In my past life, I fell down the stairs and suffered a miscarriage. But even after that, I kept wearing a fake baby bump every single day, pretending I was still pregnant. I did it because, in my previous life, my sister Chloe and I went into labor on the very same day. She gave birth to a healthy baby, while I gave birth to a severely deformed child. My husband, Marcus, had pointed at me in front of everyone, screaming that I was a monster who abused drugs during my pregnancy and ruined our baby. That wasn’t all. Marcus then reported me to both our company and the police, accusing me of stealing corporate secrets. I was dragged away in handcuffs. After ten years in prison, I was finally released. I was nothing but skin and bones, broken by a decade of abuse. Meanwhile, Marcus had been promoted to CEO. He was hailed as a hero who saved the company by turning in his own “criminal” wife. He stood before me, holding my sister Chloe’s hand. “Vivian, now that it’s come to this, I won’t lie to you anymore. Chloe and I have been in love for years. The baby she carried was mine from the start.” “But her baby was born with severe defects. She couldn’t handle the trauma, so I had no choice but to swap your healthy baby with hers.” “That money we gave you bought ten years of your life. Since you have a criminal record, I’ve already divorced you. Even our son thinks you’re an embarrassment.” My own biological son had looked at me with pure disgust. “Chloe is my real mom. She’s nice to me, and she’s never been to prison. I don’t want a criminal like you for a mother!” That same day, Marcus had someone run me over with a car. But now, I am reborn. I want to see how they plan to ruin me this time—now that my baby is already gone!
Returning from the hospital to Marcus’s suburban estate, I bumped right into him. He was gently guiding my sister, Chloe, out the front door. Luckily, I had put on my fake baby bump beforehand. Neither of them noticed anything unusual. Chloe smiled sweetly when she saw me. “Vivian, you’re back! I wasn’t feeling well, so I told Marcus. He said he’d take me to his private clinic for a checkup.” “Look at him, making such a big deal out of a minor stomach ache. Marcus is so responsible. I’m sure he’ll be an amazing father when your baby is born.” In my past life, her words would have made me blush, painting a picture of a happy future raising a family with Marcus. But now, after being reborn, I only felt sick. I couldn’t believe I had ever thought this disgusting duo was kind. Their eyes locked onto my belly. There was no affection in their gaze—only greed and calculation. In my past life, I was too naive. I never noticed that Marcus, my husband, cared far more about Chloe than he did about me, his wife. When Chloe and I went into labor on the same day, I actually thought it was a beautiful blessing that we were sharing this milestone. But after I delivered a healthy baby, the child Marcus brought to my bedside was blue, gasping for air, and on the verge of death. He slapped me hard across the face in front of the doctors, accusing me of abusing illegal weight-loss drugs during my pregnancy, which supposedly caused “my baby’s” birth defects. I was in shock. I screamed that my baby had been swapped, but nobody believed me. To make matters worse, Marcus immediately reported me to the board and the police for leaking corporate secrets. Along with his report, he handed over forged documents found in our study, supposedly showing my correspondence with our top competitor. Overnight, I became a disgraced white-collar criminal. Before I could even recover from childbirth, I was taken in for interrogation and sentenced to ten years. After enduring a decade of hell, I was released, only for Marcus and Chloe to mock me with the truth. He held Chloe’s hand and my biological son’s hand, tossing a check at my feet like I was a stray dog. “Vivian, I’ll be honest. Chloe and I have been together for a long time. The child she had was mine.” “But her baby was sick. She was devastated, and I couldn’t bear to see my own blood suffer… so I swapped your baby with hers.” “This check is compensation for your ten years. We’re divorced now. Our son hates you.” Even my son sneered at me. “Chloe is my mom. She didn’t go to prison like you. You’re not my mother!” Already frail from prison life, I was literally choked to death by my own rage. Remembering my tragic end, while Marcus climbed the corporate ladder using my stolen career and lived happily ever after with Chloe, a dark fire burned in my chest. “An amazing father? We’ll see about that,” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “I told you I had a cold yesterday, Marcus, and you didn’t care at all. It seems you care much more about my sister than your own wife.” Marcus’s face stiffened. He quickly tried to cover it up. “Don’t be silly, Vivian. You’ve always had a strong immune system. Chloe is different. She’s been delicate since she was a kid.” “Besides, she’s your sister. She’s all alone, and the baby’s father is a deadbeat. As her brother-in-law, it’s only right that I look after her.” He sounded so noble, as if he were just being a good guy. Before leading Chloe out, Marcus turned back and added one more thing. “If you’re not feeling well, just stay in bed. Oh, and don’t take any cold medicine. It might hurt the baby.” The first sentence was filler. The second sentence was his real point. Noticing his eyes darting to my stomach again, I mumbled a quick response, turned around, and walked upstairs. Once in my room, I took some vitamins with a glass of water. What a joke. The ungrateful brat who would eventually call my enemy “mother” was already gone. Why would I care about any warnings?
