Chapter 1

Zachary Twain's female secretary was pregnant.

He showed up at our home with her in tow on our ninth anniversary.

He spoke to me in a nonchalant manner.

"She's a picky eater. Don't offer her the same thing twice. Also, she's easily spooked at night and needs someone close by. So, pack up your things. You're moving to the guest room."

I didn't say a word. I picked up the suitcase I'd already packed and calmly made my way to the exit.

The butler tried to stop me, but Zachary sneered and said, "She can act out all she wants. She'll come crawling back in three days anyway."

Everyone laughed at that.

They placed a ten-million-dollar bet right in front of me, wagering that I wouldn't make it through the night and that I'd return crying and begging for Zachary to let me in like a lapdog.

However, they didn't know that the Maybach someone arranged was already waiting outside.

This time, I was leaving for real.

Just as I was about to leave the mansion, Zachary suddenly called out to me.

"Keira, leave your lucky charm behind. Bee has been plagued by nightmares recently."

That lucky charm was a memento left to me by my parents in the form of a bracelet.

He remained indifferent despite the tears welling in my eyes.

"Name your price."

What was a nine-year marriage worth when it's been dragged through the mud?

I couldn't be bothered to do the math.

All I knew was that he stripped me bare and dumped me on the mountainside the last time I refused to give Abigail Nelson my goggles while we were at the ski resort.

I took off the bracelet and fastened it onto Abigail's wrist. Then, I said to her, "May the baby you're carrying be born safe and unharmed."

Upon hearing my blessing, Zachary let me off the hook just this once.

"As long as you behave, my child is your child too, Keira."

The moment those words left his mouth, the bracelet on Abigail's wrist suddenly slipped off and shattered.

Zachary scooped her up into his arms the moment he noticed a cut on Abigail's leg.

He barked at the butler to summon the family doctor.

His anxious demeanor made everyone present shoot me amused looks.

At that moment, it wasn't just them who found the situation funny.

Even I thought it was laughable.

When I was suffering from a heart attack last night, Zachary was on his way out to watch the meteor shower with Abigail.

Even as I collapsed to the ground, foaming at the mouth, he stepped over me without a flicker of emotion.

Just before I lost consciousness, I heard him giving the butler instructions.

"Have the entire living room disinfected. Bee will be coming home tomorrow. I don't want her smelling anything foul."

I tightened my grip on the luggage handle and turned to leave, but Zachary grabbed me by the wrist. His expression was icy.

"Apologize."

"Wha—" Before I could finish, he dragged me over and forced me to kneel at Abigail's feet.

My knees scraped against the shattered crystal, staining the marble floor red.

Disgust flashed in his eyes at the sight of the bloodstains. He let go of me.

"You broke Bee's bracelet with your petty tricks and got her injured. Don't you think you owe her an apology?"

Ever since I married Zachary, the words "I'm sorry" had become my catchphrase.

If my soups were too bland, I was made to apologize.

I texted him because I was worried he wasn't feeling well after drinking. For that, I was sorry.

I was truly sorry for invading his privacy when I accidentally read Abigail's texts asking him to meet at a hotel.

I bit the inside of my cheek and resigned myself to standing up.

I bowed deeply to Abigail and apologized three times. Then, I looked at Zachary with blank eyes and quietly asked, "Will that suffice?"

The sight of the blood on my lips had Zachary's nostrils flaring.

"Keira, my father isn't here to back you up. Who exactly are you putting on this pathetic act for?"

Before I could answer, the family doctor rushed in.

After pushing me aside, Zachary led the doctor to Abigail.

Chapter 2

While Abigail occupied Zachary's full attention, I walked briskly out the door.

Just as I stepped outside the mansion, I heard two sharp honks.

I instinctively quickened my pace upon seeing the silver sedan beyond the iron gates.

However, before the gates could open, two bodyguards suddenly appeared and forcibly dragged me back into the mansion.

Once we were in the study, Zachary had me tied up.

Then, he ordered someone to pierce my arm with a thick hollow needle.

Through the half-open door, I overheard the doctor saying to him, "Mr. Twain, while both your wife and Ms. Nelson have RH-negative blood, your wife has a long-standing heart condition.

