My Safe Harbor

"Ms. Irene, you've been longing for a baby all this time. Are you sure you don't want to keep it?"Rosalind Robinett, who had cared for me since childhood, was distraught. Her eyes were red as she grabbed my hands tightly, trying to stop me from entering the operating room."If Mr. Barker finds out, he'll be furious!"I gave a hollow smile, gently pulling my hands free and stepping forward with firm resolve."Actually, he'd be more than happy."Because he had never wanted a baby.Throughout my six-year marriage to Simon Barker, I had endured constant torment from my cruel mother-in-law, who blamed me for not bearing children. This baby was the first blessing I received after so long.Even Rosalind, my maid, understood how precious this child was, how much more so me, the one who carried it in my body.I lowered my head sadly, my gaze falling on the necklace clenched tightly in my hand.Among all the gifts Simon had given me, it was the least flashy, but it meant the world to m

A dull ache in my abdomen jolted me fully awake. I quietly slipped out of his embrace, careful not to show my discomfort. "You forgot. I can't stand strong smells."He reeked of the perfume Carly always wore. I hated it.Simon's smile froze awkwardly. He quickly shrugged off his jacket. "One of the business partners brought a date to our dinner. Her perfume must've accidentally rubbed off on me. I'll change right now."I let out a soft sigh, feeling utterly drained, and turned to lie down on the bed.Simon waited in the walk-in closet for a long time, but I didn't go in to help him pick out clothes like I usually did. His figure looked a little lonely."What's wrong with you today? Always scowling," he complained with a frown. "It's just some perfume. Why are you making such a big deal out of it? You're really starting to act like a nagging housewife!"Frustrated, he turned on his heel and stormed toward the entrance. He stopped at the door when he saw Rosalind holding a pair of

"I don't care what happens to me, but the child is innocent. Irene, how could you be so heartless?"Simon gently lifted Carly to her feet, then spun around with a fierce glare aimed right at me. Without warning, he slammed his boot hard into my chest. "You've disappointed me."I hit the floor with a loud thud, pain shooting through me as I forced my eyes open. The video playing was a cruel montage—edited and manipulated audio stitched together to make it look like I was plotting against Carly.But Simon seemed to be blind to the truth. The way I usually spoke and acted was nothing like the cold, calculated woman in the video.I curled up on the floor, trembling beside his feet. "Simon, that's not me… The video…"Before I could finish, Carly staggered and collapsed into Simon's arms.From the corner of my eye, I caught her flashing me a mocking, provocative look, right where Simon's gaze couldn't reach.Without hesitation, Simon scooped her up and strode away without a second gla

I glanced over at the warming belt resting by the bedside, and on the table, there was chicken soup John had personally prepared.That was when I realized how far people would go when they actually cared about another person.With the Barkers' resources, they wouldn't lack expensive health equipment and supplements.They definitely had them. The point was that I wasn't someone Simon cared about, so he never bothered to show concern for me.But now that I had someone who truly cared about me, the marriage that I once had no expectations of suddenly seemed worth looking forward to.The day before the wedding, Simon appeared at the Medinas, as if he'd suddenly remembered I existed.After I left, rumors spread through the Schumans that Carly had died during childbirth, but she had actually changed her name and become Simon's woman.Simon clearly loved her deeply, so much so that he was willing to raise Ryan's child as his own.He had welcomed Carly into the Barkers with great fanfa

Carly's belly, once softly rounded, was now flat as before. She kept bowing, pleading desperately, "Please forgive me. I never meant to frame you!"Nobody likes me in the Medinas. I was only trying to survive. Was that wrong?"Seeing these people coming to cause trouble on our wedding day, John frowned deeply as he covered my eyes with one hand while directing the bodyguards to escort them away.I took a deep breath, gently tapped his hand, then stepped forward to Simon.He froze for a moment, then lit up with joy and reached out to pull me close. "I knew you still cared about me!"But in the next second, I raised my hand and slapped him hard across the face."This is for your lies, your fake affection, and for ruining our marriage, all for Carly's future."Before he could recover, I struck him again."Our child didn't die that night—I had an abortion. You made me drink milk that contained contraceptives every night because you never wanted me to get pregnant. The child was inn