The door to the examination room swung open. Chelsea emerged, her eyes red, her expression a fragile mask of vulnerability. She glanced around nervously.

"Did I cause trouble for you, Drake?" she asked, her voice a thin, shaky whisper. "I shouldn't have told you about the baby." Her eyes welled with fresh tears. "I was just going to... going to take care of it. But the doctor said if I did, I wouldn't be able to have children ever again."

Drake put a comforting hand on her shoulder, his voice warm, utterly gentle. "No, Chelsea. This isn't your fault. Kaitlyn… she would have found out eventually."

Chelsea lowered her gaze, her shoulders trembling. "She won't like me," she mumbled, her voice choked. "I promise I'll try my best to win her over. I'll even move in as a nanny after the baby is born, to help out."

A cold laugh bubbled up in my throat, quickly suppressed. A nanny? In my own home? The audacity was breathtaking.

Drake squeezed her shoulder again. "I'm sorry, Chelsea," he said, his voice thick with remorse. "I should have handled this better."

My chest tightened, air squeezed from my lungs. The sheer hypocrisy of it all was suffocating.

A few minutes later, Drake left to pick up her prescription, leaving Chelsea alone in the corridor. She watched him go, then straightened her clothes, a subtle smirk playing on her lips. The fragile mask was gone, replaced by something hard and calculating.

She slowly turned, her eyes locking onto my hiding spot. A chill ran down my spine.

"Did you hear everything, Kaitlyn?" she asked, her voice sharp, devoid of any pretense of vulnerability.

My lips remained sealed. I couldn't speak. I wouldn' t give her the satisfaction.

She raised an eyebrow, her eyes glinting with challenge, pure contempt.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the frantic beating of my heart. I turned to walk away, to escape this nightmare.

But she blocked my path, her smirk widening into a mocking smile. "You should just leave, Kaitlyn. Graciously. I'm carrying Drake's child. His family will never let him abandon me. You'll just be kicked out, publicly shamed." She leaned in, her voice a venomous whisper. "Your marriage certificate? It's fake. You'll be nothing but a mistress."

Her words were daggers, each one twisting deeper into the wound. My hands clenched into fists, fingernails digging into my palms. The pain was real, but it was nothing compared to the agony in my soul.

I opened my mouth, a desperate protest forming on my lips.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor. Drake was returning.

Chelsea' s face instantly contorted, morphing into a picture of fragile innocence. "Please, don't blame the baby!" she cried out, her voice filled with a desperate plea. Then, with a dramatic gasp, she crumpled to the floor, clutching her belly, her face twisted in a grimace of pain. Blood began to seep onto her white hospital gown, blooming like a macabre flower.

Drake roared her name, rushing to her side. He scooped her into his arms, his eyes blazing with fury as he glared at me. "What did you do to her?!" His voice was a raw, primal shout.

I stared, stunned, speechless. My head shook frantically, trying to deny the accusation. But Chelsea's trembling voice cut me off.

"No, Drake, don't blame Kaitlyn," she sobbed, burying her face in his chest. "She's just… she's just upset. She doesn't like me or the baby."

Her weak cries, her manipulative words, only fueled Drake's rage. He shoved me aside, his eyes filled with a searing hatred. "If anything happens to her or my child," he snarled, "I swear, I will never forgive you."

He cradled her protectively, stroking her hair, his gaze filled with a tormented tenderness I knew I would never receive again. "I'm taking her back to a room," he vowed, his voice thick with emotion. "Right now."

He carried her out of the corridor, his back to me. He didn' t look back. Not once. I stood there, utterly alone, surrounded by the ghosts of my shattered life. I didn' t even get a chance to explain. My world had turned to ash. He had chosen her. He chose them.

Let him have her.

Chelsea' s fall wasn't serious. The doctor completed a routine check, confirmed everything was fine, and Drake, ever the doting husband, escorted her back to a private room.

