The family gathered all the male members to draw lots. The winner would marry my widowed sister-in-law, Jessica Tolley, who was expecting.

If the man chosen was already married, he'd be expected to take her on as a second wife.

My husband drew the lot.

Everyone urged him to accept, saying if Jessica remarried, his late brother's child would end up calling another man "father."

He refused, threatening to jump off a building if they forced him.

In the chaos, I fell down the stairs and broke both legs.

While recovering at home, I happened to see a message Jessica had sent to my husband. "Don't blame me. If it weren't for our child, I wouldn't have swapped all the names in the box for yours. If you refuse to accept the baby, I'll just kill myself."

He responded with only two words, "I will."

My heart thundered in my chest and then shattered. I grabbed my phone and dialed a number.

"Hey, about the engagement from when we were kids, I'm in."

***

When Tony Fallon walked in, I was staring blankly out the window.

In the yard, the swing he built for Jessica's unborn child was swaying gently in the breeze.

Just yesterday, the two of them were playing on it.

When I wheeled myself out there, Tony was panting heavily, and Jessica's neck was covered in red marks.

They claimed it was due to a pollen allergy, and I foolishly believed them.

Tony slammed the window shut, snapping me back to reality.

"You have any idea how many people in the family I've offended for your sake? Grow up already!"

I was taken aback. Whenever Jessica was involved, it always seemed I was the one in the wrong.

He dismissed me as unreasonable when I voiced my discomfort about him bringing her to live with us so he could care for her.

He scolded me when I asked him to bring back fever medicine for me while he was at the hospital with Jessica for her prenatal checkup.

And just earlier, when she was mean to my cat and I confronted her in tears, I was still the one being unreasonable.

In the past, I would've convinced myself that he was merely looking after his brother's widow and even blamed myself for not being generous enough.

But now, I didn't even feel like arguing anymore.

I said nothing and wheeled myself toward the door.

Tony stepped in front of me.

"Didn't you hear me? What are you planning now?" he asked.

"To make dinner," I replied.

Tony froze.

He had sent all the maids to attend to Jessica, so I had to handle everything myself.

He wheeled me into the living room and instructed, "Maria, prepare some of my wife's favorite dishes."

A hint of guilt flashed in his eyes. "Sorry. With my brother gone and Jess expecting the child, I've been too busy recently to care for you."

I thought to myself, "Yes, you've been quite busy—busy flying overseas to learn cooking just because she mentioned the cod in Hokkaido was amazing.

"Busy filling her room with luxury items because she said gifts made her happy."

But back then, he had said he couldn't stand the smell of cooking oil and looked down on women obsessed over luxury brands.

"Ouch," Jessica winced as she entered, letting out a cry and complaining of exhaustion.

Tony quickly brushed past me to help her settle onto the couch.

"Did you go for another walk? You should be taking it easy now that you're expecting."

Jessica gave him a playful look. "Weren't you the one who said a bit of exercise would be good for both the baby and me?"

Tony poured her a glass of milk and watched her drink it. "I read online that being more active can make childbirth easier, so you'll have less trouble when the time comes."

They seemed like a couple eagerly looking forward to their baby's arrival, making me feel completely unnecessary.

As I started to leave, Tony suddenly said, "Amy, come and massage Jess's legs."

I ignored him and kept moving forward. His temper flared, and he pulled the wheelchair back abruptly.

My legs collided unexpectedly, causing intense pain.

"How ungrateful you are! Have you forgotten how Howard treated us?"

The maids looked at me with contempt in their eyes.

I bent down to massage Jessica as she gazed at me with a sly triumph in her eyes.

"Amy, use this essential oil. It's specifically made for expectant women," she insisted.

It was lavender essential oil, a scent I was allergic to and couldn't tolerate.

Tony was aware of my allergy too.

Since I moved in, he'd gone to great lengths to ensure no trace of lavender was within 350 km of us.

But now, Jessica's pitiful expression as she touched her leg had already won his heart.

He didn't even glance my way.

Small red spots began to appear on my skin, itching intensely, and my breathing became shallow and quick.

At that moment, Jessica leaned down and whispered something that sent chills through me.

"You fell so miserably that day, dead cripple. I forgot to mention—I pushed you.

"Tony saw it happen. I told him it was an accident, and he couldn't bring himself to blame me."

My breath caught, and I pressed harder with my hands.

Jessica screamed, and Tony hurried over to pull me away.

Before I could respond, he had lifted me out of the wheelchair.

"Did you do it on purpose?"

I stubbornly held back my tears. "Yes!"

"You've gone too far!"

A harsh slap stung my face.

My heart felt shattered as I struggled back into the wheelchair, and tried to make my way to the door.

Tony stood in my way.

"I acted on impulse. Don't be upset."

"The doctor we hired from overseas will be here this afternoon. Can you wait for him to check your legs before having a fit and trying to leave?"