That night, I used my pregnancy discomfort as an excuse to demand we sleep in separate rooms. Marcus hesitated at first. It was Chloe who convinced him, telling him that a pregnant woman needed undisturbed rest for the baby’s development. Only then did he agree. “Chloe is right. If sleeping apart is better for the baby, let’s do it.” “But Vivian, pay close attention to how you feel. If anything feels off, call me immediately.” If I didn’t already know he was just terrified that something would happen to his backup baby, I might have actually believed he cared about me. Unfortunately, it was all a lie. I hid the hatred in my eyes and nodded gently. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to take ‘good care’ of the baby.” Hearing this, Marcus finally relaxed. He knew I was a woman of my word. When we first started dating through a business merger, I had fallen head over heels for him. Believing he was a family-oriented man, I had promised to step down from my executive role to become a stay-at-home wife once we married. After the wedding, I kept my promise and put my career on hold, asking my business partner to suspend my active status at the firm. Because of this, even though my professional standing had once been higher than his, Marcus assumed I loved him blindly. He was confident he had me completely under his thumb. Over the next few weeks, I played dumb, watching him shower Chloe with undivided attention. His schedule at the office was packed, but whenever he had a free hour, he was taking Chloe to her prenatal appointments. The staff at the private clinic already assumed Marcus was Chloe’s husband. When the doctor casually mentioned that “the mother looks a bit thin,” Marcus immediately bought crates of premium prenatal supplements, insisting Chloe take them every day. But because Chloe suffered from severe morning sickness, those supplements ended up in my stomach instead. She didn’t gain a pound, but I gained some healthy weight, which gave me more energy for my daily prenatal yoga. Marcus wasn’t thrilled about this. Yet he couldn’t say anything. After all, I was his legal wife. How could a husband complain about his wife eating the food he brought home? Eventually, Marcus and Chloe became so indiscreet that even our neighbors started noticing. An older lady next door pulled me aside one afternoon. “Vivian, honey, I know you’re open-minded, but don’t be too naive. Your husband is young, successful, and handsome. Keep an eye on him. Don’t let other women get too close.” I just smiled and thanked her for the warning. Are you kidding? I wanted Marcus to focus all his energy on Chloe. Otherwise, if he ever reached out to touch my “belly” or insisted on coming to one of my doctor’s appointments, he would have instantly discovered my womb was empty. My current baby bump was just a silicone prop, which I adjusted daily to match Chloe’s size. Marcus didn’t disappoint me. As the due date neared, he still had no clue. He was just getting incredibly anxious because my “pregnancy” showed no signs of labor, causing him to break out in stress hives. Meanwhile, Chloe was having painful Braxton Hicks contractions. The doctor advised her to check into the hospital, but she was too paranoid about the plan failing. She insisted on staying at our house, watching my belly like a hawk. Two days later, Chloe couldn’t take it anymore. She cried out that she was in agony. Hearing this, Marcus immediately brought a bowl of herbal soup to my room and knocked on the door. “Vivian, my mom sent over this special herbal soup. Drink it while it’s hot. It’s good for the baby.”
