Tomas had no idea that earlier that afternoon, I had installed a surveillance camera in the study.

On the screen, he held a photo of Camila tightly, murmuring to himself.

"Camila, Anton didn’t leave the country just to avoid you today."

"Why do you only ever have eyes for him? Why do you want to have his child?"

"Today, Samantha told me she wanted to have my child too. I was actually a little moved… She really is a good woman… but she’ll never be you."

"If she could have a baby, maybe I’d love her a little more… But that’s impossible now."

I clenched my phone, my grip tightening as the truth finally sank in.

He did want a child of his own. He did have some feelings for me. And yet, for Camila, he could suppress all of it—even resisting the temptation of having a child with me.

Tomas, since you love her so much, I’d make sure you'd have her.

The next morning, Camila showed up with her people, hauling in bags of luggage as she officially moved into my home.

I glanced toward the kitchen, immediately understanding what was happening. In two years of marriage, Tomas had never once stepped into the kitchen to make me breakfast.

So that was it. Whatever he was making, it wasn’t for me. It was for the woman he truly loved.

At the dining table, Camila took a bite of a shrimp dumpling, then smiled as she held it out to me.

"Sis, how does Tommy not know you're allergic to shrimp?"

She continued after a pause, Ah, well… I guess it’s not surprising. He probably just remembers that I love eating shrimp."

I clenched the spoon tightly, staying silent.

"Here comes the final dish—shrimp and egg omelet!"

Tomas came. He wore heat-resistant gloves while carefully placing the dish on the table.

"Samita, your health has always been fragile. Eat more of this—it’s good for you."

"Tomas, don’t tell me you didn’t know Samantha is allergic to shrimp? Then again, I guess that’s expected. How well can a couple really know each other in a flash marriage?

Camila smirked playfully, while Tomas's face tensed as he turned to look at me.

"I'm sorry, Samita… It’s my first time cooking, so I—"

Before he could finish, a wave of nausea rolled over me. I clamped a hand over my mouth and bolted for the bathroom.

Tomas hurried after me, while Camila leaned lazily against the doorframe, amusement dancing in her voice.

"Tsk tsk, Sis, you look just like I did a few months ago when I was dealing with morning sickness." She continued, "Too bad… that’s not even a possibility for you, is it?"

She was about to continue, but Tomas cut her off.

"Camila, did you struggle with morning sickness too?"

The warmth of his hands on my back suddenly felt uncertain—like at any moment, they might slip away toward Camila instead.

"Exactly! I’ve been through so much for your big brother, yet he doesn’t appreciate it at all. Instead, he picks fights with me!"

Camila huffed in frustration while reaching down to pat her belly.

"Being pregnant is exhausting! So what if I have a bit of a temper? Honestly, I don’t even want this baby anymore!"

Tomas immediately grabbed her hand. "Don’t say that. Once you give birth, this baby will be the future heir of Graciani Industries. Big Brother will be grateful to you."

Hearing that, Camila’s expression brightened and she leaned into Tomas’s arms.

"Samantha, you're so lucky! Tomas is way more caring than Antonio!"

Tomas’s ears turned red and he quickly steadied her. "You’re far along now—you need to be careful."

Noticing my gaze, Camila suddenly clutched her belly and let out a pained gasp.

Tomas panicked, scooping her up without hesitation. "Samita, I’m taking Camila to the doctor."

I said nothing, the weight in my chest growing heavier, more suffocating. Hot tears dripped into the sink.

Tomas, you’re not even trying to hide your feelings for her anymore...

As soon as my parents heard Camila wasn’t feeling well, they rushed over, fussing over her, showering her with concern.

They didn’t ask about me.

Instead, they reminded Tomas and me to take good care of her, even insisting on hiring the best nanny to look after her.

Camila lounged on the sofa like a queen basking in admiration, her voice dripping with smug satisfaction.

"Oh, come on, you all are acting like I’m made of glass just because I’m pregnant. Don’t you think they’re overreacting?"

Before I could respond, Camilla suddenly put on a look of mock regret.

"Oh, I forgot—you can’t have children. You’re not jealous of all the attention I’m getting as the little pregnant one, are you?"

Seeing my expression darken, my parents quickly stepped in, eager to smooth things over.

"Of course not! Samita has always been kind—she loves you just as much as we do."

Camila narrowed her eyes slightly, then turned to Tomas. "What about you, Tommy? Do you love me too?"

Tomas stiffened, clearly caught off guard, his hesitant gaze flickering toward me.

Looking at the people in front of me, all wearing their masks of false affection, I felt nothing but coldness in my heart.

