After Scarlett quit, all the projects she was responsible for were dumped on me. Just as I was drowning under a mountain of deadlines, a commotion erupted in the office.

"Scarlett, you look like a new woman!"

I looked up to see Scarlett striding in, laden with Hermès shopping bags. With her chin held high, she patted her stomach. "Of course! My son is heir to an empire!"

Everyone stared at her as if she'd lost her mind. Not long ago, she was the one sneering at anyone who got engaged or pregnant, preaching that marriage was a trap and kids were a financial black hole. Now, just a few days later, she was claiming to be pregnant.

When she mentioned she had already sold her apartment, a few well-meaning colleagues tried to warn her.

"Be careful, Scarlett. No one truly prominent donates at clinics. Don't get scammed."

She rolled her eyes. "What, you think I'm Cassia? That idiot was just going to pick someone without a clue who the father was. I'd rather die than be that stupid."

Then, she strode over and slapped a gold-foil invitation on my desk. "In five days, my fiancé is coming to claim me. You should come and see what real wealth looks like."

With that, she flipped her hair and strutted out.

We were already swamped with work, and her theatrics annoyed everyone.

"Cassia, isn't Scarlett your friend? Is she delusional? Fantasizing about some billionaire fiancé?"

"The kind of guy who donates to a clinic isn't going to be a billionaire. And now she thinks she's better than everyone just because she's pregnant?"

"She sold her apartment and spent all the money on luxury goods. I'd like to see how she plans to support a child! And remember how she mocked me for trying to get pregnant?"

Scarlett's little show had disgusted everyone. They all advised me to cut ties with a psycho like her.

Before long, Scarlett sent a location to our company group chat. It was the private club owned by the Carbone family.

"This Saturday, my fiancé is hosting a dinner party here. Don't miss it. This is your rare chance to rub shoulders with high society!"

No one expected her to actually pull it off. That private club was famous for its astronomical prices, where even a bottle of water cost a three-figure sum.

Scarlett's social media feed turned into a showcase of her wealth, and she tagged me in every post. In photo after photo, she was draped in couture, smiling like the cat that got the cream.

I snorted softly. Let her laugh. It won't last.

On the day of the party, my colleagues dragged me to the club. "There's no way Scarlett lucked into a billionaire's baby. After she threw you under the bus, we are not missing this train wreck!"

A lavish portrait of Scarlett and a handsome man was displayed at the entrance.

Just then, Scarlett spotted me. She lifted her chin, linked her arm with Julian Carbone's, and strode over. "Well, if it isn't my pathetic ex-best friend. I thought you wouldn't show! Since you clearly don't have my instincts for picking winners, you must be dying of jealousy right now!"

She was so proud of her "keen instincts," but she was completely blind to the icy void in Julian's gaze.

I offered a faint smile. "Jealous? Hardly. I'm thrilled for you."

Scarlett proudly introduced her fiancé, Julian, the heir to the Carbone family.

"Julian says that as soon as our baby is born, he'll be the sole heir. You all have time to suck up to me now. Otherwise, with a single word from me, your company could go bankrupt. And Cassia, you'll lose your job too."

Everyone sensed something was off, but Scarlett was lost in her own delusion of grandeur.

While Scarlett was off showing off to others, my colleague Chloe pulled me aside.

"Why would the heir to a family like that even need a clinic? And I've heard the Carbone family has strict rules. How could they let an outsider into their inner circle so quickly and even promise her child will inherit everything?"

But Julian's generosity was hard to argue with. Scarlett complained that the party was boring. Less than half an hour later, his assistant came over and arranged a European shopping trip for the following week.

The envious gazes in the room only made Scarlett look more smug.

Julian had been the same way with me in my past life. The slightest hint of morning sickness would send him into a panic, summoning the best doctors in the world. Even so, I had the same doubts as Chloe back then.

I had never met Julian before I became pregnant. Why was he so devoted to me just because I was carrying his child? Why did the entire Carbone family treat me like I was made of glass?

I was a nobody. Beyond carrying his child, there was no reason for him to put me on such a pedestal. So, I remained vigilant and eventually discovered the secret.

Meanwhile, Scarlett had swallowed the bait—hook, line, and sinker.

A few colleagues tried to warn her, but she just yelled at them, "You're all just jealous! I'm beautiful, independent, and smart. Of course Julian would fall for me at first sight."

Julian, in his magnetic voice, delivered a saccharine "declaration of love" to Scarlett. He gently caressed her stomach. For a moment, I saw a predatory glint in his eyes that no one else seemed to notice.

Seeing me talking to an industry tycoon, Scarlett flew into a rage. She stormed over and dumped a glass of red wine on my dress, accusing me of trying to seduce her man. "Have you no shame, Cassia? Stop trying to seduce my man!"

Before she could lunge at me, Julian caught her arm, his expression turning frigid. "You're pregnant. Don't cause a scene. If anything happens to the baby, I'll kill you."

Everyone could see that Julian cared more about the baby than he did about Scarlett.

Somehow, that's not what Scarlett heard. "See? He loves me so much he said he'd kill me if I lost the baby! That's how much he values our child!"

As she spoke, a look of pure disgust—the kind one reserves for an inanimate object—flashed across Julian's face. While he steadied Scarlett, my colleagues rushed to help me up. They shot furious looks at Scarlett, but who would dare offend the fiancée of a Carbone?

I waved them off. "Forget it. Just ignore her."

I finished the thought silently. In nine months, she'd be trapped in a fate worse than death.