Lucas quickly slammed the door shut with a loud, echoing bang. The baby in my belly stirred uneasily, frightened by the noise. Normally, I would have thrown those macarons back at his face. This time, I chose to eat quietly for the baby’s sake as my baby needed the nutrients.

When both Lucas and Veronica were gone a few days later, I took my debit cards and slipped out of the house. As I was in my final month of pregnancy, I moved awkwardly to stop a cab. Then, I sat in the back seat of the cab like a waddling penguin.

The driver glanced at me through the mirror and said kindly, “Ma’am, please be careful. You’re carrying precious one now.”

I met his friendly smile and suddenly my nose tingled. It had been so long since anyone had spoken to me with genuine warmth. When we stopped, I closed the car door and gave him the address. It was a place I hadn’t visited in ages.

“Christie’s London Auction House, please.”

I wanted to prepare something valuable for my baby. A gift to secure his future. The driver looked surprised.

“That’s where the wealthy go, ma’am! There’s really an auction house there?”

I just smiled and gently stroked my belly without replying. The auction house wasn’t open to the public. Only people with assets over a hundred million pounds were invited. It was a secret circle for the elite.

When we arrived at the Christie’s London, I followed my memory and walked toward the entrance. But before I could go in, the security guard stopped me.

“Madam, you’re not allowed to enter.”

My chest tightened. I used to walk in and out of this place freely. However, Lucas had always been by my side back then.

I pulled out several Coutts World Silk Cards as I told him, “Oh, please. Just verify the funds!”

One guard accepted them with a polite bow, but when he checked, his face turned hard.

“How dare you try to fool us? Do you even know where you are?”

“If you weren’t pregnant, I’d have kicked you hard already!”

Both of them insulted me harshly, which hurt me.

“Isn’t there enough money in the accounts?” I asked, confused.

Those cards were made of pure platinum, custom-made for me by Lucas. Each one was supposed to hold more than enough. Yet, I had never used any of them before.

“This account is empty. Who are you trying to trick?” the guard who verified the funds asked coldly.

For a moment, I just stared at the card. When Lucas first gave it to me, I truly believed he loved me. Back then, I thought his feelings were sincere.

Now, I realized everything. The affection, the promises … all of them had been nothing but a show. What I once believed to be love was just his way of passing time. And I, in his world, was nothing but a fool performing for him.

Quietly, I took back the card as I lowered my gaze before turning to leave. But before I could take another step, I stumbled straight into someone’s arms.

“Excuse me,” I said quickly.

When I looked up, I saw surprise flicker across the man’s face but it then softened into recognition.

He held my wrist gently. Finally, he asked, “Are you … Yvette Bennet?”

His face was familiar. Suddenly, I remembered who the man was. This was my childhood friend, Andrew Marlowe. When he was six years old, his grandfather had taken him overseas. From then on, we had lost contact ever since.

“Excuse me,” I muttered, brushing off the dust from my clothes, trying to step aside.

I didn’t dare meet his eyes. I was pregnant, awkward and worn down. Meanwhile, Andrew stood tall in a tailored suit, confident and polished.

The security guard, seeing this, sneered as he commented, “Sir, this woman’s a nobody. She’s just pretending to be rich. We’re throwing her out.”

I lowered my head even more, like an ostrich hiding in the sand.

“How dare you talk like that! Do you even know who this lady is?” Andrew shouted angrily as he walked towards me.

The two guards could only look at Andrew fearfully before looking back at me. After that, they quickly lowered their heads.

“Mr. Marlowe! We’re sorry, Sir. We didn’t realize she was your guest!”

For the first time in a long while, someone stood between me and the cruelty of the world.

Without further ado, I picked a quiet corner and sat myself down while watched as the auction began. One by one, the treasures were displayed. From sapphire necklaces, famous paintings, to rare antiques. None of those interested me. I was waiting for something special.

At some point, I surely had dozed off because a flash of light startled me when I opened my eyes. Under the soft golden glow, a golden wrist watch sparkled beautifully.

“Starting price, fifty thousand,” the auctioneer announced.

I lifted my bidding board as I responded, “Sixty thousand.”

Almost immediately, another bidder called out, “Eighty thousand.”

The wristwatch was made for a man. It was finely made with its surface smooth and clear for a well-maintained 18th century wristwatch. It looked perfect. Something my baby could wear when he had grown up.

“One hundred fifty thousand,” I said calmly, raising my board again.

The room fell silent. No one else raised a bid.

“Sold!” the auctioneer declared, striking the hammer.

I took a steady breath and stayed seated, still hoping to find more things suitable for my child. Then, a large man suddenly rose from his seat.

He mockingly asked, “One hundred fifty thousand, you say? One hundred fifty thousand? I’ve been in business for years and never seen you before. Who are you … some mistress pretending to be rich?”

Andrew, who had been sitting beside me, looked ready to argue, but I stopped him with a gesture. There was no need to make a scene. For my baby’s sake, I had to stay calm.

A voice from the crowd shouted, “Verify her funds! Let’s see if she’s real!”

The auctioneer signaled for two staffs to come forward. Without hesitation, I handed them another card. This card held all the savings I had built up since I was young. It was money I had planned to give only to someone truly precious. And that person was my unborn child.

