After eight years of marriage and five years of IVF struggles, Madeline Evans finally found out she was pregnant.

Filled with excitement, she took the ultrasound report, eager to surprise Nathaniel. But what she discovered instead shattered her world: his illegitimate child was about to be born.

At the same time, she and the mistress, Zoe Jackson, were both bleeding. Desperate, Madeline reached out and grabbed Nathaniel’s sleeve, pleading with him not to leave. He coldly shrugged her off, walking away with Zoe in his arms, disappearing from her sight.

Devastated, Madeline left behind an abortion report and filed for divorce.

"If you don’t love me, then let’s end it."

——

"Doctor, please help me arrange an abortion."

Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the phone, her heart breaking with each word.

"Miss Evans, are you sure? It took you so long to conceive through IVF. Don’t act in haste. Talk to Mr. Evans. You were so excited about this child."

The mention of Nathaniel’s name made Madeline’s resolve firm. Her wavering heart became steely.

"No. Let’s schedule the surgery in three days. I don’t want this child anymore."

"Okay, understood."

After the call ended, Madeline sat at the table, staring at the ultrasound report. As she looked at the tiny shadow on the paper, she couldn't hold back her tears, silently sobbing.

"Baby, I’m sorry. I’m not worthy of being your mother."

She wiped her tears, but they kept flowing, as if trying to release all the pain and injustices she had endured over the past five years, tears that she couldn’t stop.

After eight years of marriage, Nathaniel and Madeline were as loving as ever. They traveled the world, often leaving others envious of their seemingly perfect life. Yet, only the couple knew the truth: it wasn’t that they didn’t want children, but that Madeline had always struggled to conceive.

Nathaniel had never used contraception, and after three years of trying, Madeline took the brave step of proposing IVF. But to her surprise, Nathaniel firmly opposed it.

"Madeline, it doesn’t matter if we don’t have children," he said gently. "I only need you."

The process of IVF was grueling, and Nathaniel couldn’t bear to see her suffer. But Madeline knew how much he loved children. She saw it in his eyes every time they visited friends with kids. He never held the children, respecting her feelings, but the longing in his gaze was unmistakable.

So, despite his objections, Madeline insisted, and after five years of IVF treatments, countless blood draws, injections, and repeated disappointments, she finally got pregnant.

When she left the hospital, Madeline needed a moment to absorb the reality of it all. After a few moments, she called Nathaniel.

"Madeline, I’m in a meeting. What’s wrong?" His voice was magnetic and gentle, but laced with concern.

Madeline fought to steady her emotions. She tried to keep her voice steady, though it shook with excitement. "Nathaniel, I have something to tell you. Are you working overtime tonight?"

"Why does your voice sound off? Are you crying?" He sounded genuinely worried. "I’m sorry I couldn’t be with you at the hospital. I know it was hard for you. Don’t cry, Madeline, I’ll be with you tomorrow."

"No, don’t worry. I’m fine. I just woke up," she reassured him. "Don’t work overtime tonight. Come home, okay?"

Her heart swelled with affection. Nathaniel always knew when something was wrong, always understood her without her needing to explain. He was gentle with her, afraid that she would break if he held her too tightly, but also afraid that she would slip away if he let go. This was how he loved her.

"Okay, I’ll come home early. Rest well."

Madeline was about to hang up and prepare for the night shift when suddenly a surprised female voice came from the other end of the phone.

"The baby kicked me. Do you want to feel it?"

Madeline’s heart skipped a beat. Her voice trembled as she asked, "Nathaniel, what are you doing? Who’s talking?"

"Nothing, just my colleague’s wife came by to visit him."

"But didn’t you just say you were in a meeting?" Madeline’s voice held a hint of suspicion.

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line before the voice shifted gears. "The meeting just ended. Madeline, is what you wanted to say really that important?"

Madeline gently placed a hand on her still-flat belly. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, and her voice bubbled with excitement. "Yes. You’re going to be so happy."

At nine o’clock that evening, Madeline had prepared a spread of Nathaniel’s favorite dishes, eagerly awaiting his return with the news that would change their lives forever.

The door opened, and Nathaniel stepped in, rubbing his tired eyes. As soon as he saw her, Madeline rushed to greet him. "Nathaniel, you’re home!"

He pulled her into a tight embrace, the exhaustion melting from his face as he kissed the top of her head. "I’m home."

Madeline breathed in deeply, noticing the familiar scent of his cologne mixed with something unfamiliar—a faint perfume. She frowned, confused. His colleagues were all men. Where did this scent come from?

Before she could dwell on it, Nathaniel took her hand and led her to the dining table. "Why the sudden feast? Is something wrong?"

"Yes, I have great news to share," she said with a glint in her eyes. "But first, go shower. You smell."

She gently pushed him toward the bathroom, her irritation flaring slightly. The scent on him was making her feel uneasy, though she couldn’t quite place why.

"Alright, I’ll be quick," he said, setting down his coat and phone before heading to the bathroom. Moments later, the sound of running water filled the air.

Madeline paced nervously, her heart racing with excitement. Over and over in her mind, she repeated the words she would say to him, her face glowing with joy.

"Ding Dong." The doorbell interrupted her thoughts.

Nathaniel’s phone, left on the table, pinged with a new message. Madeline glanced at it, noticing an unfamiliar number. But when she saw the content, her heart stopped.

"My stomach hurts so much, it seems like I’m about to give birth, Nathan, I’m so scared, can you come and be with me?"

"Nathan, the baby isn’t moving, is something wrong? Can you take me to the hospital?"

Madeline picked up the phone with trembling hands. The lock screen displayed a picture of her sleeping face, and as she stared at it, hot tears blurred her vision. The words on the screen felt like a slap in the face. In the past, friends had joked about Nathaniel being a henpecked husband, but now, seeing the message, his supposed deep affection felt so hollow, so cheap.

