When I arrived at the private room, still in mourning clothes, they had just raised their glasses for a wedding toast.

Caden shot me a glance, then barked, "Cassandra isn't feeling well. You drink in her place."

I froze. Drinking during pregnancy—especially this far along—could seriously harm the baby. Caden knew that better than anyone.

I bit my lip, trembling. I silently begged him to take it back.

Thankfully, a mutual friend stepped in to speak for me.

"Caden, Laura just lost her mom. She's been handling the funeral while eight months pregnant. This alcohol's strong—maybe don't make her drink?"

"Laura hasn't eaten either, right? Come on, sit down and have something first," someone else added.

Just as I thought I could breathe, Cassandra Siemsen burst into tears beside Caden. "Laura, I'm so sorry," she cried, sobbing dramatically. "It's all my fault. I just wanted to make a good impression on Caden's friends. If I weren't sick, I wouldn't have troubled you like this..."

Her tears instantly triggered Caden's protective instincts.

He glared at me, all patience gone. "Well? What are you waiting for? Get over here!"

"The baby's already eight months along," he said coldly. "Drinking won't kill it. If it can't even handle a glass of wine, then it doesn't deserve to be my child."

As he spoke, his disgusted gaze dropped to my stomach.

Before this, all nine of my babies were aborted right at three months—arranged by Caden himself.

Every time I begged him through the pain to stop the procedure, he'd shake me off with ice in his voice. "Pay off the debt you dumped on my parents before you even think you're qualified to carry my child.

"If you make it to the tenth, then maybe I'll let you keep it."

So now, with this one miracle child nearly full-term, I didn't dare go against him again.

Staggering forward, I took the wine glass Cassandra had been holding.

The alcohol burned down, and my stomach twisted violently. I nearly threw it back up.

Before I could even steady myself, another man stood and raised his glass toward Cassandra.

"What a shame I didn't get to drink with Mrs. Schulte tonight. So here's to her birthday—let this cheap woman drink in your place."

That word—cheap—sent a jolt through me. My grip on the wineglass tightened instinctively.

Caden stood there, blank-faced. He didn't defend me. He didn't say a word.

Cassandra stifled a laugh behind her hand and giggled flirtatiously. "Don't call me Mrs. Schulte—it sounds so formal. Just call me Cassandra, okay?"

Then she turned to Caden, beaming. "Right, Caden?"

Caden tilted his head, smiling like nothing was wrong. "As long as you like it."

The two of them flirted openly like I wasn't even there.

I knew then—Caden truly hated me.

He hated me enough to skip my mother's funeral. Hated me enough to force me, his wife, to drink in honor of his beloved.

Hated me so much, he was now taking away even my identity as his wife.

My chest felt like it was being eaten alive by ants—small, sharp, endless pain.

After that, I stopped counting the glasses. No matter how many were handed to me, I drank them all.

The only thing I remembered was walking out of the restaurant after dinner. Caden held Cassandra's hand gently and whispered, "The car's warm inside. Hurry up and get in—you don't want your cold to get worse."

And me? I stood off to the side, the wind cutting through my black clothes, making my stomach churn. I nearly vomited.

Caden turned to me and snapped, "If Cassandra weren't sick, you think you'd have the honor of drinking for her? Don't overstep your bounds.

"Even if that bastard in your belly dies tonight, you better not throw up—not a single drop, or else..."

I bit down on my lip so hard I tasted blood and forced the bile back down my throat.

I didn't dare throw up until I was sure Caden had gone far enough. As soon as I found a quiet, empty spot, I doubled over and started retching.

Suddenly, a rough, heavy hand landed on my back.

"Damn, you've got one hell of a body."

"Ah!" I screamed and instinctively turned around, stumbling backward in fear.

But with my pregnant belly, my movements were clumsy. I barely took two steps before twisting my ankle and falling to the ground.

The man's sleazy grin hovered over me as he rubbed his hands together, stepping closer with a thin string of spit at the corner of his mouth. "So, you're pregnant, huh? Never had one of those before. Come on, let me show you a good time."

Terrified, I grabbed a nearby tree branch and pointed it at him, my voice shaking. "D... Don't come any closer! I'll call the cops!"

"Come on, baby!" he cackled, snatching the branch away and lunging down to bite at my neck.

He was strong—he pinned me down with just one hand. No matter how hard I struggled, it was useless.

All I could do was scream. "Help! Someone help me! He's trying to assault me!"

Tears streamed down my face as, instinctively, I thought of Caden.

I prayed—begged—that he'd remember I wasn't well and come back for me.

But that hope shattered as the man began tearing at my clothes. Caden never came.

Just as despair swallowed me whole, my hand brushed against a rock. I grabbed it and, with every ounce of strength left in me, smashed it against the man.

He howled in pain and loosened his grip. I broke free and scrambled to my feet, not caring about my torn clothes—I just ran, ran toward where there were people.

I didn't get far before I crashed into someone. Panicked, I screamed and flailed. "No! Don't touch me, please don't!"

