When I got pregnant, my husband fell for his young and delicate secretary.

On New Year's Eve, he and his secretary, who was dressed in a red gown, celebrated the holiday together in a private room in a club, toasting "good fortune."

When I barged in, the secretary lifted her pale neck adorned with red hickeys.

"Don't misunderstand us, Mrs. Remington! The New Year is coming and I'm helping Max get rid of bad luck to bring in good luck!"

My husband glared at me and scolded me for disturbing his activities.

"You're pregnant and can't meet my needs. I'm a normal man, Sophie. Lily's just being considerate and helping out."

At seven months pregnant, the stress and fury made my water break.

However, the secretary told him that I peed my pants on purpose just to cause a scene.

My husband thought I was here to embarrass him, so he locked me in the toilet.

He spent the next three days and nights indulging with his secretary before finally ending the punishment.

Unfortunately, when he finally opened the door, his face turned pale at the sight of my deflated belly.

——

On New Year's Eve, my husband, Maxime Remingtone and his group of friends had a New Year's Eve date, but I stayed at home because I was pregnant.

As the night deepened, I received a message from Maxime, followed by an address. It read, [Honey, I have a surprise for you.]

I hurried to the club to pick him up, cradling my round belly. But the joy in my heart was doused like a flame under cold water the moment I opened the door.

The room was thick with smoke and reeked of alcohol.

Lily Cartwright’s, Maxime’s secretary’s eyes were glassy, her ears flushed red and she sat perched on his lap, the embodiment of seductive innocence.

Maxime’s veined hand gripped her waist tightly. The gown she wore was hiked up to her waist, her shoulders shamelessly exposed.

That deep crimson gown was a masterpiece, custom-made by a Suzhou embroidery master for my wedding.

Maxime secretly took it and repurposed it for his twisted indulgence.

Lily’s thin, pale waist and half-draped appearance burned my eyes.

"Max, please love me gently. Slow down."

"You little devil. You beg for it five times a day, yet still pretend to be shy."

They kissed and kissed hungrily, utterly oblivious to everyone’s presence. The people around them barely reacted, as if such a display was commonplace.

I finally understood who had sent that message.

Maxime's group of friends lounged casually, each with a girl in their arms, watching the scene unfold with amusement.

One of his friends, Juan, smirked and teased,

"Your appearance on this New Year’s Eve is stunning, Miss Cartwright! No wonder Max left his wife at home to celebrate with us tonight."

Maxime, holding Lily's waist firmly, exhaled lazily and smiled.

"Marrying a virtuous wife has its perks, but there are... limitations. Sophie is too reserved for certain things, so I need an outlet. I know how to prioritize."

"Besides, ever since she got pregnant, Sophie's become as fat as a pig and she’s constantly unkempt. It’s repulsive. She doesn’t have the charm that Lily does."

Lily pouted, tracing slow circles on Maxime’s chest with her delicate hand. "Max, you're awful! What do you think I am? I'm a good girl from a good family."

"Yes, yes. Happy New Year’s Eve, my good girl!"

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a sparkling diamond necklace and slipped it into Lily's disheveled gown. She giggled, leaning further into him.

Someone in the room laughed and joked, "Max, you're too bold! Aren't you afraid your wife will find out and divorce you?"

Maxime waved the comment away, utterly unconcerned. "Even if she knows, so what? She’s pregnant with my child and loves me too much to leave. Where could she possibly go?"

Then came the obscene sounds of their flirting.

"My bro Max is just beyond awesome!"

My stomach churned violently at their words, a wave of nausea rising. With a pale face, I pushed the door open.

My arrival broke the room of laughter in an instant.

Maxime quickly scrambled to grab a coat from the sofa, hurriedly draping it over Lily’s exposed shoulders.

I found it was almost laughable. My fists clenched tightly at my sides and spoke, my voice laced with anger.

"Why? She is bold enough to sit on your lap in public but too afraid of showing her shoulders?"

"Don’t talk nonsense. This girl is just shy."

Lily Cartwright, emboldened by his protection, threw me a smug, provocative glance.

"Mrs. Remington, it’s the New Year! Out with the old and in with the new, right? New people replace the old ones. You have to understand."

Everyone tried to smooth things over and winked, asking me to give Maxime a step-down.

"Mrs. Remington, we were just playing truth or dare. Everyone’s a bit drunk and things got out of hand. We’ll drink three shots as punishment to make amends. Please forgive Max!"

I said nothing.

Maxime remained composed, his expression carrying a tinge of reproach. "Why are you here? I told you to stay home and focus on the baby."

His words hit me like shards of glass.

I could not believe that the man who had once excitedly planned a nursery with me was now standing beside another woman, dismissing me like a stranger.

Tears fell down my cheeks, but I bit down on my trembling lips to steady my voice. "Maxime Remington, you once said that those who betray others will meet a miserable end."

His face darkened.

"Sophie, watch your words. Lily and I are just casual. Besides, you’ve let yourself go. You’ve grown as fat as a pig during your pregnancy. I’ve done you a favor by enduring the sight of you and sharing a bed."

"Besides, no need to act so righteous. No one in our circle sticks to one woman. At least I had the decency to plan to return to you and the family after you give birth."

My hand instinctively moved to my belly, where a storm of sorrow and anger brewed.

After I became pregnant, my body changed in ways I could not control. I gained weight and my legs swelled like carrots.

Cramping woke me in the middle of the night and relentless morning sickness stole my sleep.

My once fair, delicate skin turned rough and sallow.

