Chapter 1

The day I found out I was pregnant, Julian was so excited that he bought out every baby boutique in the city.

He even acquired a private hospital specifically for my delivery.

He held me tightly and whispered, "I want to give our child the very best of everything. Their birth will be the perfect ending to our love story."

But that was also the day I found two bottles of medicine in his study.

One was to support a pregnancy, and the other was to end it.

I also saw the chat logs with his female assistant that he hadn't had time to delete yet.

"The Vance family fortune will only belong to you and our child. Once she takes the medicine and becomes permanently infertile, she'll have no choice but to adopt ours."

"Only your child is worthy of my truest love."

I calmly made my choice. I gave up on both him and the child.

1.

The interview had just finished. Julian's smiling face was still on the TV screen as he made his vow.

"In three days, I will hold another press conference. I will announce the future heir to the Vance Group's shares and all the assets under my name."

This was the promise Julian gave me when we got married.

He said that if I ever got pregnant, that child would inherit everything he owned.

The reporters sighed in admiration, talking about how this wealthy and handsome CEO was so deeply devoted to his wife.

Listening to those praises, I stroked my belly and let out a bitter laugh.

Unfortunately, this child will never have the chance to be the heir. They won't even have the chance to enter this world.

Today was my scheduled check-up. Julian canceled all his meetings to come home and take me to the hospital.

"Honey, let me hear the baby," he said with a gentle smile.

He leaned down and pressed his ear against my stomach. His eyes were sparkling with anticipation and longing.

Nurses passing by in the hallway looked on with pure envy. Their whispers reached my ears.

"Is that Mr. Vance? He really loves his wife. I heard he bought this entire hospital just for her delivery."

"I heard they were childhood sweethearts. They've been together for twelve years and are still this in love. It's so romantic."

Julian heard them too. He smiled and pulled me closer, as if confirming to everyone just how much he adored me.

The old me would have blushed and hidden in his arms. I would have been proud of his love.

But now, I couldn't do it.

The messages he sent to Jade were burned into my brain. Every time I looked at him, those words flashed before my eyes.

Faced with his tenderness and the love overflowing from his gaze, I couldn't even bring myself to respond.

After the nurses left, I pushed him away. I told him coldly, "The baby is only two months old. There's nothing to hear yet."

A flash of confusion crossed Julian's face. A moment later, his smile returned.

He took my waist and guided me toward the exam room. "Our baby and I share a special bond. I can hear them."

My footsteps faltered. My eyes stung with unshed tears. I forced myself not to look at him.

If he truly had a bond with the baby, did he ever ask if they wanted to come into this world?

Did he ask if they wanted to be a stepping stone for another woman's child?

"What's wrong, honey? Why are you crying?"

I couldn't stop the tears from falling. Julian looked even more panicked than I was.

He hurried to wipe my face, his voice soft and soothing.

"Is it because you didn't get that dessert yesterday? I'll go buy it for you later. Don't be sad, okay?"

I stared into his eyes as my tears flowed faster.

A confrontation was on the tip of my tongue. I desperately wanted to ask if this man before me was being real or fake.

But in the end, I said nothing. Even if I asked, what answer would I get?

Just another lie followed by a thousand more.

Inside the exam room, Julian acted more like an expectant father than I did.

He kept asking the doctor questions. How to relieve morning sickness, if mood swings were normal, what foods to avoid...

After the doctor answered, he carefully recorded everything on his phone.

Even the doctor praised him for being such a responsible husband.

Only I knew that these questions had nothing to do with me.

Since getting pregnant, I hadn't suffered from morning sickness or mood swings at all.

As for my diet, he had already hired a specialized nutritionist for me. There was no need to worry.

The person he was asking for wasn't me. It was Jade Sterling.

My assistant had told me recently that Jade had been sick and vomiting. She had already taken a leave of absence to stay home.

Sure enough, as soon as we left the room, I saw Julian organizing his notes into a chart.

He sent the entire thing to Jade.

I pretended to be casual and asked, "How do you know so much about pregnancy stuff?"

He immediately locked his phone. He shot me a few guilty looks before explaining.

"I've been searching online since you got pregnant. I was worried you'd deal with these things, so I wanted to be prepared."

Seeing that I stayed silent, he asked tentatively, "Honey, you didn't see my phone just now, did you?"

The panic on his face was impossible to hide. I didn't even need to see his phone to know the truth.

I just didn't want to hear him lie anymore. I shook my head indifferently.

"No, I was just asking."

Julian looked relieved. He forced another smile.

"That's good. Let's go pick out some baby clothes. I told the mall we were coming today."

The same sweet talk as always. But now, it felt like a sharp blade cutting into me.

While he talked about his dreams for the baby, I silently messaged a friend who was a doctor.

I scheduled the procedure to end my pregnancy.