On the day I was supposed to marry Serena Sterling, her adopted brother threatened to jump from a building, claiming he’d take his own life. Serena, still in her wedding gown, abandoned me at the altar, rushing to his side. Faced with the mocking stares of a ballroom full of guests, I made a public marriage proposal, “Whoever walks up here right now, I’ll marry them!” Three years later, Serena returned to the Sterling family, her adopted brother Blake by her side. I was sitting comfortably on a leather armchair, holding our child, sipping coffee, and watching the news. Serena stared at the baby in my arms, her teeth gritted. “Who is this bastard child?” I took a slow sip of my coffee, a cool smile playing on my lips. “Why, he’s the Sterling family’s rightful heir, of course.” Blake Sterling stared at me, his face a mask of shock. “Alex, even if Serena ditched you at the altar back then, she still let you keep the title of husband, allowing you to enjoy wealth in the Sterling family. How can you be so shameless, bringing an illegitimate child into this house?” My gaze swept over him. “Blake, you’re an adopted member of the Sterling family, yet you openly pursue your own sister. If we’re talking about shamelessness, who could possibly outdo you two?” Blake immediately whined, looking at Serena. “Serena, we’ve been careful to keep a low profile these past three years. But he has a child that’s already this old! This is a clear betrayal of you!” At the word “betrayal,” Serena furiously raised her hand and slapped me across the face. “You scum! You bring a bastard into this house and then dare to slander Blake and me? Get out of the Sterling family!” A sharp sting. I was stunned for a second. Three years ago, Serena left with Blake, abandoning me alone at the wedding to face everyone’s ridicule. In a fit of rage, I publicly announced I’d marry anyone who stepped forward. It was Victoria, Serena’s aunt, who walked onto the stage and completed the ceremony with me. Victoria was a powerhouse in the business world. Since marrying her, everyone treated me with profound respect. After we adopted the baby, Victoria treated him as her own, prioritizing us both above all else. Today, Serena dared to lay a hand on me. If Victoria found out, she would never let it go easily. To prevent things from getting worse, and for the baby’s sake. I said coldly, “If you two leave now, I can pretend none of this happened.” But they didn’t appreciate it at all. Instead, Blake grabbed my collar. “Serena, he’s just feeling guilty! He wants to kick us out so he can use this child to seize control of the Sterling family’s assets.” Serena spat, “Shameless! So this was your plan. I’ll never let you get away with it.” I pulled free from Blake’s grip, my face cold. “The moment you two abandoned the wedding, Grandpa Sterling disowned you from the family. The Sterling family has nothing to do with you anymore.” Blake scoffed lightly. “That was just Grandpa Sterling’s anger talking. Serena is the Sterling family’s only granddaughter; there’s no way he’d actually disown her.” Serena’s face also lit up with smugness. “Grandpa Sterling always said everything in the Sterling family would eventually be mine.” I shielded the baby, my voice cold. “But from now on, it won’t be. The child beside me also carries Sterling blood.” I thought my words were clear enough. But Serena glared at me, her eyes furious. “You bitch! So you are trying to pass off this bastard as a Sterling heir! Today, I’m going to make you regret this!” Another, harder slap landed on my face. Shielding the baby, I stumbled and fell to the floor. Looking at their twisted, menacing faces, hearing the baby’s cries, my heart filled with terror. Fearing they would harm the baby, I quickly cried out, “This child isn’t a bastard, he’s—”
But before I could finish, Serena leaned down and shoved the spilled coffee and broken pieces from the floor into my mouth. “Blake and I worked tirelessly for three years, while you’ve been living in luxury here with a bastard child!” “I’ll make you drink it all!” Choking, I couldn’t make a sound. The shards cut my mouth, filling it with blood. I tried to raise a hand to resist, but Blake stomped on my hand with his dress shoe. Pain shot through my hand, but I couldn’t scream. After forcing all the debris into my mouth, Serena spat, then finally stood up. Blake’s shoe tip moved towards the child I was shielding. Terror gripped me. I desperately clutched his ankle. Victoria couldn’t have children of her own. This child was the orphan of one of her old friends. We adopted him out of compassion, cherishing him ever since. Blake’s face was full of mockery. “Alex, you look like a pathetic stray dog protecting its pup, so miserable.” Serena frowned, staring at the baby. “If word gets out that I was betrayed, how can I ever show my face in this circle again? Blake, teach him a lesson!” I shook my head frantically, spitting out the filth and blood in my mouth. I managed to gasp, “This child… he’s Victoria’s…” Serena paused, then burst into laughter. “Alex, you can’t even make up a convincing lie! Everyone in town knows Victoria isn’t interested in men and decided years ago she wasn’t having kids.” “Now I’m the only direct bloodline left in the Sterling