Beneath his seemingly selfless love, he had buried the corpses of my parents, my entire life and now, perhaps even the life of the child growing inside me. As that thought struck me, my trembling hands instinctively rested on my abdomen. Inside me, lay the child I had yearned for over three long years, yet it was also the child of my enemy.

I was so lost in the sea of despair that I did not take notice the moment Blake entered the room and saw me crumpled on the cold floor.

"Julie, the floor is cold. What happened to you? Are you feeling unwell?” he asked urgently. The overflowing concern in his eyes was so visible, just like they had been doing for the past five years.

Over the past five years, Blake had shown me nothing but devotion. Every cough, every slight discomfort and he would spend sleepless nights by my side.

I lowered my gaze, unwilling to meet his affectionate eyes as I said, “It’s nothing. Maybe because I was pregnant and felt uncomfortable, I did not stand properly just now."

He let out a sigh of relief and gently helped me up from the floor.

"Baby, you're a troublemaker," he said to my belly. "You're so naughty. You dare to make things difficult for your mother. Wait until we meet, Daddy will teach you a lesson."

“Don’t worry, Julie," he soothed me. "Tomorrow, we’ll go to the hospital for a check-up. We’ve waited so long for this little one and nothing can go wrong.”

As he said that, his gaze fell to my still-flat stomach and his face was glowing with tenderness. If I hadn’t overheard his conversation with his secretary last night, I would have believed he meant every word that he had just said.

Now, all I wanted to ask his was this, will we truly have the chance to meet this child? Are you truly waiting for this child for a long time?

I swallowed my grief and as I nodded weakly, I said, "Let's go to bed, Blake. I'm tired."

Blake believed me. He assumed that it was normal for me to feel sleepy in the early stages of the pregnancy.

I wasn’t sure how much time had passed before his murmurs pierced the quiet of the night, "Tracy … Tracy …."

The tears I had been holding back finally spilled over and slipped from the corner of my eyes to soak my pillow then disappeared without a trace.

Reaching beneath the pillow, I retrieved my phone and typed a message to my brother, who stayed abroad. [Brother, help me. Please help me. I’ll come to you in the next few days. Please, wait for me.]

Early the next morning, Blake took me to the Maxwell Corporation's private hospital for a checkup. We had just arrived at the doctor's office, when Tracy walked out from the office. Her slightly protruding belly could be clearly seen.

Noticing that she was alone, Blake's brows knitted with concern. He then asked, "You’re four months along. Where’s Devon Maxwell? Why didn’t he come with you?” The worry in his voice could be clearly heard.

I laughed a self-deprecating laugh in my heart. I felt bitter. How had I not noticed this before? Was it because Blake’s act was too convincing, or was I simply too naive?

Tracy smiled faintly. It seemed she was very happy Blake concern about her. She said sweetly, "Recently, the corporation has a lot of things going on and there was a situation at the branch, so Devon had to fly over there yesterday.”

She glanced at me. “Why are you here, Julie? Are you feeling unwell?”

As soon as the question fell, Blake looked embarrassed and it seemed he was unsure how to respond.

“I’m pregnant. Blake was worried I might feel unwell or that there could be a problem with the baby, so he insisted on bringing me in for a check-up," I told her.

Though I knew I’d lost miserably in this relationship. However, for just a fleeting moment, I wanted to reclaim a sliver of dignity for myself.

As expected, Tracy's face turned pale when she heard my answer. "For real? You're pregnant?" she asked.

Realizing her reaction was too revealing, she quickly forced a smile, though it was anything but natural.

“Of course, it’s good news that you’re pregnant, Julie. I was just surprised. Go on and get your checkup," Tracy said.

While I was having the checkup, Blake gently patted my head to soothe me before he stepped out.

In the past, I might not have thought much of such a gesture. However now, as I watched his retreating back, suspicion crept into my heart like a shadow.

After the examination, I walked out to find the seat outside empty. I wandered through the hallway and eventually found him in the stairwell. He was standing close to Tracy.

Tracy's delicate brows were knitted tightly, her expression laced with dissatisfaction as she demanded, "You promised me she would never get pregnant. How could this happen?”

Blake pulled her gently into his arms and brushed away her frown with a practiced hand then coaxed her, “It was an accident. We’ve always been careful. I’ll take care of it, Tracy. I’ll personally ensure this child doesn’t see the light of day.”

His tone softened, almost pleading. “Don’t let this small issue upset you. You know it hurts me to see you like this.”

I stumbled back to the seat outside the examination room, my legs barely supporting me. His words kept echoing in my head. Small issue. He said it was a small issue. So, killing his unborn biological child was a small issue for him. Tracy's happiness was a big issue for him.

"Have the checkup finished?" he asked. “I just had to go to the toilet for a moment. Let me ask the doctor if the results are ready.”

His voice brought me back to reality, I nodded silently and watched as he disappeared into the doctor’s office. He emerged from the doctor's office after a long time with sorrowful eyes. He squatted in front of me at eye level with me. "Julie," he began cautiously, “I need to tell you something, but you have to promise me you won’t get upset.”

Then he continued, "The baby's test results are a bit bad, there are problems with its development, so we can't … keep this child."

