"Happy birthday, hubby!"

"Happy third wedding anniversar!"

Davi's gentle voice flowed through the phone. Every time I heard his magnetic tone, I couldn't help but be entranced.

"Honey, the flight got delayed today. I won't be able to make it back. I'll celebrate your birthday with you tomorrow," I said, clutching the birthday gift as I walked slowly.

"It's okay, my love. Have a good rest tonight. I'll pick you up at the airport tomorrow morning," my husband soothed me.

"Alright. I love you, hubby. Bye!"

After hanging up the phone, I saw that the private car sent to pick me up had arrived.

Twenty minutes later, I arrived home.

I lied to my husband. The flight wasn't delayed. I just wanted to give him a birthday surprise.

I gently turned the doorknob, opening the door ever so slightly and tiptoeing in.

Suddenly, a burst of giggles reached my ears.

I turned my gaze towards the tightly shut bedroom door. The sound was emanating from there.

Who could be in there?

I stealthily inched closer to the door.

"Davi, when are we going to do it? Our son can't wait any longer,".

"Soon. She's pregnant now. Once the baby is born, it can provide bone marrow for our son," .

That was Davi's voice. Whom was he planning to use the baby in my belly to provide bone marrow for?

"It's going to take so long. Our son's condition isn't looking good. I'm afraid he won't be able to hold on," the shrill voice of a woman sounded again.

It was her! Clark...

Clark and I were college classmates, and she was my best friend. After graduation, we often hung out together, and our relationship was extremely close.

When I got married later, she said she would watch over my husband and prevent other women from approaching him.

So, I arranged for her to join the company and become my husband's secretary.

Little did I know that I was actually inviting a disaster

. As it turned out, they had long been having an affair and even had an illegitimate child.

"It won't be long. Generally, a six - month - old baby can have its bone marrow extracted. Then our son will be saved,"

Davi comforted the woman. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

Tears gushed out like a flood. Afraid that I couldn't contain my sobs, I clamped my hand tightly over my mouth.

"Will your wife agree to this?"

Clark giggled and playfully tapped the man's chest in front of her.

"Why would I need her consent? She'll just think she gave birth to a stillborn," Davi sneered.

"Besides, my real wife is right here, isn't she?"

Davi pinched her chin and planted a passionate, forceful kiss on her lips.

"Naughty, Davi," she cooed.

Davi, you monster!

Every fiber of my being yearned to storm in and tear these two apart. But I couldn't.

My hand instinctively went to my belly.

I hadn't been to the company for a long time.

Now it seemed likely that these two had already taken over and emptied the company of its power.

Slowly, I took a step back, desperate to escape this home that had become a living hell.

Bang!

I stared in horror at my feet. I hadn't noticed and had just stepped on the flowerpot beside me.

Now, the only thought in my mind was "escape".

However, at that moment, the bedroom door swung open.

Davi stepped out and his eyes locked onto me.

"Honey, when did you get back?" .

Seeing him approaching, I was seized by an overwhelming fear.

It felt as if my heart was about to burst out of my chest.

Cold sweat drenched my back involuntarily.

In my panic, I accidentally bumped into the phone in my pocket, and an idea flashed through my mind.

Suddenly... I pressed my hand on the Bluetooth earphone hanging from my ear and softly began to sing.

"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to hubby."

I sang while walking towards him, a false smile plastered on my face, .

As I reached him, I forced a smile and took out my phone.

I turned the screen towards him, showing the music - playing interface.

"Honey, what were you saying just now?" I asked.

"The music's playing through my earphones. I couldn't hear you," .

He glanced at the phone, then looked back at me, his eyes filled with suspicion, as if trying to find any cracks in my facade.

Suddenly, he wrapped his arms around me.

I froze in terror.

But instead, he simply spun me around and took my hand, leading me towards the garden.

"Honey, you said the flight was delayed. How did you manage to get home?" he asked, his other hand snaking around my waist.

"I changed my flight to an earlier one and rushed back to celebrate your birthday tonight," I replied.

"Honey, don't you miss me?" I added, trying my best to sound normal despite the fear churning in my stomach.

I pouted, looking at him with a hint of grievance.

"Of course I miss you. I've been going crazy thinking about you. I'm just worried that you and the baby might be tired," he said softly, as he gently stroked my belly.

The moment his hand touched my stomach, a wave of revulsion surged through me.

Suppressing my nausea, I lifted his hand away and presented him with the birthday gift.

