My husband's elusive love is about to marry someone else. To make her regret it, he abandoned the Graham family business and me, shaved his head, and enlisted in the army in a far-off land. I wrote him hundreds of letters but received no response. By the third year, I stopped writing and was relaxing in a rocking chair, savoring a bowl of ravioli soup, when suddenly, my husband returned. He stared, shocked, at my six-month pregnant belly:

"You never came to see me in all these years. Whose child is that?"

I laughed coldly, indifferent: "It's certainly none of your business."

---

Jax Graham snatched the bowl from Charlee Hernandez's hands and slammed it onto the table. With a dark expression, he pulled me to my feet.

"You traitor! I've only been gone for three years—whose child are you carrying? Tell me! Who's your lover?"

The ravioli soup splattered everywhere, creating a sticky mess. Charlee was already cowering in fear.

Talia Butler heard the commotion and hurried into the room. Seeing the chaos, she grasped the situation and intervened, grabbing Jax's hand to shield me.

"Jax, don't scare her. The child's father..."

But Jax's fury only grew. He cut in fiercely:

"Leah Howard, I'm asking you!"

His expression was truly terrifying, and his voice thunderous. I used to be most afraid of his anger, always yielding to his wishes. But after three years of absence and returning only to confront me, anger surged within my heart.

I forced myself to suppress fear and anger, stepping forward with determination. I met his gaze without wavering and said slowly:

"You left for three years, abandoning the company's mess to me, disappearing without a trace."

"Under marriage law, two years of separation automatically dissolves the marriage. Legally, we're no longer husband and wife."

Jax's face flushed with anger, glaring at me intensely. Suddenly, he lifted his phone, aiming it at me to record.

"You cheated and are pregnant with someone else's child. What's your defense? I'll put this online right now for everyone to see!"

Jax yanked my hair, forcing the camera close to my face. My scalp throbbed with pain, and I staggered under his grip. Pregnancy was already uncomfortable enough, and with his strength, I couldn't break free.

Talia seemed unprepared for this scene, her heart racing as she rushed to grab Jax's phone, trying to calm him down:

"Son, listen, don't make a fuss. I'll explain it later..."

Jax turned his shocked gaze toward her, redirecting his suspicion and anger at me:

"Mom, I'm your son! You're on her side?"

Fearful of his fierce expression, Talia dared not approach further. Feeling betrayed by both love and family, Jax dragged me by the hair toward the door:

"Today, I'll show everyone just how promiscuous you are!"

I was forcibly hauled out, lifting my head to see a familiar silhouette—it was Sasha Nguyen, Jax's unrequited love all these years.

When Jax left, Sasha also vanished. Now they've returned together, clearly involved long before.

Sasha looked at my disheveled state, feigning surprise and confusion on her face:

"Who would've thought my sister was such a person? You really can't judge a book by its cover..."

Jax dragged me in front of everyone and shoved me hard. I stumbled, instinctively protecting my belly as I fell.

Jax looked down at me, declaring loudly:

"Leah Howard, considering you cared for my mom and managed the company for three years, if you abort the child and let Sasha join the family officially, I won't divorce you."

"Otherwise, I'll kick you out with nothing!"

Hearing these words, I felt nothing but irony. When Jax left, the company was in crisis, teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. He abandoned the chaos to me and disappeared without a word.

He left saying he needed to clear his head, promising he'd be back in a few days. Foolishly, I believed him.

Driven by the hope of his return, I gritted my teeth, sold my dowry—a property—to prop up the company. Gradually, I pulled through, reviving the business. But he never returned, not even once.

I was in disbelief. After three years of running the company and taking care of his family, he could still treat me so cruelly, forgetting all our shared past. The gossip in the garden grew louder, everyone whispering and speculating.

"He's been gone for three years. So how on earth is she pregnant?"

"Do we even have to ask? Obviously, she cheated on him while he was away. Shameless, isn't she? Look at her; she must be five or six months along."

Talia, unable to tolerate the insults hurled at me, stormed out angrily. She gently helped me up and handed me a cushion to sit on.

Her eyes burned with fury as she glared at Sasha and Jax, shouting, "Enough! Leah's child is legitimate. Stop this nonsense and leave!"

Jax looked at his mother, stunned. "Mom, what are you talking about? There's no way that child she's carrying is mine."

Talia stood firm, her voice unwavering. "This child is hers by right. There's nothing to discuss! If you keep questioning it, get out and don’t come back!"

Sasha, standing nearby, spoke softly but sharply, "Jax, do you think Aunt Talia's been charmed by her? Some kind of sick spell, perhaps? It's frightening..."

Jax's fists clenched as he glared at me, shouting, "Leah, what have you done to my mom?"

