All of his attention was on Victoria and their child.

My child would only be a burden to him.

The next day, I woke up and was about to wash up and head out for my pre-op check-up when I got a call from Fabian.

He said in a commanding tone, "Victoria's morning sickness is severe. You know how to make that potent detox herbal tea, don't you? Make a batch and bring it over to her."

"Oh, and remember to go easy on the lemon. She doesn't like sour things."

With that, he hung up, giving me no chance to refuse.

It was just like on our wedding anniversary two weeks ago. I had desperately blocked the doorway, screaming hysterically through my tears, "If you dare walk out that door, we're getting a divorce!"

Fabian was completely unfazed by my frantic threat.

He pushed me aside and sneered, "Even if you dropped dead right now, I'm still walking out that door!"

That night, I was left alone at home, silently weeping as I stared at the feast I had prepared.

Meanwhile, he was with Victoria on the beach, lighting a bonfire and setting off fireworks.

Someone even snapped a photo of them embracing and kissing in the firelight and posted it on social media.

That photo triggered another fight between us.

Fabian just called me irrational, turned around, and walked out. He was gone for a whole week. Remembering his relentless cruelty, I resigned myself to it and went to the kitchen to brew a cup of herbal tea.

Then, I had our housekeeper, Margaret, take it to him.

I thought that by giving in to his demand, I wouldn't have to see him again anytime soon.

But I never expected that later that night, as I slept soundly, a pair of strong, powerful hands would suddenly wrap around my neck, choking me.

I struggled awake in agony, my eyes flying open to meet Fabian’s dark gaze, which burned with fury and resentment.

"You tried to kill my child, and you have the nerve to sleep so soundly!"

"Wh... what?"

My mind went blank, completely failing to process what was happening.

Not until I heard Victoria’s delicate, tear-choked voice beside me.

"Jasmine, I know you hate me for taking Fabian's love, but the baby is innocent! How could you put forbidden herbs in the tea?"

Her words left me stunned. I opened my mouth to explain, "I… I didn’t."

"Who else could be so malicious! Jasmine, I truly underestimated your wickedness!" Fabian’s menacing dark eyes bored into me, the pressure from his hands never letting up.

My face flushed a deep red as I gasped for air, and I instinctively tried to push him away. The next moment, I saw him approaching with a cup of some dark, murky liquid.

Fabian seized my jaw with one hand, pressing the cup against my lips with the other. He growled through clenched teeth, "Since you love poisoning people's tea, you can have a taste yourself! "

My eyes filled with terror, and I shoved at him with all my strength.

"No... Fabian, I'm preg—"

Before I could finish, he seized the opportunity of my open mouth to brutally pour the contents of the cup down my throat.

A tearing pain ripped at the corners of my mouth, so intense it made my eyes burn red.

Victoria, who had witnessed the entire scene, had a glint of triumph in her eyes.

"Alright now, Fabian. I'm perfectly fine, see? You shouldn't be so harsh with Jasmine. No matter what, she's still your wife. If you treat her like this and she goes to the police, it won't be good for your reputation."

She admonished him, putting on a show of magnanimity.

After watching me down the entire cup of the unidentified liquid, Fabian quickly set the cup down as if he had touched something filthy. He then began to slowly and deliberately wipe the splashes of liquid from his hand.

He sneered with disdain, "This is my home. I don't care what her status is, she can't even dream of walking all over me!"

The effects of the unknown liquid took hold swiftly, giving me no time to even catch my breath.

I collapsed onto the bed in agony, curling into a tight ball. My voice was a mere whisper as I pleaded, "Fabian, drive me to the hospital... I'm begging you."

As I pleaded, I reached out to grab him.

Fabian sidestepped my hand with ease, standing a short distance away and looking down on me. He sneered, "This is what you get for being so malicious! If you ever dare to harm Victoria and the baby again, don't expect any mercy from me!"

"Jasmine, the baby I'm carrying is Fabian's child, after all," Victoria said, her eyes welling with tears, the very picture of pitiable innocence. "Even if you're upset with me, you shouldn't take it out on the baby. You're just trying to put Fabian in a difficult position."

Fabian's expression grew colder, but when he saw the tears glistening in the corners of her eyes, a flicker of protectiveness unwittingly surfaced in his gaze.

Lying on the bed, my body trembled uncontrollably from the pain. The warm gush of fluid between my legs sent a chill of despair through me.

I had never wanted this child, but I never imagined he would be torn from me in such a brutal way. With tears blurring my vision, I looked at Fabian cradling Victoria in his arms. I managed to choke out, “Fabian, I hope that when you learn what happened today, you won’t regret it.”

Fabian’s brow furrowed slightly, a strange premonition creeping into his heart.

He opened his mouth, about to say something, but Victoria’s face paled. She clutched her stomach, feigning agony. “Fabian, my stomach hurts so much… I think it’s cramping. Please, you have to get me to a hospital.”

The color drained from Fabian’s face. With a look of pure panic, he swept her into his arms. Without so much as a glance in my direction, he turned and rushed away.

As they disappeared, I could still hear his gentle voice comforting her, “It’s okay, Victoria, don’t be afraid. I’m here. I won’t let anything happen to you and the baby.”

I struggled to pull myself up, only then noticing that the bed was already stained scarlet.

If Fabian had cared for me in the slightest, he would have seen that some of the blood had already soaked through the sheets.

I forced myself not to dwell on it, fighting through the searing pain as I called Margaret.

Before long, Margaret had taken me to the hospital for an examination. She saw me covered in blood, and her eyes reddened with distress. "The master has gone mad! How could he do this to you and the baby in your belly? He will pay for this!"

I shook my head weakly and began to think about divorce.

The next day, I followed the doctor's orders and remained in the hospital.

Margaret was afraid I would go hungry, so she went home specifically to make me a nutritious meal.

I never expected that just as she left, Fabian and Victoria—who was wearing a hospital gown—would show up at my door.

Seeing me lying in bed in a hospital gown, Fabian's eyes filled with disgust as he snapped, "Victoria has to be hospitalized for her pregnancy, and you run off to the hospital too. Are you that desperate for my attention? Jasmine, have you no shame?"

Victoria nodded in agreement, her voice cloyingly sweet. "He's right, Jasmine. Hospital rooms are already in short supply. You coming here when there's nothing wrong with you is just a waste of medical resources. You should stop fighting with Fabian and hurry home."

"This is perfect. I'll just stay in this room. After my baby is born, I'll be sure to tell him all about how good you were to him."

Watching them play off each other, I couldn't help but let out a cold laugh.

I was only here because of what they’d done to me. I looked at Fabian, my eyes cold. “Don’t flatter yourself,” I said in a detached voice. “I’ll go back when it’s time for me to go back.”