Chapter 1

In a fit of rage, Walter Gray kicked over the birthday cake and snarled, "Alice Carter! I've only been working abroad for five years, and you've gone and got yourself knocked up? You're such a shameless woman! Tell me who the father of this bastard child is. I'm going to make sure he'll never survive in Salton!"

Seeing the meticulously prepared birthday party ruined by Walter, my own temper flared. "Walter, this is not the time and place for you to go on a rampage. Stop acting crazy. If there's something wrong with you, go to a hospital."

The mention of the word "hospital" sent Walter into a frenzy at once. He came straight at me, grabbing my arm and dragging me toward the door.

"Go and get an abortion at the hospital right this instant!"

He was too strong. I could barely even attempt to struggle.

Just then, Ethel, Walter's grandmother, heard the commotion and hobbled over with her cane. When she saw Walter's violent actions, her heart jumped into her throat. "Walter! Let go of Alice at once! She's pregnant with—"

Walter's emotions had eased a little when he saw Ethel, but after hearing what she said, his rage shot through the roof again. He immediately cut her off, saying, "My, my. You really are something, Alice. You've even got Grandma wrapped around your finger!"

Then, he slapped me across the face. My face swelled up at once, and blood appeared at the corner of my mouth.

Ethel was horrified by what she saw. She reached out to try to rescue me from Walter, but his bodyguards kept her away.

He instructed his bodyguards to call up a doctor at a private hospital to prepare for the abortion. While making the arrangements, he continued hauling me out to the car.

Ethel insisted on tagging along with the bodyguards in the other car.

Meanwhile, none of my friends who attended the party dared to step forward and lend a hand. On the contrary, they were gleefully relishing the spectacle. Walter's family, the Grays, were rich and powerful. None of them wanted to offend him. Instead, they were more than happy to do him a favor.

Soon, the car pulled up outside the private hospital. Hugo Atkinson, the hospital director, came out in person to greet Walter.

Ignoring Hugo's attempts to suck up to him, Walter dragged me to the obstetrics department.

"Let go of me, Walter! The child I'm pregnant with is—"

Before I could finish my sentence, we ran into Isabel Larson, who was stepping out of the doctor's office. She was Walter's former sister-in-law and the woman he had never stopped thinking about—his first love.

The moment she saw Walter, she happily ran up to him and threw her arms around him.

"I'm finally pregnant, Walter," she said before staring at him affectionately.

Walter let go of my arm and carefully held Isabel. "Be careful, Isabel! You're pregnant now, so you shouldn't be moving around so recklessly anymore!"

Isabel let out a playful giggle. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed me and exclaimed in shock, "Alice! How are you pregnant as well?"

After seeing how intimate Walter and Isabel were, the situation dawned on me. They had gotten together years ago.

Ignoring the taunting look in Isabel's eyes, I said coolly, "Walter, didn't you cheat on me first by hooking up with Isabel ages ago? You two even have a child now, so why do you care about what I've been doing? Let go of me at once, or you won't be able to face the consequences."

Ethel was also stunned to find out that Walter and Isabel had gotten together, but to her, it was more important to make sure that Walter didn't do anything rash right now.

"Walter, let Alice go home and rest," she said.

Upon hearing that, Walter released Isabel from his embrace and growled, "Alice cheated on me, Grandma! She's pregnant with some bastard kid! Do you expect me to pretend like I'm blind?"

From his words, Ethel realized he wouldn't be giving up so easily. She hurriedly said, "Walter, Alice isn't pregnant with a bastard kid. She's—"