Five months into my pregnancy, I was shoved off the third floor. Blood pooled everywhere.

Matteo Harlan brought in top doctors from all over the world. They managed to save my life, but the baby—just like the seven times before—was gone for good.

I was crushed with grief, walking around like a madwoman, desperate to search even a trace of the child I'd lost.

But then, in a quiet corner of the hospital, I overheard the doctor talking to Matteo.

"Mr. Harlan, there are other options. Why take what's inside your wife's womb? It's your own flesh and blood!"

"Mindy's obsessed with cleanliness, and she needs this. It's the safest way.

"If it's from someone else, I worry it won't be healthy."

The truth that I lost my kid hit me like a punch to the gut.

The man who seemed to love me the most was the very one who destroyed me.

So this was all because he loved Mindy.

Fine. I would give them what they wanted.

***

Just one door away, the conversation in that hospital corner kept going.

"Get ready. While Amelia is still out cold, go ahead and do the hysterectomy now."

The doctor froze.

"Remove Mrs. Harlan's uterus?"

"Mr. Harlan, I have to remind you. You don't have any kids yet. If you go through with this, you'll never have a legal heir!

"I don't need an heir. Mindy gave me a baby yesterday. I promised her I'd leave everything to our child. Keeping Lia's uterus is just a risk."

The doctor looked away, clearly upset. "But Mr. Harlan... the child you had with Ms. Gibson will grow up with someone else's last name, calling another man 'Dad.' Is it really worth it? Besides, Mrs. Harlan has already lost seven babies. Her chances of getting pregnant again are extremely low."

Matteo lit a cigarette, his voice soft but bitter.

"It's not about worth it. I love Mindy. I'll do whatever it takes to make her happy."

"But..."

Matteo frowned.

"There's no 'but.' Do as I say!"

He was just about to stand up when his phone rang. He accidentally hit the speaker button.

"Matteo, I got the money. Hehe, if something like this comes up again, call me anytime. I've done it seven times already. I know the drill by now. And next time, I've already got a plan. I'll pretend to be a kidnapper and do something to Mrs. Harlan's belly..."

"There won't be a next time. Take your money and get out of Boston."

Footsteps echoed from the hallway.

I stumbled back to my room. Before I could even lie down, Matteo walked in.

"Lia, when did you wake up?"

I was soaked in sweat, my whole body shaking, but I tried to act calm.

"I just woke up. I noticed you were gone and was about to go look for you."

Matteo stared at me, his eyes narrowing slightly like he was trying to read me.

I was already on edge. Just when I thought he'd figured everything out, he lifted me by the waist and gently set me down on the hospital bed.

"Why don't you ever take care of yourself? We already lost the baby. You mustn't have any more mishaps."

He actually had the nerve to say that.

Thinking about the child he'd deliberately taken, I clutched my chest, tears rushing to my eyes.

So all those car accidents, muggings, and falls. They weren't accidents at all.

It was my own husband who'd been putting me in danger over and over... all for his lover.

"The doctor just told me your uterus wasn't fully cleared. You'll need another surgery.

"Lia, don't be scared. We'll have a beautiful baby someday. He'll have your eyes and my nose, and my mouth. And we'll love him twice as hard and make up for everything we've lost."

Matteo handed me a glass of milk. And for just a second, when he turned his head, I saw him drop something into it.

He wrapped his arms around me and whispered softly, his eyes full of what looked like real concern.

But I knew better. This was just another act, one more trick against me.

"Do I really have to drink it... Can't I just skip it?"

I thought, "Matteo... you've already taken seven of my babies. Are you really going to take away my last chance at being a mother?"

He didn't even hesitate. He patted my head and smiled that sweet, loving smile of his.

"You're an adult, but you still act like a kid. What if you don't heal without the surgery? Do you want to break my heart?

"C'mon, let me feed you."

He brought the glass to my lips and didn't give me a chance to say no.

I squeezed my eyes shut, like I wasn't drinking milk but swallowing a blade covered in thorns.

My consciousness gradually faded. Half out of it, I saw the doctor who'd been in cahoots with Matteo walk in.

"Do the surgery now. And also..."

Matteo paused for a few seconds.

"Find a way to use the anesthesia so she can't walk anymore."

"Mr. Harlan, is this really necessary? Isn't that going too far?"

"Do as I say!"

I always knew Matteo was careful and suspicious, but I never thought that just because I woke up a little earlier, he'd turn this cruel.

My child, my chance to be a mother, and now even the chance to walk again. He was going to take it all away.