At first, Maxime seemed concerned, but it did not take long for his patience to wear thin. He buried himself in work, spending late nights at the office every day.

The disgust in his eyes was unmistakable, especially when he glanced at the stretch marks on my belly.

For the sake of our child, I chose to pretend not to see these changes. I kept convincing myself that everything would be fine once the baby arrived.

Now, how could he use the sacrifice I made as a way to belittle me while I was enduring all the pain just to give birth to a child for him?

I realized that I could not keep compromising my dignity for the sake of a man who did not value our child.

"Maxime Remington, let's get a divorce."

Maxime's indifferent face instantly froze and his confidence was unshaken when he spoke. "Where can you go, pregnant with my child and divorced? Stay in harmony and Mrs. Remington's title will always be yours."

Seeing the pain and sadness etched into my face, he softened his tone. "Be obedient and I promise, the Remington Family’s children will only come from your womb."

Lily twisted her waist dramatically and spoke in a tone dripping with dissatisfaction. "Max, don’t upset Mrs. Remington because of me. She’s still pregnant with your child!"

Maxime pinched her slender waist playfully. "That woman? Pregnant or not, she’s just being melodramatic."

The sight of them openly flirting in front of me, completely disregarding my presence, was unbearable. A wave of nausea churned in my stomach.

"Ugh! Blergh!"

The contents of my stomach spilled out and Lily and Maxime, standing closest to me, were caught in the splash.

Especially Lily, her coat was now stained with the sour remnants of my vomit and the fabric looked utterly ruined.

She yanked off her coat, her eyes red with rage and snapped at me, "You wretched bitch! Did you do this on purpose?"

My fury boiled over and I slapped her hard across the face. "Who are you calling a bitch?"

She was so furious by the slap that she shoved me with all her might.

"Max, you have to stand up for me! My New Year’s coat, your gift to me is ruined!"

A waiter hurried over, offering a hot towel to clean up the mess. Meanwhile, Maxime warned me. "Sophie, that’s enough."

Thrown off balance, I fell heavily to the ground. My swollen body made even the simplest attempt to get up, which was pitifully slow.

The room erupted into laughter at my expense.

"Max, doesn’t your wife look like a turtle flipped on its back?"

"A fat turtle, at that! Hahaha."

My eyes burned with unshed tears. Embarrassment surged through me, but before I could process it, a sharp pain shot through my stomach.

A warm, wet sensation spread beneath me and I looked down in alarm.

The carpet under me was soaked.

This can’t be…

Panic seized me as I instinctively reached out for Maxime.

"Maxime, please take me to the hospital right now!"

"My water broke!"

The haze of alcohol seemed to lift from his eyes.

He stood up in a panic and a flicker of regret crossed his expression.

"Don’t be afraid, honey. I’ll take you to the hospital right away."

But before he could act, Lily’s mocking voice cut through the tension.

"I really envy Mrs. Remington. No matter what lies she tells, Max always believes her without question."

Maxime shoved off Lily's white hands wrapped around his waist and his voice cold and sharp. "Get away from me. If anything happens to my wife, it’ll be on your head."

Lily collapsed onto the sofa with exaggerated delicacy. Despite his harsh words, she persisted, her foot clad in red silk brushing against his calf flirtatiously.

"Max, don’t you see? Mrs. Remington just got overexcited and wet herself. How could her water break at only seven months? Her due date isn’t even close."

Upon hearing that, everyone present clicked their tongues and shook their heads with disgust.

"I’ve heard pregnant women have incontinence. So that’s what it looks like."

"She can't even control her own urine. No wonder Max found someone else."

Maxime, who had just reached for me, froze. His initial panic gave way to a sigh of relief.

The pity in his eyes turned to anger, then disgust. Without a word, he grabbed a nearby pillow and hurled it at me.

"Whether it’s disgusting or not, you’ll stoop to any low just to win favor!"

"No, I’m really going into labor. My stomach... it hurts..."

Maxime looked down at me, writhing on the ground, his eyes cold and his voice laced with mockery.

"You’re quite the actress. If it weren’t for Lily snapping me out of it, I might have actually fallen for your tricks."

Lily’s face lit up with glee. She threw herself into Maxime’s arms, her tone sickeningly sweet as she cooed, "Hmph... I’m your clever, sweet secretary, after all."

My voice trembled as waves of pain coursed through me.

"Help me... the baby... save the baby... please, someone call an ambulance!"

Juan scoffed. "Max, your wife is willing to do anything, even create such a mess. All this drama is just a waste of medical resources."

Lily chimed in, adding fuel to the fire. "Mrs. Remington, if outsiders find out that the wife of Maxime Remington wet herself in public, do you think Max will still have his dignity? You’re so inconsiderate."

The suffocating smell of cigarettes in the room mixed with the ache in my heart.

I realized, bitterly, that I could not rely on anyone here.

Ignoring the excruciating pain in my stomach, I gritted my teeth and crawled toward my handbag, lying just out of reach. My phone was inside and I would save myself.

Their laughter followed me, cruel and unrelenting.

"Max, your wife should audition for the Oscars. Her acting is on point!"

"Yeah, Max, go on and coax her. How can we enjoy ourselves if she keeps putting on this peeing act?"

Sweat drenched my body and strands of damp hair clung to my forehead.

Ignoring the ridicule of these scumbags, I finally grasped the phone in my bag.

However, the moment I tried to press the dial button with trembling hands, Maxime stepped on my hand and kicked the phone out of my reach.

"That’s enough! Are you insane? Do you really think it’s okay to bother the ambulance crew over this nonsense, especially on New Year’s Eve?"