"Forcibly drawing blood could trigger an acute shock. I strongly suggest taking Ms. Nelson to the hospital for a blood transfusion to treat her anemia…"

"Don't try to talk me out of it. Your only job is to make sure Bee recovers. I'll handle the rest," Zachary said coldly.

My eyes fluttered shut when I heard Zachary's approaching footsteps.

"Does it hurt?"

His voice was unusually tender.

"Just hang in there. It'll be over soon."

I turned my head away as I couldn't be bothered to speak to him.

My lips were already turning purple after 17 ounces of my blood had been drawn.

Then, Abigail, who was lying in the master bedroom, suddenly coughed.

Hearing this, Zachary immediately stopped the doctor from removing the needle and ordered him to draw double the amount.

The doctor was sweating bullets as he explained to Zachary that I might die if this continued.

There was a brief moment of hesitance before Zachary said, "Bee is pregnant. A pregnant woman comes first."

"But—"

I cut off the doctor's protest. "Do it. Just let me go when it's done."

Zachary stared at my pasty complexion with cold fury in his eyes. He opened his mouth—probably to ask if I was done with the theatrics and if I was seriously leaving over something this petty.

That was when Abigail called out coyly, "Zach…"

And just like that, he was pulled away again.

Two days quickly passed. I had gone into shock, which landed me in the hospital. The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was Zachary reviewing some documents.

Our eyes met.

His expression was placid as he brought me a bowl of chicken noodle soup and made a motion to feed me.

However, I shook my head.

"I'll do it myself."

He watched in silence as I finished half the bowl. Then, he asked, "Are you still feeling unwell?"

I ignored his question. Instead, I muttered, "Please give me my phone."

Perhaps I sounded too detached. Zachary stood there stunned for a few seconds before finally calling the butler to fetch my phone.

Upon noticing several missed calls on my phone, he suddenly asked, "Who called you?"

He never used to ask so many questions.

I felt a flash of annoyance and replied, "Someone you don't know."

Zachary undid the top button of his dress shirt and stared down at me with an icy gaze.

"How long do you plan on throwing a tantrum, Keira? You get a bit of attention and you think you run the whole show, huh?"

In the past, whenever he got angry, I would reflect on my mistakes while trying to appease him.

But now, I simply pointed to the vibrating phone in his hand and said flatly, "Abigail is calling."

Zachary's eyes flickered with a ghost of a smile at that. Then, just like always, he turned away from me and disappeared down the hospital corridor.

The moment he left, my phone rang.

I answered, but before I could say a word, the person on the other end of the line started, "Didn't you say you'd come find me? Did you change your mind, Keira?"

"I didn't. I just got into a little accident…"

"An accident? What happened to you? No, I'm flying back…"

Chapter 3

I cut off the other man's chatter, lowered my gaze, and pressed my lips together. "Just give me a few more days."

I had just ended my call when Zachary returned to the ward.

When he noticed the smile he hadn't seen in ages playing on my lips, an unexpected heaviness settled in his chest.

But he had just promised Abigail to immediately return to her side to sing lullabies to her and her baby. Thus, he didn't have time to ask who I'd been talking to.

He figured it was probably my cousin who stopped by occasionally. Ever since I married him, the only people left in my social circle were blood-related women.

After grabbing his documents, Zachary left without turning back.

"Something came up at work, Keira. I'll come back tomorrow," he said coldly.

Tomorrow came and went. Then, the day after passed. He never showed up even on the day after that.

However, thanks to our mutual acquaintances, I received a steady stream of videos of him and Abigail.

He took her to parties and dinners and acted like a lovesick teenager who was eager to show her off to the world.

On the day I was discharged from the hospital, Zachary posted a nine-photo collage on his social media.

He stood in a hot air balloon, romantically cradling Abigail's flushed cheeks as they shared a passionate kiss while the sun dipped below the horizon.

I left a comment that said, "Wishing you both a long, happy life and a child to share it with."

Zachary called me ten minutes later.

I didn't answer.

Half an hour later, I saw Zachary and Abigail outside the obstetrics department after I handled the discharge procedures by myself.

I overheard the nurse at the front desk speaking to Abigail.

"Your husband is really sweet, Mrs. Twain. He's here with you for every appointment. Even during your ultrasounds, he insists on warming the gel himself before allowing us to use it on you."

