After my wealthy biological parents found me and brought me home, the vicious family drama I had imagined never happened.

Both the fake heiress and I entered arranged marriages.

However, after getting married, I, who was perfectly healthy, struggled to get pregnant for a long time.

Meanwhile, Angela Miller, who had been diagnosed with a cold womb condition, quickly gave birth to a daughter with her husband, who suffered from low sperm count.

Outside the delivery room, the private doctor mistook me for the fake heiress and comforted me gently.

"Everyone has their own fate. Your sister has a good constitution for pregnancy, but that doesn't mean you have no hope."

Forcing a smile, I explained who I really was.

The doctor stared at me in disbelief.

"Then why haven't you gotten pregnant yet...?"

His words cut deeply into me, and I thought maybe I simply had not worked hard enough while trying to conceive.

After returning home, I desperately adjusted my diet and managed my figure.

I even accepted Angela's recommendation and went to the hospital for IVF treatment.

The moment I came off the operating table, my back aching so badly I could barely straighten up, I received a message.

Angela, whose first pregnancy had already been considered a medical miracle, was pregnant with a second child again.

I stared at the message on my phone, frozen in place.

Jealousy and bitterness surged over me like a tidal wave, swallowing me whole.

For some reason, my mind drifted back to the day I was first brought home.

Back then, I stood awkwardly in the villa wearing dull, worn-out clothes that made me look completely out of place.

Angela Miller, meanwhile, was dressed in an elegant little dress. There was not the slightest trace of hostility in her eyes.

Instead, she walked over and took my hand warmly.

"Cassidy, we're family now."

My parents looked at me with guilt written all over their faces as they pulled me down to sit beside them.

"Cassidy, we're sorry. We failed you all these years, but we'll make it up to you."

"We've already arranged marriage prospects for both you and Angela. Take a look and see which family you prefer."

Compared to spending my whole life struggling as an ordinary worker, what was so terrible about an arranged marriage?

I agreed without much thought.

A few days later, the medical checkup results came back.

The doctor's expression was unusually serious.

"Cassidy Miller is healthy. She exercises regularly and has no major issues.

"But Angela has a naturally cold uterus and a weaker constitution. Conceiving in the future will likely be very difficult."

That same night, Angela came to see me alone.

"Cassidy, the Cardone family may be wealthy and powerful, but their son, Gary Cardone, has fertility issues. If you marry into that family, you'll definitely suffer.

"But my body condition makes pregnancy difficult anyway. Even if I can't conceive after marrying him, nobody would blame me."

At the time, I was deeply moved. I felt the whole thing was terribly unfair to her.

She simply smiled, her voice soft and gentle.

"I spent twenty years in the Miller family enjoying the life that should have been yours. This is the least I can do."

Even my parents tried to persuade me.

"Cassidy, listen to Angela. The Cardone family is too complicated.

"You should marry into the Lester family instead. Our families are well matched, and we've known each other for years."

Back then, I truly believed my suffering was finally over.

I had found my family, and I was about to marry into a good household.

What I did not realize was that this was the beginning of the nightmare.

Alex Lester really did treat me well. He was honest, gentle, and always accommodating toward me.

However, after a year of marriage, I still was not pregnant.

In wealthy families built on alliances, producing an heir was everything.

The atmosphere at home had already been tense, but the moment news arrived that Angela was pregnant, everything exploded.

My mother-in-law, who had once treated me kindly, gradually became more and more dissatisfied.

Every day, she muttered under her breath.

"What's the point of marrying a hen that can't lay eggs? We should've let my son marry Angela instead. At least she could give me a grandson…"

I was furious and humiliated.

Thankfully, Alex stepped in and shielded me.

"Mom, Cassidy is already trying her best. If we can't have a child, you can't just blame her. These things take time."

My mother-in-law shot me a sharp look and raised her voice.

"How can I not be anxious? Just look at the Cardone family. They used to look down on Angela, but now that she's pregnant, they treat her like royalty. Everyone says she's blessed. Meanwhile, look at our family…"

After that, I gave up every food I loved.

I started working out, regulating my schedule, living with a level of discipline that barely felt human in the modern world.

I even stopped using skincare products because I was afraid the chemicals might affect fertility.

Alex and I went to the hospital for countless examinations.

However, every report came back the same: both of us were perfectly healthy.

No problems whatsoever.

As for why I still could not get pregnant, even the doctors could not explain it.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I closed the medical report in my hands and prepared to head home.

Suddenly, someone cried out in surprise and blocked my path.

"Angela? Did you come to visit me?"

I looked up to see Angela standing there in a loose maternity dress.

One hand rested protectively over her stomach, while the other was tightly held by Gary.

Back then, Gary had treated Angela with cold disdain, acting like he was above everyone else.

But now, his eyes were full of tenderness.

"Slow down. Don't rush around like that. What if you bump into something?"

Angela smiled and lightly patted his hand.

"I'm fine. It's not like I'm that fragile."

Then she turned toward me, concern flickering in her eyes.

"Cassidy, what are you doing at the hospital? Another checkup?"

I quickly hid the test tube report behind my back and answered flatly.

"Yeah. Just finished."

At that moment, my parents walked out from a nearby consultation room.

The moment they saw me, the smiles on their faces froze briefly.

Then their attention immediately shifted back to Angela.

"Angela, you're pregnant with your second child now. You have to be careful about everything."

Gary quickly chimed in, his tone respectful.

"Dad, Mom, don't worry. I'll take good care of Angela. She's the hero of our family now."

Ever since Angela gave birth to a daughter for Gary despite his fertility issues, her status in the Cardone family had skyrocketed.

