I, Regina Simonds, was pregnant. On my way to tell my husband, Dale Lane, this news, I was followed by a bad person.

I hid in the stairway and called Dale non-stop.

Someone finally picked up after I called him several times, and I heard the coquettish voice of Opal Carroll, his mistress, on the phone.

"Who is this? Why do you keep calling Dale? It's so annoying."

Soon, I heard Dale's voice. "I don't know who that is."

I tried my best to ask him to help me, but he was impatient. "I'm not a cop, OK? I've got important things to do."

I gawked at my phone.

Being with Opal is the important thing for him?

The next second, the bad person found me.

——

"So, here you are."

The stairway was pitch black, and I was terrified as I met a pair of gloomy eyes.

"Don't... Don't come near me. We don't know each other..."

He came to me and covered my mouth and nose with his hand which smelt like smoke.

I struggled to escape.

Before I could run a few steps, he grabbed my hair and dragged me back.

He lost his patience. "You're annoying me."

I was dragged up the stairs, and I desperately protected my stomach.

He threw me to the ground, got on top of me, and tore my clothes apart.

His hands went all over my body, and the strong smell of smoke made me want to puke.

Suddenly, my phone screen lit up. Dale texted me.

I became hopeful. Will he come to rescue me soon?

Yet he texted, [Don't reach out whenever I'm with her. She'll be upset.]

I was completely desperate as my tears flew into my hair.

The villain grinned and slapped me in the face.

"You bitch. You dare to ask for help?

"Does your husband care about you?"

He punched me repeatedly and bit and gnawed at me.

I protect my head and belly.

In the end, I fell into darkness. Before losing consciousness, I heard the sound of sirens.

I was glad I wasn't foolish enough to pin all my hopes on Dale.

I woke up in the hospital.

I touched my belly at once. The nurse who came in to change my dressing saw it and said, "The baby is fine, but you're showing signs of miscarriage. You need to be hospitalized."

I was relieved.

She asked, "You've been here for two days already. How come we still can't reach your family? Where's your husband?"

I looked dejected.

He ... must have something important to do.

During the week I stayed in the hospital, two cops who had saved me came to take my statement.

Other than that, I had no visitors.

On the day of discharge, I was stunned.

I saw Dale in the hospital.

Did he finally know that I was hospitalized?

But then I saw a woman pouncing into his arms, and he embraced her, smiling.

We had been together for five years, and I had never seen him dote on anyone like this.

Turned out that he wasn't cold or didn't know how to love someone. It was just that I was not worth his love.

I put my hand in my pocket and crumpled the pregnancy diagnosis form.

No need to tell Dale about my pregnancy. I could raise the baby on my own.

After this, I knew his true colors.

I didn't want anything to do with him from now on.

Just as I was about to leave, Dale saw me.

He walked over with a stern face, separating me from Opal.

"Why are you here?"

He used a questioning tone and was almost accusing me of following him.

If he cared a little about me, he would have noticed that I was pale and sickly.

But he didn't, and he thought I had ulterior motives.

"It has nothing to do with you."

Dale was stunned for a moment.

He was surprised to hear me talk to him like this. After all, I was always meek when I was with him.

He frowned and then said, "Perfect timing. Opal has been doing worse. The doctors have developed a special medicine, but it hasn't been tested clinically yet. You and Opal are about the same height and weight. Give the medicine a go. I wanna know if there are any side effects."

I widened my eyes as I stared at him. He said that so bluntly? He didn't feel guilty at all?

"Are you with me just to use me to do tests for her?"

Dale and I were college classmates. He was the president of the student union back then, and I had always had a crush on him.

But he was so perfect, and I thought our paths would never cross. Surprisingly, he told me he liked me at a gathering.

I thought he knew I liked him, too. Yet the fact was that Opal, like me, was a music major, and I once defeated her in a competition.

He pursued me just to upset her.

And there was more. Ever since the beginning, I was just her substitute.

"What are you talking about? Opal is just my friend. Stop being so paranoid."

He picked up his phone and made a call, saying, "Patrick, get me the medicine."

I frowned, displeased with his tyranny.

I tilted my body and was about to walk away. "Try it yourself."