I thought, "Matteo, are you really going to rip my heart out like this?"

I screamed in despair, trying to sit up, but then slipped even deeper into darkness.

The anesthesia was starting to wear off. Still groggy, I heard the doctor say, "Mr. Harlan, Mrs. Harlan's uterus has been removed. And... she won't ever be able to walk again."

Matteo actually sounded happy, repeating, "Good! Good!"

When I finally woke up, his tears landed on my hand, and they looked real.

"Lia, the doctor said your uterus was beyond repair. You won't be able to have kids anymore."

I didn't even look at him. I just tried like crazy to move my legs.

But I couldn't feel anything.

I burst into tears, shaking as I cried out, "Matteo, what did you do to my legs?"

Tears rolled down his face. He tried to speak, but kept choking up.

"There was a complication during the anesthesia. You're paralyzed from the waist down.

"Lia, don't be scared... No matter what happens, I'll never leave you. I'll always love you."

I never thought Matteo could act so well.

He sent the health aid away and took care of everything himself—feeding me oatmeal, wiping me down, even cleaning the lochia with his own hands.

He kept going nonstop until nighttime, then kissed my forehead with a look that almost seemed like real heartache.

"Lia, you've been through so much for me during this pregnancy. From now on, I'll take twice as good care of you."

I looked at his tired face and turned away without a word.

"If you're tired, rest for a bit."

"Okay, I will stay right here. Just call me if you need anything."

After he dozed off, I reached for his other phone.

I always knew Matteo had another phone, but since it was his work one, I never bothered checking it.

I only tried once and actually managed to unlock it.

The password was Mindy Gibson's birthday.

As soon as the screen lit up, the first thing I saw was a wedding photo of him and Mindy.

A wedding photo...

He actually had a real wedding photo taken with her. Just seeing that flash of white hurt my eyes and my heart.

Shaking, I opened his WhatsApp. Matteo was calling her "sweetheart" with so much affection...

I started scrolling through their chat history. The more I read, the sicker I felt.

It turned out every time he said he was on a business trip, he was really just going to be with Mindy.

I'd gotten so upset so many times, always complaining that he never accompanied me to the hospital.

How many times had doctors asked about the baby's dad? I'd just smile awkwardly and say that he was too busy.

He always took forever to reply to my messages.

"I'm working hard to save up for the baby's milk. Anyway, check-ups aren't that big of a deal. Even if I went, I couldn't do much; I'd just be in the way. You can handle it on your own if you want."

But all this time, he was there for Mindy's pregnancy—going to every single appointment with her, no matter how packed his schedule was.

He said he couldn't wait for their baby to be born, calling them the most precious people in the world.

As I kept scrolling, my heart twisted tighter and tighter. I felt like I was dying inside.

Every time I got pregnant, they were already plotting how to end my child's life.

Even the car accident I had a year ago, when I was pregnant, was Mindy's doing.

She said she wanted to feel what it was like to hit someone, and Matteo agreed.

He casually added, "Don't go too hard."

They talked about how to hurt me and get rid of my baby as if they were discussing the weather today.

I dug my nails into my palm so hard that blood started dripping down my hand.

I opened the photo album. There were tens of thousands of pictures, and every one of them had Mindy in it. Group shots, candid photos, the two of them waking up together, walking together, going home together... Matteo is even lovingly making her pregnancy meals.

There were also more than 99 video clips. When I clicked into them, it felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over me—I was completely frozen inside.

There were tons of videos of them wrapped up together naked, like they were purposely recording every second of their time in bed.

Some clips were even role-playing scenes with Matteo dressed up as a maid, kneeling on the floor.

I held my stomach tight, feeling so sick I couldn't even speak.

Besides those, there were six other videos labeled "First," "Second," all the way to "Sixth."

As soon as I figured out what they were, a rush of anger and pain shot up my chest, and I tasted something warm and metallic in my mouth.

I bit down hard on my lip and clicked—"Sixth."

Matteo and Mindy were laughing and chatting away.

In front of them was...

That sight felt like a knife slicing through me. My heart shattered into a thousand pieces, the pain so sharp it made my stomach twist.

I couldn't hold it in anymore. I leaned over the edge of the bed and threw up hard.

I didn't sleep all night—not even a little. My tears soaked right through my shirt.

The next morning, Matteo, as usual, brought me a sweet breakfast.

It was a full spread—both Mexican and Western dishes: milk, tortillas, bread, donuts.

