My twin sister, Rebecca Shaffer, was kidnapped while saving me. The trauma left her with a mental illness that made her lash out at everyone around her. The only person who could get close to her, the only one who could calm her down, was my husband, Ezekiel Roberts.

For the sake of her recovery, my parents insisted that Rebecca move into the master bedroom of my newlywed home.

Whenever Ezekiel and I were intimate, Rebecca would lose control and throw things at me. Then, Ezekiel would scoop her up in his arms and carry her into the bedroom, soothing her with gentle words.

Everyone kept telling me the same thing.

"If Rebecca hadn't tried to save you, she wouldn't be like this now. You owe her this much!"

I had no response to that, so I gave in again and again. That was, until I accidentally overheard a conversation between Rebecca and my parents.

"How much longer do I have to keep pretending to be crazy? I'm so sick of sneaking around like this!"

My parents looked at her with sympathy in their eyes.

Ezekiel gently caressed her stomach and said, "Don't worry. I won't let Rebecca or the baby suffer even a little bit. Once I have Maisie completely under my control, I'll make everything public."

I clutched the pregnancy test report in my hand and let out a bitter laugh. From now on, they would not need to keep up their elaborate charade.

I would leave on my own.

I had just returned from the hospital, ready to share the good news with Ezekiel Roberts. However, as I pushed the door open a crack, Rebecca Shaffer's words stopped me cold.

"Mom, Dad, when are you going to tell Maisie I'm pregnant? I really can't keep this act up anymore. I'm exhausted," she grumbled.

A gust of wind swept through the hallway, the cold air slapping my face.

I immediately froze as I started to wonder if the kidnapping was all staged and they had been lying to me this whole time. Rebecca did not have any mental illness at all. Instead, everyone had been covering for her and Ezekiel's affair behind my back.

My mind went blank as I stood there paralyzed, while Rebecca's words continued to pierce my ears.

"I think Maisie's gotten used to it by now. Sometimes when I kiss Ezekiel, she just pretends she doesn't see it. It's the perfect time to reveal everything," she said.

Then, my mom said, "It's a little unfair to Maisie, but things have come this far. Either she accepts the baby, or she files for divorce herself."

"Mr. and Mrs. Shaffer, don't worry. I'll make sure Maisie accepts this baby," Ezekiel said.

His firm tone was the final straw that shattered what was left of my heart. It finally hit me that they had been faking it all along.

It finally made sense why Rebecca, who had always used me as a doormat, suddenly played the hero during the kidnapping. No wonder Ezekiel showed no surprise when he learned she was sick and that only he could approach her.

I had been living in a web of lies from the beginning!

"But what if Maisie gets pregnant later?"

"I'll only ever have one child in this lifetime, and that child will be Rebecca's," Ezekiel said.

His hurtful words stabbed into my heart like a blade, the pain so intense I nearly crushed the pregnancy test report in my hand.

When I found out I was pregnant, I could not contain my joy. I knew Ezekiel loved kids, and he had told me before that he wanted a son and a daughter someday, one who looked like me and one who looked like him.

I had even fantasized that having a baby would make Ezekiel come back to me.

Now I realized it had all been lies. No one in this house wanted me, and no one wanted the baby growing inside me either.

The cold wind dried the tears on my face, and I waited until the voices inside died down. Only then did I move my numb limbs and push the door open wider.

As soon as I stepped inside, I found my parents enthusiastically planning a big celebration for Rebecca's birthday. Meanwhile, Ezekiel was spoon-feeding Rebecca soup as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

The four of them looked like one happy family, while I felt like a stranger who had just barged in uninvited. Even though I should have been used to their blatant favoritism by now, my heart still throbbed with a dull ache.

My parents had always given Rebecca preference over me since we were young. We were born only ten minutes apart, yet I was constantly reminded of my role as the older sister.

I had lost count of how many times I had given in, from small things like my only toy to even boys we both liked.

When I was little, I found a stray kitten and took care of it carefully. However, Rebecca snatched it away from me. That cat did not survive even one day before she killed it with her own hands.

Yet, my parents blamed me for bringing a stray home that scratched Rebecca. They took her to get a vaccination and locked me in a room with the kitten's body for an entire day and night.

I snapped back to reality as Rebecca came skipping over with a smile. "Mom, Dad, why don't we celebrate Maisie's birthday together with mine?"

