Chapter 2 A Cruel Truth

Selina pressed herself against Bryce with a coquettish smile. "A bet's a bet. You can do whatever you want to me tonight. Still… Are you really that confident? Aren't you worried she'll take the baby and run away?"

The nannies immediately made themselves scarce the second he lifted the hem of her skirt.

He chuckled and drawled dismissively, "When she chose to be with me, she signed an agreement to cut ties with her family. She won't survive the real world without me."

The sofa creaked beneath them as his breathing grew heavier.

"Besides, everyone knows she's been with me for eight years and got pregnant out of wedlock. The rich kids in our circle look down on her. Nobody wants to take on a second-hand woman. Even if some guy is attracted to her face, he'd have to be brave enough to fight me for the child."

I closed the door to the master bedroom, shutting out the sounds of their wanton moans in the living room.

Fortunately, the baby hadn't heard any of it. I carefully laid him down on the bed and snapped a photo of his sleeping face before sending it through WhatsApp.

"The baby is back with me. Don't forget your promise."

A few seconds later, a reply appeared. "Okay."

I let out a slow breath.

To be honest, Selina had won the bet. I would never tolerate a man who had cheated on me.

That lying scum was going to get it.

That evening, a sterilization team arrived at the house just like Selina had said. I packed my belongings in the nursery as I maintained a gentle hold on my baby.

Selina had left, so Bryce had invited his closest friends over for drinks. I could hear their laughter even through the door.

"You're unbelievable, Bryce. The Hawthorn family's heiress was practically guaranteed to inherit the family fortune. Yet, not only did she run off with you, but you also got her to bear a child for you!"

"The best part is that she got pregnant out of wedlock, and the kid can't even call her Mom. Most women would never survive that humiliation. She must be really in love with you!"

The room erupted in jeers.

Amid the clinking of glasses, Bryce sounded completely unconcerned. "Only you guys know the truth. To everyone else, Selina is Thomas's mother. Honestly, who cares if Jessica is the Hawthorn family heiress? She loves me enough to die for me, and she's unbelievably stupid.

"I told her that my family was strict, and that she had to give me a son before I could marry her. I can't believe she actually bought that lie. She went through five rounds of IVF over the years. Her stomach is practically covered in needle marks.

"I wouldn't be able to bear it if Selina had to suffer through something like that."

As I heard his words, my hands tightened around the clothes I was folding.

I was once the cherished daughter of the Hawthorn family. Unfortunately, I had fallen hopelessly in love with Bryce.

At that time, my parents had thought he was unworthy of me and pressured me to break up with him.

When Bryce found out about it, he convinced me to run away with him. He promised he would treat me well and love me for the rest of his life. Yet, he suddenly told me about the Newton family's archaic rule after I had left everything behind for him.

At the time, I loved him too much to question it. Since natural conception had proven difficult, I began IVF treatments.

I endured unimaginable pain in order to bear this child just so I could marry him. I nearly died from a massive hemorrhage before giving birth.

In the end, all that sacrifice had been reduced to a single, "She's unbelievably stupid."

The laughter downstairs continued. Eventually, someone brought up Selina.

"Bryce, I heard the Newton family banquet is in two days. Are you finally taking Selina to meet the family? Your father's back too, right?"

Bryce was clearly in a good mood as he smiled and replied, "Jessica couldn't have picked a better time to have this baby. My dad hardly ever comes back, and he's even hosting the family banquet himself this time.

"Once I show up with Selina and the baby, the inheritance will definitely be mine."

"Of course, it will. The Newton family doesn't have any other heir aside from you and your son. You're the only direct descendant of your generation. Nobody will be able to stake a claim on your inheritance as long as your father doesn't remarry and have another child."

At that moment, the room suddenly fell silent. A long moment passed before Bryce spoke again, irritation creeping into his voice. "Do you even hear yourself? My dad's busy with work. He doesn't have time to remarry."

I slowly unclenched my fingers. Then, I clicked on a song on my phone, letting the music drown out the voices outside.

I hummed under my breath as a breathtakingly vicious smile played on my lips.