Chapter 2

Little by little, one time after another, I let go of my fear of being pregnant.

Until Lois, his childhood sweetheart, came back from America.

The moment she saw the small swell of my belly, she shook all over, her whole body seizing up.

Vincent didn't say a word. He just threw his coat straight over my stomach.

"Cover it up!"

That covering lasted three months.

Whenever Lois appeared, I always had to hide somewhere she couldn't see me.

I demanded answers. I screamed.

And all I ever got back from Vincent was the same line.

"She has a phobia of pregnancy. Why are you making an issue of it with her?"

"Her condition is for life. You're only pregnant for a few months."

The words in my throat, I swallowed them all back down.

But the pain and the humiliation were like a spider's web, tightening a little more each day, suffocating me deeper.

"Olivia, did you hear what I said?"

Vincent's cold voice came from beside me.

I took out my phone and booked the abortion.

"Vincent, the baby won't ever move again."

"What did you say?"

I put the phone down and looked up. Vincent was frowning at me.

"If there's nothing else, go home early."

"I still have to help the doctor with Lois's treatment."

Every word said, Vincent turned and walked out.

I moved slowly, one careful step at a time, and walked alone to the OB ward for the procedure.

Two hours later, it was over.

I don't respond well to anesthesia, so the nurse took me to the recovery room.

"Miss Swanson, if the pain gets unbearable, just take the painkillers."

"Otherwise you could go into pain shock."

After the nurse finished, she brought me a cup of warm water.

Fighting through the sharp pain, I forced my mouth open and swallowed the painkillers.

The pain hadn't even eased when my phone suddenly rang.

【Hey there. Want to see how Vincent's giving Lois her "treatment"?】

An out-of-nowhere text.

I frowned and was about to shut off the phone.

Then Vincent's friend suddenly sent over a flood of photos and videos.

Glaring, naked photos slammed into my eyes.

My whole body went rigid.

【Vincent's "treatment" is just one step away from the finish, you know!】

【The doctor says this is the fastest way to wake Lois up.】

【Don't go blaming Vincent. After all, you brought this on yourself!】

My mind went blank, and it felt like a saw was tearing viciously through the flesh of my abdomen.

Fingers trembling with pain, eyes stinging, I stared at the dense wall of photos and videos.

Vincent was helping the doctor treat Lois.

I'd known that all along.

But I never imagined it would be in a way this sickening.

In the photo where my finger had stopped.

Vincent had lowered his head, gently kissing Lois's neck.

My vision went black, and when it cleared again.

【Olivia's Pregnancy Tracking Group Chat】.

The words surfaced in my mind.

That group, I'd always kept pinned to the top of my phone.

But Vincent's old pin was gone. He'd unpinned it long ago.

The group he himself had created was buried under countless work chats.

Now the one he had pinned was 【Lois's Treatment Group Chat】.

I took out my phone and photographed the abortion record.

I sent it straight into the group.

Just as I expected, it vanished without a ripple.

I unpinned the group and got up to leave the recovery room.

When I got home, Vincent wasn't there.

I lay down in the bedroom and slept more soundly than I had in a long time.

No more worrying about the baby moving.

No more worrying about setting off the monitor.

Until the next day, when Vincent came back with his bodyguards.

His face still cold and remote.

"Olivia, it's time to review yesterday's fetal movement readings."

Not one wasted word.

Vincent simply signaled the doctor forward.