He Sacrificed Our Child, I Took Everything

Lionel's eyes were full of affection as he fed Chloe. They stayed in one of the hospital's luxury suites, surrounded by a handful of nannies taking care of them.

Chloe was Lionel's first love. Years ago, she had abruptly fled the country and vanished without a trace on the night before their engagement.

I took a deep breath and approached them. "Chloe, the last time we met, I never thought I'd see you pregnant the next time we cross paths. What does the baby's father do for a living?"

Both of them froze the moment they noticed me entering the suite. Chloe lowered her head, and her expression turned grim.

"To be honest, this baby was an accident, Evie. Abortion is illegal where I was living, so I had no choice but to keep it…"

"That's right. She's too kind to get rid of the baby," Lionel explained and walked over to me. "Her situation is unique right now, and I'm stepping in to take care of her.

"The doctor said you caught a severe chill and need plenty of rest. Chloe is due to give birth in a few days now, and since I've helped this far, I can't just leave her alone.

"I might not be able to manage everything all by myself, so why won't we stay here too for now?

"Go back to your ward and rest. I made you some soup, and I'll come over to keep you company shortly."

I looked at them and almost laughed. Staying in the suite for even a second longer made me so nauseous that I could barely breathe.

After I stepped out of the suite, Chloe casually spat a bone into a bowl in front of her and started whining softly.

"It feels like we're some dirty secret, Lionel. Do my baby and I have to live in shame forever, just because I love you? I don't want that.

"We can't hide this secret forever. There's no turning back for you ever since Nora died in that operating room, and if you still can't bring yourself to break things off with Evie, I don't want to make things difficult for you…"

Lionel intimately tapped her nose. "What nonsense are you talking about? I'd do anything for you.

"Don't worry, Chloe. I'll take care of everything. I could even harm my own flesh and blood, so why would I think twice about an outsider who means nothing to me?

An outsider who meant nothing to him?

My heart felt like it was violently shredded by a branch of thorns, and the pain was so sharp that I could barely speak.

Before Nora had her attack, she had excitedly clutched her report card and eagerly waited for Lionel to reward her by taking her out to dinner. Yet she had fought her illness until her last breath and still never got to see him again.

The man she longed for the most was the same man who had plotted to take her life, all while looking forward to the birth of another baby.

Upon returning to the ward, I contacted the most renowned lawyer to handle the divorce and hired a moving service to pack up all my belongings from the house and ship them away.

After some hesitation, I finally decided to investigate how Lionel had set up the trap that took Nora's life.

Later, Lionel and Chloe walked into my ward together. He carried over a bowl of chicken soup, while she presented a bouquet, acting all apologetic and repentful.

"Evie, you and Lionel have always been like family to me. I won't disrupt your lives again once the baby's born. Please forgive me for stepping out of line and borrowing your husband.

"Lionel mentioned that since you had a kid, you have a lot of experience. We're all going to be living together for a while, so I'll be counting on you to teach me all about it."

I turned my head away to avoid looking at her. It didn't matter what sick show they wanted to put on in front of me; I just had to bide my time until next week, secure my share of the marital assets, and walk away.

When Chloe noticed that I didn't reply, she reached out to place the flowers on my bedside table. But as she set them down, she gave a violent shove sideways.

The mug of scalding hot water on the table tipped over and dumped onto my bare arm.

A burning pain shot through my arm. My heart lurched, and I frantically rushed to the sink to shove my wound under a running tap.

Lionel's anxious voice rang out behind me.

"Chloe, are you okay?

"How could you be so clumsy now that you're about to be a mother? What would I do if you burned yourself?"