Chapter 4

Over the next few days, I showed up like clockwork to cook, clean, and keep Kyle’s messy rental apartment perfectly in order.

One evening, during dinner, he suddenly clutched his nose, blood dripping onto his plate. He brushed it off, saying his recurring nosebleeds were probably due to stress.

I insisted on taking him to the hospital for a check-up.

The test results came back quickly.

Kyle had cancer.

His expression fell, pretending to be utterly devastated.

"Don't come back here anymore," he said sullenly.

I lowered my eyes and said nothing. I just turned and walked out, leaving no trace of hesitation.

Even after the door closed, I could still hear his snickering inner thoughts. "I thought she'd kick up a fuss. Guess she knows better."

I turned, smirking.

He thought he'd set up a trap and fooled me. What he didn't know was that my game had only just begun.

Two days later, I went to a back-alley clinic and had 400mL of blood drawn. Then, staggering, I made my way to Kyle's apartment and collapsed ever so precisely in front of his door.

When I came to, the scent of disinfectant lingered. I vaguely heard the doctor's voice, saying, "She's pregnant, and she lost too much blood. She needs to rest—no more stress or shocks."

I felt a burning gaze fixed on me.

Only after the doctor left did I open my eyes.

Kyle looked at me, his expression complicated. He asked if I felt any discomfort.

I shook my head, propped myself up, pulled a debit card from my pocket, and handed it to him.

"This is the money I saved," I said, my voice weak but resolute. "Take it for your treatment. Don't worry, I'll have the baby aborted."

Kyle looked at me in disbelief. "Where did you get this money? And why would you terminate the baby?"

I gave a small, bitter laugh, ignoring his first question.

"What happened between us was a mistake. I'd love to keep the baby, but I can't afford it. Why make him suffer alongside me?"

Kyle stared at me for a long time, until his phone pinged. He glanced at it, and his eyes instantly widened.

"You fainted because you went to sell your blood?" he asked. "The money on this card… It's from selling your blood?"

I said nothing. I just stubbornly pressed the debit card into his hand.

Kyle held it and looked at me for a long time, his expression unreadable. Then, he returned the card to me.

"I'll marry you. You don't have to abort the baby. I'll take care of both you and the baby. As for my illness, the hospital made a mistake. You don't need to worry."

I feigned ignorance, saying I didn't want to burden him. Inside, though, my heart was racing with excitement.

Kyle took out his phone and transferred five million dollars to me right on the spot. The numbers flashing across the screen were almost dizzying.

"I have money. You don't have to worry about me not being able to support you and the baby," he said.

When I heard his confession, I forced my face into a shocked expression, but in reality, the corners of my mouth were fighting hard not to curl upward.

So much money! The rich life, here I come!

Soon after, I was moved into the VIP patient room, eating food I'd never tasted before in my life.

Kyle's parents, James and Kelly Hargrove, visited once. They clearly weren't satisfied with my background, but I was already pregnant, and Kyle was dead set on marrying me, so they had no choice but to relent.

…

Two months later, Kyle and I held a low-key wedding.

Just as I lifted the hem of my gown to step into the banquet hall, a familiar voice rang out from behind me.

"Talia Munroe! How dare you take out high-interest loans in our names?"

It was Mom.

I turned to see my parents and Mable standing at the entrance, looking out of place.

When Mable saw my wedding gown and the obviously expensive wedding arrangements, she quickly grabbed Mom's raised hand to stop her.

"You're getting married, Talia? How much money is my brother-in-law and his family giving you as wedding gifts? The money we owe the lender—let's just take it out of that. It can be his chance to prove how sincere he really is, too."

Seeing Kyle hurrying over from behind them, my lips curved into a smile.

"Sure. Your brother-in-law's here. You can tell him yourself how much money you want."