In the fifth year of our marriage, the poor student my billionaire husband sponsored claimed she was carrying his child.

Ivan Gibson quickly suppressed the news, dropped to his knees, and said he'd been drugged, begging me to forgive him and promising to get rid of the child.

Eyes red with tears, he then dragged her off to the hospital.

Unable to let go of ten years of love, I had no choice but to forgive him.

Three years later, Ivan was on a business trip abroad when a sudden riot broke out.

I rushed overnight to find him, only to see him holding Cathy Simmons and their twins, a boy and a girl.

And he'd be welcoming a third child soon.

On the private jet home, Ivan held her hand and dropped to his knees before me.

"Jane, you can't have children, but my family needs an heir!

"I promise, these three children will only see you as their mother. As for Cathy, just think of her as a free nanny!"

I smiled, then quietly tore up the pregnancy report hidden in my bag.

Watching them walk away arm in arm, my hand trembled as I dialed the number.

"You owe me a life. Now it's your turn to save me."

***

It was already late at night when we stepped out of the airport.

Ivan gave me a complicated look, then carefully led Cathy and the kids to a corner far from me, as if I were a threat.

As he passed, his eyes full of caution, he didn't forget to warn me. "Jane, Cathy's been through a lot overseas. Please don't give her a hard time!

"As long as you treat her and the kids well, the title of Mrs. Gibson will always be yours."

I lowered my eyes, holding back the tears that were about to fall.

I was just about to tell him that I didn't want to be his wife anymore.

I didn't want him, or this family.

But a feigned groan from Cathy made him pass me and head for the parking lot without looking back.

Ivan was always composed.

Even when I was eight months pregnant and almost died from severe bleeding after saving him, he wasn't this anxious.

I looked at his anxious figure and laughed through my tears.

Ten years of love, and now the pain shook me to the core.

The bullet graze on my leg from rushing to find him was throbbing with pain.

I clenched my fists and limped toward the cab waiting by the curb.

Then I heard Cathy's timid voice behind me.

"Jane, if you can't stand me, do whatever you want to me, but please, can you stop being angry with Mr. Gibson?

"He said you're great in every way, except you can't have children. He still cares about you, but he has to take responsibility for me and the kids. After all, I'm the one who can carry on the Gibson family bloodline."

Those few short sentences pierced my heart.

I stopped in my tracks and turned back to look at her coldly.

"Three years ago, you came to me, begging for money so you could disappear for good. But you broke that promise and kept seducing Ivan over and over.

"Now he's brought you back, you got what you wanted, so why keep pretending in front of me?"

I couldn't be bothered to look at her again, so I just smirked and opened the car door.

But Cathy suddenly grabbed the two kids and made them drop to their knees in front of me.

When I didn't react, she shoved their heads down, slamming them into the ground.

Tears streamed down her face as she bowed over and over, sobbing like a broken doll.

I froze. Just as I moved to help the choking, gasping children, a Maybach sped toward me and struck me.

I was thrown through the air and slammed to the ground.

Excruciating pain ripped through my lower abdomen, and I was bleeding heavily.

Ivan didn't even glance at me. He only picked up Cathy and the kids, clearly heartbroken for them.

Cathy clung to him, sobbing.

"Mr. Gibson, don't blame Mrs. Gibson. She treated us like this because she was so angry."

Ivan gritted his teeth, glaring at me coldly.

"Jane Jenkins, how can you be so cruel?"

I bit my lip hard, enduring the pain racking my entire body.

Too weak to argue, I trembled as I reached out to him.

"Ivan, please... save our child!"

Ivan slapped my hand away, his expression turning even colder.

"Stop pretending. The one I should save is Cathy.

"The twins are only three, and Cathy's pregnant. How could you make them get on their knees?

"Since you can't tolerate them, then don't come back. When you realize your mistake, I'll come get you."

The pain made my scalp tingle, and even my breathing grew weak.

I could only watch helplessly as Ivan gently carried Cathy and the children into the car.

He treated them like treasures and treated me like trash.

I struggled to crawl toward them, but Ivan sped away.

By the time the ambulance brought me to the hospital, I was barely conscious.

And to my surprise, I ran into Ivan again.

He stood in front of the ER with his arm around Cathy, demanding a full-body checkup for her.

The moment he saw me, his face darkened.

"Jane, when did you learn to play the victim like this? Even called an ambulance?

"Go on, keep pretending. As long as I'm here, you're not getting through that door. Let's see if there's actually anything wrong with you."

The hospital corridor felt freezing cold. I lay helpless on the stretcher, feeling the blood drain from my body.

Three hours later, Cathy finally finished all her tests.

Ivan held her in his arms and looked at me with disdain, ready to mock me again.

But I couldn't hold on any longer. Blood gushed out of my throat.

The moment he realized something was wrong, a crack finally appeared on his cold face.

