My husband, Steven Garrett, was always "busy" overseas. So I thought I'd surprise him with a visit.

Instead, I found him shacked up with my best friend, Peggy Shane. That day, my heart snapped—I filed for divorce and let my family set me up with someone new.

Two years later, I bumped into Steven outside the hospital.

He ripped the prenatal report from my hands. "How dare you cheat on me! You think you can play me?"

I laughed, cold and sharp. "We're divorced, Steven. Who I'm with now? None of your business."

Steven Garrett yanked my wrist. "I never signed anything. You're still my wife."

Peggy Shane cut in, all dramatic. "Steven, you worried about her this whole time, and she go get knocked up behind your back?"

Then she looked at me. "Steven loves you, Cecilia. How could you do this to him?"

"Shut up, you shameless homewrecker."

Steven slapped me. Hard. "You cheated on me! And you've got the guts to scream at Peggy after sneaking around on me?"

I tasted blood. "What is wrong with you? I filed for a forced divorce two years ago. Your parents even got the papers."

He wasn't having it. "Liar. I never saw anything."

The way he looked at me—pure hate. "Who's the bastard that knocked you up?"

I stared him down. "Not your problem."

Two years ago, I caught him living with Peggy. Snapped pics. Filed for divorce. Game over.

Then came Xander Zane—the guy my family picked. We got married. For once, I was actually happy.

Now I was pregnant, barely holding on, and not about to waste another breath on these two.

I turned to leave, but Steven stepped in front of me. I glared. "We're done. Back off, or I'm calling the cops."

"She's bluffing," Peggy scoffed. "If she really called the police, everyone'd know she cheated. Her family would be humiliated. I bet she found out you were back and now she's trying to pin the baby on you—just to get your inheritance."

That pushed Steven over the edge. He kicked me. Hard.

"Shameless! You cheat and expect me to raise someone else's kid?"

Pain ripped through me as I hit the pavement, winded and speechless.

Like a lunatic, Steven dragged me into an alley.

I fought back, but I was too weak. Desperate, I pulled out my phone to call for help.

He snatched it and slammed it to the ground.

Watching it shatter, my stomach dropped.

Peggy smirked. "Steven, you can't let that baby be born. You'll be the joke of all Levaerom."

Terrified, I tried to run, but Steven yanked me back by my hair before I even made it two steps.

"You shameless woman," he spat. "I wasn't even gone that long, and you're already knocked up by some loser? I'll kill you!"

I hit the ground hard, barely able to breathe. "The baby's Xander Zane's. If anything happens to me, he'll make you pay."

I never wanted to drop Xander's name—but I was out of options.

Steven froze. "Bull. Everyone in Levaerom knows Xander's basically a coma corpse. What, he knocked you up from a hospital bed?"

Xander Zane was Levaerom's king—rich, untouchable. Five years back, a car crash left him in a coma.

But he woke up right after I ditched Steven.

My parents always liked him, wanted us together.

Since the Zane family drama was messy, we kept his comeback lowkey.

I shook my head. "I'm not lying. The baby's his. We're married. Call him."

Steven narrowed his eyes. "Yeah right. Like you're not gonna have someone fake it."

"I swear, it's real," I shot back.

Peggy tossed her phone to him. "I checked. He's still in a coma. And if he did get married, the media would've exploded. Cecilia, if you're gonna lie, at least make it believable."

All the stuff online was five years old—his coma, his life, all frozen in time. No one knew he was back.

My heart pounded.

Then I remembered—I had the marriage certificate. I yanked it from my bag and shoved it at Steven. "Here. Look."

He stared at it, dead silent.

I let out a breath. "Now do you believe me? Can I go?"

"Wait." Peggy squinted at the paper. "It's fake. Don't fall for it, Steven."

Steven snapped. He kicked me, over and over.

"Faking a marriage just to cover your tracks? You think I'm that dumb?" He ripped the certificate to shreds.

I didn't think he'd be this stupid—hanging on every word Peggy spit out.

Some people walked by. I screamed, "Please! Help! My baby—help us!"

One guy stopped, hesitating.

I clung to the hope. "My stomach—something's wrong. Please, just get me to a hospital."

He started toward me, but Steven shoved him hard.

"She's my wife," he said, jabbing a finger at me. "She cheated while I was gone. I'm just dealing with it. Back off."

