Chapter 2

Timothy's expression hardened again. After comforting Gracie and hanging up, he said coldly, "Without some real consequences, you'll never learn your lesson!"

With that, he turned and walked away.

I stood there, frozen in place, stunned that Timothy had actually given Gracie five beachside villas.

He had always been afraid I was a materialistic woman, so during all our years of marriage, he had given me less than 1000 dollars in total. All my expenses depended on this little restaurant. From working so hard to make a living, my health had long since deteriorated.

All that, and Timothy easily handed Gracie five beachside villas.

My ears rang, automatically blocking out the people's vicious insults. When they got worked up enough, they started attacking me physically.

I curled up on the ground, letting them do as they pleased, tears streaming down my face in despair. Suddenly, a piercing pain shot through my lower abdomen, and blood pooled beneath me.

Only then did I realize I was pregnant.

When they saw the blood, they panicked and feared I might actually die. They cursed at me as they fled.

Unable to bear the physical pain and mental torment, I passed out.

When I woke up, a scruffy homeless man was on top of me, his grimy hands sliding all over my body. For a moment, I forgot the pain in my body and screamed, desperately shoving him off.

A crowd had already gathered on the street.

The ground was stained red with blood flowing from my abdomen, but they thought the old beggar had caused it, so they took photos while cursing at me.

The man's excitement only grew stronger.

"You little tramp, lying on the ground like–basically inviting me. You've slept with so many men already, so one more will not make any difference."

The homeless man had gone without a woman for a long time, and his mind was clearly unstable. Right there in the middle of the street, in front of everyone, he shamelessly hurled obscene words at me.

He excitedly grabbed one of my legs and said, "From now on, you're my wife. Let's go home and get in bed."

After bleeding all night, I was too weak to struggle. I was so desperate that I wanted to die.

The next moment, I spotted a familiar face in the crowd.

It was Timothy!

I knew that right now, only he could save me. So without thinking, I used every ounce of strength I had to fight back and crawl to his side.

I gritted my teeth and hissed, "Timothy, are you really this heartless that you will just watch me die without helping me?"

Timothy's expression remained cold. "Gracie cried for three days and nights, so you should suffer for three days and nights too. After three days, I'll put an end to all this."

For Gracie's sake, he willingly put me through inhuman torture.

For a moment, I could not tell whose husband he actually was. Despite that, I swallowed my anger and tried to stay calm.

I said, "I'm pregnant, and I'm losing too much blood. I don't know if the baby can even be saved. Take me to the hospital now."

After hearing this, Timothy frowned and snapped, "Alyssa, how can you make up lies so easily? Just because you want to compete with Gracie, you are even making up a story about being pregnant? I know your body better than anyone. After all these years of IVF treatments without success, there's no way you could suddenly be pregnant now."

Indeed. Timothy and I had always dreamed of having a child.

For three years, we kept trying IVF. Every year, he even made several tiny baby clothes, ready to welcome the child whenever it finally arrived.

Alas, the child never came.

I had never expected to become pregnant this time. Unfortunately, before it could even see the world, it had already been tortured to death.

The old beggar grew angry at my resistance. He slapped me hard across the face and dragged me away again.

My heart sank once more. Just as I was preparing myself for death, Timothy's friend suddenly rushed forward and pulled me away from the beggar.

"Alyssa, honestly, you're really something. You even dare to do that kind of thing in the middle of the street. You may have no shame, but Timothy still has his reputation to protect. If he had not asked me to come over, would you really have gone off to be that beggar's wife?"

He clearly knew the truth, yet he asked anyway, his eyes full of mockery.

I had no strength left to argue with him. I only begged him to take me to the hospital.

He refused again and again.

In the end, I threatened him with my life. I told him that if I died because of him, Timothy would tear him apart–piece by piece.

Only then did he reluctantly take me to the hospital.