My mind roared.

After hiding it for so long, he had finally spoken his true thoughts.

All those times he had said—

"She’s just my sister.

"Your mind is dirty, so everything you see looks dirty.

"Can you stop making a scene?"

Now, they all felt like a cruel joke.

The signs had always been there. I was just a fool, choosing to believe him over and over again.

I simply didn’t want thirteen years of love to turn into a punchline, yet it took him just three days to make me believe the truth.

But what had my child and I done wrong?

After three years of marriage, I had finally gotten pregnant, despite being told I could never conceive.

My always-busy husband immediately dropped everything to stay home with me.

The very next day, Serena was diagnosed with leukemia. Right in front of the entire family, blood poured endlessly from her nose before she collapsed to the ground.

After testing, I was the only compatible donor.

However, my doctor, Dr. Roland Blake, told me clearly that my pregnancy was already a miracle. If I underwent the procedure, not only would the baby be at risk, but my own life could be in danger as well.

I repeated Dr. Blake's words exactly.

My parents’ expressions turned cold instantly.

My mother, Celeste Malone, rushed forward and slapped me across the face. "You’re already pregnant and still lying? Aren’t you afraid karma will befall the child in your womb?"

"It’s just donating bone marrow. Are you going to die from that? Other people do it just fine. You’re just being dramatic! I think you’re just jealous of Selena. You’d rather see her die, wouldn’t you?!"

I held my cheek, looking at her, my nose stinging as I fought back tears. I quickly pulled out the medical report.

"This is what the doctor said. I didn’t lie—"

Before I could finish, she snatched the report from my hands.

I thought that once they saw it, they would believe me.

They didn’t even glance at it. Instead, they tore it into pieces.

My eyes widened in shock and anger. Before I could even question them, the shredded paper was flung straight at my face. The sharp edges sliced across my cheek, leaving a thin line of blood.

"Iris, you really came prepared, didn’t you? You’d rather watch your own sister die than help her?"

My father, Garrett Malone, chimed in coldly, "Iris, to avoid donating your bone marrow, you actually colluded with a doctor to fake a report? You’ve truly disappointed me."

It felt like a hole had been torn open in my chest, cold wind howling through it.

I didn’t understand.

We were both their daughters. Why couldn’t they spare even a single word of concern for me?

The evidence was right in front of them, yet they still believed I was lying, as if molding me into a selfish, heartless villain fit their view of me better.

My defense felt weak and meaningless.

When Lucian stepped in front of me, all the grievances I had been holding back surged to the surface. Tears streamed uncontrollably down my face.

I threw myself into his arms, wanting to ask why he had come so late.

He simply caught me, wiped my tears, and said calmly, "Saving her comes first, Iris. Let’s not keep the baby."

The embrace that once made me feel safe now felt like it was covered in thorns, stabbing into me until I could barely stand.

I shook my head, clinging to his arm, stubborn and terrified.

"No… I only have this child in my life. Lucian, this is your child, too. You can’t be this cruel. You can’t—"

My vision blurred with tears.

Lucian only looked at me calmly, as if I were a child throwing a tantrum. "Your health isn’t good. This child might not even make it. You know I’ve never cared about carrying on a bloodline. Wouldn’t it be better for us to live our lives as just the two of us?"

So what did that mean?

My body was fit enough to donate bone marrow to Selena, but not fit enough to keep my own child?

I stared at him, nearly breaking, my voice hoarse. "Lucian, do you remember why my health is like this?"

Three years ago, during our wedding photoshoot, a careless mistake by the photographer had swept us into the ocean.

He couldn’t swim.

I had put the only flotation ring on him for the shot, and the heavy wedding dress dragged me down into the water.

I was unconscious for three days before I woke up.

Back then, he had held me tightly after almost losing me, swearing he would protect me for the rest of my life, never letting me suffer again.

I tried to use that guilt to awaken what was left of his conscience.

He only lowered his head, avoiding my gaze, and repeated quietly, "Iris, even if you give birth to this child, no one will love it. Its existence is unnecessary."

In that moment, I had to grip the doorframe just to keep myself from collapsing.

It wasn’t just his judgment of the child. It was the way he tore open the deepest wound in my heart without hesitation.

From the moment I was born, I had always been the unnecessary child in this family. No one loved me except my grandmother.

My parents and everyone around me favored the lively, cheerful Selena.

Until I met him.

Thirteen years.

Thirteen years to heal me.

He was the one who said I was never unnecessary and that I was the most precious treasure in the world.

After a lifetime of being ignored, scolded, and discarded, I had finally begun to make peace with myself, to forget the pain.

Yet I had forgotten that even the person closest to you can stab you the deepest.

He knew.

He had promised to protect me.

And yet he still stood with them, carving into my heart piece by piece, reopening every scar I had tried to bury, leaving me shattered, in unbearable pain.

Just as I was sinking into despair, Selena stepped in, blocking the others and appearing to defend me.

However, where they couldn’t see, she smirked and whispered, "Iris, so what if you’re pregnant? No one will love you. You didn’t know, did you? Every time Lucian said he was busy, he was with me.

"You and that whelp inside your belly are both unnecessary. See? With just a flick of my finger, I can make them abandon you and choose me."

Meeting my desperate gaze, she enunciated each word clearly. "I’m not sick at all. I just don’t want you to have a good life."

She slammed her elbow into my stomach.

I shoved her away in panic. A heavy pain dragged through my abdomen as a wave of indescribable fear swept over me.

It hurt.