"I'm not his wife! I'm not!" I yelled, shaking my head.

Steven pulled out our old wedding photo and waved it at the crowd. "Look. This is our wedding. She's mine."

"I found out he was cheating and divorced him two years ago," I said.

The guy looked unsure. "You got proof?"

I glanced at my busted phone on the ground. My stomach sank.

Even if I did, I couldn't show it now.

"My phone's dead. Please, just call my husband. His number is—"

Steven cut me off. "Don't listen to her. She's calling her side piece to bail her out."

The crowd shifted, eyes turning cold.

"No wonder she got wrecked. She cheated and got caught."

"Girls like that need a good beating. Maybe then they'll chill."

"She looks all sweet and quiet, but she's just a piece of trash."

Peggy smirked. "You have no idea. Girls like her? The fake innocent ones? Always the worst. She's been hopping from guy to guy for years."

I wanted to claw her face off, but I couldn't even lift my arm.

"Peggy Shane," I hissed. "You're the reason my marriage crashed. You tore it apart."

Her eyes glossed over. "Cecilia, stop lying. You're ruining my name. Steven and I are just friends."

Steven flinched but quickly raised his voice. "Liar! You're the cheater here, not Peggy. Don't drag us down with your filth."

They were teaming up, spinning the whole thing, making me out to be the trashy one.

Steven started losing it. I tried crawling away, panicked, but he yanked me back.

"You're not going anywhere. Lose that bastard baby, beg for forgiveness, and maybe I'll take you back."

I never thought he'd snap like this. Tears streamed down my face. "Please, don't hurt my baby. Steven, I've never asked you for anything. Just this once—let me go. I won't even blame you for hitting me."

It had taken everything—years of treatments, doctor visits—to get pregnant. I couldn't lose this baby.

Steven sneered. "You cheated. You deserve every hit. Next stop? Your parents. Let's see what kinda trash raised a woman like you."

Then he hit me. Hard.

My whole body froze. Cold sweat soaked my skin. I was shaking so bad I could barely speak.

"Steven, please... I'll do anything. Just don't hurt my baby."

Peggy sneered from the side. "Cecilia, weren't you always so high and mighty? Now you'll do anything for your bastard kid. And what about Steven's pride?"

That did it. Steven lost it. He raised his hand again, ready to end me.

I curled up, arms wrapped around my stomach. "Steven, stop! You'll regret this."

Xander would destroy him if he found out. And he would find out.

Steven had Peggy recording the whole thing, planning to show it to my parents like some twisted proof.

Peggy cackled. "I'm posting it too. Let everyone see what kind of woman she really is."

Steven ripped my arms from my stomach and tossed me like I was nothing.

I slammed into a jagged rock. Pain exploded in my gut—I couldn't shield the baby.

Blood spilled fast, pooling under me. I screamed, broken.

"Steven Garrett. Peggy Shane. You're gonna pay for this," I sobbed.

I didn't even hate him when he cheated. But now? I wanted them both dead.

Peggy kept filming, smug as ever. "Look, Steven. She's still acting tough. Doesn't even know she's wrong."

Steven grabbed a stick and cracked it across my head. "Do you get it now?"

Everything spun. My vision blurred.

Then Steven froze. Saw the blood. Panic crept in.

"Peggy... she's bleeding bad. What if she dies?"

Peggy chuckled. "Relax. She's your wife. Worst case? They call it domestic violence. Her parents won't do a thing. She cheated—maybe they'll even thank you for 'teaching her a lesson.'"

She sounded so sure, like abuse was just a slap on the wrist.

Steven straightened up, feeding off her madness. "Yeah. They should be thanking me."

I could barely breathe, but I forced the words out. "You're gonna die a miserable death."

"She still doesn't get it," Peggy said, eyes gleaming. "She might cheat again."

Steven nodded.

"She needs to be taught for real. We'll strip her. Parade her through the streets. Let's see if she ever acts out again."

They tore at my clothes like animals.

Shaking, I screamed, "You monsters! You'll pay for this!"

I clung to my shirt, trying to hold onto something—anything. But they ripped my coat off, shredded through my top.

I'd never felt so exposed. So helpless.

If I had a knife, I would've ended them both.

The world blurred, then faded to black.