I scoffed, finding their behavior absurd. "You've been gone for three years. Mom worried herself sick over you, losing sleep and turning her hair gray. Isn't that your fault? And you dare question me?"

Jax's face froze, and he opened his mouth to respond. But Sasha, unnoticed, had circled behind me and suddenly pushed me forward.

"Bitch! How dare you blame Jax?"

Caught off guard, I fell, my abdomen hitting the steps with a painful thud. Agony shot through me instantly, leaving my face pale and sweat on my forehead.

Talia screamed in panic, "Quick! Call 911!"

Charlee fumbled nervously with her phone, trying to dial the emergency number but couldn't get it right in her haste. She finally managed to dial, only for Jax to snatch the phone away and smash it to pieces.

His face was dark and unforgiving as he said, "No one calls a doctor. It's better if this bastard is gone. Saves us the disgrace!"

No one dared to move, paralyzed by his fierce gaze as it swept the room. Talia, seeing the blood pooling beneath me, was frantic.

"Dial 911, what are you all waiting for?"

Jax's threatening glare kept them frozen in place, daring anyone to defy him. Talia cautiously supported me to sit back, then marched up to Jax and slapped him hard across the face.

"Jax Graham! Are you out of your mind?"

His head jerked to the side, the mark of her hand stark on his cheek. He stared at her incredulously. "Mom, you're hitting me for this shameless woman?"

Jax signaled to Blaze, and two burly men appeared instantly, pinning Talia's arms, rendering her helpless.

Jax's eyes took on a wild look as he approached me, a gleaming knife in hand. Terror filled my eyes, and despite the pain, I tried desperately to scramble away.

But Jax pursued me relentlessly, intent on finishing what he started. "You love seducing others, don’t you? Today, I'll leave a mark on your face and see how shameless you can be!"

The cold metal pressed against my cheek, and fear gripped me, my breath caught in silent terror.

"Leah Howard, don't blame me for not giving you a chance. You wouldn't consider ending this pregnancy. So now I’ll do it for you."

Blood continued to seep beneath me as the gleaming knife hovered perilously close to my skin. Overcome with fear, I tried to edge backward, but Jax instantly moved the knife nearer. Desperately, I looked around the room for help, but everyone avoided meeting my eyes.

I never imagined that after years in the military, Jax would become more unhinged rather than mature and composed. I remembered a time when some local troublemakers bullied me, and upon finding out, Jax flew into a rage and had them beaten so badly they couldn't move. Now, those ruthless tactics were being turned against me.

With Jax's volatile nature, there was no way he would accept this child. The curious stares from the onlookers felt like piercing thorns. Jax raised the knife high above his head and aimed it at my abdomen. Panic-stricken, I shut my eyes tight, clutching my stomach as my body trembled uncontrollably. Yet, the anticipated pain didn't come. Hesitantly, I opened my eyes.

A man in military uniform had caught the knife blade with his bare hand. Blood flowed steadily from between his fingers, pooling on the floor. Jax glared at him, brows furrowing in anger, and demanded, "Who are you? What's it to you if I discipline my disobedient wife?"

The man, seemingly unfazed by the pain, remained composed and said calmly, "Mr. Graham, if you want the truth, perhaps we should have a private talk."

Enraged, Jax kicked at the man, sending him sprawling to the ground. Looking at the stranger's helpless state, Jax sneered at me, "Leah, I thought you had connected with someone significant, but he's just another coward!"

I was out of options; no one was left to help me. Despair washed over me; was I really going to die here today? Pride and dignity meant nothing at this moment; I'd do anything to protect my child. Despite the searing pain, I clutched at Jax's pant leg, my voice trembling as I pleaded, "This child is... is..."

But Jax, blinded by rage, paid no heed. The knife, still stained with blood, lightly grazed my arm. Tears streamed down my face as the pain blurred my vision. Before I could react, another cut sliced across my cheek. My clothes soaked with blood, leaving me freezing and in agony.

Desperate, I reached for Jax, collapsing at his feet as I begged, "Please, spare my child..."

With a derisive snort, Jax kicked my hand away. "It's too late for begging now. When you did all this, you should've foreseen today!"

Sasha, standing nearby, chimed in callously: "Brother Jax, she still won't reveal her lover's identity and refuses to admit her mistakes. She deserves no mercy."

Jax laughed coldly, "I guess the punishment hasn't hit home yet. I'll rid you of this monstrosity now." He aimed the knife at my belly once more.

My heart plummeted, and instinctively, I tried to escape, but bodyguards quickly restrained me. I screamed and struggled, but it was futile. They had immobilized my limbs completely.

Jax started cutting through my clothes, revealing my swollen belly. "Let's show everyone your disgraceful stomach! How dare you betray me with another man? Shameless!"

With despair consuming me, I knew I had to act fast.