I bit my lip until it bled. "Move."

When I didn't move, he stepped forward and grabbed me. "Howard died under mysterious circumstances. In a few days, the family will be relocating his grave. If you don't attend, it'll be hard for me to explain."

I knitted my brows, remembering that Anne Fallon had treated me quite well, so I chose to go one final time.

Just then, the phone rang unexpectedly.

When I picked it up, a nervous voice asked, "What time should I come to get you?"

"There are still a few things to sort out. Give it a few more days," I said.

The voice on the other end responded teasingly, "You're not having second thoughts again, are you? If so, I'll come over and drag you here myself."

"No second thoughts. Relax," I reassured.

After ending the call, Tony glanced at me with a puzzled expression but remained silent.

He likely assumed I was playing hard to get again.

Jessica was eating, but upon seeing me, she feigned nausea with a hand over her mouth.

Tony tossed me an allergy pill and instructed the servant to wheel me over to apply it.

Then, he rolled up his sleeves and headed to the kitchen to make spaghetti for Jessica.

Despite his efforts, she still had no appetite and tossed the plate into the trash.

Tony, however, didn't get upset. He promptly called a friend instead.

A renowned celebrity chef, known for his frequent appearances on high-end culinary shows, was someone I had repeatedly asked Tony to introduce me to so I could sample his cuisine.

Tony always had an excuse, claiming his friend was too busy.

Yet here he was, inviting the chef over to our house directly.

Jessica seemed well-acquainted with him, likely having met him several times before.

With a cheerful tone, she instructed, "Adam, add more spice. You know how I like it."

My allergies were flaring up badly, and the strong aroma made my stomach continuously uneasy.

Still, Jessica encouraged, "Amy, come eat with me! I don't want to eat alone."

Observing my rash-covered face, Adam Basom kindly suggested, "Tony and I can keep you company instead."

Jessica pouted, "No way! Dining with two grown men is so dull. I want my female friend to join me."

Tony dragged me to the dining table, grabbed a piece of the fiery spicy boiled fish, and pushed it into my mouth. "Don't be so dramatic. I doubt eating it will do you any harm."

Tears streamed down my face as I vomited, my stomach heaving uncontrollably.

He might not remember that when his father passed away, the company was in ruins.

I was the one who accompanied him to countless social events, drinking so much that I suffered a gastric hemorrhage and ended up in the hospital.

Since then, I've had a persistent stomach problem.

Later, when he learned that volcanic stone therapy might help, he purchased the stones at a considerable cost.

Despite his own pain making him perspire, he insisted on treating me first.

My stomach, which had painstakingly healed, was now completely ruined over the past few days.

Tony shot me a look of disdain and instructed someone to take me upstairs.

As soon as I lay down, I heard a commotion downstairs, followed by the scent of disinfectant wafting through the air.

Tony's voice was urgent. "Clean it up quickly. Make sure there's no trace of the smell, or Jess will feel nauseous again."

After the doctor's care, I was finally able to attempt standing on my legs.

Once I showed some improvement, Jessica proposed we go shopping as a form of rehabilitation.

"Walking more will only benefit you," Tony remarked, as he donned his coat, grabbed the car keys, and assisted Jessica out the door.

At his nod, the servant swiftly wheeled me into the car.

At the mall, people pointed at me and murmured, "That woman must have been disabled for being a mistress. She's still pathetically begging for forgiveness—how disgraceful."

A woman approached me and spat. "Bah! I detest mistresses more than anything. You got what you deserve!"

I calmly responded, "You're mistaken. The woman ahead is the mistress, and she's carrying my husband's child."

As soon as I spoke, the crowd buzzed with shock.

Tony turned abruptly, looking at me with surprise.

Jessica's eyes filled with tears, and she pulled away to run off.

He quickly followed her.

I shook as I leaned on a chair to sit down, while whispers surrounded me.

"The wife is no ordinary woman. Her husband flaunts his affair, and she just follows along without a reaction."

"I've heard wealthy wives are like that. They accept everything as long as their husbands return home. They have only themselves to blame."

I could only muster a bitter smile.

Who could I even explain it to? How could I possibly make them understand?

I married him despite my mother's tears, never foreseeing that I'd find myself in such a situation.

As I stumbled away from the crowd, I heard voices echoing from the stairwell around the corner. So clear that my face flushed with embarrassment.

Standing outside, I gazed at the distorted shape of those leather shoes and could imagine how frantic he must be.

My heart tightened into a knot.

Those elegant Italian leather shoes. I had polished them countless times.

He always insisted that no maid could clean them as well as I could, and I was eager to be the dutiful wife and mother he desired.

But that was all in the past.

"Tony... be careful... careful with the baby..."

The voices became more improper with each passing second.

Unable to stand it any longer, I escaped into the elevator, feeling utterly humiliated.

