My younger sister was in a bad mood and went drinking at a bar, only to be dragged into a room by a few men. Not long after, she ended up pregnant.

My husband, to protect her, actually suggested divorcing me so he could marry her instead.

"Brooke only went to that bar because of me. I can't let people talk about her. Don't worry—once the baby is born and the paperwork is done, we'll remarry."

I refused, but he heartlessly abandoned me, seven months pregnant, on the side of the highway. With my swollen belly, I walked for over an hour before finally making it off the road. There, I found my husband and my sister standing together, mocking me in my miserable state.

"You wouldn't even help your own sister. Serves you right to suffer like this."

"Noelle, don't be angry. I'm about to give birth, and Jensen only did it 'cause he was only worried about me."

At that moment, I finally gave up completely. "Fine. Let's get divorced."

What's Family For?

At the sight of my sister Brooke Zavala smirking smugly by the side, all I felt was an overwhelming exhaustion.

I had known for a while that Brooke wouldn't back down so easily. And Jensen Cruz—he still chose the girl he had spoiled without condition all these years, abandoning me in the end.

Maybe my heart had been broken too many times, because by now, the pain didn't cut as sharply. I could even hold onto Jensen's arm and say calmly, "Let's not drag this out. Let's go get the divorce papers right now."

Brooke hurried after us, putting on a pitiful show with tears brimming in her eyes. "Noelle, thank you for lending Jensen to me. Don't worry, once I have the baby, I'll give him back to you."

The moment Jensen saw Brooke's red-rimmed eyes, his heart softened. He slipped an arm around her shoulder and comforted her gently. "Noelle is your sister. It's only right that she helps you. You don't need to thank her."

"Thank you, Jensen. Without you, I really don't know what I'd do…" Brooke buried her face into his shoulder and sobbed harder, and watching them only filled me with despair.

Even though Brooke and I were biological sisters, I had grown up in the countryside with our grandparents. She, on the other hand, had stayed with our parents, growing up alongside Jensen like childhood sweethearts.

Later, I was brought back to live with our parents and eventually started dating Jensen. Brooke became his personal assistant after she graduated from college.

"Brooke is our sister. It's only right that we look after her."

That had been my thought too, so at first, nothing seemed wrong. But over time, I realized Jensen treated Brooke with even more indulgence than he did me.

At work, everyone else called him Mr. Cruz, but only Brooke called him "Jensen." When she messed up and lost an important contract, drawing the client's fury, Jensen would rather make the whole company clean her mess than scold her.

When he bought a new car, he didn't even consult me before transferring it directly under Brooke's name. I'd been angry, but he snapped back impatiently, "You know how distressed Brooke is, squeezing into the subway every day? You're her sister. What's wrong with giving her a car? Why are you so petty, fighting with Brooke over something like this?"

Later, when rumors spread that the two of them had an improper relationship, he turned on me with a cold face and scolded, "I'm your husband. Can't you trust me even a little? Besides, Brooke is your sister. How can you suspect us of something like that?"

I had loved Jensen with all my heart for five years. When we married, I hadn't even asked for betrothal gifts. Back then, I was blinded by love. No matter how many times we fought, I always swallowed my grievances and gave in. But I never imagined that after giving her a job and a car, Brooke would still want me to hand Jensen over to her completely.

Looking at the two of them clinging to each other, anyone who didn't know better would have thought they were the ones expecting a baby and about to get married.

I forced a smile despite the ache in my chest. "You're right, Brooke. What's family for? Come with us to the registry office. Once Jensen and I file for divorce, you can marry him right away."

Shattered Trust

My calm, almost careless attitude caught Jensen off guard. He reached out to stop me as I turned away. "Noelle, I know this must hurt. Blame me if you need to. But believe me, this divorce is only temporary. I'll keep my promise to you."

I glanced at the hand holding mine, then pulled free. "Register the marriage with Brooke first. We can talk about the rest later."

Jensen opened his mouth again, but Brooke was quicker. She slipped her arm through his and said sweetly, "Since Noelle's already urging us, let's just hurry and get this done."

Then, she rubbed her stomach with a pitiful expression. "The doctor said I'm not in good health. There's a chance of premature labor. If the baby comes and we haven't gotten married, does that mean my baby will become a love child?"

Jensen stopped hesitating at once. He carefully guided her into the car and even buckled her seatbelt for her. Meanwhile, I had to waddle to the backseat on my own, one hand holding my belly, the other bracing my back.

Rain began to fall outside, cold drops soaking into the cracks of my already broken heart. From the moment I watched them flirt so shamelessly, a dull ache had been gnawing at my stomach.

By the time the divorce papers were finalized, Jensen had dropped the act. His eyes never left Brooke. He even asked me for advice. "Noelle, does my hairstyle look okay? Does it make me look old—like I'm not good enough for Brooke?"

I ignored him. Brooke immediately tugged on his arm with a bright smile. "We look perfect together, like a match made in heaven. Stop overthinking—let's go through the process and get married!"