The pregnant women nearby all looked on in envy upon hearing the nurse's words.

I instinctively rested my hand against my stomach. I remembered that there had been a baby in my womb once, too.

I lost too much blood and miscarried on the day of the car accident. I video-called Zachary in tears, but I was met with the sight of a naked Abigail.

"Hello, Mrs. Twain. Mr. Twain lost a game against me. He's currently chained to the bed and serving his punishment. Do you need something?"

I hung up immediately without saying a word.

Barely a minute later, Zachary called me back. He had a teary-eyed Abigail in his embrace as he cursed me out. He accused me of being petty and foolish.

And then he said, "I wonder what a useless idiot like you is good for. You can't even protect your own child. You should get hit by a truck and die, Keira."

I snapped out of my daze. I was just about to take a detour when Zachary strode over with a frosty expression.

"Why are you just standing there like an idiot?"

I lowered my gaze and instinctively explained, "I wasn't following you. This really was just a coincidence. I'm sorry for disturbing you."

"Wait."

A shadow of jealousy crossed Abigail's gaze when Zachary frowned and shouted at me.

She tightened her grip on his hand and smiled at me.

"Mrs. Twain, I really want to thank you for donating blood to me. If not for you, I'd still be dizzy right now. Zach, could you please let her come home with us? Please?"

Zachary tenderly brushed Abigail's nose.

"You're the kindest mama-to-be the world has ever seen. Whatever you say goes."

I had planned on returning to collect my luggage anyway, so I didn't turn down Abigail's "kind" offer.

It was inside the spacious black car that I soon found a pair of lace underwear—still damp, wedged between the seats as Abigail intended.

"Oh my… Why is that still in the car? Zach, didn't you say you already took care of it?"

Chapter 4

Abigail bit her lip and snuggled into Zachary's arms, blushing as she playfully pounded his chest.

Zachary let out a soft chuckle as he apologized to Abigail for his carelessness while keeping a covert eye on my expression.

When he realized that I wasn't angry in the slightest, that stifling feeling he felt in the hospital ward that day crept in again.

"Keira, you've been glued to your phone since you got in the car."

His tone came out harsh and almost jealous.

"Are you chatting with your cousin or with someone I don't know?"

I had just booked my flight, so I turned off my phone screen.

"Just browsing the news."

The furrow between Zachary's brows only grew more pronounced when he heard my answer.

He snatched my phone while I wasn't paying attention and demanded to know my password.

"My birthday."

We had been married for nine years.

It was a simple six-digit code, but Zachary tried inputting the string of numbers over and over again until the phone locked him out. He failed to unlock it as he had hoped.

The silence stretched the entire way until we reached our destination.

As soon as the car came to a stop, Zachary, looking deeply concerned, guided the queasy Abigail to the master bedroom.

Then, he ordered the cook to prepare Abigail's favorite dishes.

As he came back downstairs, he caught sight of me retreating into the guest room.

After giving it some thought, he said to the cook, "Prepare two dishes my wife likes. Set the table for three."

Once I was back in the guest room, I opened my luggage to find that all my clothes had been slashed to ribbons.

Thankfully, my passport and documents hidden in the inner lining were left untouched.

I gathered my papers and was ready to leave when Abigail stepped in front of my door, blocking my path.

She held a black bottle in her hand as she sized me up with undisguised contempt.

"You're quite patient, Keira. I humiliated you and made you the laughingstock of high society. And yet, you continue to cling to the Twains and refuse to leave. Then again, that old hag from the Sullivan family passed away last month, didn't she? Without her to back you up, of course, you'd cling to Zach like he's your lifeline."

Abigail suddenly remembered something she found amusing.

"Do you remember the day you were crying and pleading for Zach to fly you by helicopter to the hospital to see your grandmother before she passed? Do you know why he refused?

"Because he had already promised to take me to the beach to watch the sunset that day. See this picture on my phone of us kissing? It was taken that very evening."

I smacked Abigail's phone out of her hand. I had finally had enough and grabbed her by her throat.

The bottle in her hand slipped. The stench of gasoline immediately filled the air.

During the chaos, a flustered Abigail set fire to the gasoline spilled across the floor.

Thick smoke filled the air as the flames continued to rage.

