Chapter 1

My stomach felt swollen and started throbbing painfully by the next afternoon.

"Benji," I called, holding my stomach and sweating profusely. "I think something's not right. I'm going to drop by the hospital."

My husband, Benji Morrison, paused for a brief moment before hurrying over to my side.

He pulled me into his arms with a heartbroken expression and said, "It's really windy outside, Harper. Your body's too weak. I'll call Dr. Kane right now and ask him to come over."

I gripped the edge of the blanket tightly. The overwhelming pain robbed me of my ability to speak.

Benji's voice was gentle and polite. He patted my head lightly after he hung up, saying, "Don't be scared, Harper. Dr. Kane will be here soon. Lie down for now. I'll warm up some soup for you."

A single tear leaked from the corner of my eye as I watched him leave.

…

The doctor, Patrick Kane, arrived half an hour later.

Benji specifically gave him a reminder even before he stepped across the threshold, saying, "Harper's really weak. You know what to do, Dr. Kane. Don't scare her."

In the past, I would feel even more guilty whenever I heard Benji's words.

Only then did I realize that there was another underlying message hidden between his words.

Patrick carefully nodded and took my pulse. He closed his eyes for a brief moment before letting out a long sigh.

"Your body isn't healthy enough, Mrs. Morrison. You're too weak to carry the baby to term. I don't think that you'll be able to keep it again."

I curled up under the blanket and dug my nails into my palms until they throbbed painfully.

Benji's eyes reddened as he clenched his fists, slipping into his role faster than any actor.

He sat on the edge of the bed and took my hand. His voice was hoarse when he asked, "Is there really no other way, Dr. Kane? Our child…"

"This is already Mrs. Morrison's eighth time, Mr. Morrison," Patrick said, shaking his head.

"Her uterine wall is too thin, making it difficult for the embryo to implant itself into it. If we try to save the baby, Mrs. Morrison herself would…"

Benji hung his head and pressed his forehead against the back of my hand. His shoulders were shuddering slightly.

I was nearly fooled by his acting for a split second, but the comments from earlier snapped me back to reality.

Patrick gave me some medicine to stabilize the pregnancy, telling me to stay in bed to recover my strength.

He also told me to avoid getting out of bed and stressing myself out. Right before he left, he reminded me to take the vitamins that Benji gave me, explaining that they would aid my recovery.

A chill ran down my spine. It turned out that Benji and Patrick were already in cahoots. I was the only one who was left in the dark.

Benji's eyes were bloodshot when he walked Patrick to the door, acting as if he was the one who was about to suffer a miscarriage.

I had just closed my eyes when I heard Benji's hushed and excited voice drifting from the end of the hallway. He was talking to someone on the phone.

"Dr. Kane came over, Alice. He said that she's going to lose the baby again."

The hoarseness in his voice had disappeared. He sounded so carefree as if he had just solved a difficult question.

"It'll happen in the next few days. I'll look for you when it's over. That fool, Harper, doesn't know a thing. She still thinks that she's the problem."

I got off the bed and padded toward the door on my bare feet. My body felt incredibly cold as I pressed my ear to the door.

"We've been waiting for seven years, but we'll be able to reap the fruits of our labor soon. Keep a close eye on Weller Group for me. That's right. When she becomes completely worthless, we can…"

The rest of Benji's words were drowned out by the sounds of his footsteps.

I immediately retreated to the bed and curled up under the blanket.

Benji pushed the door open and entered the room.

The tender and heartbroken expression was back on his face.

He sat on the edge of the bed and pressed his palm to my stomach. He caressed it lightly and slowly, saying, "Don't be upset, Harper. We're still young. We can try again."

I kept my eyes trained on the ceiling. A few seconds later, my stomach twisted painfully, forcing me to curl up into a ball.

Benji's eyes reddened from panic. He immediately rushed me to a private hospital that he had contacted beforehand.

The nurse's face was pale when she wheeled me into the operating room. The blinding overhead lights stung my eyes.

…

The sky had brightened by the time I regained consciousness.

Benji was sitting on the edge of the bed. There were dark bags under his eyes. He hadn't shaved the stubble on his chin.

He immediately held my hand when he realized that I was awake.

His voice was extremely hoarse when he said, "You nearly scared me to death, Harper. I was so worried that I couldn't sleep at all for the whole night."

His eyes were bloodshot when he lowered his head and buried his face into my palm. His shoulders were shuddering slightly.

"The baby…" I mumbled quietly, asking the question that I already knew the answer to.

Benji raised his head. Tears welled up in his eyes as he shook his head.

"Benji," I murmured softly. "Go do what you need to do. I want to sleep for a little while."

He hummed in response before leaning down to kiss my forehead. His lips felt chilly against my skin.

The door clicked shut. The sounds of his footsteps faded into the distance.

Powering through the pain, I grabbed my phone from under my pillow and typed out a message.

"Put the plan in motion, Richard. It begins now."