I was five months pregnant when my husband, James Fletcher, allowed his mistress to invade our lives—on the very night of our wedding anniversary. But she didn’t just come to flaunt her presence. She came to take my life.

Pregnant and vulnerable, I confronted her, desperately clinging to my dignity. But the fight ended with me tumbling down the staircase, my swollen belly crashing against the cold, hard ground. Blood seeped across the floor, vivid and unrelenting.

James only arrived after hearing about his precious mistress’ ordeal. He stood there, staring at the pool of blood, at my broken body. But instead of helping me, he rushed to her side. She had nothing but a few superficial scratches, yet he swept her off to the hospital like she was the one dying.

By the time he returned, my child was gone. The doctors barely managed to save me. And what did James do? He struck me in front of everyone, his words sharper than the sting of his hand.

"Lisa only wanted to bring you a Christmas gift, and you attacked her out of nowhere! You shameless witch!"

“She didn’t force her way in! What nonsense! I gave her the house key ages ago. You just can’t stand that she’s prettier and kinder than you!"

“You didn’t just hurt her. You killed my child! You vile, despicable woman. Why couldn’t it have been you instead?”

Lisa stood beside him, pretending to comfort him while flashing me a smug, victorious smirk.

James’s vicious tirade didn’t stop there. He dragged my name onto the internet, painting me as a monster.

I sat at the dining table, staring at the elaborate anniversary dinner I had prepared for James Fletcher.

Since I became pregnant, he hadn’t come home much, always saying work kept him busy, often requiring him to travel.

This time, he told me in advance that he would celebrate our anniversary with me. Overjoyed, I pushed through the discomfort of being five months pregnant to cook him a feast.

When I heard the doorbell, I thought James had returned. I rushed to open the door, only to find Lisa Smith standing there, holding a kitchen knife.

She lunged at me with the knife.

Panicked, I ran down the hallway, banging on neighbors’ doors for help. I tried to escape through the emergency stairwell, but Lisa pushed me down the stairs.

The neighbors, hearing the commotion, rushed out to see what had happened. I lay on the staircase landing, wracked with pain, blood pooling beneath me.

Meanwhile, Lisa had already slashed her own arm with the knife, pretending I had attacked her. Tears streamed down her face as she feigned innocence.

“Mrs. Fletcher, I only came to deliver your anniversary cake. Why did you attack me with a knife?”

She had tossed the knife into my blood, and the neighbors, seeing it, immediately assumed I was the aggressor. They began whispering and pointing at me.

“How could she be so cruel? Attacking someone with a knife out of nowhere!”

“Exactly! It’s Christmas, and the poor girl just wanted to surprise her. What a terrible thing to do!”

“Look at her lying there, not moving. She’s probably faking it to extort money from the poor girl!”

I watched as some of them pulled out their phones to record, sharing the scene online to expose me. Trembling with pain, I didn’t say a word to defend myself.

It was then that James finally arrived. The moment Lisa saw him, her tears flowed even harder.

“James, look! I don’t know what I did wrong, but she suddenly attacked me with a knife.”

Seeing the small cut on Lisa’s hand, James immediately walked over and slapped me hard across the face.

"Since tonight is our wedding anniversary, I didn’t want you to feel lonely while waiting for me, so I asked Lisa to keep you company. And what did you do? You attacked her with a knife! Is it because you’re jealous of her—angry that she’s more talented and successful than you?"

As soon as James said this, the neighbors were convinced I had harbored resentment all along and had planned to harm Lisa. The internet was flooded with hateful comments, while Lisa continued crying and twisting the truth.

“I saw that she was struggling with her pregnancy, so I even helped her prepare dinner,” she sobbed. “But after I worked so hard to finish the meal, she suddenly came at me with a knife and hurt me…”

I didn’t even have the strength to explain. The pain in my abdomen felt like someone had punched me repeatedly.

Clinging to James’ leg, I begged him to take me to the hospital, but he kicked me aside.

“Stop acting! Do you think I’m entertained by your endless performances? You’d better apologize to her right now, or you’ll regret it!”

With that, James scooped Lisa into his arms and rushed her to the hospital, leaving me behind in agony. Writhing in pain, I pleaded with the neighbors to call for an ambulance.

“Please, help me… Save my baby…”

But they believed James’ words and thought I was putting on a show to gain sympathy. They spat at me in disgust.

“Quit acting! Your husband’s gone! Who are you trying to fool now?”

“Probably trying to attract some other man’s attention. What a disgraceful woman!”

