On our anniversary, I secretly flew to the branch office where my husband was on a business trip, hoping to surprise him. But just as I reached the entrance, a soccer ball came out of nowhere and slammed straight into my pregnant belly.

A young boy clapped his hands and laughed. “Nice shot!” The pain hit me like a freight train, cold sweat breaking out across my forehead. I couldn’t even find the strength to call my husband. When the kid turned and started walking away, I had no choice but to grit my teeth through the searing ache and grab him.

His screams pulled employees out of the building, and in no time, a crowd had formed around us. Someone shouted for an ambulance, while others whispered, “That little troublemaker’s at it again. This time he hit a pregnant woman. Mr. Harvey really needs to do something about him.”

“Who are you kidding? Everyone knows Mr. Harvey is crazy about his wife and son.”

“He can’t stand seeing his wife cry. Mr. Harvey is not going to punish his little prince, not even for her sake.”

Before I could make sense of what was happening, I was rushed to the hospital with the scratched-up boy in tow. It wasn’t long before he was grinning triumphantly at a man who burst through the doors. “You’re in big trouble now! My dad is here, and he’s going to sort you out!”

My heart stopped when I realized the man he called “Dad” was my husband of five years, Flynn Harvey.

Flynn brushed right past me without a second glance and pulled the boy into his arms. “Bodie, where does it hurt? Let Daddy have a look.”

I clutched my still-aching belly as a cold chill swept through my body. Bodie smirked, pointing straight at me. “Daddy, this mean lady hit me. You have to punish her!”

Flynn kept his back to me, his voice disturbingly calm. “Anyone who hurts my son will pay twice over.”

Something in me snapped. “Are you sure you want me to pay twice over?”

Flynn froze. Panic flickered across his face the second he saw me. My hands curled into fists so tight that my nails bit into my palms. “Flynn Harvey, since when do you have a son?”

He made a move toward me, but Bodie clung to him. “Daddy, you know her? Oh, I get it now. She’s that bad lady on your phone, isn’t she?”

Flynn’s tone sharpened. “Bodie, don’t say that!”

Bodie’s eyes rounded, and then he burst into tears. “Daddy, you’re scolding me because of her? She’s a homewrecker! She wants to take you away from Mommy!”

The whispers came from every direction. “Shameless, showing up pregnant and trying to wreck a family.”

“Right. And I bet she’s carrying somebody else’s baby.”

The nurse gave me a look of pure disdain as she shoved my test results into my hands. The moment I confirmed the baby was fine, my voice turned fierce. “If you don’t explain this properly, we’re getting a divorce.”

Flynn’s face lost all its color. He had someone take Bodie away, then pulled me aside into a quiet corner.

“Elina, the child isn’t mine.”

“Do you remember Arian Burke? He saved my life back in the service. Bodie is his son.”

I blinked, caught off guard. I remembered Arian. I knew he had truly saved Flynn. But I had never once heard that he had a child.

Flynn sighed. “He and Lorelei hadn’t had a chance to get married before the accident happened. Before he left, he asked me to take care of them. I didn’t have a choice.”

Seeing the doubt on my face, he insisted on taking me for a paternity test. It was a reputable hospital, and I stayed with him the whole time, so there was no way he could have faked it. When the results came back confirming the child wasn’t his, I finally let out the breath I had been holding.

Flynn took my hand. “Elina, don’t you know how much I care about you?”

I stayed quiet, but my mind drifted to the fever I’d once had—he flew back from out of town and sat by my bedside all night. I remembered every prenatal checkup, too. Even our doctor said he was the most devoted father he’d ever seen. Five years. His love for me had always been obvious to everyone around us.

“Then why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

He sighed again. “I was afraid you’d be jealous. And I never found the right moment.”

“I told myself that if I learned how to take care of a child first, at least I wouldn’t be completely lost when our baby finally came.”

Listening to his explanation, my anger slowly faded. Seeing my expression soften, he immediately suggested that we still spend our anniversary together.

Once we were in the car, I realized my phone was completely dead. I picked up his to call my family and let them know I was okay. The second I unlocked it, my breath caught. Our wedding photo wallpaper was gone, replaced by a photo of him holding Lorelei and Bodie.

My voice trembled. “What does this mean?”

