After giving birth, my husband sent me to his ex-girlfriend’s postpartum recovery center. For an entire month, no one visited me. The caregivers there abused me, both physically and verbally. Meanwhile, my husband and his ex-girlfriend hosted a lavish welcome party for my son. On TV, in a grand banquet hall, they held my baby, looking like a happy family. My husband turned to his ex and said: “Thank you,honey” I choked back my tears, pulled out my phone, and called my brother, who had just returned to the country. **Chapter 1** I was at home, enjoying a bowl of hot chicken soup, when Ryan and Scarlett burst through the door with a group of people. Ryan’s face was contorted with fury. He immediately snapped at me, “Aubrey, where have you been running off to? Do you have any idea how frantic Scarlett was when she found out you’d disappeared from the recovery center? And you’re here, casually sipping chicken soup!” Scarlett, her eyes welling up with tears, said softly, “Ryan, don’t blame Aubrey. Maybe she just missed home and left without a word.” At her words, Ryan’s anger flared even more. “Scarlett was kind enough to let you stay at her recovery center, arranged for the best caregivers to look after you, and made sure you had the most nutritious meals. How can you be so ungrateful? Aubrey, you’re becoming absolutely impossible! Apologize to Scarlett right now!” I let out a cold, bitter laugh. This was the man I once loved. For the sake of his idealized ex, he had sent me to an unlicensed, shady postpartum recovery center. The “best nutritious meals” he spoke of were cold, leftover food. A thick layer of congealed fat sat on top of the “recovery chicken soup,” and at the bottom, I found a gnawed chicken bone! The “best caregivers” he mentioned gave me cold water, took my phone, restricted my freedom, and subjected me to constant verbal and physical abuse. The more I replayed those memories, the stronger the hatred burned within me. But now wasn’t the time to deal with them. I finished my chicken soup and gently set down the bowl. “Where is my baby?” Ryan impatiently paced around, then launched into another tirade. “Who are you putting that sour face on for? “Didn’t I explain it all? Scarlett lost her baby, and she just wanted to hold ours for a while. She’s been through so much; what’s the big deal if you let her have the baby? We can always have another one later!” I scoffed. He said it so easily, talking about the baby I’d nearly died giving birth to as if he could just give him away. I remembered when Ryan was first pursuing me, he swore he would always be good to me. My parents initially didn’t approve of him and strongly objected to our relationship. But he knelt before them, swearing he would marry no one but me. That’s when my parents reluctantly agreed. But I never expected that the moment his former “white moonlight,” Scarlett, returned to town, his attitude would completely shift. I thought back to the day I went into labor. I couldn’t get ahold of him no matter how many times I called. I had a difficult labor, and the hospital needed a family member’s signature. Unable to reach him, I shakily signed the critical condition notice myself. What was he doing then? He’d said, “Scarlett’s baby fell down the stairs and is in critical condition. Can you please stop being dramatic?” Before I could even respond, he roughly hung up. When I tried to call back, his phone was off. When I woke up, I found myself in a postpartum recovery center I’d never heard of, and the baby I’d given birth to after such a difficult labor was gone! My phone was missing, and I couldn’t contact anyone. Desperate to find my baby, I tried to escape, but the center’s caregivers grabbed my arms, dragged me back to the room, tied me down, and forced me to eat their disgusting leftovers. I was on the verge of a complete breakdown, almost losing my mind, when I saw the news report of Ryan hosting a baby’s welcome party on TV. The news showed him with his arm around Scarlett, who was holding my baby. His mom, Mrs. Sterling, personally placed a family heirloom bracelet on Scarlett’s wrist, beaming, “Scarlett gave birth to a healthy baby boy; she’s a true blessing to our Sterling family!” A happy family of four, smiling perfectly for the media. And I was tied up like a dead dog in a dark, forgotten recovery center! **Chapter 2** My hands, resting on my lap, clenched into fists. I looked directly at Ryan. “Give me back my baby, or I’ll call the police. You illegally confined me in an unlicensed recovery center just to steal my child!” Ryan’s face instantly paled. Scarlett burst into tears. “I’m a mother too; I know the hardships of childbirth. That’s why I suggested to Ryan that you come to my recovery center. I never thought you’d see me this way, Aubrey. “I never intended to steal your baby; I just wanted to hold him… Besides, you couldn’t attend the welcome party while recovering, so I just went to watch the baby for you. I never thought you’d misunderstand.” Scarlett cried, her voice full of feigned innocence, as if she were the victim. Ryan looked at her with pity, patting her back to comfort her. “You meant well, Scarlett; it’s not your fault.” Then he turned to me, annoyed. “Aubrey, don’t push your luck. Apologize to Scarlett! And go back to the recovery center, or you’ll never see the baby again!” With that, he didn’t wait for my reaction. He motioned to the caregivers behind him, ordering them to forcibly take me away. As the caregivers roughly grabbed me and pulled me to my feet, my brother, Asher, walked in through the door. His gaze was steely, his face grim, and behind him followed several towering bodyguards. “What do you think you’re doing to Aubrey?” The bodyguards stepped forward, seized the caregivers, and delivered several sharp slaps. In moments, their faces were already swollen. These were the same caregivers who had abused me. At the time, I didn’t know the recovery center belonged to Scarlett. Treated like that, I thought I was in a mental institution. I begged them to let me contact Ryan. But they just laughed, “Your husband and Ms. Hayes are the ones who put you in here. You think your husband will take you out?” My heart pounded, and the incision from my C-section throbbed. Guessing that they were intentionally sent by Ryan and Scarlett to torment me, I sternly questioned, “You’re assaulting a patient; that’s illegal. Aren’t you afraid of getting