Chapter 2

The harder Zack pulled, the more terrified I became. I couldn’t even imagine what kind of hell awaited me if I went home with him now. Would I even still be considered human if I were chained in a cage, with no contact with the outside world?

I fought back with everything I had, but Zack only grew more desperate. One hand clamped over my mouth while the other yanked my hair so hard it felt like my scalp would tear.

I bit down on his hand with all my strength and screamed toward Mom.

“The baby in my belly isn’t mine and Zack’s! It’s his and Elle’s! They switched out the embryo behind my back!”

Zack’s face twisted, his eyes turning vicious. He snapped, “Don’t listen to her nonsense. She’s just emotional because of the pregnancy. She’s imagining things.”

On the surface, he was calm, but inside, his thoughts betrayed him. “Did she see that report I left in the car? If she gets her hands on it, Elle and I are finished!”

Cold sweat poured down his back, while Elle’s eyes filled with tears.

She cried, “What are you even saying? How could you accuse me like this? I’m your sister!”

I screamed until my throat burned. “Then explain this! Why do your hospital stays and illnesses always line up perfectly with my IVF appointments?”

My emotions spiraled out of control, but the pain in my chest cut deeper than the anger.

The partner I’d been loved for nearly ten years and the sister I trusted most had been sleeping together all along. The thought of it was beyond disgusting.

Step by step, I staggered over to Mom’s side.

“Mom… no matter what, I’m not keeping this child. I refuse to swallow this humiliation.”

At that moment, her slap hit me so hard my head whipped to the side, blood instantly filling my mouth.

“You’ll have it whether you want to or not! You’re going to give birth to Elle’s baby!”

I stared at her, stunned. “Mom?”

Another slap cracked across my face. I collapsed to the floor, stars bursting before my eyes as dizziness swallowed me whole.

“All this fuss just because we want you to carry your sister’s baby? You ungrateful brat! You’re no daughter of mine! Don’t you know childbirth is dangerous? How could you be so cruel as to make your sister do it herself? You’re just giving her a child she can’t carry. What’s so wrong with that?

“You’ve never understood your place. If your sister hadn’t been sick, I never would’ve given birth to you at all.”

Tears blurred my vision as I held my burning cheek. Only when my gaze fell across the table full of dishes did I let out a bitter laugh.

Of course. I’d never been the loved one. The food looked fancy and nutritious, but not a single one was something I liked. They were all Elle’s favorites.

The truth was, the only reason I’d been born at all was because Elle had been frail as a child. My mother had me just in case she ever needed a sibling’s blood or organs to keep her alive.

I stood there, broken and humiliated, barely holding back the storm inside me. Why? Why did I have to live as nothing more than my sister’s shadow?

Rage burned in my chest as I glared at Elle.

“If you love Zack so much, why didn’t you marry him? Why steal my life instead?”

Elle bit her lip, her face full of guilt and struggle.

“I’m too clumsy. I don’t know how to take care of a man. I was afraid Zack would suffer with me. And besides, I never planned to have kids. How could I be so irresponsible as to marry him then?”

Her eyes softened as she looked shyly at Zack, her expression full of affection.

My stomach twisted violently, and nausea surged through me. So this was what it felt like when heartbreak and anger numbed you so much. All that was left was the urge to throw up.

However, as I listened to Zack’s inner voice, one thing became clear: I couldn’t waste time arguing. I had to escape. If these people—my so-called family—got their hands on me, my future would be nothing but darkness.

Forcing myself to sound calm, I said, “I just need to step outside and cool off. I’ll be back in a minute.”

I lifted my foot to leave, but Zack wasn’t about to give me the chance. He wrapped his arm tight around my waist, his hand clamping down on my arm like a vise.

“I’ll go with you. There must be some misunderstanding. Let’s talk it through.”

Then, his inner voice whispered again, “I’ll get Raye into the car first. I’ll use the stun baton to knock her out, then drag her home and break her at my pace. The embryo switch can never come to light. If people find out, what will they think of me and Elle?”