Chapter 1

1

On our seventh wedding anniversary, my husband's little secretary sent me a video of them in a hotel room.

I forwarded the video straight to my husband. Along with it, I left a message telling him to come and sign the divorce papers.

A minute later, his secretary called me, her voice thick with fake sobs.

"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Blackwood. I sent that by mistake. Please don't be mad at Gideon. I promise I won't interfere with your family."

On the other end of the line, Gideon Blackwood was tenderly wiping away her tears. He spent a long time soothing her before finally snapping at me with impatience.

"You're pregnant right now, Lyra. Who else would even want you besides me?"

......

When Tessa Moon sent me that video, I was at the hospital for a prenatal check-up.

The doctor looked at the report and sighed. "The fetus is in a bad position. If possible, you should have the procedure to remove it as soon as possible."

I nodded numbly. On my phone screen, the video was paused on a frame of my husband and another woman in a heated embrace.

"Women really have it hard these days," the doctor lamented. "You even have to come to these appointments alone."

I gave a bitter smile. "Yeah, I guess so."

Gideon knew I was pregnant, yet he was busy rolling around in the sheets with someone else.

Faced with such a blatant provocation, I was expected to just swallow my pride and accept his baseless accusations.

"Can we do the surgery today?" I asked the doctor, feeling exhausted.

I no longer had any expectations for this child. Anything carrying Gideon Blackwood's blood felt tainted to me.

The doctor paused, looking surprised. "A procedure like this usually requires a husband's consent and presence."

"There's no need. I'm getting a divorce."

The doctor didn't say anything else, but the pity in his eyes was impossible to hide.

It made sense. A woman abandoned by her husband while three months pregnant is a tragic sight.

My phone started vibrating incessantly. Gideon was bombard me with messages.

"Lyra Thorne, don't push your luck. Tessa already apologized. What else do you want?"

"How many men can really control their urges after marriage? I made one mistake. Is it really worth this big dramatic act?"

An act? Who was I even performing for? I was the only clown in this circus.

My throat felt tight and sour, but I forced the tears back down.

"I'm not acting, Mr. Blackwood. This time, I'm serious about the divorce. Seven years of playing house is enough for me."

Even after I made myself clear, Gideon wouldn't let it go.

He continued to mock me in that arrogant, self-important tone of his.

"Lyra, don't think I don't know what you're up to. You're just using the baby as leverage to make me behave, right? Fine, I admit you win this time. You're a pregnant woman of a certain age. Just know when to stop."

I wanted to explain, but the words died in my throat. I ended up just saying, "Believe whatever you want."

Then, a soft, high-pitched female voice drifted from the other end of the line.

"Gideon, honey, why aren't you coming over yet? Come look at our baby."

In that instant, my brain felt like it had been hit by a flash grenade.

Gideon hung up in a panic. He sent a couple of dismissive texts a few seconds later.

"That was just another pregnant lady calling the wrong person. Don't overthink it."

I let out a cold laugh. I had heard that voice lurking around for years. How could I possibly mistake it?

Tessa Moon was carrying Gideon Blackwood's child.