Just then, Nathaniel emerged from the bathroom, wiping his damp hair. He walked over, noticing Madeline sitting motionless at the dining table. He kissed her lightly on the cheek, pulling her into a half-hug, his voice soft. "What’s wrong? Are you worried about the results tomorrow?"

Madeline, her eyes unfocused, held his hand and asked absently, "Nathaniel, what would you do if I couldn’t get pregnant?"

Nathaniel gently turned her face to him, pressing his lips to hers. As he kissed her, he whispered against her lips, his voice low and soothing. "Madeline, the IVF process is too hard. I can’t bear to see you suffer like this. If it doesn’t work, we won’t have a baby."

Madeline’s heart shattered, the pain coursing through her as if it were tearing her apart. She fought to keep her composure and asked through the knot in her throat, "Don’t you want children?"

He hesitated, then pulled back slightly, his gaze steady and sincere. "You are the most important person in my life. Without you, nothing else matters."

Madeline let out a bitter laugh, a hollow sound that didn’t reach her eyes. She had never realized how skilled Nathaniel was at lying, at pretending. He could tell her he loved her while building a life with another woman.

She suddenly thought about the countless times he’d worked overtime this year. Was he really working late, or was he spending time with someone else?

His hand, which had been resting on her lower back, began to wander, his warm breath brushing against her neck. His breathing grew heavier

Normally, Madeline would have collapsed into Nathaniel's arms, surrendering to his touch with a quiet surrender. But tonight, she held herself together. She reached out and grasped his hand firmly, her voice level and calm. "Nathaniel, your phone has been ringing."

Nathaniel's response was hoarse, laced with impatience. "Don’t worry about it."

Madeline closed her eyes, the words she wanted to say rising in her throat, but she held back. The phone rang again, its harsh sound slicing through the quiet. Both of them flinched.

Nathaniel’s eyes grew dark, filled with frustration. He reached for the phone, his fingers hovering just as the call disappeared. His brows furrowed tighter. Without a word, he pulled away from her, stepping aside to answer the call. In the silence that followed, Madeline could hear the faint sound of a woman’s sobs through the phone.

Nathaniel muttered an annoyed "Hmm" before abruptly ending the call. He quickly changed into his clothes, barely meeting Madeline's gaze as he spoke. "Madeline, there’s an emergency at the company. I need to go."

Madeline’s breath hitched, and she tightened her grip on her hands, her nails digging into her palms as a wave of humiliation surged through her. Her throat ached with the understanding that he had to leave, but still, she fought to hold on, to make him stay. "Can you not go? You haven’t eaten the meal I made for you."

Nathaniel moved swiftly, gathering his things. He ruffled her hair affectionately, his voice soft but insistent. "Be a good girl, I’ll eat when I come back."

As soon as he left, the emptiness in the house seemed to swallow her whole. Madeline, her hands trembling, grabbed her phone and searched for the unfamiliar number. She added it on Instagram

The woman's name was Zoe Jackson—she was beautiful. Madeline scrolled through her account, noticing the photo updates chronicling her pregnancy journey. And in every photo, there was always a man’s back. Madeline didn’t need to look closely to recognize him. It was Nathaniel.

Every time he had worked late or gone on a business trip, he had been with Zoe.

Madeline's heart clenched. She bit her lip, her eyes fixed on the screen as she tortured herself by scrolling through each new photo.

Then, another update appeared. Madeline clicked on it without thinking, her breath catching in her throat. The photo showed Nathaniel, his head bowed, half-kneeling as he put on Zoe’s shoes. Beside it, a ultrasound photo of a child—already formed, already real.

"The child looks so much like his father. I hope he can love me as much as his father does in the future."

The words echoed in Madeline's mind as she stared at the ultrasound photo, the image of the child becoming sharper and more real with each passing second. It was as if the ground beneath her feet had crumbled, and she was falling into an abyss. Her heart shattered completely. She had tried to hold it together for so long, but now, it all came crashing down. The last wall she had built inside herself was broken beyond repair.

Nathaniel truly had a child. No wonder he had insisted she not have one. No wonder he had discouraged their own attempts at starting a family. And the child—this little life—looked so much like him. Madeline couldn’t even deceive herself anymore. It was clear. He had a child with another woman.

Tears flowed freely as Madeline’s heart splintered into pieces. She set an appointment with the doctor, her hands shaking as she locked the ultrasound report into a box, a container that now held not just the paper, but the remnants of her broken heart.

Zoe's due date was just three days away, and she had scheduled the operation for that day. Madeline lay awake, wondering how Nathaniel would feel if he knew that on the same day, he would lose one child, while Zoe gave birth to another. Would he be happy for the arrival of his child with Zoe? Or would he mourn the loss of the child she could never give him?

But in that moment, Madeline realized something—Nathaniel's feelings no longer mattered. It was clear now. She had never been good enough for him in his family’s eyes. His mother had always disliked her, mocking her for being a "hen that couldn't lay eggs." Madeline had put up with it, but only because of Nathaniel. He had always defended her, stood by her side, and even moved out to live with her, away from his mother's cruel remarks. She had believed in his love, in his words that he didn’t need a child, that he was content with just her.

But it was all a lie. While she had endured years of painful IVF treatments in hopes of giving him the family he wanted, he had already been building a family with someone else, and now the child was on the verge of being born.

Madeline felt foolish, utterly naive. She didn’t want the child anymore. She didn’t want Nathaniel either.

Later that night, as Nathaniel quietly slipped into bed beside her, pulling her into his arms, Madeline could smell the familiar perfume on him once again. This time, she knew exactly where it came from.