After eight years and countless pregnancy tests, I was finally pregnant.

Zachary loved me to his core. With or without a child, his devotion never wavered—if anything, it only grew stronger.

He was over the moon, practically bouncing off the walls, promising me the world and everything in it.

His parents were relieved that the Williams family legacy would finally have an heir. They completely changed their tune, suddenly treating me like I was made of gold.

But I had no plans to keep this baby.

"I'm... going to be a father...?"

When I showed Zachary the pregnancy test, his face was pure disbelief.

I smiled and flashed a peace sign. "Two lines!"

Zachary stared at me, his eyes suddenly welling up.

"Ella, we're really going to be parents?"

"Mmm-hmm."

I nodded, with a soft smile.

Zachary pulled me into his arms, his voice catching. "Ella, from now on, we'll be the happiest family of three in the world."

Family of three?

I froze, then tears started flowing.

Isn't that how life works? The things you pray for always show up at the worst possible time.

Like this baby.

During our nine years of marriage, his parents had pressured me countless times, even threatening that if I couldn't have a child, they'd cut ties with Zachary...

Deep down I knew they couldn't be that heartless. They just wanted to force Zachary to divorce me.

Zachary always reassured me that having a child didn't matter—he loved me, and he'd rather die than divorce me.

Yes, he truly loved me. He even threatened to cut ties with his parents if they kept pressuring me about having a baby.

But my love for Zachary was every bit as strong as his for me.

I can't even drink black coffee without adding sugar, yet I forced myself to swallow those awful herbal medicine without complaint. I even managed to get down those strange fertility boosting supplements his parents sent from back home—gagging the whole time but somehow keeping them down.

And then there were the monthly ovulation shots.

I'm terrified of needles, but I endured them for three years.

My mom felt sorry for me and urged me to divorce Zachary.

She couldn't care less about the Williams family fortune. She just couldn't bear to see her precious daughter suffer.

But her daughter was stubborn.

Once I committed to someone, it was for life.

At least for the past nine years, my love for Zachary was undeniable.

Zachary shared the pregnancy news with everyone.

During his phone calls, he'd cry one minute and laugh the next.

In all our years of marriage, I'd never seen him like this.

Clearly, he really wanted this baby.

"Oh no, honey, my stomach..."

I suddenly clutched my belly. Zachary rushed over and held me, his face filled with worry. "What's wrong? Should we go to the hospital?"

I grinned mischievously. "Honey, my stomach is... really hungry."

"You little trickster. Hang on, I'll make you something to eat."

Zachary shook his head helplessly but affectionately ruffled my hair before heading to the kitchen.

Seeing how eager he was to do things for me and the baby, I felt some satisfaction.

Even though I wouldn't need it much longer.

My best friend Ava sent a voice message congratulating me. I sent her a photo of Zachary cooking.

Even through the phone screen, I could feel her envy.

"Wow, Zachary's love has always been something special!"

I smiled as my eyes welled up.

"But I want to get rid of the baby. I don't want to stay with Zachary anymore."

My hands trembled as I typed those words.

Ava called me immediately.

"Ella, have you lost your mind? Zachary treats you so well, you finally got pregnant after all this time—why would you want to abort the baby and get divorced?"

"Yes, Zachary is definitely a good man."

Good enough to split his love in half and give it to two different women.

Good enough to let another woman bear his child.

His parents rushed over to our place the moment they heard the news.

As soon as she walked in, my mother-in-law grabbed my hands.

"Ella, you're truly our family's hero. Don't worry, once you give birth to our first grandson, my husband and I will hand over the company to you two."

As she spoke, she kept shooting meaningful glances at her husband.

"That's right, Ella, she is absolutely right."

I smiled faintly and pulled my hands away.

I wonder if they pampered that other woman's child the same way.

First grandson? Please. What era are we living in with this son preference nonsense? It's just a recently public company, not some royal dynasty.

Anyone listening would think the Williams family had a throne to inherit.

