Chapter 2

Beneath that highly upvoted comment, there was a new reply.

"Thanks, girl. I already fed him the drug, and we've got the test results. He feels so guilty now that he doesn't even dare to raise his voice around me. We're definitely keeping the baby."

The reply had been posted ten minutes earlier.

I locked my phone and took a sip from the glass of water on the table, which was now cold. Eight years of love had earned me nothing but betrayal and elaborate scheming.

The bedroom door opened. Lauren walked over and wrapped her arms around my neck from behind.

"Honey, don't sit out here by yourself. It hurts me to see you like this. You heard what the doctor said. The pregnancy is risky, but if I stay in bed and rest more, everything will be fine. For you, and for our family, I'll endure anything."

I lowered my eyes, hiding the emotion beneath them as I spoke, "Lauren, it's my fault. If I were healthy, you wouldn't have to bear such a huge risk."

The moment she heard that, she came around the couch and sat beside me. "Honey, don't say that. We're married. What's yours is mine. If giving you a child means risking my life, then so be it."

Her act was too convincing. If I hadn't seen that forum post, I would've fallen for her act.

I grabbed her hand and patted it. "Alright. Since you're so determined, we'll keep the baby. Tomorrow, I'll hand off some work at the company so I can spend more time taking care of you."

Lauren's eyes lit up. She leaned over and kissed me. "You're the best, honey!"

…

The next afternoon, after finishing up some work, I arrived at the underground parking garage and ran into Jasper Landry, the supposedly innocent male best friend Lauren was always mentioning.

He frequently invited himself over for meals at our house under the guise of friendship. Whenever he drank too much, he'd drape an arm around Lauren's shoulders.

I'd expressed my discomfort about it before, but Lauren simply accused me of being jealous and narrow-minded. She had even said that if they really wanted to be together, they would've gotten together ages ago, and I wouldn't even be in the picture.

Looking back now, I felt like a huge idiot.

Jasper was leaning against my car door, smoking. When he saw me, he raised an eyebrow. "Hey, Tyson. I heard you took Lauren for a checkup last night. Didn't get the results you were hoping for, huh?"

I paused. "Lauren even told you that?"

Jasper laughed, putting out his cigarette. "We don't keep secrets from each other. Her pregnancy is a big deal. I'm the first person she told."

He stepped closer, his tone full of mockery. "Tyson, when a man can't perform, he should just admit it. Some things just aren't meant to be. But don't worry. Lauren is sentimental. Consider it your blessing that she's willing to birth your child and carry on your family name.

"When the kid is born, he'll have excellent genes. After all…"

He deliberately let the sentence hang, then winked at me.

I stared at his face. If this was the day before, I would've punched him without hesitation.

Instead, I smiled and said, "You're right. I'm lucky you've always been there for her."

Jasper grinned even wider. "Tyson, you're too kind. When the baby arrives, I'll make sure to spoil my godchild. I've already bought a bunch of imported prenatal supplements. They're supposedly really good for fetal development."

Just then, Lauren stepped out of the elevator. The moment she spotted Jasper, she hurried toward him. "Jasper, what are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to wait for me at the restaurant?"

Jasper casually put an arm around her shoulders. The gesture was so natural that they looked more like a couple than we did.

"I didn't want you walking alone, so I came to pick you up. And since I'm here, I thought I'd say hello to Tyson."

Only then did Lauren turn to me. "Honey, Lucas found this new restaurant that specializes in prenatal meals. He insisted on taking me there. You still have to work tonight, right? We won't disturb you then."

"Go ahead. Take care. You're carrying a baby. Don't rush around," I said with a smile.

Lauren visibly relaxed. She then took Jasper's arm and got into his car.

I pulled out my phone and called my friend, Beau Brooks.

"Beau, I need your help setting a trap."