"Of course. Your Tomas sees you as family too, so of course he loves you."

Without another word, I turned on my heel, muttering some excuse as I walked out the door. I had no interest in playing along with their charade any longer.

By the time I returned home after finalizing my plans to leave the country with the orphanage director, it was already past ten at night.

My parents had long since left and the entire villa was dark—except for the faint glow coming from Tomas’s study.

On impulse, I pulled up the security feed for the room. And there she was—Camila, sprawled across his desk, her clothes disheveled, very much awake.

She was supposed to be asleep upstairs.

Camila wrapped her arms around Tomas’s neck, her voice soft and teasing. "So, you married Samantha just to make sure Antonio stays loyal to me?"

She ran a finger down his chest, her tone dripping with seduction.

"You’ve loved me for so many years, yet you ended up marrying a woman who can’t even have children. Tomas, don’t you regret it?"

Tomas’s breath hitched as he turned his head away. "As long as you’re happy, nothing else matters."

Camila didn’t let him escape. She grabbed his chin, forcing him to meet her gaze, then kissed him deeply.

"You’ve been so good to me… I have to find a way to repay you. Tonight, I want to be yours."

Tomas stiffened, caught off guard, but before he could pull away, Camila only smiled, her eyes smoldering.

"Relax… I’m already seven months along. The doctor said as long as we take it easy, it won’t be a problem."

With those words, whatever restraint Tomas had left snapped. He pulled her into his arms and together, they gave in to the moment.

Outside, lightning flashed across the sky, thunder rumbling in the distance.

Just as Tomas reached his peak, a sudden thought struck him. "Samantha is afraid of thunderstorms—I need to check on her!"

He scrambled to dress and rushed out—only to see the soft glow of the bedroom lamp.

I was already fast asleep.

Relieved, he let out a quiet breath, pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead and slipped into bed beside me.

For the next two weeks, he played the devoted husband by day. But at night, he lost himself in Camila’s arms behind the closed doors of his study.

Eventually, Antonio returned home—ready to take Camila back where she belonged.

When Antonio saw me, a flicker of surprise—maybe even admiration—flashed in his eyes.

He asked if I’d been doing well these past two years, then sighed, almost apologetic.

"It’s not that I didn’t care about you," he said. "But for the sake of the family’s reputation, I had no choice. I hope you don’t hate me."

BANG!

The bedroom door flew open as Camila stormed down the stairs, her heels clicking furiously against the floor.

"Antonio, I forgive you! Go upstairs and start packing my things—I’m going home with you."

The moment Antonio was out of sight, her sweet facade dropped.

She turned to me, her face twisted with malice. "Samantha, you pathetic leftover—you really think you can compete with me for Antonio?"

I turned to leave, refusing to engage, but that only enraged her further.

She lunged forward, grabbing my arm so tightly that her nails dug deep into my skin. "I actually thought you had some luck in you. Even as a discarded woman, someone was still willing to take you in."

She let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "But it turns out, Tomas never even loved you! Isn’t that just pathetic?" Her eyes gleamed with satisfaction as she twisted the knife deeper.

"So what if you were engaged to Antonio first because you’re the ‘real’ daughter of the family? In the end, he still married me, didn’t he?"

She then leaned in, her voice a venomous whisper.

"Listen to me, Samantha—so long as I exist, no one in this world will ever love you. Not Dad. Not Mom. Not Tomas. Not Antonio."

"You still don’t know, do you? Tomas has always loved me!"

Pain shot through me as I clenched my fists. "What… what did you just say?" my voice shook.

"These past two years, do you even know why Tomas spends all his time in the study? Because that room is filled with his love and longing for me!"

"He even said that even if you could have children, he’d find a way to make you miscarry. He would never let anyone compete with my child for the family inheritance! Hahaha!"

Shock and fury surged through me. "Aren’t you afraid Antonio will find out?"

At that moment, Antonio’s footsteps echoed from the stairwell.

Camila’s face changed in an instant. She suddenly grabbed my hand and slammed it against her own cheek. Then, as if losing her balance, she stumbled backward— And fell straight into Antonio’s arms.

Almost at the same time, Tomas and my parents’ furious voices rang out from the doorway.

"Samantha! Are you out of your mind?!"

Camila clutched her reddened cheek, tears streaming down her face like a fragile, weeping flower.

"Anton, I never thought… after two years, my sister would still hate me for taking you away."

"But it wasn't like that at all! You only married me for the sake of the Reyes and Graciani families. Yet she’s still jealous that I’m carrying your child… She even said she wanted me to suffer like she did—to know what it’s like to never have children!"

