I let out a bitter laugh and shook my head.

Before, I had only thought Sarah wasn’t very smart.

But I never imagined she could be this foolish.

“I’ll be resting at home for ten months. As long as I deliver this baby, I’ll have earned $30,000. Tell me, how is that wrong?” she snapped.

“Don’t tell me you just magically got pregnant with Jessica’s husband’s child.”

My eyes grew colder.

“Of course it wasn’t magic.”

“Then how did it happen?”

“I… with him…”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Sarah clamped up.

“Why don’t you finish your sentence?”

“Ethan, can’t you be a little more open-minded? It was just one night. The lights were off, and in my head, I was imagining you. I didn’t even think of him as Jessica’s husband.”

Hearing that nearly made me choke on my own breath.

What kind of person could even say something like that?

I shot up from the couch, glaring at her coldly. “You’re a real genius!”

I turned to leave.

If I kept talking to her, I might not be able to hold back.

Honestly, I had already shown incredible restraint.

Any other man would’ve beaten her by now.

She had cheated, and yet she had the gall to dress it up as some noble sacrifice “for the family.”

What a piece of work!

“Where are you going?” Sarah grabbed me.

“Get your filthy hands off me.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I don’t want to see you again. Looking at your face makes me sick.”

“Ethan, you bastard! Even if I really made a mistake, you can’t curse me like this. When you married me, you promised to love me forever. Is this your so-called love?”

“Love my ass. Get lost!”

Barely controlling my fury, I shoved her hand away and stormed toward the door.

“Ethan, I swear if you walk out that door, I’ll never forgive you!”

“Idiot!”

I cursed, yanked open the door—only to find Jessica Reed standing there, her hand half-raised.

“Ethan…”

I ignored her, giving only a cold glance before leaving.

After I was gone, Jessica stepped inside.

Moments later, I could still hear Sarah crying and screaming, cursing me for being heartless.

That night, I drowned my sorrows with friends at a bar.

I told no one about Sarah’s absurd stunt.

Not because I wanted to protect her reputation—

But because I was too ashamed myself.

When the drinking ended, I considered getting a room at a hotel.

But then it struck me.

The house was mine.

Why should that woman stay there while I slept elsewhere?

So I went home at midnight.

To my surprise, Jessica was still there.

The two women were sharing late-night takeout.

As soon as Sarah saw me, she quickly set down her chopsticks and beamed.

“Darling, come eat some BBQ. Jessica brought it.”

From her reaction, it was as if nothing had happened.

Jessica also invited me to join.

I nodded.

Sarah, thinking I had come around, eagerly patted the seat beside her and even passed me some food.

During the meal, Sarah kept sneaking glances at me.

Seeing that I acted normal, she finally gathered her courage.

“Darling, I know I was wrong. Please forgive me this once. Besides, this is Jessica’s lifelong matter. Without me, no one else could help her. Just think of it as a sacrifice I made for my best friend. Please?”

I said nothing, simply eating.

After drinking all night, I was starving.

When I didn’t respond, Sarah shot Jessica a look.

Jessica understood immediately.

She shifted closer to me.

“Ethan, it’s not entirely Sarah’s fault. We really had no choice. Something happened to me before, and the doctors said I could never get pregnant. But I love my husband so much. He adores children. We just wanted a child so badly.”

I snorted. “Couldn’t you adopt from an orphanage?”

“My husband says raising a child who isn’t his blood means nothing.”

“So you two conspired to trick my wife?”

“They didn’t trick me…” Sarah cut in.

“Shut up!” I glared at her.

Jessica raised her hand as if swearing. “Ethan, I promise, we didn’t trick Sarah. She just pitied me and wanted to help.”

Then, suddenly, Jessica stood and slipped off her jacket.

She wore a revealing black camisole underneath.

Her pale shoulders and stomach were bare, her fragrance overwhelming at such close distance.

The next second, before I could react, her cheeks flushed as she perched on my lap, arms around my neck.

“Ethan, if this really bothers you, I can make it up to you. We’ll call it even, and you won’t blame Sarah anymore, okay?”

I was taken aback, though my expression quickly hardened.

Sarah, seeing I didn’t immediately push her away, leaned in and whispered, “Darling, let me tell you a secret.”

I looked at her coldly.

“Jessica has plenty of tricks. She’s taught me many. Just give the word, and I promise tonight you won’t sleep a wink.”

“Sarah, don’t say it like that,” Jessica murmured, her face bright red.

Then she leaned closer, breath warm against me.

“Ethan, what do you think of my proposal? Does it work?”

At that moment, my entire worldview shattered.

One woman secretly carrying her best friend’s baby.

The other suggesting sleeping with me to settle the score.

What kind of twisted logic was this?

Still, I feigned hesitation and said, “Get off me first.”

Jessica slid off my lap.

“I’m going to take a shower,” I announced.

The two women exchanged knowing smiles.

“Darling, wash up well,” Sarah said playfully.

“I’ll be waiting,” Jessica added softly.

I stepped into the bathroom.

Out in the living room, the two of them whispered.

“Sarah, are you sure this will work?”

“Relax, it will. With your body and looks, how many men could resist the temptation of a married woman like you?”