He grabbed the doctor by the collar and yelled, "Why is she coughing up blood? Do something, stop the bleeding!"

When he found out my injuries were serious, and I needed emergency surgery and a blood transfusion, he kicked over a nearby trash can.

His expression was dark and gloomy.

"Take me to sign the paperwork, now! If there's not enough blood, take mine!

"If she doesn't make it, this hospital won't either!"

A doctor pulled him aside to sign the consent forms.

Suddenly, Cathy lunged forward, grabbed my hand, and struck her stomach.

She collapsed in front of me, crying hysterically.

"Jane, you can beat me to death if you want, but you can't hurt the baby in my belly!"

Ivan spun around, fury blazing in his eyes.

Before I could say a word, he slapped me hard in the face.

The slap knocked me off the bed.

I curled up in pain, unable to make a sound.

I was the one who'd been wronged.

Yet the man I'd loved for 10 years didn't even ask a question before condemning me.

The excruciating pain in my abdomen made one thing clear.

Our baby was gone.

Our last bit of connection vanished with it.

Ivan tore up the blood donation consent form and threw it at my face.

"You're doing just fine, Jane. Since you love playing the victim so much, stay here and keep acting!"

He picked Cathy up and walked away without looking back.

Leaving me in a pool of blood, my heart shattered.

As my consciousness faded, I was rushed into surgery.

Lying on the operating table, I could still feel the cold instruments inside me.

The child I begged for, on my knees before God, has now turned into a pool of blood.

Even after the surgery was over, there wasn't a single message from Ivan.

He didn't care whether I lived or died, let alone about the baby I'd lost.

When the anesthesia wore off, I shakily reached for my phone, ready to ask someone to prepare the divorce papers.

But then I saw the news. Ivan had just bought out every baby store in the city for Cathy.

On the trending page, he was down on one knee in front of Cathy, his face pressed lovingly against her bulging belly with loving eyes.

Memories came flooding back.

Five years ago, Ivan got caught in a mudslide while on a business trip.

I was eight months pregnant at the time.

My mom and I rushed there overnight and dug him out from the rubble with our bare hands.

My ten fingers were scraped to the bone, and I lost the baby due to exhaustion.

When more rocks fell from the mountain, my mom used all her strength to push him out of the way.

She was hit on the back of the head and became a vegetable.

I didn't even have time to grieve. I was rushed into the ICU and fought for my life for three days.

When I finally woke up, they told me I'd damaged my uterus and I might never have children again.

Back then, he swore on his knees in front of me that he'd stay with me forever, even if we never had a child.

Now, I had nothing.

And now, he was like a blade in my heart.

That was the last straw.

Sobbing, I called my lawyer and told him to prepare the divorce agreement as soon as possible.

Before leaving the hospital, I went to my mom's ward.

I got to my knees by her bedside, sobbing.

"Mom, I'm sorry. I don't think I'm living a happy life.

"The baby's gone, and I can't bear it anymore. I don't want Ivan or this family.

"You won't blame me, will you?"

My mom lay quietly in bed, saying nothing.

But the tears slipping from her eyes said it all.

I came home in a daze.

Ivan was on his knees in front of Cathy, gently massaging her feet, his face full of concern.

Even with full-body cramps during pregnancy, he never treated me so well.

He always said that, as a man of status, massaging a woman would make him lose face.

Now, I saw how clear love and indifference were.

Seeing me walk in, Ivan scoffed.

"You have the audacity to show your face? You act like it's you who's pregnant!"

I closed my eyes and silently walked to my room.

Cathy blocked my way, holding the two kids.

With a face full of pain, she begged me to forgive her.

"Jane, it's my fault for not leaving like you told me. Punish me however you want!

"You have every right to hit me. I'll leave after the baby is born, I just beg you to accept Mr. Gibson and my children."

She wanted to get on her knees, but Ivan hugged her.

He sneered, his icy gaze cutting straight through me.

"You don't need to beg her. I'm the one who can't control my lower body. What's your fault?

"Jane, whether you admit it or not, these kids are mine. You have to treat them well.

"If you don't want to get kicked out, change your attitude and apologize to Cathy. I'm letting today's incident slide."

I looked up, cold and unmoved.

"Ivan, the ones who wronged me are you two. Why should I apologize?

"Do you even know that the child in my belly was lost because of you—"

Before I could finish, Ivan cut me off with a cold snort.

"You're not seriously saying you're pregnant too, are you?

"Even the doctors said your uterus is damaged and you can't get pregnant. You can't even pretend?

"Since you're so stubborn, then get on your knees in the rose bushes and clear your head. Stay on your knees until you apologize!"

I trembled, staring at him in disbelief.

He had personally planted those rose bushes for me when he proposed.

I loved roses but was severely allergic, so I could only admire them from afar.

Since I couldn't accept bouquets, he gave me an entire sea of roses.

He said flowers would wither, but his love for me would never.

