After the SAT Test, the school belle posted my pregnancy test results in the class SnapChat group. “She’s really desperate for money! Selling herself right after turning eighteen. Do you even remember who the father is? Probably some gross old man.” Everyone else joined in mocking me, and someone even shared a photo of me kneeling in the field, digging up sweet potatoes with my hand on my lower back. Just then, the always aloof wealthy heir from the city’s elite circle said, “I’m the father. Got a problem with that?” 1 A few months ago, my grandma suddenly had heart failure. I couldn’t scrape together enough money, so I took a job as a server at a nightclub. That’s where I ran into Liam, a classmate who had been drugged. His handsome face was flushed red, and he was barely conscious. He grabbed my hand and shoved it under his shirt. I hesitated for a second, then took him back to the staff locker room. All the other staff were on shift, so he and I stayed in the back room, tangled up in passion for most of the night. The next morning, Liam just said, “Here’s fifty grand. Don’t cause any trouble.” I took the money and rushed to the hospital to pay the bills. But in the chaos, I forgot about taking the morning-after pill. By the time I remembered, I realized my period was way overdue. I bought a test kit, saw the two lines, and felt my heart sink. I kept putting off dealing with it, and my belly kept growing. I tied it down with cloth strips to take the SAT Test, but I ended up so exhausted I landed in the hospital. That’s when Bella, the school belle, snapped a photo of me and mocked me in the group chat. Liam showed up at my place the next day. His grandma came with him. Liam’s face was expressionless, his eyes scanning over my stomach. His grandma, though, was kinder. She held my hand and asked how old I was, where my parents were, and if I had any other family. I honestly told her both my parents were dead, and I only had my grandma left. The old woman’s eyes welled up. “What a poor child,” she said. She offered to take me in. I couldn’t leave my paralyzed grandma behind, so she said she’d arrange for her to stay at a nursing home owned by Liam’s family. “To be frank, families like ours don’t usually take in people from your background. But you’re carrying our family’s first grandchild, and you’re Liam’s first woman. We thought it’d be wrong to just leave you out here alone.” On the way back, Liam kept his eyes closed and didn’t say a word. I couldn’t tell if he liked me or hated me. He tossed my clothes on the sofa and told me to sleep there every night. That’s when I knew—he definitely hated me. Liam’s house was huge, with three separate bedrooms just in his wing. He put me in the smallest one, and when I looked up, I saw a bright, elegant photo of a ballet dancer. Liam walked in, hands in his pockets. “Pretty, right? I’ve liked her for a long time.” He said it while glancing at me, a faint disgust in his eyes. I lowered my head but stole another look. So graceful. No wonder he looked down on me. 2 After moving in, we started sharing a room. I couldn’t sleep, so I tilted my head to look at him. Then he said, “Stop moving around when you sleep.” “I wasn’t,” I said. “Yes, you were. Your breathing is too loud.” “Sorry.” Liam went quiet after that and slowly fell asleep. I’d had trouble sleeping for ages, but somehow, I drifted off too. That night, I had those awful nightmares again—Mom’s screams, Dad’s roars, and finally, the bloody knife. When I woke up the next morning, Liam was already up. He didn’t wait for me, so I couldn’t find the bathroom and ended up brushing my teeth and washing my face in his. When I went downstairs, the ballet dancer was sitting at the dining table, elegantly sipping milk. She saw me and smiled sweetly. “Oh, you must be Liam’s fiancée. You’re so pretty.” Angels are angels—even their compliments are kind. I’d spent years under the sun farming, so “pretty” was the last word I’d use for myself. Liam sat next to her, and I found out her name was Chloe, a lead dancer in a famous international ballet company. They’d grown up together, and to everyone else, she was like Liam’s caring older sister. But I knew Liam was in love with her—under the bed in that small room were piles of her photos. It must feel amazing to be loved