Worlds Apart

Asher looked puzzled, wondering why Gwyneth was asking that. He was pretty sure she couldn't get pregnant, so he figured it was time to stop lying to her.

"To be real, I only care about Lia having the baby. If you both end up pregnant, I'd definitely favor hers."

Gwyneth's face went pale at his words. She lowered her gaze and touched her belly. All her guilt faded away.

"Oh, and my birthday's in two days. I want to celebrate with my friends and let them know about Lia's pregnancy before I leave the country. You should come, too." Asher leaned against the doorframe, watching Gwyneth with a cold expression.

Gwyneth knew this was coming, but it still hurt to hear him say it. "If that's the case, why should I even be there?"

Asher frowned. "If you don't show up, people will think Lia's being calculative. I don't want her getting misunderstood."

Gwyneth's expression shifted through a range of emotions—bitterness, sorrow, disappointment, and emptiness. "I'm not going. No wife in her right mind would ever back up a mistress."

Asher's face stiffened. After a beat, he said slowly, "If you come, I'll grant you one request, no conditions."

Gwyneth lowered her gaze. "Fine. Just sign something for me when the time comes."

She didn't say it was for the divorce agreement.

…

Asher celebrated his birthday two days later with his friends and business partners. He took Liana's hand and led her to the center of the crowd.

He cleared his throat, and everyone hushed up at once. "I've got some good news I want to share with you all on my birthday—Lia's pregnant. I'm going to be a dad. I'm so grateful to her for making my dream of starting a family come true."

Those who knew Gwyneth quickly turned their heads to where she was sitting in the corner. She kept her head down and stayed quiet, but the tears in her eyes showed how she felt.

After Asher finally got his business off the ground three years ago, he wanted to throw her a belated wedding celebration. She preferred to keep it low-key, but he was set on having it.

"Babe, I don't want you to get jealous of other women. You've been through so much with me over the years. Now that things are finally looking up, I want to give you what you deserve," Asher said.

On their wedding day, he couldn't stop smiling at Gwyneth as they stood on stage. "Babe, it's just the two of us now. I can't wait for the day when we can have a baby and live happily as a family of three."

So, Gwyneth stayed home to take care of her health after the wedding and worked on getting pregnant. And now, Asher happily announced to everyone that he had a child, but it wasn't with her.

Everyone there knew Gwyneth was his wife. Still, many of them were sharp and wasted no time in offering their congratulations.

"Congrats on the baby!"

"Ms. Quayle is lucky to have met Mr. Crowe. She really found a great guy to settle down with."

Some of the guys sneered, clearly disapproving of what Asher had done.

"Gwyneth begged me for ages to help Asher get that partnership. She even tagged along to a ton of drinking sessions."

"Yeah, especially that time when Gwyneth went through seven rounds in one day. My wife still talks about how impressive that was."

The atmosphere lightened up again. A few were singing, while others were gathered around playing cards.

Gwyneth sat quietly in the corner, her head down as she tapped away on her phone.

Liana looked around and finally spotted Gwyneth sitting in the corner. She held her belly and slowly walked toward Gwyneth. "Gwyneth, get me a glass of water. My baby needs a drink."

Gwyneth glanced up at Liana, noticing her smug expression. She couldn't care less. "I'm busy."

Liana saw her playing a game on her phone. She moved in closer, a wicked plan forming in her head. "What if you can't get pregnant by Asher but end up pregnant by someone else? Do you think he'd divorce you and marry me instead?"

Gwyneth was in the middle of her game when she paused and narrowed her eyes. "Go ahead and try me. I'll kick you in the belly until you lose the baby."

Liana stuck her tongue out and gave a smirk. "I was just joking. Why are you so worked up?"

Gwyneth glared at her with no interest in engaging. She did what she promised Asher. She got up and left the private room.

She had no idea that Liana was already texting on her phone the moment she turned. "She's leaving. Make your move."

Gwyneth stepped out of the private room, planning to hit the restroom before catching a cab. She'd barely taken a few steps when a door to a private room swung open.

A man grabbed her and yanked her into the room, sending her crashing to the floor.

"Who are you people?" Gwyneth yelled.

A second man quickly cranked up the music to drown out her cries for help.

Gwyneth looked up, her heart racing in fear. Inside the room were six men, all eyeing her with creepy, unsettling looks.

"A pretty young wife. Now that's a rare gem!"

"I heard she's married to some big shot. We're definitely hitting the jackpot today."

"Let's do this!"

Several of the men quickly grabbed for Gwyneth. She recoiled in fear, but their hands were already all over her.

Suddenly, Liana's words came rushing back to her.