I collapsed when I learned the baby inside me wasn’t mine—but my husband's and his mistress's.

"If Olivia found out you secretly swapped her eggs with mine?" his mistress whispered.

“She will never know.”

I bit my lower lip hard, not daring to make a sound.

Disabled for three years, I took countless hormone shots to finally get pregnant. How could they plan to take my baby?

I took out my phone and made a call:

"Dad, cut off all founds to the Miller Group in three days."

Several days later, Daniel told me he would be on a bussiness trip,

"When I'm back, we'll go take pregnancy photos."

But I knew he was marrying his mistress. We never even had a wedding.

I wasn’t going to sit back and wait. I nodded, “When you come back, I’ll have a special gift for you.”

--

Disabled for three years, I took countless hormone shots to finally get pregnant.

But on my birthday, I heard my husband, Daniel Miller, talking on the phone to another woman in German.

"I can have a baby too. Why does it have to be that cripple? You promised to marry me after the baby's born. You can't go back on your word!"

"Okay, I won't go back on my word.

You silly girl, childbirth is so dangerous. How could I let you go through that?"

The hand holding my recovery report started to shake violently.

Daniel had probably forgotten that I taught him German first.

My leg had already healed a few weeks ago. I was planning to surprise Daniel today.

The call ended. A hint of lust appeared in Daniel's eyes. He didn't notice something was wrong with me.

He frowned, staring at the untouched beef.

"Don't be fussy. Eat more beef. It's good for the baby. Be good."

Looking at the beef he'd put on my plate, I forced a bitter smile.

Once, when I accidentally ate beef, he'd been more worried than me and rushed me to the hospital in the middle of the night.

After that, beef never appeared on our dining table again.

He'd always check the ingredient list before I ate anything.

But now, it seemed Daniel had clearly forgotten all about it.

There was a faint, smug smile on Daniel's face.

He was too busy typing away on his phone, forgetting that this morning he'd promised to spend my birthday with me.

Suddenly, he looked up, with an apologetic look.

"Honey, there's something wrong with the company's accounts. I have to go check on it. I'll be back as soon as I'm done. Just stay home and wait for me, okay?"

Before I could respond, he rushed out of the door.

In an instant, tears streamed down my face.

My heart ached so badly that I could hardly breathe. How could Daniel betray me?

When I was in a car accident and the doctor told me I'd never walk again,

he held my hand and promised to stay with me forever. His words gave me the courage to live on.

Later, he married me, defying his family's opposition.

In disbelief, I opened my phone, only to see a photo a friend had sent me.

Under a dim streetlight, a man and a woman were passionately embracing and kissing, just like a couple madly in love.

The all - too - familiar figure brought me back to harsh reality.

With trembling hands, I replied to her message.

: No, Daniel is at home with me for my birthday. You must have seen wrong.

I stared at the photo for a long time, then suddenly realized the woman in the picture was the company translator who came to our house last week to pick up some documents.

I found her WhatsApp in the company group chat and added Chloe Adams using my alternate social media account.

She accepted the request quickly.

I clicked through her social media feed, post by post.

: Having an affair with someone else's husband in the study, my heart is about to leap out of my chest (just kidding, hehe.

)

The timing matched perfectly. It was from a week ago.

Back then, Chloe came out of the study with a flushed face, and Daniel followed closely behind her, looking awkward.

I had thought maybe she was sick, or maybe it was just too hot in the house.

But it never occurred to me that they had deliberately chosen to have an affair in the study for the thrill of it.

While I was still in a daze, Chloe posted something new on her social media feed.

Daniel, who was supposed to be at the office, was now in her post.

In the photo, Daniel was sitting obediently on the sofa, chatting with the elderly. He looked like the perfect son - in - law.

When I clicked on the animated picture, Chloe's voice came through with a smile.

"Grandma, he's come here four times this week. You still think it's not enough?"

My nose stung, and tears instantly fell onto my phone.

Last year, my mom was sick in the hospital and had three or four surgeries, but Daniel, my husband, never showed up even once.

I couldn't move around easily then. I repeatedly pleaded with Daniel to go and visit my mom, but he firmly refused me.

He said, "I'm not a doctor. There's no point in me going.

If you care about her, you can have the driver take you instead of making things difficult for me."

'd thought he was just bad at interacting with the elderly. Even when my mom hinted at her disappointment later, I still made excuses for him.

Now it seems he just felt that I was the one putting him in a difficult position.

For three years of marriage, I had flaunted Daniel's love and possessiveness for me to others countless times. But now it's all become a complete joke.

My vision blurred, and my heart felt as if it was being wrung, aching and stinging.

Daniel didn't come back until the middle of the night.

He reeked of cheap perfume, making my stomach churn.

He put his big hand on my waist and said in an intimate tone.

"Honey, the baby's stable now, so how about we... tonight?"

I grabbed Daniel's hand and guided it straight down.

When his hand touched my motionless legs, he jerked it back as if electrocuted.

His face darkened, and his tone turned cold.

"What's the meaning of this?

Wasn't it just that I missed your birthday celebration today?

It was just one meal. Is it really that big of a deal?"

I froze, then gave a self-deprecating laugh. "No, I'm just a little tired."

If this were before, I would have been overjoyed and eager to please him.

I thought he refrained from being intimate with me because of my crippled legs.