Flynn gave a strained laugh. “It’s just to keep the kid happy. Don’t read into it.”

The next moment, I opened WhatsApp, and the ground seemed to fall out from under me when I looked at his contacts. “You’ve saved her as ‘My Wife’—is that also to keep the child happy?”

He stammered, “Bodie must have changed it. He’s just a child. He doesn’t understand.”

I asked coldly, “He doesn’t understand. But do you?”

Before he could answer, we reached the office. When he tried to help me out of the car, I pulled away.

As soon as we stepped inside, a manager walked over and looked me up and down. “Mr. Harvey, is this your new assistant?”

“Oh, and by the way, your wife’s lunch is ready. Do you want it now or later?”

I bit down hard on my lip, tasting blood. So, after five years of marriage, I didn’t even have a name. I had gone through countless rounds of IVF to give us a baby. I had poured all my money into his company to support his career. And in the end, I was nothing but a nameless, faceless bystander in his life.

Noticing how pale I had gone, Flynn lowered his voice. “Elina, let me handle things here, and I’ll explain everything.”

As he bent over his work, I caught sight of his bare ring finger. He had promised me once that he would never take his ring off, no matter what. Now every one of those promises felt absurd. Laughable.

My eyes burned, and I gently placed a hand on my belly. Was there even any point in bringing this child into the world?

Even after Flynn finally acknowledged me as his wife in front of the staff, watching him shower Lorelei with attention made my heart freeze all over again.

One day, Lorelei asked me to come to the office, claiming she wanted to clear things up. As I reached the doorway, I saw them—one of her arms draped around Flynn’s neck as a breathy moan escaped her. Fury surged through me. Then Bodie’s voice rang out from behind.

“Dad! That nosy woman is spying on you!”

Flynn’s face instantly hardened. I stormed through the door, laughing bitterly. “So you’re sneaking around at work now too, huh?”

Lorelei’s eyes welled up with tears. “Elina,” she pleaded softly, “you’re mistaken. I was just helping Flynn with his tie.”

“Prove it to me,” I cut in, “and maybe I’ll believe you.”

Flynn’s expression stiffened. “That’s enough! Stop making a scene.”

“You want proof? Fine. Here it is.” He pulled up the security footage. The video showed Lorelei adjusting his tie—just at an angle that made it look like something more.

I was speechless. Before I could get a word out, Lorelei chimed in, her voice dripping sweetness. “Elina, I’m so grateful for Flynn’s help. I would never want to ruin his family.”

Her words sounded humble, but the smug glint in her eyes said otherwise. Bodie made faces at me from behind her, mouthing, “Silly woman.”

That was when it clicked. She hadn’t come here to explain anything. She’d staged this whole mess to provoke a fight—to make Flynn see me as the crazy wife and herself as the poor victim.

A cold chill crept down my spine as whispers from the hallway floated in.

“If she really is Flynn’s wife, she’s way too controlling! I’d take someone gentle like Lorelei any day.”

“Exactly. Waddling around with that big belly and still causing drama.”

Flynn didn’t defend me. Instead, he frowned. “Since the misunderstanding’s cleared up, why not apologize to Lorelei? How else can she face everyone at work?”

I tried to explain. “She set me up.”

Lorelei’s voice trembled. “Elina, if I’d known how much you disliked me, I would’ve left a long time ago rather than be humiliated like this.”

At that, Flynn’s face darkened. “You’re about to be a mother. When you’re wrong, you should apologize. Be a good example for your child.”

I laughed bitterly at this staged performance. I couldn’t keep playing this game. Ignoring the sharp stares and vicious gossip from the staff, I turned and left.

I hadn’t gotten far before Flynn followed. I expected him to pressure me into apologizing. Instead, his voice softened. “I know you were wronged, but you caused such a scene. I had no choice.”

When I said nothing, he paused, then added, “I actually knew she did it on purpose. I saw Bodie making faces.”

That was the breaking point. “You knew—and you still wanted me to apologize?”

Flynn sighed. “You come from a prominent family. One embarrassing scene won’t hurt your standing; no one will dare speak badly of you. But Lorelei is different. She has nothing. If I don’t stand by her, how is she supposed to survive at the company?”

So because I came from a good family, I was supposed to be branded a homewrecker—while pregnant?