It hurt so much.

My baby. My baby—

Mom rushed over and slapped me again.

"You’re a monster! Your sister is still sick, and you’re hitting her? How did I give birth to something like you?!"

My face burned, cold sweat drenched my body, and the pain in my abdomen nearly made me pass out. I bit down hard on my tongue to stay conscious, grabbing Lucian’s arm.

"Save the baby… please, save the baby… Lucian, I’m begging you…"

Selena suddenly started bleeding, letting out a terrified scream.

Lucian shook off my hand and rebuked me, "If the baby’s gone, that’s your own fault. If you hadn’t been so vicious and pushed Selena, would this have happened?"

I could barely stand, yet it felt like a dull blade was carving my heart open, blood pouring endlessly.

"No… Lucian, please… save the baby. I’m begging you. Save our child. Just call a doctor—"

"No way." He didn’t even look at me. He threw out the words coldly, then scooped Selena into his arms and ran off to find a doctor.

My parents followed immediately, their worried eyes fixed entirely on her.

As if her suffering alone mattered.

As if the sky itself would collapse if something happened to her.

Now that I was a mother, I understood that kind of love. Their concern for her was instinct.

But wasn’t I their child too?

Abandoned by my husband and my parents, I curled up on the floor. It took over ten minutes for a hospital orderly to find me.

By some miracle, the baby was saved.

Lying alone in the hospital bed, I watched the young couple in the next bed laugh and chat happily, discussing what they would name their child. The hope and sweetness in their eyes pierced me, yet stirred something tender inside me as well.

I placed my hand over my stomach and whispered silently, "Even if you weren’t wanted by others, I will love you with everything I have."

Lucian, who had disappeared for an entire day, finally came to my room.

I thought that even if nothing else, he would at least ask how I was. Instead, he frowned the moment he saw me.

"Stop pretending to be sick, Iris. Selena is bleeding again. Can you really stand by and watch your sister die? Or watch your parents bury their own child?"

"Just be good and terminate the pregnancy. Go save her, okay?"

In that moment, I felt like I could no longer see through the man I had shared a bed with for thirteen years.

My voice trembled as I asked, "What if… I told you Selena isn’t sick at all? What if she’s faking it?"

Lucian looked at me with disappointment. "Iris, Selena isn’t you. She wouldn’t lie. You’ve always been jealous of her. She never held it against you. Can’t you learn from her kindness and save her this once?"

"You… believe her, but not me?"

A dull ache spread through my chest. I pulled up my sleeve, revealing the dense web of old scars. My voice shook uncontrollably.

"Do you know who caused these? Lucian, you know, don’t you?"

My parents burst into the room.

Mom slapped me immediately. "You little witch! You did this to yourself just to frame Selena, and you still have the nerve to lie to Lucian and ruin her reputation? How can you be so vicious!"

As always, Dad chose silence.

Lucian simply looked at me quietly, as if to say, "Iris, your lies end here."

They were like demons, dragging at my limbs, trying to pull me into the abyss to save Selena. Just like all those times before, when she led her clique to bully and warn me not to try to take what belonged to her.

Some people really don’t have to do anything, yet they win everyone’s love.

In my despair, I thought I heard someone calling me.

"Mom."

That’s right.

I still had my child.

Summoning every ounce of strength, I broke free, grabbed the fruit knife from the bedside table, and waved it wildly.

Mom screamed and collapsed to the ground, wailing, "Oh God, what did we do to deserve this? Our daughter is trying to kill us! What kind of karma did we bring upon ourselves to give birth to such a monster?!"

A crowd began to gather at the door.

I knew they were pointing at me, whispering behind my back.

Nevertheless, I only had one thought: protect my child.

I pressed the knife against my own neck and spoke firmly, "I will not donate bone marrow to someone who’s faking illness. And I will not abort this child. If you keep pushing me, I will die right here!"

Mom scrambled to her feet, pointing at me viciously. "Even if you die, you still have to donate that bone marrow!"

Her twisted face and her bottomless favoritism had followed me my entire life. Her voice echoed in my memory, over and over.

"What can you do besides eat?"

"Get out of my sight! Why did you make Selena cry?"

"No dinner for you tonight. Go back to your room!"

"Liar! If you didn’t bully Selena, why would she cry?"

"You bullied her again? Go kneel! Don’t get up unless I say so!"

"Why did I ever give birth to something so useless!"

…

In the past, my explanations had only brought harsher punishment. So I learned to stay silent.

But not anymore.

I raised my voice with all the strength I had left.

"Fine! If word gets out that you forced your pregnant daughter to death for your younger daughter, none of you, including Selena, will get away with it!"

Murmurs spread through the crowd.

The husband from the neighboring bed, Owen Hayes, stepped forward. "I’ve already called the doctors, nurses, and security. If you don’t leave now, don’t blame me for what happens."

Mom was trembling with rage, ready to lunge at me. Fortunately, my father and Lucian stopped her, and they finally left unwillingly.

Before he left, Lucian let out a sigh. "Iris, I’m doing this for your own good. Think about it carefully."

"Get out!"

I was on the verge of collapse.

The pregnant woman beside me, Clara Hayes, tried to comfort me. I could barely breathe, gasping for air as tears soaked into the sheets.

I placed my hand on my stomach again and again.

"Baby, don’t be afraid. I will protect you."

The way I once tried to protect myself with everything I had.

But in the end…

There were always people who refused to let me go.

I wasn’t a good mother. In the end, I still couldn’t protect my child.