Every smile, every frown, every glance and every fleeting gesture—Vincent's camera readily capture Estelle’s every movement.

After the day we got married, Vincent had never touched his camera again.

Once, I asked him to take a maternity photo for me. At that time, he simply told me that he lost his camera and introduced me to a famous photographer to do the job instead.

In reality, he didn’t lose his camera. It’s just that his lens was reserved solely for the person he loved.

While I quietly put the photo album back to its original place, my eyes were completely dried up. I no longer can shed tears for him.

I booked a plane ticket on my phone and drafted a divorce agreement next. If he loved Estelle that much, I may as well let him have her.

The next morning, my eyes were so swollen they looked like walnuts.

Vincent noticed and that seemed to made him worried. Unlike any day, he went on and prepared a nutritious breakfast for me himself. He boiled an egg and carefully peeled it. Then, he used the egg to reduce the swelling around my eyes.

His gentle, attentive care almost made me question whether everything from last night had been nothing more than a bad dream.

Yet, the emptiness in my belly reminded me that I was firmly grounded in reality.

Vincent sighed when he witnessed me not taking a single bite of his homemade porridge.

“Jude, we just lost our baby. I know you’re heartbroken and I’m hurting too, but you need to take care of yourself. After all these miscarriages, your body is in bad shape. Please eat something, for my sake. Don’t make me worry, okay?”

“Where is my baby’s body? I want to see him.”

Three months. By then, my baby would have already taken shape, but I would never get the chance to hold him or see him.

Vincent’s answer was the same as the previous seven times; “I’ve made sure the baby was properly buried. You’re too emotional right now and I don’t want you to be even more heartbroken.”

“Your parents are devastated as well. Let’s go to the family home for dinner tonight—it’ll do us all some good to spend time together.”

The moment I stepped into the Long Family estate, I saw Estelle clinging to Kenneth’s arm, her every gesture dripping with playful flirtation.

When she noticed me, she tilted her head slightly and proudly pushed her belly forward, as if showing it off.

“Oh, Jude! It’s been ages since I’ve seen you. Come, have a seat. I heard you had another miscarriage—be careful not to overexert your body!”

Ever since the wedding incident, things had been tensed between me, Kenneth and Estelle. Whenever I visited the family home, I’d deliberately avoid times when they were around.

It seemed today wasn’t one of those lucky days.

I glanced at Estelle's six-month belly and felt a sharp pang in my chest. She's carrying Vincent’s child. Meanwhile, that man had never let any of my pregnancies last longer than three months.

When Vicky, Vincent's mother, saw me, her face immediately turn sour.

“Useless. You can’t even protect the child in your womb. How many times has it been now? And you still have the nerve to complain about being exhausted? How did my son end up with someone like you too begin with?”

Vicky was Vincent’s biological mother and at the same time Kenneth’s step-mother. Right at her fifty years of age she had to witness the CEO position that rightfully should have gone to her biological son being snatched away by Kenneth. That, must have irked her quite deeply.

In the past, Vincent would have stood up for me. But now, his eyes were fixed solely on Estelle, brimming with longing and devotion, completely oblivious to the tension between Vicky and me.

“Ma’am, don’t be upset,” Estelle said sweetly, her tone dripping with faux concern. “It’s just that Jude isn’t blessed with the fortune to be a mother. After losing so many children, it’s not like she wanted it to happen.”

Vicky scoffed coldly. “She’s nothing but a cursed woman, dragging my son down with her.”

Pretending to play peacemaker, Estelle tried to ease the situation, even reaching to guide me into a seat. But as she stood, she stumbled slightly.

Though she quickly regained her balance, Vincent didn’t hesitate. He shoved me aside and rushed to her.

Ignoring everyone else in the room, he pulled Estelle into his arms and asked anxiously, “Elle, are you okay? You’re pregnant—why are you walking around by yourself? Where’s Kenneth?”

Estelle flashed a sugary smile. “Ken’s in the U.S. on a business trip. He’s about to take over as CEO, so he’s been super busy.”

She shot me a mocking glance before turning to Vincent, putting on a painfully sweet, almost cringey expression.

“Vince, I think I might have twisted my ankle just now. It hurts so much,” Estelle said, all pouty.

Vincent didn’t say a word. He simply swept Estelle up into a princess carry and headed straight for the upstairs bedroom, not even sparing me a glance.

Meanwhile, Vicky shot me a pointed look.

"Not only can you not have children, but you can’t even keep a man. If Ken hadn’t married Elle first, do you really think my son would’ve ever looked at you? How dare you eat in my house? Get upstairs, you’re ruining my appetite just by being here," her voice dripping with cold sarcasm.

I had always known Vicky didn’t like me.

She saw me as the woman Kenneth had rejected, the one who had latched onto her son and made a fool of him. And after all my miscarriages, her disdain for me only deepened.

Since she was Vincent’s mother, I tried to tell myself it was my fault for not being able to carry a child int the past. I felt guilty, especially when Vincent would step in and defend me.

I endured it all.

Right now, though, Vincent was so absorbed in Estelle that he didn’t even seem to remember I was there.

For a brief moment, I considered confronting the truth, but I quickly pushed the thought aside.

I had already made up my mind to leave, so what was the point in saying anything at all?

I silently made my way upstairs and noticed that Estelle’s bedroom door was slightly ajar.

Something compelled me to move closer.

What I saw made my heart freeze: Estelle, her clothes askew, lying on the bed with Vincent on top of her.

"Vincent, you're still the one who cares for me the most. Ken can't have children and if you let Judith gives birth, he won't be able to inherit the company. If that happens... I don't know how much suffering I'll face in the future."