I wasn't crazy. Why would I test for Opal?

I wasn't some cheap woman.

Moreover, I was pregnant.

I was so angry that my stomach hurt a little. I didn't wanna waste time here with Dale.

Yet Dale grabbed my arm forcefully, and I almost stumbled and fell to the floor.

I instinctively protected my belly.

Dale looked at me coldly and said, "You want a child, right? Go through the medicine testing, and I'll have one with you."

He swiped his phone a few times and sent a few messages.

"I have already asked someone to get the wedding ready."

We got the marriage certificate, but because he was busy, we never had a wedding.

He knew that I wanted a wedding of my own badly.

I looked at Dale coldly.

He was still as cold and noble as when he was in college.

After all these years, I still couldn't change him and get him to love me no matter how hard I tried.

He probably couldn't remember why I insisted on having a child.

Dale had a difficult time starting his business. I supported him by living in the basement with him and delivering takeout.

I fainted at home when he was on a business trip.

Because of overwork, I lost our first baby.

Before I even realized he was in my body, I had already lost him forever.

I was an orphan and was raised by my grandmother.

Since I could remember, I had been bullied by other children.

Other children had their parents to stand up for them, but not me. No one desired a warm family more than me.

So, I tried my best to see to it that my child would grow up in a happy, carefree family.

But I had been malnourished and in poor health ever since.

The doctor said it would be difficult for me to conceive again.

To get pregnant again, I had gone to many doctors, sought help from all kinds of people, and tried various meds. I just wanted to have another baby.

Dale saw all the suffering I endured, but he didn't care.

Now he even used having another baby to be a bargaining chip to force me.

I looked at him coldly. "No need. Dale, let's get a divorce."

A hint of contempt flashed across his eyes.

"You want a divorce? Drop the act, Regina."

Dale obviously didn't believe that I was willing to leave him.

After all, in his eyes, I loved him so much. As long as he was alive, he'd always be my first choice.

I treated him better than I treated myself.

At that time, to support Dale's entrepreneurship, I refused the opportunity to study abroad.

I grasped every chance to make money, including doing live-streaming online and commercial performances. From spring to winter, I was always busy.

I damaged my vocal cords and coughed up blood because I was so busy.

I didn't want Dale to feel guilty, so I told him it was just a cold and a sore throat.

He always bought it and never cared.

In fact, he had never really cared about me.

During those dark days, all he needed was someone to accompany him. Actually, a pet would do the trick.

It could be me, a cat, or a dog. For him, it was all the same.

He knew me very well and was well aware of what I desired the most.

He also knew how to get me in control.

But now, I had already seen through him. I didn't want him anymore. I only wanted my baby. I'd give my baby a warm home.

I was about to say something when Opal walked over and interrupted our conversation.

"You must be Regina. I've heard so much about you. You're doing the med testing for me? Thank you."

She reached out her hand to me with a gentle and peaceful smile.

I snorted and ignored her.

In fact, we had had interactions before. In a music competition in college, she lost to me.

Dale frowned and reproached, "Didn't you hear Opal greeting you? Regina, do you have manners or not?"

I looked him in the eye and said, "No."

Dale was about to say something when Opal grabbed his sleeve.

"Forget it, Dale. After all, no one knows what the side effects will be. Since Regina doesn't want to, drop it. Don't force her."

Dale was even more infuriated after hearing her words.

"Regina, can't you be like Opal? Be sensible, OK? Opal is sick. Why can't you help her?

"Besides, I'm just asking you to do the testing. I'm not asking you to risk your life. Be kind, can you?"

His theory was so ridiculous.

Who said I was supposed to be kind and do the testing for Opal?

He pursed his lips into a straight line, and I knew him well enough to know it meant he was unhappy.

Every time he got angry, no matter whose fault it was, I was always the first one to give in.

But right now, I just wanted to leave before Patrick Corbyn, his assistant, brought the medicine over.

I didn't want to argue with him.

Seeing that I was about to leave, Dale blocked my way.

"Regina, if you dare to leave, I'll take everything from you."

He looked confident. Seemed he was certain his threat would work.

Before I could answer, Patrick came with several bodyguards.

"Mr. Lane, the medicine is here."