When the auctioneer announced the verified amount, which had billions in assets, the entire room went quiet. The event continued and I ended up buying a few more items. The Hutton-Mdivani necklace, a Van Ceef & Arpels Paris twisted hoop earrings and the Theseus Ring.

Finally, the auctioneer raised his voice as he shouted, “And now, our final piece!”

He continued, “This item may look simple, but it’s a true treasure.”

“It was ordered by King Louis XIV of France for his beloved great-grandson, King Louis XV of France. This was made by the finest jewellery in Paris at the time.”

The auctioneer lifted a small gold pendant. It glowed faintly under the lights. For something so old, it looked surprisingly well-preserved.

“This is the Jesus and Mother Mary’s pendant,” the auctioneer continued.

“It symbolizes the love and blessings for future generations.”

“Starting price, ten million.”

My heart leaped as I shouted, “Twenty million.”

“Fifty million!” another voice called.

I hesitated. Fifty million was already a lot for me. Before I could decide, the auctioneer raised his hammer.

“Sixty million!” I blurted out.

“Sixty million once!” he called.

I smiled faintly. It seemed no one else would compete. Then, a cold voice from the shadows broke the silence.

“Eighty-eight point eight million.”

I turned to look. In the dim corner, a man in a black suit sat quietly. I couldn’t see his face clearly.

“One hundred million,” Andrew said suddenly.

He winked at me and whispered, “A welcome gift for the baby.”

The whole room erupted in surprise.

But from that same dark corner, his voice rang out again.

“Two hundred million.”

Andrew opened his mouth to raise the price again, but I gently touched his arm to stop him. The auctioneer counted, “Two hundred million, going once, twice, three times … sold!”

The hammer fell as a hush spread across the hall. Everyone watched as the man in the black suit carefully picked up the pendant, walking away without a word. After the auction ended Andrew and I said our goodbyes outside the building.

But before I could take a step, a familiar Bentley pulled up. Lucas got out quickly with a grim face.

“Yvette, why are you out here with another man behind my back?”

People all around stared at me with contempt.

“You look like a decent wife and mother, but you’re capable of cheating on your husband?”

“A woman like that sneaks around even while pregnant. Who knows whose child she’s carrying?”

“She’s the one who bought all those expensive things. I bet that money isn’t even clean.”

Each cutting remark reached my ears like small blades. I tightened my fists but stayed silent.

Lucas putting on a false kindness as he held the car door open, saying, “Darling, let’s forget our old arguments. Come home with me.”

I got into the car under their scornful stares. Lucas quickly sprayed alcohol all over the seats as if I were some kind of disease. Once home, he held my hand and guided me carefully to the sofa, his voice sweet again.

That was when I saw an elderly man arrive. It was Mr. Joshua Powell, the old Mr. Powell himself. No wonder Lucas had been acting with two different faces. Inside, I sneered, but outwardly I put on a bright smile.

Before I could speak, Mr. Powell motioned for his butler to bring over a pink box. I opened it cautiously. Inside lay my favorite item from the auction, the Jesus and Mother Mary’s pendant.

“My precious great-grandchild will soon be born,” Mr. Powell said warmly.

“This is just a small gift from his great-grandfather.”

My eyes filled with tears as I thanked him sincerely. That night, I returned to my usual place in the stairwell. I had noticed the old Mr. Powell’s worried expression before he left.

Lucas, still pretending to be gentle, helped me up the stairs. His hand felt warm, but all I felt inside was sadness. I quietly pulled away from his arm.

When the bedroom door closed, his fake kindness disappeared. My husband tossed the quilt onto the floor and jerked his chin toward the bathroom. He and Veronica climbed into the soft bed.

I held my belly as I crouched painfully to pick up the quilt. After that, I supported myself against the wall as I slowly walked to the bathroom.

‘It was large, at least,’ I thought to myself, chuckling bitterly.

But the smooth tiles cut into my skin when I tried to lie down. Listening to Lucas’s snores through the door, I turned over and over as I was unable to sleep. Suddenly, the bathroom door was swung open.

“Give me that pendant!” Veronica shouted, grabbing my chin between her fingers.

“You know it’s useless keeping it. Your baby won’t live long.”

Veronica slapped my face in disgust. Hearing her speak of my child made something in me snap. Immediately, I spat on her face.

“My baby is sick. It will need the pendant. The baby will needs someone to protect them,” she muttered to herself.

After that, she struck me again. This time, it was harder than the previous one.

“Hand it over! You’re so disgusting right now.”

I let out a bitter laugh.

“Go ahead. Hit me! Beat me to death … you’ll never find where the pendant is.”

Her anger boiled over. She kicked me to the ground, pressing her palm over my mouth so I wouldn’t wake Lucas. I curled around my belly, shielding my baby and let her vent her rage. It was only at dawn that she stomped back to the bed, still fuming.

I got up and washed my face. The mirror showed a woman with messy hair and cheeks swollen from slaps. I studied my reflection carefully, promising myself I would never forget this night.

At breakfast, Lucas acted the perfect husband. He kept serving food onto my plate, smiling sweetly. It was a performance for everyone else. Meanwhile, Veronica stood among the servants, her face twisted with rage.

Mr. Powell looked at Lucas coldly and then turned to me with concern.

“Yvette, why are your eyes and face so swollen?” he asked.

Before I could speak, my phone buzzed with a WhatsApp message from Lucas:

[If you dare tell the truth about last night, I’ll make sure the baby is gone!]