At the godparent announcement gala, Lily’s son was wearing the heirloom emerald pendant my mother had left for my future child. I lunged forward to grab it back, but Ethan shoved me away hard. “Chloe, are you seriously stealing from a toddler?” My father’s hand came down in a sharp slap across my cheek. “Your mother died when you were young. Did no one teach you decency?” My stepmother, Eleanor, supported Lily, letting out a soft sigh. “Your sister didn’t grow up with the privileges you had, Chloe. Why can’t you just let her have this one thing?” My younger brother, Leo, sneered. “Chloe, you look pathetic right now. Like a psycho.” With tearful eyes, Lily shrank back into Ethan’s embrace. “If Chloe really wants it back, I’ll give it to her. I don’t want any trouble.” Ethan ripped the emerald pendant off the boy’s neck and threw it onto the floor. He looked down at me coldly. “You’re acting like a lunatic over a dead woman’s cheap trinket?” My head buzzed. I reached out to pick it up. But before my fingers could touch the jade, my foot slipped. My stomach slammed violently against the stone steps. Blood quickly soaked through my dress. Ethan looked down at me, his eyes filled with nothing but impatience. “Playing dead on the floor like a drama queen. Who are you putting this show on for?” The guests around us couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Get up already,” Victoria, my mother-in-law, frowned, looking at me as if I were a piece of garbage. “The gala isn’t over yet. Do you have to make us the laughingstock of high society?” I opened my mouth, but only a raspy whisper escaped my throat. “Ethan…” “I’m… I’m pregnant…” The grand hall fell dead silent for a second. My brother, Leo, was the first to burst out laughing. “Chloe, you really know how to pick your timing,” he sneered. “Just because you couldn’t steal the pendant from a kid, now you’re lying about being pregnant? Do you honestly think Ethan will crawl back to you just because of a fake baby?” My father’s face turned completely black. “Chloe, haven’t you embarrassed this family enough?” Eleanor gently patted Lily’s back and mocked, “Your sister came here today to celebrate Ethan becoming her son’s godfather, not to steal your husband. Your little stunt is humiliating. How is she supposed to face anyone after this?” Lily’s eyes grew redder. “Chloe, please don’t be like this. If my presence makes you uncomfortable, I’ll just take my baby and leave.” She made a show of walking away, but her body swayed weakly, and she collapsed right into Ethan’s arms. Ethan immediately held her tight, his voice softening. “You’re not going anywhere. You stay right here.” I stared at them, realizing I was nothing but a complete joke. Ethan turned back to me, his voice freezing cold. “Today, you will accept this godfather arrangement, whether you like it or not…” Under his threatening gaze, the surrounding guests gradually fell quiet. *Smack!* Before Ethan could finish his sentence, I whipped the pregnancy test out of my pocket and threw it right at his feet. Two distinct red lines were staring back at everyone. “Oh my god! Ethan… Chloe is actually pregnant!” Lily picked up the pregnancy test, her face pale with horror. Looking at the test, Victoria’s voice trembled, her eyes filled with disgust and disbelief. “That’s impossible. You two have been living apart for three years!” I looked straight into Ethan’s eyes. “Ethan, did you forget what you did that night?” That night, he was the one who pinned me down on the bed, his eyes bloodshot as he kissed me over and over. *“Chloe, you will always be the only Mrs. Carter.”* I had endured this hollow marriage, waiting for him for three long years. I thought my patience had finally paid off. Over those three years, in order to expand the Carter Group’s empire, he had personally moved to Europe to oversee operations. I stayed behind in this empty mansion, counting the days, looking forward to the day he would return. But today, he not only wiped out the warmth of that night, but he also wanted to become the godfather of Lily’s son. For a moment, Ethan was stunned, a flicker of guilt crossing his eyes. Seeing the change in Ethan’s expression, Lily’s eyes brimmed with tears. “Ethan, don’t blame Chloe…” Lily leaned into his chest, looking at me timidly. “Maybe… maybe Chloe just made a mistake. Even if we don’t know whose baby it is, please don’t get angry…” The slight guilt in Ethan’s eyes vanished instantly upon hearing Lily’s “thoughtful” excuse. “It was just a drunken mistake. One night doesn’t change anything.” *A drunken mistake.* *One night doesn’t change anything.* These words effortlessly turned my three years of devotion into a hilarious, pathetic joke. Ethan looked down at me like a king looking at a peasant. “Lily has had a hard time raising her child alone. You need to be more understanding. As for that bastard in your womb, don’t even think about pinning it on the Carter family.” The moment Ethan finished speaking, Victoria covered her nose in disgust and barked: “Security!” “Drag her out of here! Don’t let her filthy presence ruin the joy of our gala!” Hearing Victoria’s command, I looked desperately toward my father and brother in the crowd, begging for help. But my father turned his face away in disgust, and Leo just sneered and looked away. “Don’t worry, sweetie, we won’t let her ruin this. Let’s sit over there,” Ethan comforted Lily gently, and she followed him toward the center of the hall. “Excuse us, Mrs. Carter.” Two burly security guards rushed over, grabbed my arms roughly, and dragged me toward the exit. “Let go of me! Don’t touch me!” I struggled with all my might. “The gala continues!” Victoria raised her champagne glass to the guests, and everyone raised theirs in return, pretending nothing had happened. The guards threw me violently onto the cold stone steps outside. My stomach slammed against the concrete. In the tearing pain, warm blood began to wash away in the pouring rain. The cheerful laughter from inside the hall completely crushed my last shred of hope. The very last second before I lost consciousness, a deep, cold male voice echoed above me: “Quick, get her to the hospital!”
