Back then, I couldn't understand how things had come to this. I had clung to a sliver of hope and believed that maybe, just maybe, once our child was born, he would change his mind.

However, I finally understood that all of these stemmed from what happened a year ago. At that time, Sebastian’s company faced a major crisis and it was teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.

At that time, Sofia disappeared after she took every last penny that he had and left him without saying a word.

The double betrayal crushed him. In his devastation, he shut himself in his room day after day.

I became frantic and did everything that I could to pull him back from the edge. I worked tirelessly, chasing every potential deal and searching for clients.

Day after day, I drank with a potential client and finally got a big order that could bring the company back to life.

I rushed to his place, fell to my knees and begged him to remember the man he once was and to give himself another chance and not give up.

Something in my words must have reached him. He agreed to meet with the client.

That night, the business mogul we were negotiating with brought along his mistress. However, the woman fell in love with Sebastian. She determined to have her way with him and slipped a drug into his drink.

This caught me in a dilemma. If I made a scene, I was afraid the boss would cancel the deal if he knew. On the other hand, I could not stand to see Sebastian struggle in agony.

So, I claimed to be his girlfriend and led him away to a hotel room. That night, he held me tight, his burning body pressed against mine and we had intercourse all night.

The next morning, when I woke up, panic took hold of me. I feared that if he knew that his former partner had become his bed partner, he would push me away. So, I ran in a hurry.

Then three months later, when I discovered I was pregnant, with a blush on my face and a thumping heart, I went and met Sebastian then confessed.

Sebastian stared at me for a long time in silence. There was a complicated look on his face. Just when I thought he wouldn't take responsibility, he suddenly exhaled, smiled pulled me into his embrace and said, "Chiara, maybe you are an angel sent from heaven to save me. Help me to start over."

I laughed through my tears. I cried for how pitiful I was and laughed at how foolish I had been.

Now, I realized that while I was being locked up for half a month, Sofie had managed to twist the truth of that night and told him her version. She told Sebastian that she was the one who had given herself to him and ran away with a child in her womb. Meanwhile, I, a vile and scheming woman, had stolen her place and tried to saddle him with a bastard.

No wonder Sebastian looked at me with such deep hatred.

“Boss, it's already been a day and a night ah, you are really going to kill someone if this goes on …." the subordinate said jitterily,” Maybe even, she's already...”

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Sebastian cut his subordinate off impatiently. "It’s just one night. What could possibly happen?"

His voice dripped with irritation. "The appliances in the cafeteria are all high-tech. There are built-in safety measures. If they detect someone inside, they’ll shut off automatically. I was only trying to scare her."

The subordinate’s face was pale. He swallowed nervously. "Um but … but the fire was always on …"

"Enough!" Sebastian slammed his tableware onto the table. "Did Chiara put you up to this? If you plead for her one more time, I’ll lock her up even longer!"

The subordinate fell silent.

Sofia spoke hesitantly, "Maybe we should stop now … If this goes on any longer, sister might truly hate me and if she ever…"

She trailed off, her voice soft and pitiful. "I’m not saying she would hurt me. However, … if she did, I suppose I’d deserve it. It’s only right for her to resent me …"

Seeing her eyes glisten with unshed tears, Sebastian pulled her into his arms protectively. “Sofia, she has made you scared like this. She deserves everything that’s happening to her. You are my love, my savior. I won’t let anyone hurt you."

I will never hurt the woman you love ever again and so, you already got what you wanted.

Sebastian had an unexplainable irritation settling in his chest. The food on the table, which usually satisfied him, now felt unbearably bland.

As he served a bowl of soup to Sofia, he watched as she imitated his previous actions. She took a sip before pressing her lips to his and fed him mouth-to-mouth.

He should have enjoyed her shy yet daring teasing, but instead, the unease in his heart grew stronger.

"Why does this soup taste awful!" He blamed his frustration on the food. "If the chef can't do his job properly, he should just leave!"

"Even Chiara’s cooking tasted better than this." He spoke without thinking and ignoring the way Sofia’s face instantly darkened. He said to himself, "Speaking of which, Sofia needs proper nourishment. We should let Chiara out to prepare her meals."

His expression softened slightly as he remembered Chiara was about to give birth. "She keeps using the baby as an excuse, doesn’t she? Fine. Tell her she has to prepare meals for Sofia for a week. In return, I’ll make sure she has a proper maternity ward so she can have a safe childbirth."

His subordinates exchanged uneasy glances as if they had something to say but didn't dare to tell him.

"Why are you all just standing there?" His impatience flared.

"Sir, y … you should check the cafeteria," one of them stammered. They wiped the sweat from his forehead and they looked very panicked.  "The steamer ... it's full of blood."