"Laura, it's me!" a familiar voice said. I blinked through my tears and saw Jacob Leibold—the man who'd stood up for me earlier in the private room.

Seeing the state I was in, he quickly took off his coat and wrapped it around me. His voice was tense. "What happened? Did someone hurt you?"

I was crying so hard I couldn't speak. I just shook my head over and over.

He didn't press further. Instead, he took my hand and led me to his car.

Once I was inside, finally safe and warm, I began to calm down.

Staring out at the city lights blurring past the window, I found myself drifting back to three years ago.

Back then, Caden and I were the golden couple—everyone envied us.

Caden was famously obsessed with me.

I loved roses, so he filled our entire garden with them, making sure I could see them all year round.

I'd admired a sapphire at an auction once, and the next day it appeared in our home.

Anything I wanted, Caden would find a way to get it, just to make me smile.

But everything changed during a prenatal checkup. Caden had been out of town for work, so he asked his parents to go with me to the hospital.

On the way, we got into a car crash.

I was lucky enough to crawl out of the wreckage, but I went back to try and save his parents. The car exploded with all of us still inside.

At that moment, staring death in the face, his parents begged the reaper not to take me or the baby I was carrying.

That's when I made a deal with Death. If I could give birth to a child within two years, Death would allow me to live again, and the baby I was carrying at the time would be returned to me.

I accepted without hesitation. After all, Caden and I had been madly in love for seven years. I truly believed the deal would be easy.

What I didn't expect was that when I woke up in the hospital, I was suddenly the woman who'd "abandoned" his parents in the crash to save herself. I was labeled a coward, a murderer who cost two lives. And the person who was credited with saving them? Cassandra.

No matter how many times I tried to explain, Caden refused to believe me.

"There's security footage showing you running away. What excuse could you possibly have?

"I spoiled you too much, Laura Cartan."

From that moment on, Caden hated me.

He hated me so much... that even now, after all this time, I haven't been able to bring a single child into this world.

By the time I arrived at the Schulte's mansion, the house was completely dark.

I figured they hadn't come back yet.

But just as I pushed open the door, a cold voice cut through the silence.

"Why are you back so late?

"You really couldn't wait to find a man, could you?"

I trembled with rage at his words. I'd never talked back to Caden before, but this time, I couldn't hold it in.

"So you can sleep around, but I can't even talk to another man?"

I took a shaky breath, trying to calm myself. "Caden, do you have any idea—I nearly..."

Before I could finish, an excited voice interrupted from inside. "Caden, look at me! Doesn't this look amazing on me?"

I turned my head in the direction of the voice and froze. Cassandra stood in the hallway, beaming, wearing a yellow evening gown—the very same dress I had worn the night of our wedding banquet.

All the hurt and humiliation I'd been holding in exploded at that moment. I stormed toward her, yelling, "That's my dress! Who permitted you to touch it?"

I barely shoved her, but she fell to the floor as if I'd hit her with full force.

Hearing her cry out, Caden rushed over and shoved me aside, roaring, "How dare you lay a hand on Cassandra over a piece of trash like that?"

A piece of trash.

That's what he called it.

Three years ago, he had proudly handed it to me and said, "This is a custom-made gown from a heritage designer. There's only one like it in the world. It's my gift to you, baby."

I cried tears of joy that night, thinking I'd spend the rest of my life being loved and cherished by him.

But now, that very same gown was "a piece of trash". And apparently, so was I.

I clutched at my chest, holding back my tears, but I was shaking uncontrollably.

If this had been back then, Caden would've dropped everything to comfort me. Now, all he did was turn to Cassandra and ask, "Are you okay? Did she scare you?"

Then, before heading upstairs with her, he threw one last command at me. "And don't ever wear something like that back here again. It's disgusting.

"You're nothing. How dare you fight Cassandra over anything? You're not allowed upstairs tonight. Think about what you've done."

After he disappeared up the stairs, I finally broke down. Tears fell hard and fast onto the cold floor.

Since Caden had made it clear, I didn't even try to go upstairs.

I thought about the baby growing inside me. That was the only thing that kept me from falling apart completely. I pulled myself together and curled up on the couch, trying to get some sleep. But without even a blanket, I woke up the next morning feeling lightheaded and feverish.

There was no time to rest. I had to attend my mother's funeral.

But just as I was getting ready to leave, Caden called. His voice was as frosty as ever. "Bring the folder from the living room to my office."

"Caden, today's the day my mom is being buried," I pleaded. "Can't you ask someone else to take it?"

I thought I heard Cassandra's voice in the background.

A moment later, his assistant relayed the message. Then Caden's voice came through again, sharp and final. "No room for negotiation. If I were you, I'd hurry up. Maybe you'll make it back in time to let your mother take one last look at her vicious daughter."

The line went dead. I stared at the black screen, a piercing pain twisting in my chest.

I was already running late, so I didn't waste any more time. I grabbed the folder and rushed out the door.

