Chapter 1

To force me to apologize to his first love, Ethan Hale froze every bank account under my name.

In the hospital corridor, I knelt on the floor with my seven-month belly cradled in my arms, begging him through a video call to save our baby — the baby I was about to lose.

It wasn't long before a screen recording of me on my knees, sobbing and pleading, showed up in Olivia's livestream.

She looked into the camera, her voice gentle and assured.

"See, everyone? This is a textbook case of playing the victim to manipulate someone's emotions."

"To guilt a man into caving, these women will use anything — even the baby in their own womb."

"When you encounter something like this, the most important thing is not to respond. The more you respond, the more she'll think the tactic works."

The stream shot to number one on the tip chart.

Olivia's "Emotional Manipulation Recognition Course" sold a hundred thousand copies overnight.

She pocketed five million.

Ethan sent me a message.

"Since your little case helped Olivia make money, I'll let you off the hook for the apology this time."

I lay on the cold stretcher, listening to the doctor tell me the baby was gone.

I closed my eyes and laughed — a bitter, broken laugh.

Almost at the same moment, my phone buzzed with an e-ticket for a flight to the United States in three days.

"I'll go with you to the States in three days. You can have the baby there."

"Stop making a scene."

...

"Olivia is so clear-headed."

"You can tell the other one's a master manipulator. She actually got down on her knees with that belly — any normal man would've fallen for it."

"Olivia is incredible."

Olivia smiled lightly in her stream.

"Well, I've been studying these emotional manipulation patterns for a long time. Most of the tricks are actually pretty easy to spot."

"Today's case is on the extreme end."

She sighed.

"A normal person, even if they wanted to control their partner, would know that a child is the line you don't cross."

"But the woman today — she weaponized the baby in her own womb. Honestly, she's already in dangerous territory."

In no time, hashtags like "Olivia Exposes Emotional Manipulation" and "Olivia Teaches You to Escape Emotional Blackmail" were trending everywhere.

The evening news even ran a live segment with her.

Ratings hit the highest of the night.

I turned off my phone, wrapped Noah's urn in a piece of soft flannel, and placed it in the small grave I'd just dug by the river.

Beside it lay a few tiny outfits I'd just finished knitting.

He never got to wear them.

"It's cold on the road, baby. Put your clothes on before you go."

I knelt before the little headstone and finally broke down, hands pressed to my face, sobbing.

Just before dawn, my phone rang — sharp and urgent.

It was Olivia.

"Emily, Ethan's been calling you. Why aren't you picking up?"

"You're only a month or two from your due date. This isn't the time to throw a tantrum, is it?"

I pushed open the front door.

Olivia was standing in the living room, phone in hand.

The moment she saw me, she tugged excitedly at Ethan's sleeve.

"Ethan, Emily's back!"

Ethan strode toward me.

His eyes were bloodshot, his voice urgent.

"I told you I'd go with you to the States. You couldn't get money out of me, so you decided to disappear?"

"Do you have any idea how dangerous it is for a pregnant woman to leave the house in the middle of the night?"

Olivia glanced at his worried expression, and the smile on her lips dimmed just slightly.

The next second, she turned to me with that sweet look again.

"She's right, Emily. Even if you're upset with Ethan, you shouldn't put the baby at risk too."

Ethan shoved me.

"Go pack your things. I'm taking you to a hotel near the airport tonight."

I was wearing a loose maternity dress, the fabric draping over my entire frame.

So he hadn't noticed — my belly was flat.

"There's no need."

I pressed my hand against my lower abdomen.

The wide hem of the dress collapsed instantly.

"There's no point anymore."

Ethan whipped around.

His breath caught.

Olivia clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes instantly red.

"Emily! Just because Ethan didn't fall for your act —"

"How could you get so angry that you went and aborted the baby?"

Tears brimming, she looked at Ethan.

"Ethan, how could she do this?"