Vincent gasped in between his thrusting, his eyes darkened with desire. "Is Kenneth treating you well? Has he been cruel to you?"

"Ever since I got pregnant, he’s been treating me like royalty. He’s terrified I’ll get tired, even washes my feet himself and he’s been more attentive to me in bed."

Vincent’s expression turned slightly bitter. "As long as he treats you well... as long as you’re happy... I have no regrets."

"Ken, you've done so much for me. I can't marry you, but I can give myself to you. Tonight, I belong to you."

Vincent could no longer control himself and their passion intensified as they pounded into one another.

I never knew that the usually cold and restrained Vincent could lose himself like this.

Tears fell as I stumbled back to my bedroom.

Vincent didn't come back the entire night.

The next day, Vincent stared at me with deep guilt.

"Jude, I planned to come back and stay with you last night, but Mom kept me all night to hear her talk. I just... couldn't get away."

I didn’t call out his lie, simply turning toward the door to wait for him.

A bucket of leftover scraps was suddenly poured over me and Estelle appeared in front of me, holding the slop bucket with a mocking smile.

"Judith, did you enjoy watching Vince lose his mind over me?" she taunted.

So, she had left the door open on purpose.

"Miscarriage doesn’t feel so great, does it? But you won’t have to worry about that anymore—after all, you’ll never be able to have children again."

"If you still had the gall to get pregnant again, I'll make you feel the consequences. You wouldn't steal my spot as Mrs. CEO of Long Enterprises!"

"For me, Vince didn’t just give up his right to inherit the company—he also helped me get pregnant. And those children you lost? They've become my... supplements."

I shot my head up, my voice shaking. "What did you just say?"

Estelle chuckled. "What? Didn't you ever wonder why, every time you miscarried, Vince told you the child had already been buried and wouldn’t let you see it? Well, it’s because I told him to keep it from you. Eating them... it's good for my health."

Despair, rage and disbelief all hit me at once.

So that was the reason Vince never let me see the children?

How could he?

Everything that happened… was all for Estelle?!

Estelle laughed maliciously.

“Stop making that pitiful face. You're looking for someone to blame, huh? If you wanna do that, then blame yourself for being useless! It was only natural that your children were fit to be my nourishment when their mother was someone as weak as you!”

I couldn’t take it anymore. I raised my hand and slapped Estelle across the face.

Smack!

Unfortunately, my slap never landed on her face. Vincent had swiftly yanked Estelle behind him and took the hit himself.

He then shoved me forcefully to the ground, his anger boiling over. “Judith Blair, what are you doing?!”

Estelle cried her eyes out, “Vince, I just wanted to comfort Jude. I meant to tell her not to be sad over the loss of her child.”

“But she’s got jealous that that I’m pregnant instead. He accused me of stealing her future title of Mrs. CEO and tried to dump all her frustrations on me. I pushed her to protect myself--It wasn’t intentional! I already apologized, but she shouted that I must have miscarriage and was about to hit me!”

Before I could explain, Vincent looked at me with disdain. “Judith, I never knew you were such a petty woman.”

“If you couldn’t keep your baby, it’s because of your incapable body. Why take your anger out on Elle and repay her kindness this way? Don’t envy things that aren’t yours—apologize to Elle right now!”

Incapable? Hah…

The more I looked at him, the more I felt that he was a stranger. “Vincent, tell me, what did you do with the bodies of my lost babies?”

Vincent furrowed his brow. “I properly burried them, of course. Hadn't I told you that?”

His acting was truly impressive.

“Vincent, you’re right. I shouldn’t envy things that aren’t mine. Don’t worry, I won’t fight Estelle anymore.” Afterward, I left the place without sparing a second glance.

Vincent was probably feeling some sort of anxiety. I could hear his gasp, wanting to call me, but Estelle stopped him.

“Vince, I felt nauseous because of the leftovers poured on me. Can you take me to the hospital?”

Vincent was slightly hesitant. Ultimately, he didn’t follow me.

Once back at home, I gathered everything Vincent had ever given me over the years and threw it all into the fire.

When I pulled out our marriage certificate, a WeTalk notification chimed. I opened the app and read on the screen.

[Judith, I simply told Vince that I felt nauseaus and he immediately called in the best obstetric doctors all over the country.]

[If that doctor is currently abroad, he told me that he'd bring that doctor with a private helicopter home. Aren’t you jealous?]

I didn’t respond. Just as I finished reading the message, I shifted my gaze to the marriage certificate already engulfed in flames and turned to ashes.

I could care less if Vincent saw this since I knew, he wasn't coming home tonight anyway.

Sure enough, Vincent called.

“Jude, Elle’s having complications with her pregnancy. Ken isn’t home and as her brother-in-law, I need to take care of her. Please don’t be mad.”

I couldn’t help but think of the WeTalk photo Estelle had sent earlier—her glowing face as she ate fruit that Vincent had personally cut for her. She didn’t look sick at all.

“Sure, I understand,” I replied. “The well-being of a pregnant woman comes first. Take good care of her.”

There was a brief pause before Vincent spoke softly, “Jude, I didn’t mean to be harsh with you today. I know our baby just left us and I know you’re hurting.”

“But Elle is pregnant and she’s carrying the Long Family’s bloodline--And neither of us can continue the family name. If something happens to her, I think Mom and Dad would never recover.”

I couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh. Why was he making so many excuses?

“Stay home and rest,” he continued, his tone shifting. “Tomorrow’s your birthday. I’ve booked us the best hotel and I’ve got a surprise planned for you. I’ll come pick you up in the morning.”