I glanced at the soup. It looked like a highly concentrated brew. I took the bowl and, under Marcus’s tense gaze, set it down on the nightstand. Predictably, he panicked. “My mom had the kitchen brew this for hours. It’ll get cold. Drink it now, don’t let her kind gesture go to waste.” “Your mother? Having a kind gesture for me?” I almost laughed out loud. Marcus’s mother, Eleanor, had always disliked me. She thought I was too independent and stubborn, unlike Chloe, whom she praised for being sweet, submissive, and pleasant to be around. Her favorite phrase was: “It was my mistake not pairing Chloe with Marcus in the first place. I adore Chloe. She’s a thousand times better than that rigid Vivian.” Once we both got pregnant, Eleanor, just like Marcus, only cared about Chloe. Every organic grocery delivery and luxury baby item went straight to Chloe’s room. I didn’t get a thing. Marcus knew all of this. Remembering his mother’s blatant bias, a flicker of guilt crossed his face. But he quickly recovered. “Vivian, you know how my mom is. She has a sharp tongue but a good heart. How could she not care about our child?” “She personally ordered the kitchen to brew this for hours. Please, don’t hold a grudge against her. She is still my mother.” I didn’t argue. Pretending to be swayed by his words, I picked up the bowl and drank it all in one gulp. Marcus let out a massive sigh of relief, took the empty bowl, and walked out, thoroughly satisfied. I knew there were labor-inducing drugs in that soup. An hour later, I began fake-groaning in pain, clutching my stomach. “Ah! My stomach hurts so bad! I think the baby is coming! Marcus, get me to the hospital!” Marcus and Chloe exchanged a thrilled look. Chloe immediately clutched her own belly. “Marcus, I think my water just broke too!” “Perfect! You’re both going into labor! I’ll take you both to the hospital right now!” Marcus cried, practically vibrating with excitement as he rushed us to the car. By the time we arrived at the private clinic, Chloe’s pants were wet, and she was crying hysterically. “It hurts so much! Marcus, am I going to die?” Terrified for her, Marcus swept Chloe into his arms. He didn’t even look back at me, throwing a single sentence over his shoulder: “Chloe’s situation is more critical! I’ll take her in first. Find your own way!” I rolled my eyes at his retreating back and casually walked toward the private delivery suite I had booked. Waiting inside was the doctor Marcus had bribed. What Marcus didn’t know was that a few days ago, I had met with this same doctor and offered him triple the amount to play by my rules. I lay in the hospital bed for a few hours until my uninvited guests finally arrived. Marcus crept into my room, holding a tightly wrapped swaddled bundle. Seeing my eyes closed, he assumed I was asleep and tiptoed toward the empty crib next to my bed where “my baby” was supposed to be. But before he could swap the bundles, I spoke up. “Marcus, what are you doing?” Startled, Marcus nearly dropped the bundle in his arms. He managed to catch it, his face pale as he forced a smile. “Oh, nothing! Look, Chloe just delivered. I wanted to come check on you and our baby.” Right then, the sick baby in his arms seemed to realize he was in a new environment and began to wail weakly. Marcus’s eyes flashed. He quickly pulled back the blanket of my “baby.” But when he looked inside, his face twisted in absolute fury. “Vivian! What the hell did you do?! What kind of drugs did you take during pregnancy to ruin our child like this?!” His roar was so loud that patients and visitors in the hallway gasped and gathered around the door. Eleanor, who had just rushed to the hospital, pushed her way to the front of the crowd. The moment she saw the tiny, blue, sickly infant, she gasped in horror. “Vivian, you wicked, heartless woman! My son is a successful CEO! Our family spent so much money on your wedding! How could you do this to us?!” “You poisoned your own child just to keep your figure! How am I supposed to show my face in high society now?!” She collapsed onto the floor, wailing about how I had disgraced her family, demanding that the law punish me. Her performance was so convincing that onlookers began whispering and glaring at me with disgust. In the middle of the chaos, Chloe emerged from her room, looking pale but victorious. Seeing the crowd, a smug look flashed in her eyes before she quickly covered her mouth in mock horror. “Oh my god… Vivian’s baby… why is he so sick?” “Now that I think about it… back at the house, I always saw strange pill bottles in her vanity drawers…” She stopped, looking at me with fake fear. “I’m so sorry, Vivian. I shouldn’t have said that. It’s your private business…” Marcus immediately pulled Chloe behind him, adopting a righteous pose. “Vivian, I never thought you could be this vile! Poisoning your own child!” “And what about the company? Did you leak our proprietary data because of your unstable mental state during pregnancy? You used to be an executive—you know how critical NDAs are!” “Even if you are my wife, I will not cover for a criminal! Mom, call the corporate legal team and the police! Tell them we found the mole!” The moment the word “mole” was uttered, the crowd’s disgust turned into pure hatred. “What a parasite! Arrest her!” “Unbelievable! She doesn’t deserve a good, honest husband like Marcus!” “Throw something at her!” Someone actually threw a plastic water bottle, which bounced off my bed. Seeing me “cornered,” Chloe smirked from behind Marcus’s shoulder. But when she met my cold, steady gaze, her smile froze. She expected me to be hysterical, weeping and begging for mercy. Instead, I was just staring at her, looking right through her pathetic act. A cold dread washed over Chloe. Her eyes drifted to the swaddle in Marcus’s arms. The “healthy” baby he was holding… why hadn’t it made a sound this entire time? She grabbed Marcus’s arm, wanting to whisper to him, but a sudden commotion cut her off. Several men in business suits and two police officers walked into the room. “Corporate investigation team. Please step aside.”
