On my wedding day, my fiancé and my younger sister Rachel were caught doing the dirty in the private lounge.

I immediately became a laughing stock, until my childhood friend Jason Law publicly proposed to me, defending my honor.

After we got married, he was the perfect husband… except for his performance in the bedroom. It was like his heart was never in it.

I only managed to get pregnant after going for IVF this year. After that, he became even more protective of me.

I once believed he was my sanctuary… until I overheard his conversation with his friend.

“You’re ruthless, Jason. Nina’s so good to you. How could you swap out her egg with Rachel’s just because Rachel is too afraid of the pain to give birth?

“The baby’s due in two months. What do you plan to do then?”

Jason was silent for a bit, then he sighed. “I’ll give Rachel the baby once it’s born. It’s one of her greatest wishes, after all.

“As for Nina, I’ll tell her the baby died.

“I’ll make it up to her by staying with her for the rest of her life.”

So that was how it was. He only protected me so gently for her sake.

I turned around and immediately made a surgery appointment.

I was throwing away this filthy baby… and this false marriage.

“Aren’t you worried Nina will discover the truth?”

Jason Law was quiet for a moment before saying, “She won’t find out.”

“Are you sure?”

“She trusts me.” His tone was certain. “She won’t suspect a thing if I’m the one telling her.”

After another short silence, his friend said, “As long as you don’t regret it.”

Jason chuckled lightly. “I won’t.”

So that was how it was.

I stood outside the door, my nails digging into my flesh. It hurt so much, but I was going numb.

I had only come here to bring him some clothes. It was getting cold, and I was worried he was not wearing enough layers.

Now, however, I felt like my heart was being sliced open. A cold wind blew through my chest.

I stumbled home, too exhausted to even turn on the lights. My knees buckled and I collapsed onto the couch, curled up and shivering.

I felt nauseous and dizzy. Tears spilled from my eyes soundlessly, but I did not have the energy to wipe them away.

The door knob clicked. He was back.

I heard the sound of his leather shoes approaching. He walked up to the couch and bent down slightly, his voice gentle and worried.

“Why didn’t you turn on the lights? The maid said you haven’t eaten. Are you feeling sick again?”

He reached out to push the hair out of my face, his eyes filled with concern. “Nina, what’s the matter?”

He then crouched down, putting his hand over mine. His tone was gentle. “If you don’t eat, it’s bad for the baby.”

I looked straight into his tender gaze. So love could be entirely an act.

Four years ago, my fiancé and my younger sister were caught having an affair at my wedding.

My parents forced me to hand over my fiancé, saying family protected each other. They could not afford to lose face in public, so they declared that Rachel Gordon was the bride that day.

Back then, Jason had publicly proposed to me. At the time, I thought he was my savior.

After we got married, I stood behind him and silently supported him the whole time.

I used my market acumen to help him invest and expand his business. Within a few short years, his company went from a nameless startup to one of the rising stars in the investment industry.

When we went for IVF to conceive this year, everything seemed to be perfect.

He hugged me and said this baby was the gift he had been looking forward to for years. His smile was so tender I could almost drown in it.

Turned out it was just another trick.

He was not the only one who could act.

I blinked and curved my lips into a smile. “I’m fine. I’m just a little tired.”

My voice was soft and slightly tired, as though nothing was amiss.

He heaved a sigh of relief and comforted me gently. “Okay. Sleep early tonight.”

Why not? I could play this game before the surgery.

After that, the curtains would fall on this charade.

The next morning, Jason took me to a prenatal checkup.

He asked questions about every little detail. Even the doctor laughed and praised him. “You have a great husband. Not many men are this responsible these days.”

Jason held my hand, his gaze gentle. “I’ve been looking forward to this baby forever. Of course I’ll take good care of them.”

When we walked out of the consultation room, we bumped into my sister Rachel. She wore a loose-fitting dress, and a smug look flashed across her eyes when she saw us.

I smirked inwardly when I saw her round belly. No wonder she said she had coincidentally fallen pregnant at the same time as me. She had been waiting for me the entire time.

She approached me with a grin and a lighthearted tone. “When are you due, Nina?”

She even held out her hand to touch my stomach. My gaze cold, I smacked her hand aside.

“What was that for?” Anger flashed across Rachel’s face.

Before she could continue, however, I lowered my head and held my stomach, saying weakly, “My stomach… kinda hurts…”

Her words caught in her throat, and her expression instantly stiffened.

Jason immediately held my arm, his tone nervous. “Was it because the checkup took too long? Do you want to go back and rest?”

