Three months into my pregnancy, my mafia husband's childhood sweetheart returns to the country. Everyone says that if Eloise Rosenveil hadn't left three years ago, Lawrence Ardent's wife would never have been me. Now that Eloise is back, I have to step aside.

Apparently, Lawrence thinks so, too. He turns a blind eye whenever Eloise hurts me, and even my baby becomes a sacrifice for their love.

I decide I've had enough. I leave and end everything between us. However, the moment I disappear from his world, he loses his mind and turns the world upside down looking for me.

On the 28th birthday of my mafia husband, Lawrence Ardent, I personally baked his favorite mango cake. However, when I brought it to the banquet hall, I was met with the sight of his childhood sweetheart flirtatiously lifting a glass of wine to his lips.

Everyone around them was cheering, "Kiss her! Kiss her!"

"This is your chance, Don Ardent! You've always regretted not marrying Eloise, no? Now is your time to get all lovey-dovey with her!"

Laughter erupted as the crowd closed in on them. Lawrence braced his arms against the wall, shielding Eloise Rosenveil in his arms.

Eloise's cheeks flushed crimson as she brushed her face with her wineglass and murmured, "Stop it. Sylvie will get jealous if she sees us. She's Lawrence's wife, not me."

Lawrence lowered his head. The way he looked at her was tender in a way I'd never seen before.

"Eloise, you're the one Don Ardent has always loved. That woman is just your stand-in. Now that you're back, there's no place for her anymore. Say the word, and he'll send her packing in a few days!"

"Exactly! How could that woman ever compare to you? The only reason Don Ardent married her was because she looked similar to you. She's nothing but your replacement."

"No matter how much she tries to act like you, she'll never be you. There's no way Don Ardent would actually fall for her!"

My grip on the cake box gradually tightened as I stared blankly at the two of them pressed so closely together.

In response to everyone's teasing, Lawrence merely smiled and told them to stop messing around. His gaze never left Eloise, and he held her close as if she were something precious he needed to protect.

That gentle demeanor of his was something I'd never seen before. The lively and intimate atmosphere surrounding them felt like a world I would never belong to.

From the moment he didn't push her away, I knew our marriage had already reached its end. Clutching the cake, I silently took a step back and turned to leave.

Unfortunately, Eloise noticed me standing at the door and called out, "Where are you going, Sylvie?"

She shot Lawrence a coy glare, smoothed her dress, and walked toward me. "Don't leave, Sylvie! You must've gotten the wrong idea. We were just playing a game of truth or dare, and I lost.

"There's nothing going on between me and Lawrie!"

The others, startled by my sudden appearance, began to scatter with awkward excuses.

Lawrence frowned. Impatience edging his voice, he said, "That's enough, Sylvie. It's just a game. Don't make a scene and ruin everyone's mood."

Instinctively, I covered my slightly rounded belly as a dull ache spread through my chest.

The corners of Eloise's lips curled slightly, and her eyes glimmered with triumph. "You're scaring her, Lawrie. Sylvie even brought you a cake to celebrate your birthday. Don't be so harsh on her!"

Then, she reached for the box in my hands and talked to me as if she were Lawrence's wife, "Don't be afraid. Lawrie's all bark and no bite."

I instinctively tightened my grip on the string of the cake box, yet she let out a shrill scream as the cake slipped out of the box and landed on her gown. "My dress!"

Tears instantly welled up in her eyes, and she looked piteously at Lawrence. "Sylvie didn't do it on purpose, Lawrie! Don't blame her."

"Sylvie, if you're mad, you can take it out on me. Don't hurt Eloise! You're going to be a mother soon. Why are you still so short-tempered?" He yanked Eloise to his side and shot me an irritated look.

"Think about what you've done. Come find me only when you realize your mistake." Then, he carefully guided Eloise past me.

Out of nowhere, something struck my leg, and I went tumbling down the stairs. Pain ripped through me. Staring at Lawrence's retreating figure, I cried out in agony, "Don't go, Lawrence! My stomach…"

However, my cries didn't bring Lawrence back. Before his figure completely disappeared from my view, I shakily dialed his number.

Yet, he merely stopped in his tracks for a heartbeat. After noticing my name flashing on the phone screen, he decisively declined it.

Once he was gone, all I received was a cold text message. "I'm taking Eloise shopping. When you've reflected on your behavior, apologize to her."

Clutching my phone in despair, an excruciating pain tore through my abdomen, and I cried out helplessly, "Help! Please, save my baby…"

Warm liquid trickled down my thighs, and the strong metallic smell of blood filled me with horror. This was the baby I had longed for…

I couldn't lose it!

"Ma'am, you're bleeding heavily. I'll call an ambulance right now!" A kind waiter helped me into the ambulance, yet my condition was far from good.

After the examination, the doctor looked at me with a grim expression. "You've lost too much blood. I'm afraid we won't be able to save your baby. Please be prepared for the worst, ma'am."

My head was spinning, but I forced myself to stay conscious as I burst into tears and pleaded, "My baby's already three months old. Please, I'm begging you, save him!"