Ignoring the displeasure written all over my face, he pushed on. “Elina, we’ve been together for so long. I’m used to having you by my side. You’re the one I truly love.”

“I just owe Arian for saving my life.”

“Once the baby is born, I promise I’ll send them away.”

He reached out to touch my stomach. “I’ve even thought of a name for our baby. It will be—”

Before he could finish, I threw up all over him.

My throat burned, but it was nothing compared to the numbness spreading through my heart.

So this was his idea of love.

Love like that—I couldn’t bear it.

I wanted a divorce.

I reached out to my attorney, then headed back to my room to pack. But the moment I walked in, I realized it was gone—the bracelet my mother left me. Her treasured heirloom. And my gut instantly screamed Bodie. He’d been acting off all day yesterday.

I stormed off to find Flynn, leveling the accusation before he even had a chance to blink. Flynn frowned. “Elina, do you really have to blame Bodie for everything? I give him whatever he wants. Why would he need to steal from you?”

I didn’t bother arguing. I went straight to Bodie’s room. When he saw me, a flicker of panic flashed across his face. “What are you doing here? You’re not welcome,” he blurted.

Keeping my voice level, I said, “Give back what you took, and maybe I’ll let this slide.”

He shot back, all defiance. “Don’t accuse me! Dad, look at her! She’s picking on me again!”

Flynn stood in the doorway, his expression souring. “Elina, he’s only five. He doesn’t understand these things. Do you really have to be so harsh with a child?”

Is shoving a pregnant woman a misunderstanding? Is taking something without asking not theft? I could hardly believe what I was hearing. Ignoring both of them, I reached into Bodie’s pocket. He tried frantically to stop me, but I already had it—a small box. Inside was my bracelet.

Bodie showed zero remorse. His face twisted with defiance. “Yeah, I took it. So what? You made my mom upset. I wanted to teach you a lesson.”

Lorelei rushed in, wrapping Bodie in a protective hug. “How could you take something from Elina? Apologize to her right now.”

Then she turned to me, all sweet apology. “I’m so sorry, Elina. It’s my fault—I didn’t raise him better. If you need to blame someone, blame me, not him. He’s just a child.”

I let out a bitter laugh. How could a child instinctively zero in on the one thing I treasured most? It was painfully obvious who’d put him up to it.

Flynn sighed. “The bracelet isn’t broken, Elina. Weren’t you the one supposed to keep it safe?”

I squeezed my eyes shut. The bracelet wasn’t broken—but my love for you, Flynn, has already turned to dust.

“Flynn, I want a divorce.”

The words had barely left my lips when a message came through from my lawyer. I froze, staring at the screen.

“When did you list him under my name?”

Flynn looked caught off guard. He mumbled, “Bodie’s about to start school, and I wanted him to get into your old private academy. So... I listed you as his guardian and used your family’s legacy placement.”

Even though I was set on leaving, I had to ask. “That academy gives my family only one guaranteed place per generation, Flynn. You used our child’s place on him. What happens when our baby is old enough?”

He stammered, “The baby isn’t born yet. Once he’s here, I’ll figure something out. And honestly, having another son could be nice—Bodie and our kid could grow up as brothers.”

The moment his words hung in the air, Bodie screamed, “I already have a mom! I don’t need her as my mom! Her baby’s just a bastard—I should’ve kicked her hard enough to make her lose it!”

Then, out of nowhere, he charged at me and shoved me hard. I hit the ground, my only instinct to shield my belly. I watched helplessly as the bracelet flew from my hand and shattered into pieces.

A fiery pain ripped through my body, stealing my breath. Flynn panicked and called for a doctor, who thankfully confirmed the baby was safe. Flynn exhaled in relief.

I slowly pushed myself up, glaring at Bodie. “I’m calling the police.”

Flynn was stunned. “You’re going to report a five-year-old?”

“Is five old enough to push a pregnant woman? Is five old enough to steal? Is five old enough to call someone’s child a bastard?”

Flynn’s desperation flared. “Elina, I know you’re upset. I promise this won’t happen again. I’ll get you the best doctors, the best prenatal care. Everything will be fine with the baby.”

But I pulled my hand away, my heart splintering into a thousand cuts. No. I don’t need any of that. Since you seem so fond of raising children who aren’t yours, our child will not be born.