There was a loud rumble of thunder outside, and Ian’s voice sounded exceptionally low under the sudden thunderclap.

Looking at his red eyes, I felt bitterness in my heart. Just as I was about to speak, a rapid knock on the door interrupted me.

"Ahh! Ahh! Ian, save me!"

Ian's expression changed slightly, and he immediately released me to open the door.

Ruby weakly threw herself into his arms, her palm-sized face full of panic. "My thoughts drifted back to that night again. Please keep me company. I'm so scared..."

"Of course I'll accompany you." Ian gently patted her back with his palm and turned around to look at me apologetically. "Kiera, there was a thunderstorm going on that night. Thunder makes Ruby recall her trauma. I have to accompany her tonight."

Before I could speak, he turned around and left with Ruby in his arms.

I slowly lay back on the bed, closing my eyes and hiding the sad tears in my eyes. I thought, 'Ian, I'm afraid of thunder too! You once said that you would accompany me on every stormy night, but you forgot your promise now that Ruby's around!'

I slowly caressed my belly, and the tears I had been holding back finally fell from the corners of my eyes. 'I'm sorry, baby. I was so looking forward to your birth, but your father had a change of heart. He's unworthy of being your father. I hope you can be born into a happy family.'

The next morning, Ian made sure Ruby and I had breakfast before going to work.

Not long after he left, Ian's mother, Karen Shaw, came home. Karen slapped me across the face as soon as she walked through the door. I was caught off guard, and my face swelled and burned.

Karen looked at me with disgust in her eyes. "I thought you were just petty, but I didn't expect you to fool around like this! The Shaw family can't afford to have a daughter-in-law like you. Divorce Ian tomorrow, and abort that child you're carrying! Even if it's born, the Shaw family will not recognize it!"

I swallowed the blood in my mouth and looked at Karen calmly. "It just so happens that I don't want to give birth to Ian's baby. I'll go to the hospital to abort the baby now!"

"Kiera, what nonsense are you talking about? I won't divorce you, and you're not allowed to abort the baby!" Ian had rushed back and was sweating profusely. His expression changed when he heard what I said.

"Who knows whose child she's carrying? What kind of spell has she put you under that you can't leave this wench?" Karen scolded.

Ian hugged me and slowly relaxed when he saw that I was fine. Facing Karen's interrogation, his eyes seemed to struggle as his mouth opened and closed several times.

I looked at his torn look, and a faint hope rose in my heart. It would be great if he spoke up to clarify the situation now.

Ian replied, "I love Kiera to the bone, so I don't care about that. I will raise the baby she's carrying as if it’s my own."

Hearing his words, I froze in place. The blood in my body froze to ice, and my heart felt like a huge hole had been punched into it. My husband had personally nailed me to the pillar of shame for Ruby’s sake. At that moment, I completely gave up. All the love I had for the man next to me was gone.

"Not only does your mother not want this child, but I also don't want it," I said.

After Karen left angrily, I coldly pushed Ian's arm away.

Ian asked, "Kiera, do you hate me so much that you're not even willing to keep the fruit of our love?"

"Yes, I hate you. You're unworthy of having a child to call your own!” I retorted as I stared into his eyes.

Looking at my resoluteness, anger flashed in Ian's eyes. His voice was as cold as ice. "You must give birth to this baby! You’ll stay in the villa for the time being!" He hurriedly left after saying that. He was afraid of seeing my hateful eyes.

Ian imprisoned me from that day onward. He took away my phone and sent someone to guard me. I did not understand why he was unwilling to let me go when he had clearly stopped loving me.

After living in the villa for a few days, Ruby's mother, Margot Jackson, burst in with some people. As soon as she entered, she taunted me, "How shameless! I wonder how you have the nerve to remain the mistress of the Shaw family."

"Ruby is pregnant with Ian's baby. You’d leave them alone if you had any brains!” Margot said.

'Ruby's pregnant?' I pondered and looked at Ruby. Her eyes were evasive as she hurried upstairs.

As soon as Margot entered, she instructed the housekeepers to clear the main room for Ruby. "My daughter is carrying Mr. Shaw's baby. How could you let her stay in a guest room? Throw out all of Kiera's things immediately and let my daughter move in!"

The villa's housekeepers had heard about the rumors outside for a long time, and Ian had not come back for several days, so they thought he hated me. They all flattered Margot and threw out everything I owned from the master bedroom.

"Stop!" I yelled when I saw that the emerald bracelet that my mother had left me was broken. I picked up the baseball bat in the corner and beat everyone like I had lost my mind. I beat Margot several times, and she cursed as she jumped to her feet.

In the chaos, Ian rushed back home. "What are all of you doing?"

The housekeeper who was about to strike me stopped and looked at him anxiously.

I walked over to the broken emerald bracelet with red eyes and carefully picked it up.

"Kiera..." Ian also saw the broken bracelet. He knew that the bracelet was very important to me.

"Ian, my daughter is pregnant with your baby. When will you marry her? Hurry and get rid of this woman." Margot thought Ian had her back, and she kept criticizing me.

"Shut up! I will never divorce Kiera, nor will I ever marry Ruby!" Ian's eyes turned red with anger.

Margot wanted to argue with Ian, but the bodyguards kicked her out.

"I will find the best jewelers in the world to fix the bracelet. Stop crying!" Ian looked at me cautiously.

"Even if it’s fixed, it'll never go back to the way it once was,” I looked down at the broken bracelet and said, even though my words were about more than just the bracelet.

Ian hugged me tightly and murmured, "No! I will take Ruby abroad for an abortion in two days. After this is over, we’ll go back to the way we used to be!"

Over the next few days, he stayed in the villa with Ruby and me, taking great care of us two pregnant women.

Ruby's pregnancy symptoms were strong. Ian followed her almost everywhere, like a good husband.

After being locked up in the villa for more than a month, I gradually softened my attitude toward Ian so I could get out for an abortion as soon as possible. "No need to lock me up anymore. I've figured it out. The baby is innocent, and I will give birth to it no matter what!"

"Really?" Ian's eyes shone with surprise.

"I've never lied to you, and it's no exception this time," I said flatly.

Ian hugged me excitedly. "I will take Ruby abroad for an abortion in two days. I will come back when she recovers, and then we'll live our life in peace!"

I hummed softly and lowered my head to cover the indifference in my eyes.

Two days later, Ian took Ruby abroad.

I sat in the villa, quietly waiting for Karen's arrival. From what I knew about her, she would never let me give birth to this baby. As expected, Karen came to the villa with bodyguards that afternoon. "Catch this woman! Send her to the hospital!"

I stood up and stared at Karen. "No need for that. I'll go myself. You don’t need to force me to abort Ian's baby!"

Karen looked at me with disdain as if she were looking at something dirty. "How dare you call that thing you're carrying Ian's baby! How shameless! You might have deceived him, but not me! This thing must die!"

I ended the recording on my phone and looked at Karen meaningfully. "I hope you won't regret this."