Chapter 2

Seeing tears pooling in my eyes, he patted my face as if to comfort me.

"You only have yourself to blame. Back then, I just drunkenly kissed her, and you made it everyone's business."

"She married some random guy out of spite against you, never expecting he'd be abusive and beat her until she miscarried."

"You owe her a life. Making you hold it in and deliver later is just helping you atone for your sins."

I looked at his indifferent eyes, a bitter smile forming on my lips.

Ethan, since you say I'm guilty, I wonder if repaying you with two lives for the price of one will be enough.

Another wave of excruciating pain tore through my lower abdomen. I knelt on the ground, unable to suppress my anguished screams.

Ethan looked down at me, his eyes holding reluctance and heartache, but not a trace of guilt.

The crowd around us had long dispersed. I looked up helplessly, my voice trembling.

"Ethan, please, take me to the hospital first."

The pain made me desperately clutch at his pant leg with blood-stained fingers.

Ethan kicked my hand away, stepping back with disgust written all over his face.

"I promised Sophia I'd personally accompany her during delivery. There's a professional team recording it for us. If my pants get dirty, she won't be happy."

Blood pooled between my legs, and amniotic fluid soaked the ground.

Ethan saw none of it.

His mind was only concerned with whether he looked presentable enough while accompanying Sophia during childbirth.

He didn't care about me, nor about the baby in my belly.

Then what were those ten years I spent with him, building his empire from nothing and tasting every hardship life had to offer?

My whole body trembled as I tried to question him, but the torture of contractions made me writhe on the ground.

Ethan glanced at his watch, a smile playing on his lips.

"Sophia should be delivering soon. You go home first. Once I'm done, I'll come get you."

My consciousness was beginning to blur from the pain as I pleaded with a trembling voice.

"Ethan, my water broke. If I don't go to the hospital now, the baby will die."

He bent down, stroking my head with something like pity.

The gesture was so casual, like petting a stray dog.

"Don't worry, I won't abandon you. After all, you're the real Mrs. Morrison, and you're the one I love most."

"But debts must be repaid. Atoning this way—knowing the pain will teach you a lesson, so you won't bully young girls just because of your status anymore."

"I've already instructed the family doctor to wait for you at the villa. You and the baby will be fine. At most, you'll just hurt for a while."