What I didn't expect was to run into Cassandra again.

The second she saw me, she floored the gas pedal and drove straight toward me.

There wasn't a hint of hesitation. It was as if she genuinely meant to run me over—like she wanted to grind me into the pavement.

I froze, too shocked to move. It wasn't until the baby kicked me that I snapped out of it and threw myself to the side.

But before I could catch my breath, the car veered again and came at me from another angle.

A second car appeared and collided with hers, but I was still too close. I was hit and thrown to the ground.

As I lost consciousness, I could've sworn I heard someone shouting...

"Lolly!"

The moment I woke up, my hand instinctively flew to my belly. Only after feeling the faint movement inside did I finally breathe a sigh of relief.

That's when I noticed Caden sitting nearby.

His eyes were bloodshot, and his face was shadowed with unshaven stubble. He looked like he hadn't taken care of himself in days.

But I didn't believe it was a concern for me that kept him there. No—I figured he was just afraid I'd wake up and press charges against Cassandra.

My voice came out hoarse. "Cassandra hit me with her car. She tried to kill me. I'm not letting this go."

Whether it was for me or the baby, I couldn't let her walk away from what she'd done.

Caden froze, clearly caught off guard, then started explaining—defending her.

"Cassandra's mom was just diagnosed with leukemia. She lost her mind for a moment... She didn't know what she was doing."

Seeing that I wasn't backing down, he added, "If you agree not to press charges, I'll let you keep the baby."

I stared at him in disbelief. "Are you serious?"

"I am."

For a moment, I let myself feel happy. The baby would be safe. But outside the hospital room, I didn't notice Cassandra's shadow flash by. Her hands were clenched tight at her sides, her eyes filled with a venomous glare that no amount of makeup could hide.

Silence settled over the room after that.

Then Caden's phone rang.

All I could hear was soft, muffled sobbing—Cassandra's—and then Caden's gentle, comforting voice. "I told you I'd take care of everything. I'm coming back to be with you, okay?"

When the call ended, he handed me a legal document. "A waiver. Sign it. My assistant will come by to collect it."

Without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked out. I stared down at the paper in my hands. Before I knew it, my vision was blurred with tears.

Even though I'd just been in a car accident, even though I was carrying his child, none of that mattered. All he cared about was the woman who caused it all because she cried.

So that was it. As long as Cassandra's happiness was at stake, my child got to live. I got to stay.

Not out of love. Not out of guilt. Just convenience. But despite knowing that, I couldn't find any joy. The paper in my hands was supposed to bring relief, but all it brought was emptiness.

This wasn't how things were supposed to be between us.

He used to care about me more than anyone—used to say I was the only one who mattered.

Days passed without a word from Caden.

It wasn't until the day before I was discharged that I saw him again—this time with Cassandra, standing hand-in-hand at the hospital entrance.

He was leaning down to support her. "Careful now. Walk slowly."

They looked just like a loving couple out of a picture-perfect romance.

Cassandra spotted me too. She gave a tiny smile, then nudged Caden's waist with her elbow. "Babe, I think I left the necklace you gave me in the hospital room. Could you go check for it?"

Caden looked at me. Hesitated. Then nodded and left.

Once he was gone, Cassandra walked up to me and gently took my hand.

"Laura," she said in a soft voice, "thank you for agreeing to help find a bone marrow match for my mom."

My heart skipped a beat. I frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Cassandra's eyes widened like she'd let something slip, then she quickly covered her mouth. "Oh... Caden didn't tell you?

"He said my mom might need a transplant. And he didn't want me to suffer through it. So he planned to wait until your baby's born..."

I didn't catch the rest. My ears were ringing too loudly.

I stumbled back a few steps, hands clutching at my stomach. A bitter laugh escaped my lips.

So Caden never changed his mind. He never truly wanted the baby. He just saw it as a tool to win favor with Cassandra.

A sharp pain shot through my chest. Then I felt something warm and wet trickling down my legs.

I grabbed a nurse passing by, voice shaking. "Please... Help me... My baby..."

Right before I was rushed into the emergency room, Caden arrived.

This time, his expression was different—frantic. He reached for my hand, his voice trembling. "You'll be okay. When you come out, we can start over. Just the two of us."

I shook my head. I wasn't even listening anymore. Cassandra's words were still ringing in my ears.

Just as the nurses were wheeling me away, I finally found the strength to speak.

"Caden... That night... I didn't run. I saved your parents."

His face went pale. His eyes locked onto mine in stunned silence.

Tears slipped from the corners of my eyes as I closed them.

Maybe it didn't matter whether he believed me or not.

Half an hour later, the sound of a newborn's cry echoed from the delivery room. A nurse came forward, cradling the baby for me to see, just as a loud, jarring alarm blared from the machines.

When the doors opened, Caden rushed in. But before he could say a word, the doctor's voice cut through the room. "The baby's healthy. As for the mother..." He paused, his face grim. "I'm sorry. We did everything we could."