Chapter 1

I’d been in a secret relationship with Slade Forsyth for three years when we found out I was pregnant. For the first time, I made him so happy he finally proposed to me.

It felt like all my waiting had been worth it! He finally loved me back!

But five months into my pregnancy, I stopped by the office to hand over some work—only to catch his hands all over the new secretary sitting on his lap.

His mouth was on her neck, whispering sweet words that shattered the entire life I thought we were building.

“Milly, once she gives birth, we’ll get married, okay? You’re the only one I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

Millicent Laramie.

His ex.

The one who dumped him years ago because she didn’t want to have kids. She’d rather be a stepmom than go through pregnancy.

This whole time, Slade dated me and proposed to me just because I was the woman who’d naively do anything for him for love… even carry his child. 

Giving birth for him was a convenient path to get both of what he wanted—an heir and a married life with the ex he never moved on from in the years we were together. 

Turns out, ten years of patiently loving him didn’t melt his heart.

It only gave him time to manipulate mine so he could use my womb!

He could break it, but not until I made two decisions.

One: Abort the baby. I won’t bring life into the world for a shameless man!

Two: Disappear and make damn sure that shameless man regrets losing me for the rest of his life!

I picked up the phone and made an appointment to terminate my pregnancy without a second thought. Finally, I dialed the number my heart never forgot.

“You said before that you’d marry me... Do you still mean it?”

“Of course.”

——

By the time I hung up the phone, the sound of panting in the CEO’s office had finally faded.

My fingers were cold as I turned and made my way back to the meeting room. Forcing myself to sit down, I busied my hands with documents, coordinating with my assistant while trying to suppress the nausea rising in my chest.

I didn’t know how long had passed before the door opened.

Slade and Millicent walked out, one after the other.

He had changed into a new suit, but not a fresh shirt. The faint imprint of a lipstick stain lingered at his collar.

Millicent’s makeup had been retouched, but the flush on her cheeks was still too obvious to hide.

I stood up, ready to leave, but Millicent suddenly walked up to me with a sweet smile. “Virginia! What a surprise to see you here! Today’s actually my first day. What a coincidence!”

I didn’t want to entertain her, but as she walked toward me holding a cup of hot water, she suddenly tripped and came tumbling straight in my direction.

“Ah!”

Glass shattered against the floor. I stumbled out of the way just in time, but she collapsed onto the table like a wilting flower.

Her voice trembled, sounding pitiful and wronged. “Did I do something to upset you? Why would you trip me like that?”

The act was so clumsy, so obvious, I couldn’t even be bothered to respond.

But Slade had already rushed over, helping her up with a look of deep concern. “Milly, are you hurt?”

Then he turned to me, his brows furrowed tightly, his voice sharp and cold.

“Miss Aberdeen, you’re pregnant now. You’re in a sensitive condition—you shouldn’t be running around here. Just because you’re expecting doesn’t mean you can assault the new hires!”

He didn’t even hesitate to scold me.

“I didn’t trip her,” I said weakly.

But he didn’t believe me at all. “You’re saying she just fell on her own?”

Each word was like a needle, stabbing into my chest.

Looking at the two of them standing there so intimately, I couldn’t say another word. I turned away, clutching my mouth as I fled to the restroom.

I couldn’t hold it in anymore.

Gripping the sink, I retched until tears streamed down my face.

Suddenly, I heard a bang; the door was pushed open, and Slade walked in.

He frowned. “Honey, I didn’t mean to be harsh just now. There were employees around—I couldn’t be too obvious. And yes, you were wrong to trip Millicent, but I know you didn’t mean it.”

His tone was low and gentle, and he even reached out to steady me.

“Just go home and rest, okay? Don’t overwork yourself or stress the baby. I’ll come home tonight and keep you company, alright?”

I straightened up, forced a small smile, and said softly, “Understood, Mr. Forsyth.”

His hand froze mid-air.

I had never called him that before.

I was always the clingy one—always calling him Slade or hubby.

I hated calling him “Mr. Forsyth.” It felt so distant. So cold.

