After hanging up the phone, I turned around and nearly walked straight into Quinn, who was pretending to be out of breath.

"Noah, why did you come out here alone? You just stabilized. It's dangerous."

Watching her rush toward me with such urgent concern, I couldn't help wondering, 'Is she worried about me or about the flawless plan she crafted?'

I let out a bitter laugh and shifted away from her touch. "I'm fine."

For a moment, Quinn's eyes narrowed. Usually, she was the one avoiding me. I had never once deliberately avoided her, even though I was the one suffering the agony of allergic reactions every time.

-

When I was discharged and went back home with Quinn, she took my hand carefully, through my clothes, and placed it on her belly. She spoke softly to the child inside, "Baby, you have to be good in there, okay? Daddy's been so worried about you."

If this had been earlier in our marriage, I would have been dizzy with happiness. I would have felt so grateful that fate had blessed me with a precious child and a loving wife.

Now, every word stabbed straight into my heart. My chest felt like it was bleeding.

As usual, Quinn brought me a warm glass of milk. Her eyes curved into a gentle smile. "Drink it and get some sleep. I'm going to the study to finish work."

Her soft tone and familiar tenderness should have felt comforting. Instead, my whole body trembled.

I didn’t try to resist anymore. I took the milk and forced myself to drink it in one go, as if nothing were wrong.

Before long, my eyelids grew unbearably heavy, and I fell into a deep, drugged sleep.

Through the haze, I faintly heard a video call coming from the study.

"Miles, don't worry. I would never touch him. I won't let you think I'm dirty. And I’ll make sure you secure that research project. You’ll become the rising star of the entire hospital. Trust me, Noah will definitely help me with this."

I didn't even have time to process the meaning behind her words.

What stunned me was that Quinn, who insisted she would never take on male interns, had been personally mentoring her beloved pretty-boy colleague this entire time.

Then what did all her excuses about overtime, meetings, and being busy really mean?

I didn’t dare think about it.

The funniest part was that everyone else seemed to know, except for me. I never suspected a thing.

From the other room, ambiguous intimate sounds drifted over, followed by a thud that sent our perfect wedding photo crashing to the floor.

What a joke.

"What happened, Noah?" Quinn’s anxious voice suddenly came from the doorway. She looked genuinely concerned, but the faint glow still lingering on her lips pierced straight through my chest.

I forced myself to stay calm and pretended I had just woken up. "Nothing, I accidentally knocked the frame over."

She let out a long breath of relief. Tugging awkwardly at her rumpled wool sweater, she quickly turned away.

"I'm going to take a shower."

As she disappeared down the hall, something compelled me to pick up the phone she had left behind.

I unlocked it quickly. Notifications were flooding the screen with pings from a group chat.

Every message hit me like a blow to the ribs.

"Boss, everything's done."

"Just waiting for the right timing. Miles will personally perform the live procedural demonstration for Noah's allergy treatment. That way, Miles can secure his position in the hospital, and Quinn will be delivering in the next room. It'll be a double celebration!"

My mind exploded, the world spinning violently around me.

Why did Quinn have to trample my dignity like this?

Not only did she lie to me and make me raise the child she conceived with Miles, but she even planned to use my illness to elevate him in the hospital.

When Quinn came out of the shower, she glanced at her phone and casually suggested, "Our hospital is hosting the launch of a new technology. I want to invite you to attend. You’re the most important part of my achievement."

The moment I remembered their plan, a shiver jolted through me. I stepped back instinctively. "I'm not going. I have things to do."

Quinn's expression darkened instantly.

"What things? You're a grown man staying home all day. Doing what exactly? All these years, you couldn't touch me. Now I've finally managed to get pregnant, and you're giving me attitude? Who do you think you're showing that attitude to?"

Her words stabbed straight into my heart, sharper and colder than any outsider’s mockery.

Well, who turned me into this miserable shell of a man to begin with?

Seeing I wasn’t budging, she snapped with a command, "It's not up to you. Get changed. We're leaving."

She went straight to the closet and pulled out clothes for me. Despite my resistance, she called in the housemaids to assist me in dressing.

The moment they made contact, even through layers of fabric, red welts spread rapidly across my skin, swelling painfully.

Nevertheless, she didn’t care at all. The only thing she cared about was whether Miles could climb higher.

I had no strength left to fight. The bodyguards shoved me roughly into the car, and before long, we arrived at the venue.

Everyone was drinking, chatting, and smiling. It really did look like a harmless promotional event.

I had just begun to relax when Miles walked over with a bright, almost mocking smile.