caught?” Their tone was contemptuous. “Our recovery center has been open for so long, and we’ve had countless new mothers. No one has ever successfully reported us. Who do you think you are?” “Just stay put, and we’ll take good care of you!” They didn’t want to waste any more words with me. Their faces were twisted, their nails dirty and dark, as they forcefully pressed down on my abdominal incision. I screamed in excruciating pain, and blood slowly seeped from the wound. And at that very moment, my husband was publicly flaunting his affection with his “white moonlight.” … Ryan stared at my brother, trying to compose himself. His face shifted through a spectrum of emotions as he cautiously spoke, “Aubrey might be suffering from postpartum depression. I just had someone take her back for recovery.” “And how would I not know Aubrey has postpartum depression? Is my Reed Corporation’s medical team somehow inferior to your recovery center?” Asher scoffed. Ryan’s face finally dropped. He abruptly turned to me, his voice dry. “Aubrey, Asher, the CEO of Reed Corp, is your brother? Why didn’t you tell me?” I let out a cold laugh. “Asher is busy with work; he couldn’t make it to our wedding. I was planning to have both our families gather for a meal after the baby was born. Who knew you’d send me to that hellhole instead?” Back then, my parents had reluctantly agreed to my relationship with Ryan but wanted to “vet” him further. They’d told me not to reveal our family’s background to Ryan, which is why he didn’t know I was Asher’s sister, the CEO of Reed Corporation. This year, my grandpa fell ill, and my parents went abroad with him for recovery, while Asher was busy with our international businesses. That’s why, when I had complications during labor, I could only reach out to Ryan. **Chapter 3** Ryan looked on the verge of collapse. I knew that just a while ago, his company had been practically begging and pleading, wining and dining my brother’s company’s business development manager, all to secure a project collaboration with Reed Corp. Asher draped a jacket over my shoulders, then turned to Ryan, a chilling smile playing on his lips. “I was actually thinking of taking my sister’s advice and giving you the project, cooperating with your company seemed acceptable. But I never imagined you’d treat my sister like this.” Asher’s words were, of course, a lie. I just wanted Ryan to taste the hope of success before it was snatched away. A flicker of surprise flashed in Ryan’s eyes, but he quickly tried to maintain his composure. He grabbed my hand, a hint of reproach in his voice. “Why didn’t you tell me about something so important earlier? “I sent you to that recovery center for your own good, but if you didn’t like it, then forget about it.” Every single word was designed to shift blame, never once acknowledging the hell I’d been through at that center. Asher saw this and suppressed his anger, scoffing. “Aubrey suffered there, but I’m not a difficult person. We’ll just follow the law. We’ll call the police and make sure the person in charge of that recovery center and those who abused my sister go to jail, so they can’t harm anyone else.” At that, Scarlett finally panicked. She clutched Ryan’s sleeve, sobbing, “Ryan, I didn’t know they would treat Aubrey like that. I only wanted Aubrey to get the best care. I truly didn’t know… “Aubrey, please, just blame me. Ryan truly didn’t know anything.” She cried so piteously, presenting herself as the ultimate victim. Scarlett was Ryan’s childhood neighbor, his secret crush, the “white moonlight” he’d never truly had. Years ago, she had flirted with Ryan but refused to commit, turning around to marry a wealthy socialite. Who knew that socialite’s family would quickly go bankrupt? She divorced, returning with her child. From then on, Ryan started spending nights away from home. All it took was a little tearful act from her, a whisper that her child was sick and she didn’t know what to do. Ryan would leave my side without a second thought, rushing to her. Meanwhile, I was heavily pregnant, going to my prenatal check-ups alone. When I had a fever, I could only call a ride-share for myself. I had insisted on being with Ryan, and now I had to swallow the bitter consequences myself. I didn’t want my parents to worry, so whenever they called, I always said I was fine. I never expected that this would only embolden Ryan and Scarlett. I scoffed. “Just saying ‘I didn’t know’ doesn’t absolve you of everything. If apologies fixed everything, what would we need the police for?” The atmosphere instantly froze. Asher helped me sit at the table and drink some tea, watching their faces shift nervously. Asher said, “You two should leave. You’re not welcome here. “And Ryan, you can forget about that project.” The next second, Ryan suddenly slapped Scarlett across the face, roaring, “Who told you to treat my wife like that?” Scarlett clutched her red, swollen cheek, her eyes wide with disbelief. I clicked my tongue in wonder. Ryan was a ruthless man; for his own gain, he could even lay a hand on the “white moonlight” he’d always treasured. I remembered how, back then, Scarlett had falsely accused me of burning her finger. Ryan had frantically pushed me away, causing me to hit my forehead. He then forced me to apologize and didn’t come home for days, saying he would only forgive me once I truly admitted my mistake. At that time, I wanted to divorce him. But while getting my wound bandaged at the hospital, I unexpectedly discovered I was pregnant. Upon learning of my pregnancy, Ryan was overjoyed and reverted to his old, caring self. I thought he had changed his heart, that the responsibility of a new life had matured him. Later, I learned that Scarlett had damaged her uterus during her daughter’s birth and had to have it removed, making her unable to conceive again. And the baby in my belly was confirmed to be a boy… Ryan had his back to me, so I couldn’t see his expression. Scarlett whimpered, then knelt before me. “I’m so sorry, Aubrey.” Ryan also looked full of remorse. “Aubrey, Scarlett didn’t mean it. We grew up together, so I usually look out for her a little more.” I remained unmoved. I knew full well about Ryan’s lingering feelings for his former “white moonlight.” I just asked him coldly, “Where’s the baby?” Ryan quickly said, “The baby is at our place, perfectly fine.”
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