His expression faltered for a moment, like I had caught him off guard.

But then the sound of heels clicking echoed from outside. A moment later, an employee walked in.

Slade’s reaction was immediate. He flung my hand aside and his tone turned frigid again.

“Miss Aberdeen, please mind your conduct. This is a company, not your home. You can act sweet with your husband in private, but not with me.”

‘Your husband.’

‘Mind your conduct.’

His words hit me like a bucket of ice water.

Just like that, he didn’t look at me again. He turned and left in a hurry—desperate to draw a line between us in front of other people.

I stood there, gently cradling the child in my belly.

For a long time, not even tears would come out from my eyes.

Chapter 2

Virginia’s POV

Slade never told anyone we were together.

We’d been in a relationship for three years, but he still presented himself to the world as single—charming, composed, effortlessly poised.

I never asked why he kept me a secret.

Back then, I thought just being with him was enough. It made me happy.

I started falling for him back in high school, the day he shielded me from a scalding splash of boiling water a bully had thrown.

‘It’s been ten years... And that feeling hasn’t faded… not even a little.’

Three years ago, when Slade and Millicent broke up, he drank himself into a stupor.

I followed him to the bar that night, choking on the smoke and the noise, but I stayed with him.

Somewhere in his drunken haze, he asked if I wanted to try being with him.

I knew it was out of spite. I knew he didn’t love me.

But I couldn’t resist. I… I said yes.

I told myself, ‘If I love him enough, if I treat him right, one day he’ll love me back the way I love him.’

Looking back now, I see just how terribly wrong I was.

At home, I watched the clock pass. It was almost a new day, and yet he still wasn’t home.

Past midnight, he finally messaged me.

[Hon, I have a dinner meeting tonight. I’ll be home late, don’t wait up. Get some rest.]

But I’d already seen Millicent’s post on her Insta Story—a picture of her being carried on a man’s back.

She wrote a caption: [Still the most husband-material guy ever! Gosh, I’m seriously tearing up. Should I say yes to his proposal?]

‘Dinner meeting? Dinner meeting my ass! So he proposed to her, huh?’

It was not the half-hearted promises he gave me, but a real one. The kind a guy makes when he wants someone in his life forever.

I stared at that blurry photo over and over again.

It felt like I was right back in school—watching their love from the sidelines.

Suddenly, pain twisted in my belly, so I shut my phone off. I didn’t need to see more.

‘I’m already planning to leave. What’s the point of holding on?’

So I got up and started packing. I threw away the couple’s toothbrushes, the matching mugs, and the cushions I picked out for Slade and I—everything.

Just as I was tying up the trash bag, Slade walked through the door.

He glanced at me, asking, “Didn’t you love those things? Why are you throwing them out?”

I looked down, my fingers cold, forcing my voice to stay casual.

“They’re old. I’m just tired of them.”

I thought—hoped—he’d ask again. But he didn’t. He didn’t care enough to.

He walked over, like it was just another night, placed his hand gently on my belly, and murmured to the baby, “Were you good today, little one? Daddy’s home.”

He looked like the perfect dad—sweet and gentle. There was a time that would’ve melted me.

I used to think, ‘If he loves our baby that much, maybe he loves me too. Maybe he just doesn’t know how to say it.’

But now I know. ‘He loves our baby. Not… me.’

“Hon,” he said, “you’re still upset about earlier, aren’t you? Don’t be mad I didn’t tell you about Milly working at the company. She’s in between jobs—I was just helping out. It’s temporary. She’ll leave soon.”

He noticed I wasn’t helping him with his coat. That was probably when he realized I was pissed. Finally, his voice softened to me—he was trying.

“Are you jealous?” he asked. “Don’t worry. Milly might be my ex, but I don’t have feelings for her anymore. I’ve got you now.”

I wanted to laugh. But I couldn’t.

He kissed my cheek, more affectionate than usual.

‘If I hadn’t caught you with her,’ I replied mentally, ‘if I hadn’t seen what I saw… I might’ve believed you. I might’ve felt touched. But now… everything you do—even this kiss—just feels like manipulation.’