Mrs. Cardone bragged to everyone that Angela had a naturally fertile body, and that the second child was definitely going to be a boy.

Even the Miller family had landed several business projects because of it.

The guilt my parents once felt toward me had long disappeared. Now they practically revolved around Angela.

My mother held Angela's hand, the more she looked at her, the more pleased she seemed.

"Angela is truly blessed. She's the pride of the Miller family."

Then she turned toward me, her tone noticeably colder.

"Cassidy, how were the test results? Still no news?"

My chest tightened. I gripped the medical file harder and lowered my voice.

"No."

My mother frowned, undisguised disappointment in her expression.

"Honestly, your health is perfectly fine, so why can't you get pregnant? Are you even trying properly?"

My father sighed as well.

"Cassidy, stop being so stubborn. Take care of your health properly. The Lester family is still waiting for a grandson."

Angela quickly stepped in to smooth things over and hooked her arm through mine.

"Oh right, Cassidy, did you drink the herbal fertility medicine I gave you before? It's supposed to help a lot with conception."

The moment she mentioned that prescription, irritation surged through me.

My tone sharpened before I could stop myself.

"I drank it. It didn't help."

Not only did it not help, it also left my face covered in breakouts.

I touched my cheek unconsciously. The swelling and redness that had finally faded suddenly seemed to burn again.

The smile in Angela's eyes deepened slightly before she spoke in surprise.

"How could that be? It worked really well for me. Even my pregnancy became more stable afterward."

I had no energy left for polite conversation. I made up an excuse and walked away.

Without realizing it, I ended up outside the nursery room.

I stopped and stared through the glass at the pink-cheeked babies inside, my heart filling with envy.

I had loved children ever since I was young. I always thought they were the cutest thing in the world.

But now, I could not even have a child of my own.

"What are you doing?!"

A sharp female voice suddenly rang out.

A woman in postpartum clothes rushed over and shoved me away, glaring at me fiercely.

"Who are you? Are you trying to steal my baby?"

I stumbled back from the shove and quickly tried to explain myself.

"You've got the wrong idea. I'm just here for a check-up. Your baby looked adorable, so I took an extra glance, that's all."

The woman clutched her child tighter, her expression still full of hostility.

"You're a patient? And how am I supposed to know you're not pretending? What if you've got some contagious disease and pass it to my baby?"

"I don't!"

My voice shook with panic.

"Oh really? Then show me your medical report."

She kept pressing closer, reaching for the papers in my hand.

Instinctively, I hid them behind my back, hesitation flooding my chest.

The words test tube report printed on the document felt like a thorn lodged in my heart. I did not want anyone seeing it.

Especially not in a humiliating situation like this. I did not want it turned into some joke for strangers to laugh at.

However, the more I tried to avoid her, the more convinced she became that something was wrong with me.

"What's the matter? Feeling guilty?"

She let out a cold laugh and lunged forward, snatching the report from my hands.

Her eyes swept across the page before she suddenly raised her voice toward the crowd.

"Everyone, come look! This woman went through IVF because she can't have children herself. Now she's trying to steal mine! This is terrifying!"

People around us immediately turned to stare.

Some looked curious. Some disgusted. Some almost sympathetic.

Every gaze felt like needles stabbing into my skin.

I clenched my fists, my voice icy.

"What nonsense are you talking about? If I wanted a child, I could adopt one. Why would I steal yours?"

Just then, Angela arrived with my parents.

One hand resting on her stomach, she quickly took in the situation. Her eyes shifted slightly before she hurried over and gently tugged on the woman's arm.

"Please don't be angry," she said softly. "My sister has been struggling to get pregnant for a long time, so she's under a lot of emotional stress. She just thought your baby was cute and couldn't help looking for a moment. She wasn't trying to steal your child."

The woman shot me a sideways glance, her tone growing even more contemptuous.

"Just look at her face, covered in acne. You can tell she's mentally twisted and full of bitterness. Even if someone like her could get pregnant, she'd never raise a child properly. Who knows what kind of sick thoughts she has?"

My whole body trembled with rage. I opened my mouth to argue, only for my mother to grab me first.

She frowned impatiently.

"Cassidy, you were in the wrong first. Stop making a scene and embarrassing us in public."

I stared at her in disbelief.

All I had done was glance at the baby for a moment, yet I was being humiliated and accused like this.

And instead of defending me, my own family thought I was the embarrassment.

Angela quickly patted my back.

"Mom's only saying this for your own good, sis. Don't stoop to her level. It's not worth it."

I looked at my parents' cold expressions, then at the strange looks from the people around us.

All the anger and humiliation inside me slowly gave way to helplessness.

Biting down hard on my lip, I forced the tears back and turned away without another word.

I had barely reached the corner of the hallway when I heard a familiar voice behind me.

It was the pregnant woman from earlier.

Standing across from her was her husband.

"Honey, I honestly don't think that woman meant any harm," he said quietly. "Weren't you being a little too harsh, going after her weak spot like that?"

The woman hesitated for a long moment before finally admitting the truth.

"Actually... a pregnant woman named Miller paid me to do it. She said if I cooperated, there'd be money in it for me.

"I just thought you've been working so hard lately. I wanted to earn a little extra for baby formula."

The man froze in shock.

"Aren't they family? Why would she do something like this?"

The woman shook her head and hurriedly pulled her husband away, lowering her voice.

"Keep it down. Money's money, isn't it?"

It felt as though someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over my head.

I stood there frozen, unable to recover for a long time.

Angela...

Why would she do this to me?