"Noah, you are one lucky guy. Despite being allergic to women, Quinn still managed to get pregnant."

Every word dripped hostility. Quinn sat on the sofa, her gaze soft and indulgent as she watched him.

The others stifled their laughter as they joined in.

"Hear the rumor? Noah here is supposedly irresistible to women. If he's allergic, he must've been suffering all these years, huh?"

"I heard once men with this kind of condition get the chance, they can't hold it in, just like a male dog in heat. Who knows if it's true?"

They patted my shoulder with fake friendliness, pointing and whispering at me with smug amusement.

Humiliation, helplessness, disorientation… all of it crashed into me at once, drowning me without mercy.

Heat rushed up my chest, and I snapped. I turned my furious gaze to Quinn.

"Quinn, you're my wife. Are you really going to sit there and do nothing?"

Only then did she lift her hand lazily, motioning the others back to their seats.

Miles stepped forward, pretending to be kind as he handed me a glass of water. "Don't take their words to heart, man. They're just joking. Here. Drink some water and cool off."

Hearing the sarcasm woven between every syllable, I couldn’t act like nothing was happening.

"I've shown up. Now, can I go home?"

As soon as the words left my mouth, Quinn slammed her wine glass onto the table with a sharp crack.

The room went dead silent.

"Noah, Miles is trying to help you out here. How can you be so ungrateful? Drink it. Don't embarrass him."

Miles still held the glass out to me, his expression seeming to be friendly. "Yeah, man. Give me a chance. It's just a cup of water."

I looked around and finally realized that everyone in the room was staring at me with anticipation.

My heart sank.

I finally understood. This wasn’t just a launch event.

Quinn had lied to me again.

My whole body trembled as I shoved Miles’s glass of water away.

"I'm not drinking it. I'm leaving."

The moment I took a single step, Quinn’s friends closed in around me, forming a tight circle.

A deep, creeping sense of wrongness flooded me, and before I could ask what was happening, a sharp sting pierced the back of my neck.

Cold medication spread rapidly through my veins.

Through my blurred vision, I saw one of the women lift a syringe and twirl it smugly between her fingers.

"Strong sedatives," she said with a smirk. "Guaranteed to knock you out fast so Quinn can give birth in peace."

I dug my nails into my palm, forcing myself to stay conscious. My eyes burned as I stared at Quinn, hoping, begging that some sliver of conscience might spark in her.

However, she looked away. Right in front of me, she let Miles slide an arm around her waist as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Relax," Quinn said calmly. "Miles will handle everything. Delivering a month premature isn’t a big deal. You just need to sleep. When you wake up, you'll be a father."

Her tone was light and indifferent, like she was discussing something utterly insignificant.

I fell straight into the abyss.

My strength drained rapidly. My mind grew foggy. They dragged me into a small lounge while outside, countless cameras were being set up as they prepared to broadcast this so-called 'medical miracle', a live procedural demonstration for allergy treatment using me as the patient.

Miles dropped the last of his mask, sneering as he stared at my pitiful state.

"Noah, just sleep tight and wait to become the father of our child. We really do appreciate your contribution.

"You've always wanted a kid, right? After today’s live demo, I guarantee you’ll be famous nationwide. You're the perfect husband! You'll get all the attention!"

I tried to steady my breathing, but the sedatives hit me in relentless waves. My tongue was heavy. I couldn't even speak.

Miles patted my face with smug cruelty.

"Rest well. You'll be a household name soon."

As he left, I forced myself to roll off the sofa, hitting the ground hard enough to jolt my fading consciousness. With every last ounce of strength, I activated the mini recorder and the listening device hidden in my sleeve, then crawled toward the ventilation duct.

Outside, muffled voices floated through the door.

"Don't worry, Quinn. The sedative has additives to mess with his memory. When he wakes up, he'll just think he fainted from getting overly emotional."

Quinn finally exhaled in relief. "As long as he accepts the baby, I can fix everything afterward. I’ll make sure he stops being allergic to me."

I leaned against the freezing metal of the duct, my heart utterly dead.

Clenching my teeth, I dialed Sylvia Sullivan, my lawyer.

"Evan, is everything ready? Move according to plan."

I was sure Quinn and Miles would love this gift.

Meanwhile, Quinn and the others were busy setting up before the cameras, preparing for the big broadcast.

Suddenly, the massive screen above the venue lit up right on schedule.

The next second, every guest in the room gasped in shock.

Quinn snapped her head up, following their horrified stares to the giant livestream display…