Just then, the doorbell rang. A deliveryman stood at the door with his arms full of packages for Yvette.

She barely spared me a glance as she rushed forward to tear open one box after another.

"Caleb picked out everything himself because he's worried about me being uncomfortable during pregnancy. I swear he'd bring home the whole mall if he could. This must be a freebie. My baby won't need it—why don't you take it?"

Caleb frowned. "Yvette," he warned.

But instead of looking chastised, she only pouted and wrapped herself around his arm.

"Caleb, you know how important a pregnant woman's emotions are. If you keep scolding me like this, the baby might get scared."

It was a blatant act, but Caleb fell for it. The irritation on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a flicker of concern as he reached out to touch her stomach.

As if the barely formed fetus inside her could even feel fear!

I said nothing and walked back slowly to my room.

And at that moment, the child I had longed for—the baby I had once cherished the thought of—felt like a mistake.

Caleb followed closely and shut the door behind him. His gaze was sharp as he looked down at me.

"Natalie, you know Yvette's situation. If I don't help her, she has no one. You're my wife. You should understand that. If there was anything between me and Yvette, you and I wouldn't be married right now."

I remembered the day Yvette had found out she was pregnant. She had run straight to Caleb, shaking in his arms, looking fragile.

Caleb had softened instantly and murmured reassurances, telling her everything would be okay.

Then, her parents, Patricia Fletcher and Albert Grant, had arrived—furiously shouting shouting, ready to beat the shame out of her.

Yvette was terrified. She had buried herself deeper in Caleb's arms, trembling so violently that it had seemed like she might shatter.

The Grant family had a spotless reputation and a strict moral code. Something like this was entirely unacceptable.

So Yvette, in her fear, had pinned the responsibility for the baby on Caleb. And to protect her, he had admitted to being the baby's father.

"Natalie, all that matters is that I know the child you're carrying is mine. What other people think doesn't matter."

Something inside me cracked, but I still asked the question that had been clawing at my throat.

"Why can't she get rid of it?"

"Yvette wants to keep the baby. You and I are having a baby, too. But she's afraid people will call hers an Illegitimate child, so…"

"So now her child is legitimate, and ours is the fatherless kid. Is that it?" I wasn't crying anymore. I just stared at him with a mocking smile.

Caleb's jaw tightened. A storm brewed in his eyes.

"No matter what anyone says, this is still my child. And you are my wife—that will never change. Natalie, can't you be more understanding?

"Yvie is sweet and innocent. She shouldn't have to suffer because of rumors," Caleb said.

That was when it hit me. She was too fragile to suffer, but it was perfectly fine if I did.

That thought crept into my mind again. I blinked against the burning sting in my eyes, despair written all over my face.

"Then let's just get rid of our baby," I said.

"No way!" Caleb rejected the idea immediately. His tone even carried a hint of reprimand. "Stop being so stubborn. Yvie and her baby are innocent. Why are you being so demanding?"

"But my baby and I are innocent too! Have you even thought about what kind of life they'll face once they're born?"

"I'll take care of it. How many times do I have to say it? Natalie, you never fail to disappoint me." With that, Caleb turned and walked out after slamming the door shut.

The following day, I woke up to find a dozen bodyguards stationed around the room.

My phone and laptop were gone, completely cutting me off from the world. I wasn't even allowed to leave the house.

Caleb was afraid I would abort the baby. But the irony was, he already had a child—at least in name.

I was trapped and locked away until my belly swelled and the so-called "safe period" of three months passed.

That day, chaos erupted from downstairs. Yvette's family had arrived with a moving crew.

Patricia shot me a disdainful glare the moment she saw me. "You're carrying a bastard and still have the audacity to stay here. How shameless."

"Yvette is just too kind for her own good. Because of her, Caleb has suffered enough," Albert added. He turned his gaze toward me. It was filled with nothing but contempt.

"Enough. There's no need to waste our words on a shameless woman like her. Just help Yvette settle in."

I found it laughable. The Grant family was so righteous and strict about morals. And yet, Yvette was carrying someone's husband's baby, and suddenly, shame didn't seem to matter anymore.

Meanwhile, the movers hauled bag after bag upstairs.