It was a luxury watch from a well - known brand, symbolizing "love for a lifetime".

Ironically, those words now seemed like a cruel joke.

He looked at the watch, the corners of his mouth curling up in a satisfied smile.

He probably thought I was still as blindly in love with him as before, completely under his control and never able to escape his grasp.

He walked over to the corner and turned on the record player.

A sweet and familiar melody filled the air.

It was the famous waltz "The Blue Danube", the very melody that had witnessed our love at first sight.

With a smile on his face, he put his arm around my waist, and we began to sway slowly to the music.

The volume of the music was turned up high.

Amidst the notes, I faintly heard the sound of a door closing.

Humph, it must be Clark sneaking away.

I pretended not to notice a thing.

The next morning, Aunt Salina called us downstairs for breakfast.

Aunt Salina was our family's nanny. She had been working for our family since I was a little girl.

Apart from my deceased parents, she was now the closest person to me. During my recent travels, I gave her a vacation.

As soon as she learned that I was back home, she rushed back from our hometown immediately.

At the dinner table, I brought up the idea of going to the company.

Davi immediately became alert.

"Honey, why do you suddenly want to go to the company? Is there something wrong?" .

"Nothing. I'm just a bit bored and don't want to stay home alone,"

"Baby, tell Daddy quickly. You're bored too and want Daddy to take you out to play, right?" I pointed to my slightly protruding belly and winked playfully.

Davi didn't respond.

I knew he was suspicious of me.

But I had to do this. The company was the life's work of my parents.

I couldn't stand by and watch it be destroyed by this despicable couple.

After my parents passed away, Davi married into my family.

Since I got pregnant, I hadn't set foot in the company.

I handed over the reins of the company to him, trusting him completely to manage it.

Now that I had uncovered his terrifying true nature, I was determined to go to the company and see for myself what was going on.

"Honey, don't worry. I'll definitely stay by your side, not leaving you for a single moment," I reassured him again, seeing his hesitation.

He finally agreed when he realized I was dead - set on going.

We arrived at the company together.

Clark greeted me with excessive enthusiasm. "Arina, long time no see. I've missed you so much!" she exclaimed, striding towards me and hugging me tightly.

As I caught a whiff of her perfume, I realized it was the exact same scent as Davi's.

Ironically, I was the one who had bought that perfume for Davi.

I pushed her away.

She was wearing a low - cut blouse today, and the red mark on her neck was glaringly obvious.

I sneered and asked, "Clark, what's with that red mark on your neck? Did you catch some nasty disease?"

The office was immediately filled with an awkward silence.

"Arina, what are you talking about? It's just a mosquito bite," she replied with a coquettish laugh, patting my hand.

"Ha, I was just joking. Don't take it seriously," I said. Moments later, she brought me a glass of milk. "Arina, you can't drink coffee like before now that you're pregnant. I made you some warm milk. Drink it while it's hot," she said.

Looking at this so - called "best friend" who seemed so caring, I thought to myself that if I hadn't discovered her true, hideous nature last night, I would still be fooled by her false kindness.

I drank the milk right in front of her.

"Ah! My stomach hurts so much," I cried out in pain.

"Honey, what's wrong with you?" Davi asked, feigning concern.

Davi quickly reached out to steady me, his eyes darting towards Clark with a fierce glare, brimming with a menacing warning.

"I didn't do anything!"

Clark exclaimed in a panic.

"My stomach's killing me. I need to use the restroom. You know how it is with pregnant women, always having to go,"

"Don't take it personally, Clark. Davi just cares about me so much that he loses his head sometimes. Please don't hold it against him,"

I added, a hint of a smirk playing at the corners of my lips.

I was certain Clark was quaking in her boots at that moment.

She was probably terrified that Davi would lay the blame at her feet. And that was exactly what I was banking on.

I wanted to set these two vultures against each other.

After all, they still needed me alive and well for their own sinister plans.

"Of course not! I'm thrilled to see the boss and his wife so deeply in love. It warms my heart," Clark replied, her voice dripping with false sweetness.

I could almost hear the sound of her teeth grinding in suppressed fury. Davi made a move to accompany me to the restroom, but I promptly declined.

"Honey, this is my own company. Do you really think I'm going to get lost?" I said with a forced laugh.

"You two focus on your important work. Don't worry about me," I added, and with that, I slipped away.

After coming out of the restroom, I made a beeline for the finance department.

If I wanted to uncover the true state of the company, there was no better place to start.