Chapter 1

1

On our eighth wedding anniversary, the scholarship student my husband was sponsoring sent me a taunting text.

In the photo, she was wearing my wedding ring and holding a positive pregnancy test.

"Lana, Cyrus and I are truly in love. Why don't you just let him go?" she wrote.

"A barren woman like you doesn't deserve a man like him."

I didn't give her the satisfaction of a reply. Instead, I forwarded the entire conversation to my husband.

A few minutes later, Cyrus called. He didn't offer an explanation, only a harsh, verbal lashing.

"Maya was just joking! Why are you being so petty? Stop being so dramatic and making a scene. It's disgusting!"

In the background, I could hear the faint sound of a young woman sobbing.

I didn't say a single word back to him. I just hung up.

Before blocking his number, I sent one last message: "Let's get a divorce. I'm tired of being disgusted by you."

......

I spent two hours in the bathroom, vomiting until my throat burned.

I stared at the two red lines on the pregnancy test, trying to process the irony.

The woman who had just been mocked for being a barren hen was, in fact, pregnant.

I let out a cold, hollow laugh.

The salty taste of tears ran down my face and into my mouth.

"Baby, why did you have to show up now?" I whispered.

"Why now, when your father has already fallen for someone else?"

I collapsed onto the cold tile floor, feeling a wave of pure despair.

When I finally managed to walk out of the bathroom, I found Cyrus waiting for me on the sofa.

His face was dark with anger. Before I could even speak, he threw his phone onto the coffee table.

"Lana, is it fun for you to bully a young girl? Do you have any idea how pathetic you look right now? Apologize to her, now!"

Beads of cold sweat were still rolling down my forehead.

My husband of eight years didn't notice my pale face or my trembling hands.

All he cared about was getting justice for his little mistress.

I glanced at his phone. Of course, Maya had deleted all her taunting messages.

All that remained were her pathetic pleas for forgiveness, making her look like a helpless victim.

"Cyrus, we've been together for eight years. You should know me better than that."

"Do you really think I'd say those things if she hadn't provoked me first?"

"Are you actually that blind, or are you just pretending to be?"

Cyrus's expression shifted slightly. He seemed to notice my weakness for a split second, but his voice remained cold.

"It was just a prank, Lana. Why do you have to take everything so seriously?"

"You're acting like a paranoid, crazy woman. Why can't you be more like Maya? She's gentle and kind, not abrasive like you."

I looked at the man I had loved for over a decade. In that moment, he felt like a complete stranger.

"So, she tries to dismantle my family and shoves a pregnancy report in my face, and you want me to just take it?"

"You actually want me to apologize to the person who destroyed my marriage?!"

I started laughing, but the sharp pain in my abdomen turned my laughter into a sob.

I instinctively rubbed my stomach. Cyrus, frustrated by his inability to win the argument, turned to insults.

"Maya was right about one thing. You're not just a drama queen; you're a barren woman."

"What has been the point of being married to you all these years if you can't even give me a legacy?!"

Even though I had already decided I couldn't keep this child, hearing those heartless words from my husband felt like a knife to the chest.

I forced myself to hold back the tears, clinging to the last shred of my dignity.

"Since I'm so useless to you, then let's sign the papers. Let's get a divorce."