Amidst the torrent of insults, I gritted my teeth and forced myself to stand, though the pain was excruciating and blood pooled around me.

The neighbors blocked the elevator, refusing to let me use it, leaving me no choice but to drag my blood-soaked body down the stairs step by step.

By the time I reached the apartment building’s entrance, not a single driver was willing to take me to the hospital.

They all refused, afraid my blood would stain their cars.

In the end, a kind passerby took pity on me and brought me to the hospital. But it was too late. Because of the massive blood loss, I couldn’t save the baby.

My own life hung by a thread, and I needed an urgent blood transfusion.

However, my blood type was extremely rare, and finding a match on such short notice was nearly impossible.

The hospital contacted my husband. When he learned of the situation, his response was a tirade of curses.

“You’re unbelievable! You’ll go as far as causing yourself to bleed out just to manipulate me into coming back? Forget it! Unless you apologize to Lisa, don’t even think about me donating blood! I’d rather drain my blood into the sewer than give it to you!”

His words froze my heart completely. In the end, it was the hospital director who provided me with the blood I needed. My life was saved, but my body was left severely weakened.

As I lay in bed, memories of our past flooded my mind. Back in college, James had fallen for me at first sight. He brought me meals every day, cared for me attentively, and made me feel cherished.

I quickly fell in love and vowed that he was the only man I would ever marry.

Afraid that he’d feel intimidated by the gap in our social standings, I cut ties with my family after graduation and married him in a whirlwind.

When he started his business, I stood by his side, enduring countless hardships—skipping meals, wearing worn-out clothes, and sacrificing everything to support him.

During those years, my parents constantly asked if I regretted my choices, but each time James told me he loved me, I felt certain I had made the right decision. I promised to stay by his side no matter what.

Eventually, he succeeded in becoming the CEO of a multinational corporation.

Back then, he went to extraordinary lengths to show his love. On my birthday, he once organized a grand fireworks display that became the talk of the town. Everyone wondered which lucky woman was behind such an extravagant gesture. No matter how busy he was, he always found time to whisk me away to the Rodives for a vacation.

But everything changed.

One day, I accidentally saw his chat history and discovered his affair with his secretary, Lisa. When James realized I had gone through his phone, he flew into a rage and physically attacked me. It was then I learned the truth—that all his excuses about being busy with work were just cover for the time he spent with her.

I clung to hope, believing that if I had a child, he might return to the man he once was. But reality delivered a cruel slap to my face. Even as I lay in a pool of my own blood, his first instinct was to take Lisa to the hospital.

At that moment, my phone screen lit up. It was a message from Lisa.

The photo she sent showed James carefully blowing on a bowl of oatmeal to cool it before feeding her, his expression tender and cautious, as if afraid to burn her.

Over the years, Lisa had sent me countless intimate photos of the two of them, flaunting their closeness and taunting me.

There was a time when those photos would have made my chest tighten with unbearable pain, a sharp ache that felt as if it tore through my very soul.

But now, I felt nothing. My heart was numb, dead to the man I had once loved.

I closed the chat window and called James. He ignored my call six times before finally picking up, only to launch into a furious tirade the moment he answered.

“How dare you call me? Do you have any idea how badly you hurt Lisa? You vicious woman!”

“Kailey Hall, today I finally saw your true colors! I don’t even want to imagine what would’ve happened if I’d arrived any later. Would you have killed her? You’re insane!

“Get yourself to the hospital room right now and kneel before Lisa to apologize! If you don’t, I’ll divorce you!”

Before I could respond, I heard Lisa’s pitiful, tearful voice in the background.

“James, please don’t blame her. It’s my fault. I was the one who offered to help her. She might have hurt me by accident, but you shouldn’t scold her anymore. Pregnant women shouldn’t be under too much stress—it’s not good for the baby.”

James sighed deeply. “Lisa, you’re too kind. Even after everything she’s done to you, you’re still defending her. You’ve always been the one helping me with my work, while Kailey spends her days doing nothing at home. What does a housewife even amount to? And now she dares to hurt you?

“Unless she apologizes to you, I won’t forgive her. Not this time.”

While the two of them exchanged their sweet words, I remained calm and said evenly, “Alright. Let’s get divorced.”

James clearly didn’t expect me to agree and sneered, “Who do you think you are? You’re threatening me? Do you honestly think anyone would want you after divorcing me? That bastard child of yours is unwanted trash!