Now, he had turned that love into a prison.

Ignoring my pleas, Ivan forced my head down, making me fall to my knees in the rose bushes.

The thorns dug into my skin, the pain making me tremble.

The pollen-filled my throat, making it hard to breathe.

I couldn't help but scream, "Ivan, are you crazy? You know I'm allergic to pollen! You're going to kill me!"

He just stepped back, cold and detached, holding Cathy as he watched me suffer.

At that moment, I felt nothing but utter despair.

I stayed on my knees in the flowerbed all night, nearly passing out when someone dragged me out.

Dazed, I fell into a familiar embrace.

Ivan sighed and wiped the mud from my face.

"Jane, why are you so stubborn? You can't have children anyway. I'm doing this for your own good.

"If you just accept the children, I'll send Cathy away. We'll go back to being the loving couple."

I pushed him away coldly.

Seeing his shocked expression, I pulled out the divorce agreement I'd prepared long ago and gritted my teeth as I said, "Ivan, let's get a divorce."

Ivan stared at me in disbelief, his eyes cold and terrifying.

After a while, he snatched the papers, signed them, and threw them at my face.

"Jane, you'd better not regret this!"

I ignored his angry shout and picked up the divorce agreement, ready to leave.

But my phone started ringing nonstop.

I answered, hearing the nurse's panicked voice.

"Ms. Jenkins, your mother is critically ill. Please come to the hospital right away!"

The phone slipped from my hand.

I couldn't stand and collapsed to the floor.

A rare hint of concern flickered in Ivan's eyes.

He helped me up, his voice trembling. "Jane, don't worry. I'll take you to the hospital right now."

Footsteps sounded behind us.

Cathy rushed out of the villa with disheveled hair.

She grabbed Ivan, crying in distress.

"Mr. Gibson, our children are missing!"

Before she could finish, she dropped to her knees in front of me, clutching my legs and begging.

"Jane, I was wrong. I really was!

"Do whatever you want to me, please give me back my children!"

Before I could speak, Ivan grabbed my neck.

"Tell me, where did you take my children?

"If anything happens to them, don't expect to live."

I collapsed on the floor, laughing through tears.

"You didn't even ask and just assumed it was me?"

He ignored my words, glaring at me with rage.

"If it's not you, then who else? Do you really think Cathy would harm her own children?

"You won't talk? Then I'll make you feel what it's like to lose someone you love!"

He grabbed my hair and shoved me into the car, speeding to the hospital.

By the time we reached the ward, my mom had just been rescued.

Her body was full of tubes, barely breathing.

Ivan stormed over, eyes bloodshot, and pulled out her oxygen mask.

The alarms blared loudly, drowning out everything, almost shattering my sanity.

I tried to rush forward, but Ivan sneered and stepped on my hand.

The pain from my broken bones nearly knocked me out.

I bit my bleeding lips and begged him over and over.

"Please, don't hurt my mom. She'll die!

"Ivan, if you hate me, just kill me. Please, spare my mom. I'm begging you!"

My screams didn't soften him at all.

I watched helplessly as my mom convulsed before my eyes.

How could it not hurt?

This was the husband I once fought to save, even with wounded fingers.

The marriage I'd fight for, even after losing my child and my mom.

But now, everything seemed so ridiculous!

In my despair, Cathy suddenly burst into the room.

She collapsed into Ivan's arms, her voice choked with tears. "Mr. Gibson, the children have been found. I accidentally locked them in the basement.

"Jane's mom ended up like this because of me. Will she ever forgive me?"

Ivan's face was pale and conflicted, but his eyes showed no remorse when he looked at me.

"What's there to be afraid of? Her mom's as tough as she is; nothing's going to happen.

"But you, you're pregnant and so agitated, be careful not to hurt the baby.

"Fine. Once you safely give birth, I'll bring her back."

He didn't look at me again, just picked up Cathy and left.

I crawled to my mom's bedside, trembling as I tried to reattach the oxygen tube.

But it was too late.

The heart monitor showed a flat line.

My mom, whom I had waited five years to see again, died right there in front of me.

After taking care of the funeral, I numbly made my way to the rooftop.

The man who once swore to protect me for life cruelly crushed my last bit of hope.

I closed my eyes, ready to jump.

But someone pulled me into their arms.

Seeing who it was, I forced a bitter smile.

"Are you here to help me? Too bad you're too late."

His eyes suddenly welled up with tears.

"Jane, I owe you my life. Don't you dare die without my permission!

"I'm taking you away now. No one will ever hurt you again."

Two weeks later, Ivan rushed to the ward holding the newborn to pick me up.

He pushed the door open, but the room was empty.

His heart sank.

The next moment, his assistant burst in, pale-faced.

"Mr. Gibson, I asked the doctors, Ms. Jenkins' mother passed away two weeks ago.

"And Ms. Jenkins... She's gone missing!"