Chapter 1

The rain poured heavily against Christine's bedroom windows, tears pricking her eyes as she stared into the nothingness. Flashbacks from the night she lost her virginity continued to torment her mind; it had been rainy then too.

She vividly recalled the man's face, briefly illuminated by lightning in the hotel chamber, forever imprinted in her memory. With rich dark hair, thick brows, plump lips, and a perfectly shaped jawline, he exuded masculinity from every pore.

If only she could have seen his eyes, she thought, to complete the image. But they were closed, lost in the frenzy of the moment—it was his wedding night, after all. Yet she was not his bride.

What had transpired almost nine months ago was far from the dream she had envisioned for her first time. It had been cruel, merciless, and horrible.

His skilled hands were hovering all over her body, leaving no place unknown to his touch. He was caring and gentle, after all, he believed he was making love to the one he promised to spend the rest of his life with. Unbeknownst to him, she was not his bride. He was not aware that the woman in his bed hated it, that she was forced into it.

She despised herself for accepting that arrangement, doing it only to protect her father. Tears continued to stream down her face as she embraced her big round belly—she had lost something she cared about but gained something precious in return.

Suddenly, a sharp pain invaded her body, starting from her womb and spreading to the edges, robbing her of breath. Each contraction felt like her body was being torn in two. A loud scream escaped her chest before she could contain it, prompting her stepmother, who happened to despise her, to rush to her aid.

"Oh, enough with your complaints. You're not the first woman in the world to be pregnant," her stepmother scolded, just what Christine needed at that moment.

"It hurts so much!" she cried out.

"It's your fault. You're nothing but a whore. You should have used protection! How could you end up pregnant with your sister's husband?"

Those words made Christine inwardly cringe. How dare her stepmother label her a 'whore' when she knew the full story.

"Your daughter is the real whore! She deceived her husband, lied about her virginity, and sent me to take her place on the wedding night to hide the truth!" Christine shouted through the pain. "I only agreed because I needed to protect my father from you!"

Her stepmother's lips curled into an evil grin before anger took hold of her once more. "You should have gotten rid of that disgusting child!"

Abortion? Killing her own baby? Her own flesh and blood? Never!

Such thoughts were unbearable for Christine. They were more agonizing than the act itself from that night. The man had treated her like a prized possession, and though it was difficult to admit even to herself, she had moments when she enjoyed the wicked things he did to her body. But those moments were overshadowed by the sordid arrangement, and the lies had extinguished any semblance of enjoyment.

Her stepsister's husband remained oblivious to her existence, as her sister was always insecure whenever Christine was around and never introduced her to her lovers.

Christine had always been beautiful, but she would never stoop so low as to steal Martha's boyfriends or anyone else's for that matter. Yet her stepsister never missed an opportunity to claim that Christine used her allure to ensnare men, a baseless accusation. The fact that she was a virgin served as undeniable proof.

Another searing pain tore through her body, and fluid began to trickle from between her legs.

"My water broke! Please call an ambulance."

Her stepmother rolled her eyes in annoyance before reluctantly picking up the phone to dial for an ambulance.

In that moment, Christine longed for her father to be present. He loved her deeply. Yes, he had been somewhat disappointed upon learning of her pregnancy—his pride and joy carrying a child at this stage of life did not sit well with him—but his love for her had never wavered.

~~~~~

After what felt like an eternity, paramedics finally arrived and swiftly transported Christine to the hospital, her stepmother following closely behind in her car.

The medical staff appeared perplexed when Elenora refused to ride in the ambulance, but she convinced them that her fragile heart couldn't bear the sounds of her precious stepdaughter's screams. They even commended her for her display of motherly concern.

They knew nothing, they were as oblivious as her father always had been when it came to that woman. Elenora Carter was a manipulative and malicious person, passing on those traits to her daughter, Martha.

As a dutiful and obedient daughter, Martha heeded her mother's instructions and sought to climb her way into high society through seduction. By the time she ensnared a billionaire in her trap, she had already been entangled in more beds than she could recall.

So, when she deceitfully claimed to be a virgin, intending to save herself for the wedding night, she needed a solution. That solution involved blackmailing her stepsister into taking her place.

"Be careful!"

"One, two, three, lift!"

Christine heard the concerned voices of the paramedics as they moved her from the ambulance. Her head spun as she gazed at the flashing lights dancing to the rhythm of the emergency sirens. She was being carried away from the life-saving vehicle and into the hospital.

"Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale!" they demanded of her, as if it were an easy task. But she couldn't help but scream in agony.

Deep down, a sense of unease gripped Christine's heart. The contractions felt different, almost unnatural, defying everything she had prepared for.

Fear mingled with each pang, as if something could be wrong with her precious baby. Worry etched deep lines on her face, tears welling in her eyes. In the chaos, prayers whispered on her trembling lips, as she was seeking protection and a miracle.

Her love for the unborn child burned fiercely, refusing to be extinguished. Though fear loomed, she clung to a glimmer of hope, determined not to surrender.

"Stop screaming! Everyone in this waiting room is staring at us. You're such an embarrassment! Can't you hold it in? You've always been so selfish, just like your mother. She stole your father from me, even though she was my friend!" her stepmother scolded.

What the hell? Wasn't she a woman too? A mother?

"No, my mom saw him first, and he chose her," Christine retaliated through the pain, refusing to let anyone tarnish her mother's memory.

"But look who triumphed in the end!" Elenora smirked in her face.

An operating room had just become available, and the paramedics swiftly rushed Christine into emergency surgery, where her stepmother, fortunately, couldn't follow to inflict further torment.

~~~~~

The labor stretched on for agonizing hours, engulfing Christine in a cloud of fear. Her life and, above all, her baby's life hung in the balance. Even now, as her energy was slowly draining out, the sound of her baby's cries offered a glimmer of hope, reassuring her that he was safe.

The doctors' troubled expressions and the ominous silence only fueled her anxiety. Her heart raced, and a wave of panic crashed over her.

Desperate for answers, she snatched a nurse's gown and inquired in a hushed voice, "Is everything alright with my baby?"

The medical assistant locked eyes with her, a heavy sigh escaping her lips. "Yes, the baby is fine," she replied, hastening out of the room.

But what about Christine? The weight of uncertainty pressed upon her heart, pulling at her with the thought of not being able to nurture her child, to witness his growth and life unfold before her eyes.