I stood in the doorway, a silent observer, watching him fuss over her. He fluffed her pillows, adjusted her blanket, whispered reassurances. He was a perfect picture of a loving husband, a devoted father-to-be. I felt like an intruder, a phantom from a past life, disrupting someone else's tender moment.

Chelsea, pale and appearing weak against the pristine white pillows, beckoned me in. "Kaitlyn, please come in," she murmured, her voice soft, almost ethereal.

Drake glanced at me, his eyes quickly darting away, a flicker of guilt crossing his face. I took a deep breath, the sterile hospital air filling my lungs, and stepped into the room.

"Please, don't blame Drake," Chelsea said, her voice barely above a whisper. "It was my fault. I asked him to bring you here. There are some things we need to discuss."

My lips remained sealed. I just stood there, a stone statue, my face devoid of emotion.

Drake sat beside me on the edge of the bed, reaching for my hand. A fleeting touch, devoid of the warmth I once craved. A flicker of remorse crossed his features. His lips parted, then closed. He struggled for words.

"Kaitlyn," he began, his voice rough. "There are some things I need to clarify." He paused, gathering his thoughts. "I… I met Chelsea again at a business dinner. One of my partners was forcing her to drink. I intervened. We… we both had too much to drink. And that' s how it happened."

He looked at me, his eyes filled with a remorse that tasted like ash in my mouth. He squeezed my hand, a gesture that felt utterly performative. "I swear, Kaitlyn, you are the only one in my heart."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I know this puts you in a difficult position. But the baby… it's innocent. It's my blood. I can't abandon my own flesh and blood." He looked at me, his gaze pleading. "Once the baby is born, we'll register it under your name. You'll be the mother, Kaitlyn. I hope you can understand." His eyes locked onto mine, seeking some trace of understanding, of forgiveness.

I lowered my head, tears burning my eyes. This was his choice. He had chosen Chelsea, and her child. This wasn't about love, not anymore. This was about cold, calculating ambition.

The most painful part wasn't the betrayal itself; it was the layers of lies, the elaborate deception. Why didn't he just tell me? Why the secret divorce? Why the fake marriage certificate?

Chelsea's eyes, too, were red-rimmed. "I never meant to come between you two," she whimpered, her voice shaky. "But I had no choice. My body… I'm not strong. If I lost this baby, I would never be able to conceive again. Please, don't blame the child." Her shoulders trembled, a convincing facade of distress.

I looked at them, a suffocating tightness in my chest. I too was a mother now. I understood what a child meant to a woman, the fierce, protective love.

I took a deep breath, forcing a small, bitter smile to my lips. "I'm not angry," I said, my voice surprisingly steady. I took another deep breath, willing my voice to remain calm. "I understand."

Drake stared at me, dumbfounded. He hadn't expected such an easy capitulation. He knew my zero-tolerance policy for betrayal. He knew my fiery spirit.

"You… you really understand?" he asked, a hint of suspicion in his voice.

I nodded, the bitter smile still fixed on my face. "We both need to think about the family, Drake. I understand you need an heir. Your empire is vast. It needs to be passed on." I turned to Chelsea. "Bring her home, Drake. Take care of her. That way, I'll feel at ease too."

A wave of relief washed over Drake' s face. He let out a long, slow breath. "Thank you, Kaitlyn," he said, his voice thick with gratitude. He squeezed my hand, his eyes shining with relief.

Chelsea, sitting beside him, looked stunned. Her eyes narrowed, a smirk quickly replacing her look of surprise. She hadn't expected this either.

I met her gaze, my own eyes calm, empty. There was no emotion left in me. "If there's nothing else," I said, my voice flat, "I'd like to go home now." I stood up. "I'll prepare a room for her. And hire a nutritionist to ensure a healthy pregnancy. We need to make sure the baby is safe."

Drake nodded, a flicker of guilt in his eyes. "Go, Kaitlyn. I'll make it up to you, I promise."

I smiled, a cold, empty gesture, and turned to leave. My escape plan was in motion.