Chapter 3

Virginia’s POV

The next day, my assistant told me the termination of pregnancy surgery had been scheduled.

“Ma’am, are you really not going to tell the CEO? The baby’s already this far along…”

“There’s no need.”

I rested my hand on my belly. It was like the baby knew I didn’t want it anymore. It had gone so quiet.

Honestly, up until just yesterday, I was still living in the illusion that I was happy.

With how good Slade was at covering his lies, it would’ve been easy for him to keep seeing Millicent without me ever finding out.

But he slipped.

My guess? The pregnancy was too far along, and he assumed even if I found out, I wouldn’t leave him.

But I was tired.

I’d waited ten years for him to love me—since I was 16! I waited through silent crushes, waited through a pregnancy, waited through three years of being his secret.

I could endure waiting.

But I couldn’t endure being used—used to carry a child for him and then discarded to make space for another woman.

Before heading to the hospital, I stopped by the mall next door to grab something to eat.

That’s when I heard his deep and familiar voice nearby.

“This section’s worth focusing on. Domestic high-end brands are gaining more market share.”

I looked up.

There he was—Slade—just a few aisles away. And beside him, Millicent.

Both of them were dressed sharp, looking like they were here for some kind of business field visit.

My chest tightened. I was just about to turn and walk away when I heard a fake chuckle.

“Oh wow, it’s Miss Aberdeen! What a coincidence!”

Millicent clicked toward me in her heels, her eyes gleaming with that fake professionalism.

Before I could even speak, the mall manager rushed over and greeted them, smiling widely.

“Mr. and Mrs. Forsyth! This way, please, we’ve got a brand new section to show you…”

“Please, just call me Millicent. Let’s keep work and personal matters separate,” Millicent corrected, still smiling. Her voice was soft, but she made sure to glance at me when she said it.

My fists clenched.

So Slade, the man who had kept me hidden all these years, didn’t even wait for our child to be born before introducing his ex as his fiancée—to business partners, no less.

“Miss Aberdeen, help me keep this a secret, okay?” she added, like it was some inside joke. “No one at the company knows about us yet. We want to wait until the wedding to announce it. You won’t say anything, right?”

She smiled at me like I was a stranger. Like she didn’t know I was his current fiancée.

Slade’s expression stiffened. There was guilt in his eyes, but also that same old silent warning, as if saying, ‘Don’t make a scene.’

My heart twisted as I forced a smile.

“Of course. I won’t say anything.”

Because once this miscarriage was done, I was done too. I was leaving. Whatever was between them had nothing to do with me anymore.

“I knew I could count on you, Miss Aberdeen,” Millicent chirped. “By the way, what are you doing here alone? Where’s your husband?”

There was something triumphant in her gaze as she leaned in and grabbed my arm like we were old friends.

“All this data talk makes me nervous. It’s all men. Will you stay with me?”

I pulled away gently, refusing to meet Slade’s eyes.

“I don’t have a husband.”

I could see his face darken for a moment, but he quickly covered it up. His tone turned clipped.

“Since you’re already here, show Millicent around. She’s still learning the ropes.”

Then, without waiting for a reply, he walked off with the mall manager.

I frowned and tried to pull my arm away from Millicent’s grip, but she leaned in closer, her voice low and sharp.

“I know you’re his fiancée. But so what? Let me be clear—you’re practically just… the incubator. Slade is mine. Once that baby’s out, the real wife? That will be me.”

My whole body went cold.

“Let go.”

I gave her a small push—nothing rough.

But she suddenly cried out and stumbled sideways, falling hard into a woman walking by with a baby in her arms.

Both the woman and her child hit the ground.

When her baby screamed, she looked stunned and then furious.

“Are you insane?! What the hell are you doing, pushing people when you’re pregnant? Are you trying to kill someone?!”

I stepped forward, trying to explain, but Millicent cut me off—tears already spilling from her eyes, her voice even trembling.