like that. I couldn’t help the jealousy, but I pushed it down. After breakfast, Liam’s grandma, Eleanor, sat me down to discuss terms for the baby. She said Liam was too young to marry, especially not me. The baby would be raised as his sibling. As the mother, I’d get a huge payout—a villa in the city and ten million in cash. If I wanted, the family would even send me to study in Europe. The catch? I could never see the child again. While Eleanor was talking, Liam was nearby, flicking a lighter, giving me that same faint, mocking smile. I sighed softly and nodded. “Okay, I agree.” Liam’s hand, spinning the lighter, froze. After the exams, we had a long break with nothing to do, so both Liam and I were free. I thought he’d avoid me, but he didn’t seem to care. Besides his morning and evening workouts, he mostly read in his study. But while I was practicing French, he suddenly said, “Your pronunciation is off. The nasal sounds are too heavy—it’ll tire you out.” I stared blankly before realizing he was talking to me. “Huh? Oh, okay.” “Aren’t you tired sitting like that?” Liam pointed at my lower back. “Won’t it… crush the baby?” I followed his gaze. “No, he’s still small.” “Okay.” Liam took a sip of water. I thought he’d leave, but he invited me to study with him in the library. “The room’s big enough, and there’s an extra chair. Come on.” “Don’t crush the baby,” he added, as if worried I’d misunderstand. I grabbed my books and followed him. Liam’s library was ridiculously huge but neatly organized. As he said, he only used one corner. I picked a spot far from him and spread out my books. For hours that afternoon, I focused on studying, even forgetting the bird’s nest soup the nanny brought. Liam frowned, pushed the cup with his finger, and tapped the desk. “Hey. Drink it.” I glanced at him and obediently drank the soup. Then I went back to my book. Liam clicked his tongue. “Ava.” “Yeah?” He ruffled his hair in frustration. “Why aren’t you angry?” 3 “I… I don’t have anything to be angry about.” “Liam, I know I’m not on your level. If it weren’t for that mistake… I wouldn’t have messed up your life.” Before I knew it, tears of frustration were streaming down my face. Liam turned away. “Stop crying!” But his tone wasn’t actually harsh. After Bella posted my pregnancy test results and everyone found out Liam was the father, the class SnapChat group went eerily quiet. But I knew she wouldn’t let me off easily—not after bullying me for so long. Sure enough, a few days later, I saw Bella and her friends in the living room at Liam’s house. They were talking to Eleanor. When Eleanor saw me coming downstairs, she wasn’t as warm as before. Instead, she called a doctor to do an amniocentesis. “Your classmates say you’re always picking up men at clubs. I was careless to believe Liam without verifying first.” Bella and her friends chimed in, “Yeah, Grandma, Ava slept with almost every guy in our class. She’s no good.” “Did you know? When she was nine, her mom stabbed her dad to death and paralyzed her grandma. What kind of family raises a kid like that?” “Don’t let her looks fool you—she’s cheap. Fifty bucks will buy her. I heard several old men in her village have had her.” Bella’s words stabbed at my nerves. All the terrible memories came flooding back. I bit my lip hard, forcing myself to stay calm. I’d survived worse—dark, painful days. I was so close to my goal; I couldn’t ruin it now. I kept my head down, trying to steady my breathing. I didn’t notice Liam watching everything from upstairs. He came down slowly, about to speak, when the doctor arrived. Eleanor had someone hold my arm still for the blood draw. When the needle pierced my skin, I flinched. Liam’s eyes darkened from across the room. After it was done, Eleanor waved me away upstairs. “If you’re lying, I’ll make sure you have nowhere to run.” Rich people are like that—they can’t stand being deceived or slighted. I kept my head low and left, ignoring the laughter behind me. As I passed Liam, he grabbed my arm. “Why didn’t you defend yourself?” I looked at him through tears. “What?” “Why didn’t you argue, get angry, fight back?” I let out a bitter laugh. “Liam, are you kidding? Someone like me has no right to argue.” How could I dare offend his grandma? It was just a DNA test. I knew the baby was Liam’s, so I wasn’t worried about their lies. Bella looked smug, giggling in a fake sweet voice until she saw Liam, then softening her tone. “Liam, you’re so unlucky to be stuck with a shameless girl like her.” Liam didn’t get angry. He watched me for a moment before glaring coldly at her. “Yeah, seeing you is the real misfortune.” 