Before I could even explain, Antonio, Tomas and my parents all looked furious.

"Samantha, if anything happens to Camila’s baby, you’ll regret it!" Antonio didn’t hesitate—he scooped Camila into his arms and rushed out.

Tomas slammed his fist against the door, his eyes burning red. "Samantha, I never thought you could be this cruel. Everything that happened to you had nothing to do with Camila—why take it out on her?"

Even my parents scolded me for being reckless and immature.

Nothing to do with her? Tomas actually had the nerve to say that?

Rage surged through me. I wanted to scream at him, to tell him everything—But before I could, my vision blurred and darkness swallowed me whole.

***

When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed. Tomas was gripping my hand tightly.

"Samita, why didn’t you tell me you were pregnant?"

A cold glint flickered in my eyes.

So he found out after all.

Well then… I might as well make this surprise even bigger.

Tears welled up as I whispered, my voice trembling. "The doctor said it’s only been a little over a month and with my health… there’s no guarantee I’ll be able to carry the baby to term. I didn’t want to say anything until things were stable."

My eyes reddened and tears slid down my cheeks.

"Why would I be jealous of Camila or try to hurt her? I’m carrying your child, Tomas… She set me up."

Tomas clenched my hand tighter, nodding furiously. "I’ll talk to Antonio and my parents. Camila’s really crossed the line this time!"

I closed my eyes and murmured, "I’m tired. I don’t want to see you right now."

Tomas understood—I was still upset.

Without another word, he got up and walked out. "Don’t worry, I’ll talk to Antonio and my parents right away. I’ll clear your name."

***

A few hours later, my parents arrived at the hospital, all smiles, showering me with praise about how lucky I was.

Right in front of me, they even scolded Camila, calling her immature and reckless.

Then, as if nothing had happened, they casually mentioned that if I safely gave birth to this child, Graciani Industries would have another heir.

Watching their fake, greedy faces made my stomach turn.

I used my health as an excuse and had Tomas send them away. The moment they left, I called my lawyer and had him draft the divorce papers.

I slipped them between my prenatal checkup reports and sweet-talked Tomas into signing them without a second thought.

In one month, after the mandatory cooling-off period, the divorce would be final.

The effective date? Tomas’s birthday.

The same day I planned to leave this place for good.

***

For the next month, Tomas was ecstatic.

He couldn’t stop talking about the baby, about our future—Completely unaware that soon, both would be gone.

He even went so far as to remodel two of the villa’s bedrooms into nurseries—one pink, one blue.

“That way,” he said, “no matter if it’s a boy or a girl, everything will be ready.”

He even started talking about having a second child, already dreaming of a perfect family with a son and a daughter.

I sneered inwardly. 'Tomas, I hope you’ll still be smiling on your birthday.'

***

The day finally arrived.

Early that morning, he wrapped me in his arms, saying he wanted to take me out to celebrate—But before we could leave, Camila called.

For the past month, she had used the excuse of visiting me just to linger around Tomas, constantly trying to seduce him.

To my surprise, he had rejected her every time. He told himself that since he had chosen to be with me and raise our child, he had to take responsibility.

Just when we started believing he had truly changed, Camila played her final card.

She said she only wanted to drop off a birthday present for Tomas. On the way, however, she got into a car accident. Her stomach hurt and she was terrified.

As expected, Tomas panicked. He turned to me and lied straight to my face, saying there was an urgent issue at work and he’d be back later.

I smiled at him sweetly. "When you come back, I’ll have a special surprise waiting for you."

His gaze softened as he noticed the small gift box in my hands. With a look full of affection, he kissed my forehead.

"I can’t wait. Let’s open it together when I get back."

The moment he walked out the door, my phone rang.

It was Camila.

"Samantha, two years ago, I was the one who hired people to kidnap you."

"I only found out a few days ago—it wasn’t your parents who saved you. It was Tomas. He spent a fortune to protect me and he married you just to keep you from digging any further."

"Back when I was staying at your house, he came to the study every night and took me, over and over again. He said he found you disgusting—that he had to picture my face just to get through it with you."

"Did you really think he’d ever love the child you’re carrying?"

Camila let out a sharp, taunting laugh before hanging up.

"You will never take his love from me!"

I recorded the phone call, then glanced at the message I had scheduled to send at the perfect moment.

A smirk tugged at my lips.

'Camila, you won't be having that laughter anytime soon.'

Then, Tomas called. I let it ring. Then blocked his number. And every other way he could reach me.

I headed straight for the airport while clutching my plane ticket.