“I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry, it was my fault! The vice president didn’t mean to! Please don’t blame her, Ma’am. It—It was my fault!”

Chapter 4

Virginia’s POV

The customer’s face twisted in rage as she jabbed a finger toward my nose.

“Vice President? You’re a VP? You’re her boss and you bullied her like this? Then blamed her for it?! What kind of leader does that? Your company seriously promotes people like you?”

“I didn’t—” My chest was tight, I couldn’t breathe. I tried to explain, but Slade came rushing over.

He took one look at Millicent on the ground and the screaming child, and his expression immediately turned ugly.

“What happened?!”

Millicent spoke first, saying I pushed her by accident, and that it caused her to knock into the woman with a child.

She clutched her ankle and whimpered, “It might be sprained. But it’s okay. Please just explain to the customer—the VP didn’t mean it…”

“Virginia! What the hell is wrong with you?!” Slade turned to me, eyes blazing. “You couldn’t even handle something this simple? Why would you push her?”

“I didn’t—”

“I don’t care! Apologize to the customer. Now!”

I stood frozen, my breath shallow.

‘He believes her. Just like always.’

But I stayed my ground. “I’m not apologizing for something I didn’t do.”

My hand cradled my belly, my voice trembling but firm.

After all, I was leaving. I was done groveling.

His eyes widened, stunned that I’d actually stood up to him.

Before he could reprimand me again, the customer shoved me hard.

“You shameless woman! With a temper like that, no wonder your kid’ll grow up the same. You won’t even say sorry? Get the hell out!”

As soon as I crashed to the floor, pain stabbed through my belly. My ears rang. I couldn’t hear anything but static.

Slade stepped toward me, his hand twitching like he wanted to help—but in the next second, he turned away and swept his manipulative woman into his arms instead, rushing her out.

“Think about what you’ve done, Virginia!”

I lay on the cold floor tiles, clutching my stomach, pain rolling through me in sickening waves.

In the crowd, people were pointing and whispering. Some screamed, some backed away, and some raised their phones to record me.

That’s all I heard. A sea of murmurs. And that roaring in my ears.

It felt like something inside me had been ripped apart, the pain surging like waves through my lower body.

Later, someone finally realized something was wrong and called for an ambulance.

At the hospital, the doctors were shouting while wheeling me to the OR.

“Where’s the family?! Her vitals are unstable—do we save the baby or not?!”

A nurse grabbed my phone. “Ma’am, what’s the father’s number?”

I bit my lip and recited Slade’s.

He picked up.

Not with worry.

Not with panic.

But fury.

“Virginia, have you completely lost your mind?! What the hell did you do to Millicent?! Her ankle’s swollen—the doctor thinks it’s fractured. All because you pushed her!”

I was shivering as I corrected him. “I didn’t… She fell… on her own.”

“Oh, don’t give me that jealous crap! You’re just mad because she called herself my wife? You really believed that? It was a joke, for God’s sake!”

‘A joke? Just a joke?’

I clutched the sheets, my tears finally spilling.

“Slade… the baby—”

Suddenly, I heard a click; he hung up.

I looked at the doctor, forcing out a wincing smile.

“Forget the baby. Please… just save me.”

“We’ll do our best.”

When I woke up, my belly was flat.

The nurse handed me a box. Inside was the tiny, unformed body of my child.

I cried so hard I couldn’t stop shaking.

Nothing hurt more than this—not even my body.

In the middle of crying, the door burst open.

A guy rushed in—tall, breathless, familiar.

‘My brother…’

Not by blood, but everything else.

He ran to me and pulled me into his arms, his voice hoarse with regret.

“I’m sorry. I should’ve been here sooner…”

I buried my face in his chest, unable to speak.

That afternoon, he moved me to a private hospital under his name.

Before I left the city, I mailed that box—my baby’s remains—to the estate of Forsyths, the same family so desperate for an heir.

And then I texted Slade one last time.

“We’re done.”

Then I blocked and deleted his contacts—without a second thought.

From that day on, he was nothing to me. And never would be again!‘’