Chapter 1

When I was wheeled out of the operating room, my lower abdomen still throbbed with sharp pain.

The agony of having my uterus scraped clean was nothing compared to the ache in my heart.

Just three hours earlier, I had arrived at the hospital for my appointment with the high-risk pregnancy specialist, right on time. But at the payment counter, I discovered that all the money I had painstakingly saved had vanished from my account overnight.

I stared at my phone in disbelief, eyes wide, frantically refreshing the banking app over and over.

Ever since we learned that my barely-formed baby was in critical condition, I had scraped together every penny to afford the specialist consultation.

I stood frozen at the payment counter, breaking out in a cold sweat from panic. The stress was making my lower abdomen cramp with an ominous ache.

That money wasn’t just money to me—it meant life or death for my child.

Behind me, other patients waiting in line began grumbling impatiently.

"What's the holdup? Some of us have appointments too! Move it along!"

Sweat beaded on my forehead. Overwhelmed and desperate, tears began blurring my vision.

Finally, a nurse monitoring the payment kiosks noticed how pale I looked.

She helped me to a chair, but no matter what I tried, I couldn't get that money to appear in my account.

Just as I was about to break down completely and call the bank's fraud line, my first instinct was to tell my boyfriend I'd been robbed.

But when I opened my messages, the first thing I saw was a social media post Wendy Walker had just shared:

"They say the way to a girl's heart is through her stomach— Mr. Wellington really knows how to take care of a woman! Today's happiness starts with snagging the last designer bag at boutique~"

The photo showed a man's silhouette cooking in a kitchen.

In the corner of the image sat a brand-new luxury handbag—its price exactly matching the amount that had disappeared from my account.

The room spun. A violent cramp tore through my abdomen as I felt something warm and wet between my legs.

As they rushed me into surgery, I heard the doctor's urgent voice.

"Patient's miscarrying—where's her family? We're losing the baby!"

I heard the nurse trying to reach Daniel over and over.

When she finally got through, Daniel just snapped.

"Can you stop calling me every five minutes? I'm working my ass off so she can afford the best prenatal care, aren't I?"