family. Otherwise, why would Grandpa Sterling have been so desperate for me to marry and carry on the family name?” Blake chimed in, “Serena is the only heir. Grandpa Sterling even froze her credit cards just to force her back.” “Your lie is laughable. You’re still trying to drag Victoria into your ridiculous stories even after being exposed.” Serena and Blake had run off three years ago, vanishing without a trace. Grandpa Sterling was truly disappointed in her, which was why he froze her cards and cut off all financial support, intending to completely disinherit her. But now, they were clearly beyond reason. To avoid provoking them further, I didn’t argue. I just repeated, “I’m not lying. This child really is Victoria’s.” “If you don’t believe me, I can call her right now.” I shielded the baby with one hand, reaching for my phone on the coffee table with the other. As long as I contacted Victoria, the baby and I would be saved. She would rush here immediately. But just as my fingers brushed the phone, Serena snatched it away and smashed it to the floor. The screen shattered, and my heart sank into a dark abyss. Serena grabbed my chin. “Victoria has an unpredictable temper, a veritable titan in the business world, feared by everyone.” “If she knew I couldn’t even handle this kind of ‘family scandal,’ she’d definitely think I’m incompetent. How would she ever entrust the family business to me in the future?” “Alex, you were trying to pull a fast one by calling her, weren’t you?” I shook my head frantically. “No, this child is—” Before I could finish, Blake kicked me in the stomach. “Serena, why waste words on this guy? Just get rid of this bastard and go explain things to Grandpa Sterling.” The blow to my abdomen, combined with the baby’s startled cries, filled me with an unprecedented terror. I pleaded, “Please, I beg you, spare the baby…” Blake pulled out his phone and pointed it at me. “Now, get on your knees, bark like a dog twice, and say you’re a pathetic excuse for a man. Then I’ll let the baby go.”
To protect the baby, I swallowed my pride, knelt, and did as he demanded. Blake bent down, looking triumphant. “Alex, when I begged you to give up the engagement all those years ago, did you ever imagine you’d see this day?” Back then, Blake had come to me, claiming he and Serena were deeply in love, asking me to voluntarily break off the engagement. The Sterling-Sterling alliance was an arrangement decided by our elders, involving significant business interests. If I were to back out, the blame would fall entirely on my family, and we’d face severe repercussions. So, I refused his request. I hadn’t expected him to hold a grudge until now. I had no mind for old grievances at the moment. I just begged, “Please, call an ambulance. The baby needs to be checked…” Serena kicked me in the back. “Alex, you’re truly despicable! You’ll do anything for this bastard!” I collapsed to the floor, my abdomen hitting the cold, hard surface, burning with pain. “You said… you’d let the baby go…” Blake’s tone was dismissive. “I said I’d let him go, but Serena didn’t, did she?” “You used this bastard, parading him around with the Sterling name. You think I’d let you off? No way!” Serena kicked my abdomen again. A fresh wave of agony swept over me, and I curled up on the ground. Feeling the baby’s cries growing weaker in my arms, I looked up in despair, my eyes burning with hatred. “Serena, Blake, you will regret this!” Blake stood beside Serena, his gaze sinister. “Serena, he still refuses to admit his mistake. Looks like he hasn’t been taught enough of a lesson!” Serena scoffed. “Oh, I’d like to see who regrets what!” “Blake, find some rope.” Blake understood immediately and quickly returned with a long rope. I dragged my body backward, my eyes wide with terror. “What are you trying to do?” Their excited faces were my only answer. They threw the baby onto the ground, tied my hands and feet with the rope, and then dragged me from the living room out the door, leaving a long trail mark on the floor. At the edge of the swimming pool, Serena kicked me into the water. My limbs were bound, I couldn’t move, and I sank in despair. The pool water covered my mouth and nose, and a sense of suffocation washed over me. Just as I thought I was about to die, Serena pulled the rope, dragging me out of the water. “Alex, do you admit your mistake? Do you dare to betray me again?” I gasped for air, but then I heard the baby’s cries, left in the room, growing fainter. Though I knew the baby’s chances of survival were slim, I wouldn’t give up the last shred of hope. I pleaded again, “I admit my mistake, I won’t ever dare again. Please, spare the baby.” “The baby needs medical attention, please, I beg you…” Serena spat, “You pathetic wretch, still thinking about that bastard! Looks like you have no remorse!” “Today, I will not let this bastard leave the Sterling family alive!” With that, she raised her foot again, intending to kick me back into the pool. I closed my eyes in despair, my heart filled with the fear of drowning. Just then, the front door of the Sterling family mansion burst open. Victoria rushed in, her face etched with anxiety, and shouted furiously, “Stop!”
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