I stayed quiet, watching them flaunt their affection like nothing had happened. I didn't rush to leave. This time, I wanted to see the truth with my own eyes, to kill the last of my hope.

After everything was done, Brooke strutted over with their freshly issued marriage license in hand. "Noelle, Jensen says he’s a hundred times happier than when you two got married."

Her face radiated triumph, her words dripping with provocation. "Jensen's eyes are always filled with love for me. I'm so happy. Oh, wait, I shouldn't call him Jensen anymore—I should call him 'honey.' Don't you think so, Noelle?"

When I didn't respond, she went further and slapped my belly hard out of the blue. "You are always as dull as dishwater. Your baby must be a stupid one. Mine's obviously way smarter than yours."

Before I could even retort to her, a sharp pain tore through me. I stumbled back two steps and tripped over my own feet. With a heavy thud, I hit the ground hard, my knee scraping open and bleeding.

The sound drew the attention of several bystanders. "Whose wife is that? Look how far along she is! Why isn't her husband with her? How irresponsible!"

Brooke acted as if nothing had happened, even raising her voice on purpose. "She doesn't have a husband anymore. He just divorced her and left her behind. Who knows whose child she's carrying…"

Gasps rippled through the crowd, and I felt their judgmental stares burning into me.

At that moment, Jensen came running over. He froze when he saw me on the ground, clutching my belly in pain. Panic flashed across his face. "Noelle, how did you fall? Let me—"

But before he could reach me, Brooke let out a dramatic scream and collapsed to the ground herself. "Honey… my stomach hurts…"

Her tears spilled, her voice trembling with fear, "Is the baby coming early? What do we do, honey? I'm scared…"

And just like that, all of Jensen's attention shifted back to her.

The Child I Lost

He rushed to her side in a panic, scooping her into his arms. "You're okay. I'm here. You and the baby will be fine!"

Once upon a time, Jensen had treated me that way too. Even if I had only had a paper cut, he would carefully bandage the wound and hold me tight, whispering, "Noelle, don't worry. I'll never let you get hurt again."

But the man who had once sworn to protect me now turned his back, leaving me crumpled on the ground while he carried another woman away.

As he tried to walk off, I forced myself through the stabbing pain, using the last of my strength to grab the cuff of his pants. "Jensen, this is your child. Are you really going to walk away?"

Before he could answer, Brooke's voice cut through, shrill and weeping. "Honey, we just got our marriage license. How can you stand to see me in so much pain? It hurts so much—please, take me to the hospital!"

Conflict flickered across Jensen's face. He glanced down at me, hesitation clouding his eyes, but only for a moment. Then, he pulled his leg free and said with guilt, "Hang on. I'll call an ambulance right away. But Brooke is my wife now—I have to take her to the hospital first. You understand, don't you?"

And with that, Jensen left me behind without a second thought. Helplessness and fear swallowed me whole. A gush of warmth spread between my legs, and my vision blurred as waves of agony twisted through my stomach. Darkness closed in, and I lost consciousness.

…

When I woke again, I bolted upright with a scream that startled the doctor and nurses beside my bed. My hands flew to my belly, desperate to feel my child.

A nurse caught my wrist, her expression heavy with pity. "I'm sorry, miss. You lost too much blood. We had no choice but to perform an induction."

Just one sentence—and it shattered me like thunder from a clear sky.

"No… No, that's impossible." My voice broke into sobs. "The baby was just kicking. Only two days ago, the doctor said he was perfectly healthy…"

I couldn't accept it. I refused to accept it. Even though I had agreed to divorce Jensen, the first thing I did was fumble for my phone and call him.

It rang for a long time before someone finally picked up. "Jensen, our baby—"

"Noelle Zavala." Brooke's voice came through before I could begin. "You and Jensen are divorced. That child has nothing to do with him anymore. Don't forget—he's my husband now, your brother-in-law. We're about to hold our wedding."

The phone slipped from my hand, her words ringing in my ears.

So, this was what it felt like for a heart to truly die.

I bit back tears and asked the nurse in a dull voice, "Where's my baby? I want to see him one last time."

They wheeled me to the morgue, where I said my last goodbye before numbly scheduling the cremation.

…

Back in the ward, I sank into another restless sleep. But it wasn't long before a voice stirred me awake. "Noelle… Noelle, how are you feeling?"

My eyes fluttered open, and the first face I saw was Jensen's. Rage boiled up inside me, burning away the haze of pain.

He didn't notice my hatred. Instead, he touched my stomach with confusion. "Noelle, what happened to your belly? Where's our baby?"

Our baby…

Those words ripped open every wound. The image of my child lying alone in that cold morgue clawed at me until I could barely breathe. My hand closed around the cup on the nightstand, and with all the strength left in me, I hurled it at Jensen.

"Our child is dead—killed by you and your new wife, Jensen Cruz!"