Rebecca did that on purpose. After all, my birthday had been forcibly moved up by a month years ago when she said she preferred celebrating hers alone. I had not had a birthday party in nearly 15 years.

Sure enough, my mom's tone turned cold after hearing her suggestion. "Maisie's birthday had already passed. Come here and see the custom tiara I ordered for you," she said.

My dad shot me a sideways glance. "You should learn from Rebecca. Even after what you put her through, she still thinks about celebrating your birthday!"

Ezekiel looked at me, too, his brows faintly furrowed.

I suddenly remembered our wedding night, when he pressed my hand against his burning chest and whispered, "Maisie, I'll only ever be yours. No one can take me away from you."

Now, that same man calmly said, "You should go to your room. Rebecca gets emotionally unstable when she sees you."

My eyes stung. I nodded hard, afraid that if I spoke, he would hear how my voice trembled. Once I was back in my room, I slid down against the door and let the tears fall freely.

Later, I pulled out my phone and booked the earliest appointment for an abortion. Then, I sent a message to an international number.

[I accept the position with the team. Pick me up at the airport the day after tomorrow.]

After sending the message, I felt utterly drained.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. When I opened it, Ezekiel was standing there.

He led me into the living room, where my parents and Rebecca sat waiting like a jury. Just as I expected, they confessed that Rebecca was pregnant. She leaned into Ezekiel's arms, looking fragile and pitiful.

"Maisie, I wasn't thinking clearly because of my illness... I didn't mean to get pregnant. Please forgive me, okay?" she pleaded.

Ezekiel held Rebecca close, his tone firm. "This isn't Rebecca's fault. She's a victim too. If she hadn't tried to save you back then, she and I would never have gotten involved with each other.

"Maisie, if you have any conscience at all, you'll accept this baby. Otherwise..." He trailed off meaningfully, while my parents shot me threatening looks.

Back then, when Rebecca and I were kidnapped, I was beaten until I was barely conscious.

Rebecca had stepped in front of me, crying as she shouted, "She's my sister! You're not allowed to touch her!"

It moved me deeply because she had hated me her entire life. I foolishly believed that if I had not been born, she would have been our parents' one and only darling.

At that moment, I forgave her for everything and even begged the kidnappers to spare her.

My parents arrived just in time to save us: me, bloodied and half-dead, and Rebecca, perfectly unharmed.

When I woke up, my dad slapped me across the face while my mom stood to the side, crying.

That was when I learned that Rebecca had been so traumatized that her mental state had completely deteriorated. I had spent this entire year drowning in guilt, spending every single day reflecting on what happened.

Whenever I saw Rebecca and Ezekiel being intimate or when everyone blamed me, I could only swallow all my grievances and tell myself that Rebecca's condition was partly my fault.

Yet, after everything, they still wanted to keep lying to me and use the kidnapping to emotionally blackmail me.

I did love Ezekiel, but not enough to raise his illegitimate child!

At that thought, I could not help but let out a bitter laugh.

Suddenly, a glass shattered at my feet.

"What are you laughing at? If Rebecca hadn't saved you, you wouldn't even be standing here right now! You should be repaying her for the rest of your life. Don't you understand that?" my dad shouted.

I was wearing a short skirt, and the glass shards cut into my calf, the pain searing through my skin and nerves.

Rebecca immediately turned to soothe him. "Dad, don't be mad. It's my fault for betraying Maisie. It's only natural that she's upset."

My mom quickly jumped in and said, "The one who should be sorry is Maisie! If she hadn't been selfish, you wouldn't have had to risk your life for her, and you wouldn't have gotten sick!"

Ezekiel stepped forward, his presence suffocating as he finished what he had not said earlier.

"Maisie, my child can't be born a bastard. And besides, Rebecca's health has always been fragile. The doctors said she can only carry one child in her lifetime. You're her sister... Don't you have a heart?"

Ezekiel's face gradually blurred before my eyes.

I bit down hard on the inside of my lip, using the pain to force myself to stay calm. Then, I asked, "Ezekiel, if I were pregnant with another man's child, would you raise it for me?"

Ezekiel's eyes widened in shock, and Rebecca quickly stepped between us.

With an aggrieved tone, she said, "Maisie, if you don't want to, that's fine. Don't make things harder for Ezekiel. I'll go to the hospital right now and end the pregnancy!"

Her tone was so determined that Ezekiel immediately wrapped his arms around her waist.