As it reached the 10th floor, the elevator unexpectedly dropped.

In a panic, I frantically pressed all the buttons, my legs trembling with fear.

After a jarring impact, it came to a halt on the first floor, and the doors creaked open.

A maintenance worker peeked in and gasped, "So much blood..."

It was only then that I noticed a sharp cramp in my lower abdomen, and blood began to trickle down my legs.

"She looks pregnant. Where's her family? Why is she alone?"

An old woman in the crowd said, "This is odd. My daughter just mentioned another expectant woman bleeding on the 16th floor. Her husband rushed her down the stairs."

As she finished, I saw Tony, drenched in sweat, carrying Jessica past the elevator.

He paused briefly when he noticed me but quickly continued toward the ambulance outside.

After returning from the hospital, I found myself staring at the misbirth report in disbelief.

I hadn't even realized I was expecting.

Perhaps the baby sensed it wasn't meant to be part of this world and left quietly.

Maybe it's for the best.

Tony's call came through, his voice uncertain. "Are you alright? Were you frightened earlier? Jess's situation was more urgent, so I..."

I replied in a monotone. "I'm fine. I get it."

That night, Tony opened the door and slipped into the bed, wrapping his arms around me.

"Don't worry. If that child is born, I'll make sure he sees you as his mother."

I touched my aching lower abdomen and cried silently in the dark.

What was I supposed to do with someone else's child?

When I didn't respond, he started nibbling my ear. "If you're unhappy, we can have one of our own right now."

I pushed him away forcefully, "No... I just..."

I just had a misbirth! How could I?

He seemed oblivious to my words, his breath heavy with desire. With a swift motion, he pinned me to the bed, using more force than ever before.

I couldn't move at all.

His rough actions were merciless. I bit my lip hard enough to draw blood from the pain.

I kept on pleading for him to stop, but he was relentless, repeating the act until dawn.

The following morning, he looked at my pale face and smiled indulgently. "Get some rest. If this works, the Fallon family will have two more grandsons.

"If you become expecting too, you'll understand Jess's struggles. She's already having a hard time, and now she has to be cautious around you."

My heart skipped a beat. He had tormented me repeatedly to make me empathize with her through the experience of gravidity.

Remembering how he had approached me with bloodshot eyes last night, there was certainly an element of avenging Jessica in his actions.

Blood stained the sheets, but he had already hurried out of bed to tend to Jessica.

At the hospital, the doctor scolded me firmly while re-bandaging my lower body.

"Have your husband come in later. I need to ask him how he can handle his wife's body so recklessly!

"Fortunately, there's no infection in your uterine cavity, otherwise, your life could be at risk."

I lay there with my eyes shut, feeling the medical tools moving inside me without emotion.

When I arrived home, Tony's car was parked outside.

Jessica was, as expected, in the passenger seat, sitting on a pink cushion that Tony had customized for her.

Seeing me, Tony remarked with irritation, "I already told you we need to relocate the grave tomorrow and have to leave today. Yet, you went shopping? You're an adult, but still so careless with your actions."

I chose not to respond. Once this issue is resolved, we won't owe each other anything.

As we drove along a mountain road, we encountered rocks blocking our path, prompting Tony to get out and clear them.

Suddenly, Jessica clutched her stomach, screamed, and rushed out of the car.

Tony quickly moved to support her and asked, "What's wrong?"

Tears streamed down Jessica's face as she looked up at him. "Amy said I don't deserve to be in your car. She kicked me in the stomach and told me to leave.

"I know she despises me, but the baby is innocent..."

She collapsed into his arms. "Tony, I'm scared..."

Tony helped her sit down by the roadside, then approached with a tight-lipped expression, flung open the car door, and dragged me out, throwing me to the ground.

"Today, I'll show you who really doesn't deserve it!"

He lifted Jessica into the car and drove away, leaving me to trek for hours along the mountain road with no vehicles in sight and no cell signal.

As nightfall came, the growls of wild creatures echoed in my ears.

Blood continued to seep from my lower body, staining my pants and leaving wet footprints with every step.

My body was getting colder by the minute—a sign that hemorrhagic shock was setting in.

At last, I found a spot with the reception and tried calling Tony.

His voice was icy. "Regret your mistake? Apologize to Jessica first."

Jessica's voice came through, sounding sorrowful. "I don't want her apology. Don't go back yet. You promised to watch the stars with me."

As soon as the call ended, my consciousness began to slip away.

In those final moments, I saw dark figures moving in front of me, but I could no longer see or hear clearly.

***

At the top of the mountain, Tony leaned against the car door, smoking, feeling an inexplicable restlessness eating away at him.

Jessica was frantically asking for tissues, so he reached into the backseat. Only to find his hand smeared with something wet and sticky.

Amy Serive's bag that was left behind was soaked in blood.

As he picked up the bag, a medical diagnosis report slipped out...