The doctor pondered for a moment before hesitantly responding, "If Dr. Clayton is here, he might be able to save your baby. He's the most renowned obstetrician. But he's difficult to reach unless you know someone influential who can introduce you."

A sliver of hope rose in my chest. "My husband is Don Ardent. Would he be able to?"

The doctor's face lit up with a smile. "Don Ardent? Of course! He's an old acquaintance of our hospital director. So long as he says the word, there's a good chance we can save your baby!"

With trembling hands, I picked up my phone and called Lawrence again. It rang a few times before he finally answered. "Sylvie, have you thought things through? Apologize to Eloise, and we'll forget this ever happened. Eloise even said you don't need to pay for her gown."

I didn't have time to argue with him. I immediately cut to the chase. "Lawrence, something's happened to our baby. Can you come to the hospital? Also, do you know Dr. Clayton? Can you—"

Before I could finish, he cut me off sharply. "That's enough, Sylvie! You'd go as far as cursing your own child just to avoid taking responsibility? What kind of mother does that?"

I explained weakly, "I'm not lying. I'm at the hospital right now. If you don't believe me, come see for yourself—"

"You were perfectly fine a little while ago, and now you're saying you're in the hospital? At least come up with a better excuse. You've genuinely let me down, Sylvie!" Lawrence said coldly before hanging up on me.

Tears cascaded down my cheeks as I called him repeatedly. Ultimately, I took a picture of my blood-stained clothes and sent it to him. "I'm having a miscarriage. The doctor said our baby won't make it without Dr. Clayton's help. Please, just help me contact him!"

However, my message went unanswered.

Soon, the ambulance arrived at the hospital. The doctor hesitantly asked, "Have you been able to reach Don Ardent? Dr. Clayton just finished a surgery. If you can get in touch with him, he can operate on you right away."

I held the doctor's hand tightly. "My husband isn't here yet. Could you help me contact Dr. Clayton first? My husband will be here any minute now!"

The kind doctor contacted Dr. Clayton and explained my situation. After hearing what happened, Dr. Clayton agreed to take a look at my condition.

I had just let out a breath of relief when Lawrence's call came through.

Eloise's smug voice came through the line.

"Sylvie, your lie is pretty convincing. I can't believe you even got a doctor to play along with you. The pictures came out great, too.

"Lawrie's out shopping for clothes for me right now, and his phone is with me. I've already deleted those pictures. Did you really think you could use your baby as leverage to make him cave in?

"I won't let you have what you want!"

My heart sank. Suppressing the unease rising within me, I explained, "I'm not lying, and I don't want to compete with you. If you want Lawrence, you can have him. I simply want to protect my baby…"

Eloise huffed. "Don't you want to use that baby to keep Lawrie by your side? I won't let you have your way. Today, I'll show you who matters more to him—me or that baby in your belly!"

I asked, "Hold on. What are you trying to do? Hello?"

Eloise had hung up the phone and blocked me.

A terrible sense of dread crept over me. I couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen.

Sure enough, moments later, Dr. Clayton called the doctor. "Who is this imposter pretending to be Don Ardent's wife? I just spoke with him. He said his wife is perfectly fine. Whoever contacted me earlier was an impostor!"

He sounded livid. "I was going to make an exception and perform the surgery to save her baby. However, for a patient this deceitful, I wouldn't help her even if she was dying!"

The color drained from my face as I lunged forward and snatched the doctor's phone. "I didn't lie, Dr. Clayton! I have the Ardent family's token with me. If you'd just come and take a look—"

Yet, Dr. Clayton didn't listen to a single word I said and hung up on me.

Left with no other option, I turned to the doctor beside me, who looked just as helpless.

He said, "Ma'am, you need to go into surgery immediately. I may not be able to save your baby, but I'll do my best to save your uterus!"

"No! My baby…" I cried out in despair.

Refusing to give up, I tried calling Lawrence again. However, the automated message saying the call couldn't go through felt like a blade twisting through my heart.

Overwhelming fear and pain swallowed me whole, and everything went black.

…

When I came to, the air reeked of disinfectant. I could clearly feel it—my three-month-old baby was gone.

The doctor stood by my hospital bed and lamented, "I'm sorry, but we couldn't save your baby. The good news is that there was no damage to your uterus. You're still young. You'll be able to have children again in the future."

I stared blankly at the ceiling, resting my hand on my now-flat abdomen. Tears slid down from the corners of my eyes, soaking into the pillow.

We'd been married for three years, and only I knew how hard it had been to conceive this child. Alas, the baby I had waited three years for was gone.

"Where's the father of your baby? Shall I call him to look after you?" the doctor inquired gently.

With a lot of effort, I pulled out my phone, only to see a clean screen—no calls, and not even a single message. I had been unconscious for an entire day and night, and Lawrence hadn't reached out once.

Blinking back tears, I responded hoarsely, "It's alright. Thank you for the offer. My baby doesn't have a father anymore."

Right there and then, I was done with Lawrence once and for all. Our baby was gone, as was my love for him.