked,holding each other.Their faces were hidden,but I knew.We both knew.

[I know you were outside the villa earlier.You must have heard everything,right?Noah removed ten hearts from your babies for me.And if I want,even your heart belongs to me.The only person he truly loves…is me.]

[If I were you,I would leave now.If you stay,the next one to die won’t just be your children~]

By the time I finished reading,I couldn’t stop my hand from clenching so tightly.

Eine…this murderer…never once felt guilty for killing my children.Instead,she dared to show off in front of me.

I wanted to burn everything.I wanted Noah and Eine to suffer in hell.

Unable to hold back,I tore the wedding photo off the wall and smashed the frame into pieces.Everything in this villa,including Noah Harvey himself,meant nothing to me anymore.

All I wanted…was for my children to come back.