However, the look he gave me was cold enough to send chills down my spine. "Maisie Shaffer, Rebecca is your sister. Do you really have to push her this far?!"

My mom's expression was full of disgust. "I told you we shouldn't have said anything to her. She's been jealous of Rebecca since they were kids and always has to compete for everything. How could she possibly accept this baby?"

As she spoke, my mom shoved me hard. "Get out! You're only going to upset Rebecca further!"

I stumbled back, my heart pounding painfully against my ribs, every beat making my nerves shake. My eyes burned red as I stood frozen in place, shouting, "Mom! Am I not your daughter, too?"

It was the first time I had ever yelled at her, and she froze in place while the others seemed equally stunned by my outburst.

Then, Rebecca began to cry in anguish.

Before I could react, a strong force slammed me against the wall. The cold impact made my entire body jolt forward, and Ezekiel's hand clamped onto my wrist like a vise.

He hissed, "Get out! When you finally come to your senses and agree to accept the baby, I'll think about letting you back in!"

The front door flew open, and a rush of cold wind cut straight through me. I clutched the doorway, tasting blood as I forced the words out through clenched teeth. "This is my home. If someone's leaving, it shouldn't be me!"

I rarely cried, and for a moment, Ezekiel seemed dazed. However, the hesitation in his eyes quickly vanished when Rebecca's sobs reached him from behind.

"I should be the one to leave! Mom, Dad, please take me to the hospital. Ezekiel, I don't want the baby anymore. I don't want you anymore either..." she wailed.

"Are you satisfied now, Maisie?" Ezekiel hissed.

As I met his cold and sharp gaze, my heart broke completely.

The next second, the door slammed shut violently, crushing my fingers in the process. The excruciating pain that shot from my fingertips straight to my heart made me scream. Even so, the pain in my chest hurt even more.

Cold sweat poured down my face as I nearly collapsed to my knees, looking up at Ezekiel's completely indifferent expression.

He felt like a stranger. The man who had once sworn to treat me well seemed to have died somewhere in my memories.

Ezekiel grabbed my jaw roughly. "Maisie, if you don't want a divorce, then apologize to Rebecca. Tell her you'll accept the baby and that you'll treat it as your own after it's born."

I clenched my teeth, the pain making my words come out in broken gasps. "Divorce? I'm the one divorcing you..."

Ezekiel could not make out what I was saying clearly.

Just then, my mom's voice came from behind him. "Ezekiel, I'm Maisie's mother, and I know her. Once she learns her lesson, she'll back down. You're just too soft on her."

Ezekiel frowned, clearly taking her words to heart. Then, he reached for the door again, aiming to crush my fingers a second time.

My eyes widened in horror as I stumbled backward, forgetting that the staircase was right behind me.

Just before gravity took over, Ezekiel lunged forward to grab me. However, Rebecca's calling his name from inside made him hesitate, and he could only watch as I tumbled down the stairs.

Every part of my body was screaming in agony as I curled up at the landing, my entire body drenched in cold sweat. Warm liquid flowed out from beneath me, and I forced my eyes open to see a shocking red flooding my vision.

For a second, it was as if I saw that kitten from my childhood again, the one Rebecca had killed. Its soft little body had gone stiff in my hands, and now I was just like it, broken and helpless.

I could not stop shaking, puking, and crying.

My parents rushed out of their room, and Ezekiel followed them down the stairs.

"Maisie, are you okay? I'll take you to the hospital!" he said urgently.

However, the moment he touched me, Rebecca let out a bloodcurdling scream from inside the room. "Mom, Dad, my stomach hurts so bad..."

Everyone's attention immediately snapped to Rebecca. Ezekiel did not even look back as he abandoned me there and carried the pale-faced Rebecca toward the hospital.

My parents crowded around Rebecca, fussing over her.

"Rebecca, hang in there. I'll take you to the hospital right now!" she said frantically.

"Call the hospital right now and have the best doctor waiting. If both the mother and child come through this safely, I'll donate two research wings to the hospital!" my dad barked.

No one noticed me lying there at the bottom of the stairs, barely clinging to life.

The pain was unbearable, so I reached out and grabbed Ezekiel's pant leg, pleading desperately. "Take me to the hospital... save me... I have a baby too..."

"A baby? You're pregnant too?" My mom's gaze fell on the blood pooling beneath me, and she froze.