“You worthless woman! You’re as stupid as a pig! I only put up with you because you were pregnant, but now you dare to push your luck?

“Where are you right now? Do you actually think I’m scared to divorce you just because you’re pregnant? Fine, divorce it is!”

I replied calmly, “Alright. I’ll send you the papers immediately. Don’t forget to sign them.”

Before he could say another word, I hung up.

His stream of insults reminded me once again that this man no longer loved me. The slap he’d planted on my face earlier still stung, not just my skin but my very soul.

The other patients in my hospital room were still chatting, oblivious to my pain.

“Hey, did you see the news? The CEO of that multinational corporation used a helicopter to rush his lover to the best private hospital. Isn’t that just the most romantic thing ever? I heard he even organized those city-wide fireworks displays just for her! So enviable.”

“You haven’t seen the latest update? Apparently, Mr. Fletcher had crates of fresh, nutrient-packed ingredients delivered just so he could cook for his beloved wife and help her recover faster!”

“They’re just so sweet! No wonder everyone’s talking about them. And they’ve been through so much together, both in love and at work. What an inspiring couple!”

…

I glanced down at my now-flat stomach. A dull, relentless pain throbbed in my abdomen.

When their conversation finally ended, I sighed in relief, glad to no longer hear the nauseating tales of James and his mistress.

It was then that the hospital director, the one who had donated blood to save me, came to check on me. He expressed his condolences for my miscarriage and urged me to stay strong.

Surprisingly, I felt a sense of relief at the loss of my child. At least this way, they wouldn’t have to suffer in the future and wouldn’t have to learn that their parents had never truly loved each other.

After the doctor left, I picked up my phone and checked the latest developments online. The hate against me had grown terrifying, fueled by the army of trolls James had paid to escalate things. They painted me as a venomous and spiteful woman, accusing me of harming Lisa out of jealousy.

Lisa even posted a video, tearfully pleading with netizens to stop harassing me. But every word she spoke subtly fanned the flames, escalating the hatred against me. Her carefully crafted performance turned me into public enemy number one, drawing more people into the fray to condemn me.

Any posts I made trying to explain myself were dismissed as lies, further fueling the outrage.

Over the following days, I could feel the hostile stares from those around me. Some even took to loudly insulting me in public, instantly garnering support from bystanders. Every day, I received hateful and threatening private messages from strangers across the internet.

I no longer had the strength to defend myself.

The day before I was discharged, I sent James a message, “Let’s go to the lawyer’s office tomorrow and finalize the divorce.”

He called back immediately.

“How dare you show your face again? I gave you a chance, but you refused to apologize to Lisa! Everything that’s happening now is your own fault!

“If it weren’t for Lisa’s kindness, begging me to show mercy, I would’ve reported you to the police by now! Fine, let’s get divorced. Afterward, your child will be nothing but an unwanted bastard!”

Before I could respond, he hung up.

Silently, I opened the home surveillance app on my phone and saved the footage from that day—the recording of Lisa showing up at my door with a knife. Then I contacted the property management office and retrieved the stairwell security footage, which showed her pushing me down the stairs.

The next day, after I was discharged, I went straight to the lawyer’s office with my documents in hand.

However, the one standing at the entrance was Lisa.

“Well, what a pleasant surprise. Isn’t this the great Mrs. Fletcher? Are you in such a rush to beg James not to divorce you?” Lisa’s lips curled into a mocking smile as she looked at me.

“You really are shameless, clinging to him like a parasite. What can a housewife like you possibly compete with me for? You’re nothing more than a stray dog that nobody wants. Your husband already does whatever I say.”

Her gaze dropped to my stomach, and her grin widened.

“What’s wrong? Couldn’t even protect your bastard child? How pitiful. Then again, even if you’d given birth, it wouldn’t have survived long. Who knows when it would’ve dropped dead…”

I had no interest in her taunts. Ignoring her, I tried to push past and enter the lawyer’s office.

But before I even touched her, Lisa threw herself to the ground, clutching her face as tears streamed down her cheeks.

“Lisa!”

James came rushing out of his car. From his perspective, it looked as though I had deliberately pushed her in a fit of rage.

Without hesitation, he stormed over and slapped me hard across the face. The force sent me tumbling to the ground, my cheek stinging as blood trickled down my face. He immediately pulled Lisa into his arms, gently soothing her as she sobbed.

He turned back to berate me but froze when his eyes landed on my flat stomach. His face went pale, and his voice trembled as he spoke.

“Where’s my child?!”