Once, I would've thought this was him showing love, but now I see—it's just an empty routine.

Thinking back to the videos from last night, I felt sick again.

Matteo looked really worried when he saw how bad I felt.

"Why are you still feeling so sick? It's all my fault. I've made you suffer again."

"Nothing. I just want to go home."

Matteo's face tightened for a second.

"You had another miscarriage, and Mom's really upset about it. If you go home now, you'll just walk straight into her anger. Maybe wait a bit before coming back — it'll be easier that way."

I didn't say a word. But from the look on his face, I could already guess what was going on.

He wasn't around in the afternoon, so I packed my stuff and left on my own, rolling myself home in the wheelchair.

As soon as I got inside, I saw Mindy sitting in Matteo's arms, and the two of them were playing with the kid, laughing and fooling around.

My mother-in-law, Maria Harlan, came out from the kitchen with a bowl of chicken soup and was feeding Mindy spoonful by spoonful with her own hands.

The three of them were chatting and laughing like nothing was wrong, like they were the perfect little family.

When they saw me walk in, Maria's eyes instantly turned cold and sharp.

"You jinx! How dare you even show your face here?! My son's been taking such good care of you—feeding you, looking after you every single day. And how do you repay us? Someone as unlucky as you should've died outside long ago.

"You knew you were pregnant and still ran around outside. How many lives from the Harlan family have you taken? Why didn't you just fall to your death? You worthless trash!

"Listen to me. From today on, the only daughter-in-law I recognize is Mindy. Get out now. You're just dirtying our floor."

Mindy followed Maria's glance and looked over, her eyes full of smugness.

"Maria, don't talk nonsense. If Amelia gets jealous again and starts spreading rumors that I'm messing around with Matteo, it'll cause trouble."

"I'd like to see her try!"

I always knew Maria never liked me. She thought I was too strong-willed and hard to control, and that after the wedding, I'd end up bossing Matteo around.

But Mindy was beautiful and knew how to sweet-talk people. Everything seemed to revolve around Matteo and her. So Maria had always wanted her to be her daughter-in-law.

The only reason she accepted me was that Mindy ended up marrying some rich guy later, and I gave up my career to come home and take care of things.

Even then, she only did it grudgingly.

Over the years, I never gave the Harlan family a child, and her frustration with me had been building up for a long time.

Now that Mindy was back and had even given Matteo a son, Maria had no shame in throwing all her anger my way.

What she didn't know was that all seven of my miscarriages had happened because of her own son's orders.

Every single one of those grandsons was actually gone because of Mindy, the daughter-in-law she treated like a precious jewel.

Once, Matteo would try to smooth things over between us. Now, he just held the baby Mindy gave birth to and acted like he didn't hear a thing.

Mindy curled up in his arms, speaking in that fake-hurt tone of hers.

"Matt, you're totally focused on our son. I feel like I'm being ignored. If you keep doing this, I'll really get upset."

Matteo lovingly pinched her cheek, his eyes full of softness.

"I knew you'd get jealous. Take a look at this and see what it is."

As Mindy glanced away, I followed her gaze, and the bold words "Equity Transfer Agreement" practically stabbed me in the eyes.

"Wow, Matt, you're so nice to me."

She gave him a happy kiss on the corner of his mouth, her eyes flashing triumphantly in my direction.

I gave her a cold, polite smile.

I thought, "Enjoy your happiness while it lasts.

"It won't be long before you and your precious Matt come crawling back, begging me for help."

"But if you do this, won't Amelia get upset? I mean, this is all your money."

Matteo stiffened, as if he'd just remembered I was even in the room, and quickly said, "Lia, don't get the wrong idea. Mom and I talked about officially adopting Mindy's child as our godson. That's why I'm transferring the shares to her.

"It's just a practical move. After all, your uterus is damaged and you can't have kids anymore. The Harlan family can't go on without an heir. I have no choice but to put all my hopes on Felix.

"You will understand, right?"

My ears were ringing. I stared at Matteo, completely stunned.

"What's his name?"

He froze again. Then he snapped out of it, lowered his head, and looked away—guilty, ashamed, and clearly unable to face me.

Felix was the name Matteo and I picked together for our child, one that meant happiness and blessings. I'd been waiting for this baby for eight whole years.

So many nights, I cried out "Felix," praying my lost baby would somehow come back to me.

And now he used that very name for his child with Mindy?

How could he... be so heartless?

"His name is Felix. It was Matt's choice," Mindy said with that fake innocent look. “He said it stood for happiness and blessings."

