Chapter 1

After saying that to Laura, James slept with Jessica Rane 33 times. He only stopped when she was pregnant with his child.

The second time he said those words was when he found out Jessica's first child was a girl. The Lawson family needed a boy to be the heir.

Therefore, James slept with Jessica another 99 times and only stopped when she was pregnant again.

Just when Laura thought things would finally end, James and Jessica's daughter coughed up blood and started burning up with a fever right after her Sip & See.

Jessica pounced at Laura like crazy and was clawing at the latter's face as she cried, "I know you hate me, but why did you have to hurt my child?"

James's parents, John Lawson and Sophia Lawson, were both infuriated. "That's our grandchild,  how dare you be so cruel to her?"

When Laura was stripped naked and thrown into the cold storage, which was -20℃, James was standing right outside.

Through the glass covered in frost, Laura saw how his hand trembled as he lit a cigarette, but the eyes that were filled with love before were now cold.

"I told you to give me a little more time." James extinguished his cigarette, his eyes filled with disappointment. "Why did you have to hurt my child?"

'Your child...' Laura repeated inwardly.

Her heart ached so much that she couldn't even stand up straight.

She suddenly remembered something.

James had made a promise in the rain on his knees. "Laura, you're the only person that I want to marry."

He used to touch her forehead with his and say, "Laura, I will only see the child that we have together as my child."

He used to kiss her on the cheeks after their intimate act and say, "Just give me a little more time, Laura. Soon, it'll be only the two of us."

But now, James stood by Jessica's side with their child in his arms and was looking at Laura as if he were looking at a ruthless stranger.

When the cold storage door was opened again, Laura was clenching her fists so hard that the nails were digging into her palms.

This time, she wasn't going to keep on waiting anymore.

Laura dialed the number of the Lawson family's old residence.

"I'm willing to leave James." Her voice was unusually calm. "But on one condition. I want you to send me to a place that he'll never be able to find me."

Sophia laughed on the other end of the line. "Why didn't you come to your senses sooner? Have you learnt your lesson after being locked in the cold storage for a night? Did you really think a fish seller is worthy of marrying into the Lawson family?"

"I'll have everything arranged in two weeks." John's voice was full of disdain. "When the time comes, you'll disappear from James's life for good."

After hanging up the call, Laura stood outside the villa with trembling hands.

Within the living room, James was holding his daughter and playing with her. Jessica was leaning against his shoulder with a gentle smile on her face.

The family of three seemed really happy.

Laura stood there and felt as if someone had stabbed a knife into her heart.

"Miss Jackson, you're back!" Jessica was the first to notice Laura. She immediately sat up straight, nervously.

James almost instantly passed the baby to a servant. "Take her upstairs."

The distant look in his eyes made Laura's heart ache.

He was afraid that Laura would hurt his child.

The man who had said that he would only see the child they had together as his child was now looking at Laura as if she were a murderer.

James only walked up to Laura after the baby was taken away. He reached out and wanted to check on. "You're back. Did you... get hurt in the cold storage?"

Laura looked at the man in front of her, who had been willing to take 99 whips for her, and her heart ached even more. She tilted her head to avoid his hand.

James furrowed his brows and explained, "Laura, after what happened last night, the more I protected you, the more severely they would punish you. Besides, we're leaving this place soon anyway. I don't want anything to go wrong. The child is innocent anyway. You didn't need to..."

"I said I didn't do it!" Laura's eyes suddenly turned red.

James seemed to have been stunned by her reaction. It took him a while to soften his tone. "Alright now. It doesn't matter anymore."

'It doesn't matter anymore?' Laura repeated inwardly.

Those words made Laura's heart ache.

It seemed that James still didn't believe her.

Seeing that the atmosphere was getting tense, Jessica walked over, whilst rubbing her belly, and pretended to be sincere. "Miss Jackson, I owe you an apology as well. I was just really worried about my daughter yesterday. You don't have a child yet, so you might not understand my feelings as a mother..."

She raised her hand and caressed her hair. The bracelet on her wrist shone under the light.

Laura's eyes widened as she grabbed Jessica's wrist. "Where did you get this bracelet?"

"Jessica likes it, so I gave it to her." James pulled Laura's hand away. "Just see it as you giving her an apology."

"My mother left me that bracelet!" Laura's voice was trembling. "How could you give it to someone else? You knew how important it is to me!"

She reached out to take the bracelet back, but Jessica suddenly stumbled backwards and fell onto the ground. The latter then held her belly and cried, "My stomach... it hurts..."

"Laura Jackson!" James immediately pushed Laura to one side. His eyes were colder than ever. "She's still pregnant with my child! Haven't you caused enough trouble already?"

James pushed Laura so hard that Laura fell and hit the back of her head against the coffee table. Blood immediately began pouring out of the wound.

But James didn't even take a look at her. He picked Jessica up and rushed out of the house.

"James..." Jessica leaned against James's chest and cried weakly, "Is the child going to be alright?"

"Don't worry. I'm here with you." His voice was unbelievably gentle. "Both you and our child are going to be alright."