Yvette lingered near me with a smug smirk. "So what if you're Caleb's wife? It's just a title. You and that baby are nothing compared to me. And soon, it'll be me, Caleb, and our baby. We'll be a real family."

Her words cut deep. My hand flew across her face with a sharp crack.

But even that wasn't enough. I grabbed her hair and yanked her violently as my palm struck her again and again.

Yvette shrieked in pain until Caleb rushed home and pulled me off her.

I wanted nothing but to kill her. After all, a person who had already lost all hope was capable of doing anything.

Yvette sobbed uncontrollably, drawing Patricia and Albert into the room.

Patricia raised her hand and slapped me hard across the face. Caleb moved as if to stop her, but he pulled Yvette into his arms after seeing her tears.

"Caleb, this woman is getting out of control! She's carrying another man's baby, yet you still refuse to divorce her. And now, she's even hitting Yvie! If you don't throw her out, I'll take Yvie home with me. And then the Lawson family will have no rightful heir!"

Yvette lifted her head and shot me a triumphant smile.

However, Caleb didn't do as Patricia demanded. Instead, he released Yvette and walked over to stand beside me.

"Natalie is my wife. I won't let her leave. Yvie can stay here, too, but I don't want to hear such words again. They are both my children. They are equally important to me," he said.

Caleb didn't abandon me, but he didn't tell the truth either. Instead, he let me bear the shame and allowed them to humiliate me.

For Yvette's "peace of mind", Caleb wanted me to compromise.

And so, my bright, sunlit bedroom was taken from me. I was moved to a storage room in the basement.

"It's just a different place to sleep. Nothing else will change. You'll still get your meals on time," Caleb said.

But none of that mattered to me anymore.

To Caleb, neither I nor this baby truly mattered. I had already made my decision—I wasn't going to keep this baby. I wouldn't bring them into this world just to suffer.

Caleb must have given Yvette instructions because she no longer taunted me, although she lived in this house. She just acted like I didn't exist.

Every day, I racked my brain, searching for a way to reach the outside world. Eventually, I thought of Yvette.

But to my surprise, she refused me outright.

"Natalie, I have to listen to Caleb. You don't understand what we have. As long as it's what he wants, I'll do whatever it takes to make it happen."

It seemed like she wasn't trying to provoke me—her eyes told me that much. That unwavering determination wasn't something that could be faked.

Maybe I had been wrong about them.

The bond between Caleb and Yvette was unbreakable and built on a trust so deep that nothing could shake it. It was deep that Caleb would rather sacrifice his own wife and child than betray her.

Every night when he got home, he went straight to Yvette's room. He would sit by her bedside, carefully feed her warm milk, and stay until she fell asleep.

By the time he came to me, it was always late at night.

I ignored him. I just lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought.

The room was cramped, barely big enough for a bed. There was no furniture and not even a single window. It wasn't even as good as the maid's quarters.

Yvette had taken over every other space in the house. There was a nursery for her baby and a piano room while the rest were packed with her things. Caleb even spent every night with her.

His presence in this tiny, suffocating space felt like an intrusion.

Neither of us spoke. The silence pressed down, and the air turned thick and stifling.

I was starting to feel irritated. "What do you want?" I asked.

Caleb sighed and sat at the edge of the bed. "Natalie, why can't you try to understand me? Why can't you just trust that I'll take good care of you and our baby?"

I let out a laugh and glanced around. "This is what you call taking care of us?"

Caleb frowned. "Natalie, if you hadn't married me, you wouldn't even be staying in a villa this luxurious. Yvette isn't like you. She's always been obedient and has come from a well-off family. Sticking her in a tiny room would be unfair to her."

For a moment, Caleb paused, then softened his voice. "Don't doubt my love for you. Just focus on having the baby. And stop thinking about getting rid of it."

That was when it hit me. In his eyes, I was someone who could be pushed around, and I was expected to accept whatever was handed to me.

Coming from his mouth, the word "love" felt cheap and meaningless.

I didn't believe a word he said. But right now, I had to act compliant. That was the only way I would find a chance to get out of here.

"I was just saying that out of anger. I'll have the baby. Give me my phone and my laptop. You know I have no one to contact anyway."

For the first time that night, Caleb smiled. "Alright. That'll give you something to do."