Chapter 3

Daniel was extremely efficient. That morning, he soothed me gently by the bed, saying he could not defy the board of directors. By noon, our apartment was a flurry of activity — The butler bought children’s toys, the cleaner prepared the guest room, and the chef asked about the children’s dietary preferences.

I watched them coldly and returned to my room to pick up the luggage I had already packed. When I got to the lift lobby, a cup came flying at me.

The burning hot latte scalded my skin through my silk blouse.

“Mean lady!” A little boy stood on the stairs, holding another cup.

The girl next to him aimed a phone camera at me. “Mom was right. We should teach wretches like her a lesson so she gets away from Dad!”

Another cup shattered at my feet, sending shards flying everywhere.

I tried to dodge, but a woman stood behind me.

Victoria looked down on me, wearing a full suit of high-end brand. “Aren’t you Daniel’s girlfriend? Why do you look so pathetic?”

She emphasized the word “girlfriend”, her crimson lips curving sarcastically.

“You…” Before I could say anything, the boy suddenly rushed downstairs and shoved me. I stumbled and fell, my knee crashing into the hard marble floor.

“You have no right to look at my mother!” The girl ran at me and left large scratches on my arms with her nails. “You belong on your knees!”

Victoria straightened out the hem of her dress with a smile. “My babies are a little rowdy, but…” She bent down, lifting my chin with the gold button of her bag. “Do you believe me if I say Daniel won’t blame them when he comes home?”

The boy then grabbed the vase nearby and splashed the water inside on my face. “Mom says Dad loves us the most! He’ll support us even if we chase you out!”

I could not see anything with the dirty water all over my face. All I could hear was Victoria telling the butler, “Check her luggage. I want to see what she’s trying to steal away.”

“I’m not stealing—” Before I could finish my sentence, something struck me hard in the stomach.

The girl had pulled a baseball bat out of nowhere and swung it at my belly. “This is what you get for seducing Dad and destroying our family! Mom says Dad will be ours once you disappear!”

I curled up in pain while Victoria said calmly, “I could’ve let you go in peace, but… You should never have gotten pregnant at a time like this.”

The girl smirked viciously, bringing the bat down on me over and over again. My vision went dark, but before I lost consciousness, I heard a voice bark—

“Stop!” It was Daniel at the door. I faintly saw him rush over and steal the bat from the girl’s hands.

The two children exchanged a look and then jumped into his arms, wailing.

“Dad! She called us illegitimate bastards and threatened to call the cops! We got scared, that’s why we…”

“She even beat Sophia!” The boy pulled up the girl’s sleeve, revealing some red marks. “See!”

Daniel’s expression froze, his gaze alternating between the children and me.

My abdomen twisted painfully, and warm blood seeped out, dying the white marble floor.

“Hurry… Call 911!” I gripped the pants of his expensive suit, staining it with blood. “This is… your baby!”

Daniel stiffened, but he hesitated when Victoria chuckled.

“You’re a pretty good actress.” Victoria wiped her hands with a handkerchief. “Haven’t you been feeding her contraceptives, Daniel? How could she be pregnant?”