I didn’t know how much time had passed before I woke up in a hospital room. The harsh white fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, and my lower abdomen felt as if a piece of my flesh had been violently carved out. Seeing me stir, the nurse sighed. “You’re finally awake. The gentleman who brought you here paid your bills and left. We found your phone in your bag and called your family. They should be here soon.” My heart trembled. A moment later, familiar footsteps echoed outside the door. It was my biological father, Arthur Miller. “Dad…” Seeing my own flesh and blood, a tiny spark of hope flickered in my chest. Hearing my voice, Arthur’s eyes shifted nervously. He stood a few paces away from the bed, refusing to come closer. “Chloe…” He opened his mouth but said nothing else. Looking at his reaction, I instantly understood. He hadn’t come to seek justice for my lost baby. “You’re just going to stand there and watch the Carters abuse me? Have you forgotten what Mom told you before she died?” My eyes burned with tears as I stared at him. He seemed stung for a second, but his expression quickly hardened. “I haven’t forgotten your mother’s words. But didn’t you always want Ethan back? Now he’s back. What more do you want?” Hearing his ridiculous words, my body shook violently. My voice turned hoarse from anger and weakness. “He was the one who said I would always be the only Mrs. Carter! Now he is parading Lily and her son around, and they forced me to miscarry! And you have the nerve to ask me what more I want?” “Look at you. You’re making a scene over nothing. You’ve completely embarrassed the Miller family.” Arthur pulled at his tie, clearly annoyed. “Lily is your sister. Ethan supporting her is beneficial for our business partnership. As Mrs. Carter, you should be generous enough to accept her. Do you have to ruin everything?” Staring at my father’s greedy, calculating face, my heart fell into an icy abyss. To him, my life and the life of my unborn child were completely worthless compared to business deals. “Get out,” I pointed at the door, my voice cold and final. “Take your calculations and get the hell out!” “You are completely unreasonable!” Arthur slammed the door and left. In the empty hospital room, all my strength drained away. I curled up on the bed, letting the tears soak my pillow. … *Bang!* The hospital room door was suddenly kicked open. Ethan walked in, followed by Lily. She was holding a thermos, her eyes red. “Chloe, what kind of tantrum are you throwing now? You even managed to chase your own father away!” Ethan’s face was filled with disgust. His instant accusation felt like sharp knives stabbing into my bleeding heart. Lily walked forward cautiously, holding out the thermos. “Chloe, don’t blame Ethan. I was worried about your health, so I made some homemade chicken soup for you…” “Get lost!” With the last bit of my strength, I whipped my arm out. *Crash!* The piping hot soup and the thermos shattered onto the tiled floor, sending hot liquid and broken ceramic flying everywhere. “Ah!” Lily screamed, immediately diving into Ethan’s arms, trembling. Ethan snapped. He shoved her behind him, pointing a finger at my face, and roared: “Chloe! How can you be so vicious? Lily came here out of the goodness of her heart, and instead of being grateful, you tried to burn her!” “Goodness of her heart? She’s a snake!” I glared at them. “Ethan, I lost my baby because of you two! You bring this murderer to parade your love in front of me, and you expect me to be grateful?” “That was an accident! Stop pointing fingers!” Ethan’s face turned red with anger. “You are nothing but a hysterical madwoman! If you can’t tolerate Lily, then you don’t deserve to be Mrs. Carter. Sign the divorce papers and make room for her!”
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “430115”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster
Leave a Reply