Chapter 3

A sudden surge of warmth, accompanied by a sharp contraction, rushed from my lower abdomen.

I looked down. A pool of blood was spreading beneath me.

Years ago, Jason's stepmother hired thugs to break his legs. I had thrown myself over him to protect him.

That wooden bat ended up striking my lower back instead.

It cost me our three-month-old baby back then, and left me with severe fertility issues.

This pool of blood dragged me right back into that nightmare.

I dug my fingernails so deep into my palms that they bled, barely managing to stay conscious through the sheer terror of losing this miracle baby.

My phone had slid far out of reach during the fall. I used every ounce of my remaining strength to yell at Freya:

“Freya, call 911! Now!”

Freya finally panicked when she saw the blood pooling around me.

With trembling hands, she unlocked her phone and dialed a contact. After a few rings, a deep, familiar male voice answered:

“What’s wrong, baby?”

I froze completely.

Having loved Jason for five years, I knew his voice better than my own heartbeat. I knew the placement of every single mole on his body.

But that familiarity now turned into a razor-sharp blade, stabbing straight into my chest.

There was no coincidence.

The man on the other end of the line—Freya’s boyfriend—was my fiancé, Jason Vance.

Freya whimpered, her voice cracking as she fake-cried:

“Ruby hasn’t been eating well, so I hired this pet communicator.”

“But she started beating Ruby, and she let her dog pee all over our floor.”

“I asked her to pay for the damage, but she pushed me! Then she slipped and fell, and now she's bleeding everywhere!”

Hearing Freya twist the truth, my throat felt like it was being squeezed. I couldn't utter a single word.

“Are you hurt?” Jason's voice was instantly cold and protective.

“It hurts so bad,” Freya pouted. “You have to make it up to me tonight, babe.”

“Not tonight. I have to spend time with my fiancée.”

A flash of resentment crossed Freya's eyes, but she kept her voice sweet and whiny:

“Why waste time with that boring plain Jane? Don't you want to see the new lingerie I bought?”

Jason went silent for a few seconds. When he spoke again, his voice was icy:

“I told you to remember your place.”

Freya’s face went pale. Embittered by the humiliation in front of me, she glared at me before whispering an apology:

“I’m sorry, babe. I know. But what should I do with this girl?”

“Take her to the hospital first. I'll be there soon.”

Jason's tone softened once Freya apologized.

As pain washed over me, I vaguely remembered that Jason was supposed to have an incredibly important board meeting this morning.

Because I knew how hard he had worked to get to the top, I never dared to disrupt his work for any reason.

Even during my previous miscarriage, I had forced myself to stay calm just to comfort him. I waited until he left for work before cradling Lucky and crying my eyes out.

Freya hung up, swaying her hips as she walked over to me.

“Well, you heard him. My man is a billionaire CEO.”

“Lucky you. You're about to get a massive payout from me. I suggest you take the money and shut up.”

While she was on the phone, I could feel the tiny life inside me slipping away completely.

I closed my eyes in agonizing grief, a single bitter tear rolling down my cheek.

...

Even though I had already braced myself, hearing the doctor officially declare that the baby was gone still felt like a physical blow.

My heart was ripped raw. I couldn't breathe.

I couldn't close my eyes. Every time I did, images of Jason and Lucky flooded my mind.

We had already fully decorated the nursery.

I picked out the crib. Jason picked out the stroller and the toys.

I was only four months pregnant, but he had already rushed to sign up for parenting classes, eager to learn everything.

He was so excited. Every single night, he would press his ear against my stomach, trying to hear any sign of life.

But he was also terrified. He was scared this baby would slip away just like the first one. Sometimes he would wake up from nightmares in a cold sweat.

Then he would hold me tight, comforting me—and comforting himself:

“I won’t let anything happen. I won't let anyone hurt you or our baby again.”

When Lucky found out I was pregnant, he was ecstatic. I had heard him bragging to the other neighborhood dogs:

“It's amazing! Mom and Dad are having a baby.”

“Now I don't have to worry about them being lonely after I'm gone.”

“But I have to stay strong and fight this sickness. I have to live long enough to see the baby with my own eyes.”

I stared blankly at the ceiling, tears flowing silently down my face.

After a commotion outside the VIP ward, Jason and Freya's voices drifted through the door.

“How is she?”

“The doctor said she lost the baby. What do we do, babe? Do you think she's trying to scam us?”

“If it can be solved with money, it’s not a problem,” Jason scoffed.

“Oh, by the way, her mutt tried to bite Ruby. I threw the mutt to protect her, and it died.”

“Do you think I was too cruel?”

“Of course not. Ruby was my gift to you. I’m glad you protected her.”

“Besides, a worthless mutt trying to bite Ruby? Truly, a dog is just like its owner.”

Hearing Jason’s words, I gripped the bedsheets so hard my knuckles turned white.

“Alright, people like her will do anything for money. You can’t handle this.”

“Let me go in and talk to her. Wait out here for me, good girl.”

With that, Jason pushed the door open and stepped inside.