As I was freshly out of the hospital, I was quickly overwhelmed by the fumes and collapsed helplessly to the ground.

That was when I heard Zachary's voice.

"Keira!"

Right after that, the household staff's voices could be heard stopping him.

"Sir, it's too dangerous! You can't go in there! The security team will be here with the fire extinguisher soon…"

"Move aside! Keira is still in there!"

He charged inside regardless of the danger.

Only, he hadn't realized that Abigail was still inside too.

"Zach, save—"

Before Abigail could finish her sentence, Zachary scooped her up without hesitation and walked out, never sparing me a single glance.

Half an hour later, after calming Abigail down, he scoured the entire mansion. However, I was nowhere to be found.

…

It was late at night at the airport.

After mailing my package, I boarded the flight to Nortzence, coughing as I went.

I received a text from Zachary just before takeoff.

"I don't have time to play games with you."

Chapter 5

"Abigail is having her prenatal checkup tomorrow morning at 10:00 am. Go with her to get your lungs checked."

I never replied. Instead, I removed my SIM card and switched off my phone.

May we never meet again, Zachary Twain.

…

Zachary and Abigail were at the hospital the next day.

"Zach, is our baby okay?"

He immediately wrapped his arms around her at the sight of her vulnerable gaze. "The doctor said the baby is in good health and showed no impact from yesterday's incident," he answered softly.

"That's such a relief. You've had this serious look on your face and haven't said a word since we got to the hospital. I thought something had happened to our baby."

Her careless words made Zachary pause.

His mind drifted back to my icy stare fixed on him amid the raging inferno.

He frowned and tapped into his inbox once more.

He was annoyed that I hadn't replied to his messages.

In the past, no matter how much he snubbed me, I always acceded to his demands.

But now, it seemed I was acting all high and mighty.

He laughed dryly to himself. Then, he carefully walked Abigail out of the obstetrics department. After having lunch with her, he saw her home and then made his way to the office.

As soon as Zachary set foot in the office, a male subordinate reported that William Twain had returned to Crupeland. According to the staff, William called for a meeting with the executives in Conference Room One.

Zachary walked toward the conference room while casually instructing the male staff, "Buy me a few of the latest designer purses and jewelry that are currently in trend."

The subordinate responded immediately. "Sure thing, Mr. Twain. I'll get someone on the gifts right away and have them delivered to Ms. Nelson's residence."

Zachary stopped in his tracks and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Have them delivered to the Sullivan residence."

To him, I had no other place to go after leaving the mansion besides the Sullivan residence.

Zachary finally returned home a week later after wrapping up his project on one late night. He was greeted by the sight of a slender figure clad in a silk nightgown curled up on the sofa in the living room.

"Keira, how many times have I told you that I'll be home once I'm done with work? You don't have to…"

As he stepped closer, he realized that the woman on the sofa was Abigail. Whatever scorn he'd been about to voice died in his throat.

He leveled an unblinking, icy stare at her.

Abigail shuddered, her expression a mix of hurt and helplessness.

"Mrs. Twain hasn't been home in days, Zach. I sent her so many messages to apologize, but she kept ignoring me. Maybe I should move out."

Seeing Abigail on the verge of tears again, Zachary sighed inwardly and pulled her into his arms.

He gave her a somewhat perfunctory kiss on her forehead and told her to take better care of herself instead of dwelling on irrelevant matters.

"No matter how Keira feels about it, from this day forward, you and the child belong in this home."

Half an hour after Zachary made that promise, he stood alone on the balcony in his robe, smoking a cigarette.

He had quit smoking long ago. And yet, for some reason, he couldn't resist the urge to smoke tonight.

As if guided by an unseen force, Zachary scrolled through his contacts to find my number at the very bottom of his contact list.

His thumb hovered over the call button for a long while.

After finishing two cigarettes, he chose to send me a warning text rather than making the call.

"It's Grandpa's 80th birthday tomorrow. You'd do well not to cause a scene at the birthday party. Bee and the baby don't need your drama."

On the day of William's birthday celebration, Zachary and Abigail showed up together and presented themselves as a close couple.

It was not until William made his entrance that Zachary let go of Abigail's hand. He took his place by William's side and accompanied him in receiving important guests.