The crowd parted to let them through. The lead investigator and the officers walked straight to the center of the room, looking between me and Marcus. “We received a report regarding corporate espionage and medical fraud. Who is the informant?” Marcus raised his hand eagerly. “Me! I am!” “I am reporting my wife, Vivian Vance, for abusing illegal drugs during pregnancy, causing severe birth defects, and for stealing our company’s trade secrets!” “This child, the drugs in her room, and the files at our house are all the proof you need!” The lead investigator frowned, waving his hand. “Secure the scene. Detain everyone involved for questioning.” The officers stepped forward, but instead of walking toward me, they grabbed Marcus and Chloe. Marcus went pale. “Wait! You have it wrong! I’m the one who reported her! Vivian is the criminal! Why are you detaining us?” I smirked, calmly sitting up in bed. I wiped a stray drop of water from my face and looked down at them. “Marcus, it was a solid plan. Swap your sickly baby with mine, frame me for corporate espionage, and let me take the fall for Chloe so she could walk free.” Marcus’s face turned paper-white. “You… you’re lying! You’re making things up!” “You’re the one who poisoned the baby! I’m your husband, of course I know the truth!” “Your baby is the sick one! Chloe’s baby was healthy!” “If you don’t believe me, ask the doctor!” He screamed, desperate to prove his point. The investigators hesitated. I let out a cold laugh, gesturing for Marcus’s bribed doctor to step forward. Dr. Evans had taken Marcus’s money. In my past life, he was the key witness who testified that I delivered the deformed child, presenting a fabricated toxicology report. But this time, I had gotten to him first. Under my watchful gaze, Dr. Evans trembled and spoke into the investigator’s recorder. “This sickly baby could not have been delivered by Mrs. Reynolds. I swear on my medical license. All of Mrs. Reynolds’s prenatal records show her fetus was perfectly healthy.” “In fact, Mr. Reynolds approached me earlier, offering me a bribe to claim this sick baby belonged to his wife and to falsify a toxicology report.” The room erupted into gasps. The onlookers who had been screaming at me were stunned. Who would have thought a husband could be so evil? At that moment, everyone’s eyes shifted to Chloe, who was trembling behind Marcus. Connecting the dots of what I had just said, the crowd’s murmurs turned hostile. Chloe bit her lip, cursing the doctor in her mind. Marcus was in pure panic. He knew if he admitted to this, his life was over. He pointed a shaking finger at me. “You! You paid off the doctor to lie!” “I am your husband! Why would I swap my own child and alienate myself? If I did such a thing, may God strike me down!” Hearing his pathetic vow, I almost laughed. Marcus really was shameless. “My husband? Did you ever attend a single ultrasound with me? Did you ever once touch my belly to feel the baby?” “How do you say these lies without choking?” “Why don’t you take a good look at what you’re actually holding in your arms!” The moment I said those words, Chloe’s heart dropped. She finally understood why I had been so calm. The bundle in Marcus’s arms… wasn’t a baby at all. Seeing Marcus reach for the blanket, she screamed, “No! Don’t look!”
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