I couldn't hold back anymore.

They could hurt me, betray me. But how could they just crush a mother's love like this?

I threw myself at Mindy like a madwoman, wishing we could both just disappear.

But with my legs paralyzed, all I managed to do was fall out of the wheelchair.

Maria looked at me with pure disgust.

"What are you doing, lying there like a good-for-nothing? Haven't you embarrassed us enough? If I were you, I'd just jump into the river and end it all. The Harlan family must've done something terrible in a past life to end up with a curse like you. You're literally shortening our lives!"

Matteo was about to help me up when Mindy suddenly grabbed her chest and winced.

"Matt, my breasts are so engorged. It really hurts."

Matteo quickly grabbed her by the waist. "Let me take you to lie down."

They walked into the bedroom. Maria picked up the sleeping baby and shot me a sharp look.

"Now that you're back, why aren't you rolling yourself into the kitchen to start cooking? You waiting for me to cook for you and feed you?"

I struggled to push myself up, my nails digging into my palms so hard they hurt.

I thought, "Well then, enjoy this dinner while you still can.

"Because after tonight? I want every one of you on your knees, begging me for forgiveness!"

When the meal was ready, I looked around the living room but didn't see Matteo or Mindy.

I walked toward our bedroom and suddenly stopped dead. It felt like my blood had frozen in my veins.

The sounds coming from inside were disgusting.

Through the crack in the door, I saw Mindy—half-dressed and sitting in Matteo's lap.

"Matt, isn't this thrilling? Amelia's just outside, you know."

"You're such a tease. Trying to turn me on at a time like this?"

The sounds from inside grew even worse.

I held back the urge to throw up and pulled out my phone to start recording.

They were so wrapped up in each other, neither of them noticed me at all.

At dinner, Mindy wasn't acting like herself. She kept piling food onto my plate.

"Lia, we were all just relaxing, but you went out of your way to cook even though you just had a miscarriage. You must be so tired. Eat more, really."

After the meal, my stomach kept churning, so I wheeled myself out into the yard.

I don't know how long I'd been there when a glass bottle labeled "Seventh" smashed right in front of me.

She smiled at me with pure malice. "Amelia Norman, how was the dinner? Ever wonder what I added to it?"

Something inside me snapped. A terrible realization hit me, and I stared at her in shock.

"Tsk! Do you even see yourself right now? You look like a dog—a dog with no legs. Just looking at you makes me sick. If I were you, I'd have killed myself ages ago. How can you even stand to live like this?

"You'll never be better than me. What does it matter that you married Matt? He's still crazy about me—even went as far as killing seven of your babies for me.

"Truth is, I had access to some experimental drugs, but he was worried about my research and insisted on using your baby for testing."

My whole body shook uncontrollably. I grabbed the wheelchair and sped toward her like I'd lost my mind. But just as I got close, Mindy raised her hand, slapped herself twice, and dramatically fell back into the flowerbed.

"Ah!"

The next thing I knew, my wheelchair was knocked over.

Matteo stared at me, eyes blazing with rage.

"Amelia, how can you be so vicious?"

Mindy burst into tears and pointed at me.

"I saw that Amelia was upset and tried to comfort her. Who knew the moment I mentioned the baby, she accused me of showing off? Then she slapped me twice and shoved me right into these thorns!"

Matteo's face darkened.

"You can't have kids yourself, yet you're jealous of Mindy? I never thought you'd sink this low!"

I glared at him, eyes burning with anger.

"You two killed all my children! Matteo, how long are you going to keep lying to me?"

Matteo's expression changed, and he immediately left with Mindy in his arms.

He threw back one last line. "You're unbelievable!"

I watched their entwined figures walk off, and not a trace of love or warmth was left in my heart.

Early the next morning, I called a lawyer and asked him to draw up a divorce agreement.

I also sent a USB drive to the court—it had a backup of the things in Matteo's work phone and the videos I recorded. I was suing both Matteo and Mindy for bigamy and intentional murder.

After getting everything done, I went straight to the airport.

On the way, Matteo texted me.

"If you come to the hospital now and apologize to Mindy, I might still forgive you."

I scoffed and shut my phone off as I thought, "I don't need your forgiveness. I just hope you're ready for what's coming—my revenge."

When Matteo saw I hadn't replied, he called me, but it just said the number was invalid.

Feeling uneasy, he was about to ask his assistant to check his house when he saw the assistant running toward him, out of breath.

"Mr. Harlan, something huge just happened!"