Though I had braced myself for this, I had to try and save it. I locked my gaze on Blake's and said seriously, "I only ask you this just once. Please, be honest with me."

The moment Blake nodded solemnly, I emphasized every word I said, "This child … is there truly something wrong with it? Do we really have to let it go?"

For a split second, hesitation flickered in his eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared and before I could see it clearly, he had already answered my question, "Yes."

I kept my eyes trained on his, as his words shattered me. I gave up the fight, closed my eyes and nodded woodenly.

Seeing my agreement, Blake immediately sprang into action and arranged the operation with the hospital.

I had to admit that the efficiency of the Maxwell Family's private hospital was excellent. It only took an hour before I was wheeled into the operation room.

When I woke up, the operation had finished and I was sent back to the ward. I placed my hand gently over my now-empty belly and without realizing it, tears started to rain down my face. The place that was filled with my child yesterday was empty now.

The door creaked open and Blake entered, walked toward me and wiped away my tears with his thumb gently.

“Don’t cry, Julie,” he murmured. “We’re still young, Dear. There will be more children in the future.”

His word was like a big hand that gripped my heart tightly. Will there really be more? Can I trust you?

Before I could voice my thoughts, a sickeningly sweet voice interrupted us, “Oh, Julie, don’t be so sad! The baby might be gone, but you still have Blake. Look at how much he cares for you."

She continued, "Even though the doctor said you didn’t need to stay in the hospital, Blake insisted. He was so worried about you that he arranged for you to rest here for a few days before he was convinced."

Then she added, "Coincidentally, I haven’t been feeling well either for the past two days. I’ll be staying here to take care of my pregnancy. Don't you think this is nice? We are keeping each other company."

When I raised my eyes, I could not help noticing the triumph that flashed in Tracy's eyes.

I actually did not know Tracy well. All I knew about her was that she and Blake were childhood sweethearts and they were friends since childhood.

It wasn't until the Maxwell brothers stayed in the country when they went to college and Tracy went abroad to study that they broke off contact.

I met Devon during our university days. From the first moment I saw him, I was smitten. My infatuation led me to pursue him relentlessly. From the very beginning, he had told me that he had an ex-girlfriend. They had to part ways because of a long-distance relationship.

After we got together, Devon reassured me multiple times that she had left the country with her entire family and would never return. “We’re over. There’s no possibility of us being together again,” he had said. I naively believed him.

Our relationship grew stronger and soon he introduced me to his family and friends, including his older brother, Blake.

However, on our wedding day, everything unraveled. When Devon received news that Tracy had returned, he left me standing at the altar and ran to Tracy to marry her without hesitation.

At that moment, I realized that, in our four years together, not once had he truly let go of her. Yet, I had not realized that the person who considered Tracy as his first love was not just Devon. All this time when Devon waited for Tracy to return, Blake was also waiting silently for her.

I stared coldly at Tracy, my voice icy as I spoke to her, "You should address me as sister-in-law."

Tracy froze. She was taken aback by my words. Blake immediately stepped in front of her protectively. He then chided me, "Julie, she’s just trying to bond with you. Must you blow things out of proportion?”

Then he said helplessly, "Forget it. You’ve just had surgery and you’re in a bad mood. Get some rest. I need to head back to the office.”

Just like that he and Tracy left me alone. The sight of their retreating figures felt like a cold wind tearing through the gaping hole in my heart.

Blake was Devon's brother and I was Blake's wife. As Blake's wife, it was normal for Tracy to address me as her sister-in-law. Yet, to state the obvious, I was left abandoned, with my husband walking away from me mere hours after I underwent an abortion operation. He did not want to pretend anymore in front of Tracy.

I did not know how the time but even after the night fell, Blake had not returned.

Suddenly, a muffled but indecent and intimate voice entered my ears. I slipped out of the bed and followed the sound. The door of the next ward was slightly ajar. When I peeked through the narrow crack, I saw Blake and Tracy were tangled in an intimate embrace. Their voice laced with desire and lust.

"You had deprived me of your touch for the past three months, you don't have any idea how much I miss you," murmured Blake.

Tracy's coquettish voice tinged with the pleasure of hearing his words, "Don't be too hasty. The doctor said we shouldn’t be too vigorous. She’s right next door, after all. What if she hears us?”

Blake didn’t pause for a second. “Don’t worry. This is the Maxwell Family's hospital. The soundproofing here is excellent. Besides, I locked the door.”

The moment he said this, Tracy, who was lying beneath him, suddenly turned her eyes and met mine. At that moment, it dawned on me that she had left the door open on purpose. She wanted me to see this because she wanted me to understand my place.

When I saw her triumphant smile, I lowered my eyes, shut the door considerately and sealed their intimate secret.

For the three years of our marriage, I had never seen Blake lose his composure just like that. Even in our intimate moments, he had always been so gentle toward me. I had always thought he was naturally reserved by nature, turned out I did not ignite his passion at all.

The next morning, Tracy strolled into my room. There was a proud look on her face as she pulled a small pouch from her waist and then dumped the contents on my bed. It was a fine grayish-white powder.