"Mom, boy or girl, as long as it's Ella's and my child, it's our family's treasure," Zachary quickly stepped in, sensing my annoyance.

He's always been considerate of my feelings.

Before, and now...

"Oh... yes, of course, of course," my mother-in-law agreed with a fake smile.

She probably never expected me to get pregnant.

After all, just a month ago, she was practically threatening to kill herself trying to force Zachary to divorce me.

During dinner, Zachary's phone rang. He glanced at it casually but didn't answer.

While he was serving more food, his phone buzzed again.

I glanced over. It was a message:

"Bella has a fever. What should I do?"

Those few words stabbed at my heart like knives.

Because of my pregnancy, Zachary hadn't been working for several days. The timing of this message made the sender's intentions crystal clear.

Sure enough, Zachary put down his cutleries.

"Ella, I asked a friend to get you some supplements from abroad. They're supposed to arrive today, so I'll go pick them up."

His voice was so natural and gentle, without a hint of deception.

I suddenly realized—he knew I trusted him. So these past few years, he must have come up with countless similar excuses.

"How thoughtful," I pretended to be touched.

Zachary stroked my cheek, looking completely sincere.

"Of course. You're my precious. I want to give you the whole world."

But Zachary, from beginning to end, all I ever wanted was you and your love.

I sat by the window, lost in thought, fingering the receipts I'd found in Zachary's pocket.

Toys for a two or three-year-old child—three full pages of items.

Clearly, Zachary was a great father.

Just not to my child.

My phone rang. It was Zachary.

"Ella, I'll be home late tonight. Go to bed without me."

"Zach, dinner's ready."

Before I could reply, an intimate female voice came through the phone.

"Oh, Ella, that's Matthew Leedon's girlfriend. They just got back from overseas and insisted I stay for dinner."

Zachary's voice had a noticeable trace of panic.

"Hmm," I responded softly and hung up.

My memory isn't that bad. Matthew got married a year ago.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you, that girlfriend... they didn't end up together. He's dating someone new recently."

Zachary lied without hesitation, and I finally gave up hope.

I knew the truth all along, didn't I?

After some convincing, Zachary finally went back to work instead of hovering around me all day.

I was afraid if I kept watching him wear that mask in front of me, I'd end up tearing it off his face.

I already wanted to leave—I just needed a clear reason to make a clean break.

Maybe it was my mother-in-law's cooking that didn't agree with me, but my morning sickness was brutal.

Day and night, I spent most of my time throwing up in the bathroom.

"Ella, dinner's ready!"

I'd barely sat down when another wave of nausea hit.

After finally recovering in the bathroom, I overheard Zachary scolding his mother.

"Mom, can't you try making different dishes? Ella doesn't like these."

It was true—her cooking really didn't sit well with me.

I guess after all these years, I'd gotten used to Zachary's cooking.

Throughout our marriage, no matter how busy he was at work, he always cooked for me.

Things I liked, things I didn't—he remembered every detail.

How ironic that such a "perfect" husband would keep another woman and have a child with her.

"You ungrateful boy, don't push your luck. If it weren't for my future grandson, I wouldn't be waiting on her hand and foot."

Hah, of course.

"Mom, Ella's pregnant. How can you still hold a grudge against her?"

"Hmph! If she hadn't clung to you so desperately, would my granddaughter be raised outside the family?”

Granddaughter?

Hearing those words made my heart clench.

My entire body deflated like a punctured balloon, and I slumped to the floor.

So they all knew. They were all keeping it from me.

No wonder...

No wonder she kept calling my baby her "first grandson."

So that's it—she wanted me to give birth to a boy?

Clever plan!

I got up to leave, but my clothes accidentally knocked over a water glass.

Zachary quickly signaled his mother to be quiet. Seeing my red-rimmed eyes, he panicked.

"Ella, what did you just hear?"

His voice seemed calm, but his hands wouldn't stop shaking.