His tone was filled with concern, but I could see that his gaze stayed on Rachel, wordlessly consoling her.

I lowered my lashes, saying softly, “I’ll head to the washroom.”

He frowned and tried to follow me, but I waved him aside. “No need. Wait for me here.”

He hesitated but eventually nodded. “Alright, be careful.”

I went into the washroom, but the moment I closed the door, I saw him hurry off. As I thought, he had gone to comfort Rachel.

I followed him sneakily, standing a short distance away as I watched him soothe her patiently.

Rachel frowned and pouted. “Did you fall for her or something? She was so rude to me, but you didn’t even defend me! Tell me honestly, did you feel bad for her?”

Jason sighed helplessly. “I did it for the baby. After all, she’s…”

Without finishing that sentence, he took a beautiful jewelry box from his pocket and pulled out a brand new bracelet from inside. His tone was gentle as he put it on her wrist. “This is the bracelet you wanted last time. I got it for you.”

Rachel’s expression softened. She smirked and said smugly, “I earned a ton on the stock you recommended last time. Do you have any other recommendations?”

I stood rooted to the spot, scoffing at the scene unfolding before me.

Jason was using everything I gave him to win her heart.

I turned around and left, then took out my phone and made a call. “Hello? I want to confirm my appointment tomorrow. Alright, I’ll be there on time.”

The familiar footsteps behind me came to a sudden stop.

“Tomorrow?” Jason sounded confused. “Where are you going tomorrow?”

I turned around and met his gaze with a smile. “I made an appointment for a pregnancy photoshoot. Let’s take some family photos as keepsakes.”

His expression stiffened, and he hesitated.

I purposely raised a brow, my tone light. “What’s the matter? You don’t want to go with me?”

He could not quite meet my gaze. “No, I’m just… worried you’ll be too tired. Besides, I have a meeting tomorrow at work. How about another day?”

I looked at him and chuckled, my tone soft and considerate. “It’s fine. Your work comes first. I can go alone.”

He seemed to heave a sigh of relief. He rubbed my head with a smile, his tone indulgent. “What would I do without such a wonderful wife like you?”

On the day of the surgery, Jason suddenly pulled out a small bracelet and put it on my wrist before leaving for work.

“This is for you.” His tone was gentle as usual.

I looked down at it. It was the free gift that came with the bracelet he bought for Rachel.

My fingers curled into fists slightly, but I looked up at him with a smile. “Thanks. I love it.”

His lips curved as he rubbed my hair, saying softly, “You’re always so sweet, Nina.”

Before going for the surgery, I decided to drop by my maiden home to visit my parents.

Just as I was about to head inside, however, I heard the voices inside clearly.

Rachel was complaining with a pout, “Why is Nina always so arrogant? She even hit my hand yesterday!”

My mother comforted her softly. “Just tolerate that for now, alright? We eventually gave you her fiancé when you wanted him, didn’t we? This time as well, you just need to be patient.”

My father sighed helplessly. “Don’t make a fuss, okay? You finally married the guy you wanted. If your in-laws find out how you’re getting this baby, they’ll get mad again, and Jason will be in trouble.”

Jason hastily comforted her, his tone gentle but determined. “Don’t worry, Rachel. I brought the prenatal checkup from yesterday. Everything’s fine. We just need to wait until the baby is born.”

He paused and continued, “Mom and Dad, you don’t have to worry about me either. I’ll do anything for Rachel.”

My fingertips were cold. All the blood in my body froze over.

So they all knew.

So this was all part of their plan.

So I was nothing more than their pawn from the very start.

Not long later, the butler brought over some tea. Jason opened the door to take the cups, but his eyes locked onto something on the floor.

There were pearls scattered across the doorway, and a bracelet lay broken. It was the one he had put on my wrist.

He immediately went pale, forgetting to breathe. He rushed to the door and looked around, his gaze panicked.

After that, he blew up my phone.

The moment the call went through, he said anxiously, “Nina, where are you? I can explain—”

I did not reply.

His voice grew even more panicked. “Nina, what happened? Where are you?!”

Just then, he heard a nurse saying on the other side—

“Nina Gordon? Please sign this agreement before the surgery.”

Jason felt like he was being choked. His breath caught, and he instantly lost it. “A surgery? Where are you? What surgery?!”

He practically roared into the phone, his voice unprecedentedly panicked.

I looked at the screen calmly, drawing my finger across it lightly.

I hung up… then turned off my phone.