Turns out he's already satisfied elsewhere.

Listening to Daniel's steady breathing, I stayed awake the whole night.

Daniel got up early to get ready. He even helped me get dressed.

He knelt in front of my wheelchair. "I'm sorry for my harsh words last night. Please don't be mad, okay?

It's the company's annual celebration today. I'll take you there to relax."

I wanted to refuse, but he still took me to the company.

As soon as Daniel wheeled me into the company, whispers reached my ears.

"I don't know what Daniel is thinking. There are plenty of beautiful women out there. Why'd he pick a cripple?"

It was like this every year. Even though Daniel was right beside me, he turns a deaf ear.

Just then, Chloe, in an evening dress, walked over slowly. She gave me a meaningful look.

"Daniel, may I have the honor of dancing with you?"

With a smile in his eyes, Daniel didn't notice my hands clenching tightly.

"Sure."

He left me in my wheelchair and gently took Chloe's hand, dancing gracefully in the middle of the dance floor.

The next moment, all the lights in the room went out.

Fireworks exploded brilliantly outside the window.

I followed the two figures in the dark to the stairwell.

"How could I lie to you? These fireworks are only for you."

"Don't touch me. Have you touched that cripple? I don't want to talk to you anymore!"

Daniel's voice was impatient:

"Just seeing her legs annoys me, let alone... you know.

Come on, let me see if you've missed me."

Hearing this, I couldn't hold back my tears any longer. I covered my mouth and sobbed uncontrollably.

Three years ago, when a car was speeding toward Daniel, I didn't hesitate to rush out and push him away, which is how I ended up with crippled legs.

At my hospital bed, Daniel cried his eyes out and vowed to take care of me for life.

It's only been three years, Daniel. Have you already forgotten?

After they left, I finally let myself cry out loud.

Daniel, what am I to you?

I wiped my tears away and wheeled myself out. Only then did I realize everyone had left.

My phone lay silent in my pocket, without a single message.

I had no choice but to take a cab home.

On the way, I passed that well - known restaurant. Through the window, I saw them cuddling together.

My blood ran cold. I wheeled myself towards them.

Daniel quickly pushed the woman away and said awkwardly

"Olivia Carter, what are you doing here?"

My throat tightened, and my eyes stung.

"You left me at the company and came out for dinner with another woman... Am I really that unimportant to you?"

This restaurant is incredibly hard to get a reservation for. We only came here once before we got married, and never again after that.

Whenever I suggested coming here for dinner, Daniel would always refuse impatiently.

"You have to book that place two days in advance, and even then, you might not get a table. Do you really have to eat there?

It's not convenient for you to go out. Be good and let Helen Dawson cook for you."

I should have known. It wasn't that Daniel found it troublesome; he just didn't want to come here with me.

Chloe said pitifully:

"Mrs. Miller, don't be mad at Daniel. I insisted on coming. If you want to blame someone, blame me."

Seeing this, Daniel's expression became composed.

"I'm just treating an employee to a meal. Do you have to make such a big deal out of it?

Can you stop this female rivalry? Not everyone is your imaginary rival."

I looked at Daniel in disbelief. If I hadn't heard it with my own ears, I would never have believed he would say that to me.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my lower abdomen.

My face turned pale as I clutched my stomach. "It hurts, it hurts so much..."

Daniel immediately pushed Chloe aside, quickly scooped me up, and rushed me to the hospital.

Daniel anxiously questioned the doctor, and secretly sighed in relief after learning I was okay.

A hint of guilt appeared in Daniel's eyes. He held my hand, his expression serious.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking straight just now and said things I shouldn't have. Don't be mad at me, okay?"

I watched him quietly, my gaze sliding over his bare ring finger, my heart aching with a sour bitterness.

Are you doing this for me, or for the baby in my belly?

Daniel, it feels like I've never truly understood you.

Daniel seemed to flinch under my gaze.

"Olivia, I'll go get you some food. You get some rest."

With that, he left in a hurry.

I stroked my slightly swollen belly, my mind a complete mess.

"That guy is a real piece of work. He just brought his wife to the hospital because of a pregnancy scare, and the next moment he's leaving holding hands with another woman."

Hearing the whispers outside, I was stunned. Then I took off my wedding ring from my ring finger and stared blankly at the mark on it.

Daniel himself once said he would wear his wedding ring to his grave.

But now, he was the first to break our vow.

I waited until dawn, but Daniel never came back with my dinner.

In a daze, I heard two voices deliberately lowered.

"This can't happen again. It was hard enough for Olivia to get pregnant with our child. If something goes wrong, all our previous efforts will be in vain."

"What do you think Olivia's reaction would be if she found out you secretly swapped her eggs with mine?"

My pupils contracted violently, tears instantly streamed down my face, and my heart ached as if being gnawed by ants.

So Daniel had been using me as a surrogate.

What on earth am I to you?

I bit my lower lip hard, not daring to make a sound.

Only after they left did I break down and cry helplessly.

How could the three-month-old baby in my belly now be their child?

The next morning, I numbly took out my phone and made a call:

"Dad, cut off the capital flow to the Miller Group in three days."

Hearing my unusually hoarse voice, my dad wanted to say something, but in the end, he didn't.

"Okay, whenever you want to come home, Dad will come pick you up."