4 That night, Liam finished washing up early and lay in bed on a call. After updating his parents, he hung up. I had headphones on, watching a soap opera. Suddenly, he scooped me up and put me on his bed. I’d been crying over the show, and he lifted my chin. “Why are you crying?” I was annoyed but didn’t dare say it, so I pouted and glared. Liam took my phone and tossed it on the nightstand, then climbed under the covers. “No more crying. Sleep.” What was he doing? Sharing a bed with me? I stared wide-eyed, too shocked to be mad. Liam seemed to realize how it looked, his face flashing with embarrassment before he coughed. “I just don’t want you rolling over and crushing the baby.” He said it so confidently I didn’t push it. Fine, we’d slept together before. I turned over, clinging to the edge, and fell asleep. I had no idea Liam was in and out of the bathroom all night. After that, Liam changed—he became clingy and softer. He insisted we share the bed. He said my belly was growing, and the small bed might hurt the baby. The hospital results came back, and Eleanor was relieved, adding a few million to my payout. The thought of becoming rich after the birth made me giddy. But Liam seemed down lately. He’d complain my French practice was too loud, but when I offered to study in the closet, he refused. He moped around like someone owed him money. I avoided conflict, giving in to keep peace, but it only made him sulkier. One night, he went out for dinner and came back late. He’d been drinking, stumbling a bit. The staff tried to help, but he waved them off. I heard the door click open and saw Liam slumped on the sofa, groaning about feeling sick. I had to help him change and clean up. I thought it’d be hard with him drunk, but when I tugged his collar, he sat up and shrugged off his sleeves. …Not bad for a drunk guy. Liam had a great body—defined abs, pecs, and biceps. And he was restless, grabbing my hand to feel his chest, making my heart race. I pinched him. “Liam, you’re drunk. Let me wash your face.” Eyes closed, he mumbled, “No, don’t.” Nothing like his usual cold self. I teased him, “Then I’ll touch you?” I slid my hand into his pants. Liam’s eyes flew open, and he pulled me into a tight hug. His right arm wrapped around my waist, left under his head. “Ava, you’ve got nerve.” I felt a rush of shame. “Let me go. I won’t do it again.” “No way. I finally caught you not being icy. Why would I let go?” “Unless you kiss me.” Since when did the cold-hearted heir talk like this? I didn’t hesitate, planting a loud kiss. Hey, I’d been craving this too. The physical attraction took over—two young people losing control. Only Liam’s self-restraint kept things gentle, so we didn’t go too far. Before falling asleep, he kissed my forehead, his voice unusually soft. “Sleep well, sweetheart. Sweet dreams.” Liam and I had a rare, warm period together. Like a normal couple, we went everywhere together and slept in each other’s arms. It almost made me forget it was all a transaction. Until the day Liam’s mom, Victoria, walked in, followed by Chloe and Bella. Chloe had lost weight, her foot bandaged. She saw Liam and threw herself into his arms. “Liam, I’ll never dance again.” Turns out Chloe had a car accident in Vancouver, injuring her ankle, ending her dance career. Liam held Chloe, comforting her softly. Bella smugly pushed forward. “Ava, listen up. If I can’t have him, neither can you.” “Liam loves my cousin Chloe, not trash like you. Don’t think a bastard child will get you into the family.” Gotta admit, Bella was spot-on. After just one afternoon with Chloe back, the family started pushing me out. Victoria came to my room, sat on the bed, and frowned at the nightstand. “You’re sleeping together?” I nodded, fighting back tears. Victoria rolled her eyes. “So shameless.” I’d heard insults like that before—I shouldn’t cry. But the baby kicked, and I couldn’t hold back the tears.
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