Sebastian looked panicky but he soon chuckled, "Ah, it's fine. She may have gone into labor and her water probably broke."

"Well, this's truly a perfect timing. She should take this opportunity to apologize properly to Sofia and then I’ll take her to the hospital."

The subordinate shuddered. "Sir ... Madam … she is already dead." His voice was barely above a whisper. "Yesterday afternoon ... she stopped making any sounds and then ... there was a smell ... like cooked meat from the steamer."

"What! “Sebastian shot up from his seat. His move was so powerful that it knocked over the table and chairs and they fell in disarray all over the floor.

"That’s impossible!" His face turned deathly pale with anger. "I personally chose those kitchen appliances. They were designed with advanced safety features to prevent accidents. I heard the power cut off before I left … I heard it myself! How could something go wrong?""

"You’re all lying to me, aren’t you?" He laughed coldly while striding toward the cafeteria. "You’re all in on it with her and try to scare me. I’ll see for myself what trick she’s playing this time."

When he arrived at the cafeteria, a group of employees stood frozen outside the locked door. Their expressions were stricken with terror.

"Why are you all just standing here? Don't you have work to do?" Sebastian roared. He then had the door opened and stepped inside.

The moment the door was unlocked, a weird, nauseating stench filled the room. "What is that smell?" He frowned. "Who’s responsible for cleaning? Did your cafeteria staff fail to clean up?"

No one dared to speak. All eyes were fixed on the enormous steamer in the center of the room in horror.

A sharp, suffocating pain spread through my chest. Even though I couldn’t see what had happened, the agony of being burned in my final moments made me choke back a sob.

I whimpered and walked over to see that poor child of mine.

Sebastian, his face dark and unreadable, approached the steamer as well. He hesitated before placing a hand on the lid then immediately yanked it back after a while.

"Hah," he actually let out a short laugh. "See? I knew Chiara was just being stubborn and trying to fool me again."

"The metal is cold," he stated flatly. "I told you. The appliances have automatic shut-off features to kill the power. There’s no way anything could have happened."

Knocking on the steamer, he smirked. "Chiara, have you learned your lesson?"

I smiled bitterly. How could I possibly answer him now?

Sebastian’s expression darkened even more as the silence stretched for a long time. His hands trembled slightly as he reached forward and opened the streamer.

Inside the steamer was something wrapped tightly in a white cloth, its shape could not be seen clearly.

Sebastian stared at it, frozen. Beneath the white cloth, he could faintly make out a pool of darkened blood seeping through.

For a long time, he stood there, unmoving, until finally, as if he finally managed to summon all his courage, he reached out to lift the cloth.

"Ahh!" Sofia's sharp scream echoed from the cafeteria entrance.

Sofia clutched her nose, her expression twisted in disgust. "How could Chiara come up with such a disgusting way to scare people? This is just a dead pork! “She shuddered dramatically and pressed herself into Sebastian’s arms. "That was terrifying!"

Sebastian pulled her close as his protective instincts kicked in. His anger flared again and with a forceful shove, he overturned the steamer and sent it rolling into the grease disposal pit with a loud clatter.

"Trying to scare people with pig meat, huh? All you ever do is lie to others! Now you’re resorting to tricks like this, huh? It seems I’ve been too soft on you! That’s why you think you can keep deceiving me over and over again!"

"I won’t tolerate this anymore. Report her to the authorities! Tell them Chiara had stolen company secrets and caused major financial damage! “His eyes darkened. "Well, seeing that being locked in the steamer and treated wasn’t enough to make her change her deceitful ways, she can go to prison and learn her lesson there!"

I watched helplessly as the tiny, fragile remains of my child slipped through the white cloth and, swallowed by the swirling filth below.

"No!" I screamed desperately and, lunged forward to catch it, but my hands passed through thin air. All I could do was watch as my baby was lost forever and vanished into the greasy drain.

A raw, broken sob tore from my throat. The sheer absurdity and horror of it all crushed me.

My lifeless body lay before him, right before his eyes, yet he still believed the flawed lies that Sofia spewed. He even refused to give our child's body a proper burial.

This was the man I had loved for years, the man I had given everything to protect.

As you sow, so shall you reap. If you betrayed a person who had a genuine feeling for you, you deserved to have painful consequences. Sebastian, one day, you will regret this!

"Are you all deaf?" Sebastian roared when no one moved. "Didn’t you hear me? Call the police!"

His subordinates stood stiff, their faces ashen. One of them, his hands trembling, weakly pointed toward the drain.

"Sir ... that really was, your wife, Madam Chiara, ... and your child ...."