I had been in a relationship for ten years with my boyfriend, Charles Brown, a forensic pathologist.

But on our wedding day, tragedy struck. My mother was killed in a hit-and-run accident, and the ceremony came to an abrupt halt.

Charles, who was assigned as the lead forensic expert on the case, performed multiple autopsies on my mother.

But the truth remained elusive, and I didn't find out who was responsible for her death until a year later.

I was pregnant, and on the day of my prenatal appointment, I saw Charles at the obstetrics clinic with Jessica Dixon, his old flame.

He had his arm around Jessica, speaking softly to her.

"With me around, Lydia Harper will never know you killed her mom," he murmured.

When Charles found out I was pregnant, he was so furious that he demanded I should get an abortion.

"This is a bad time to get conceived. You know it's a critical time for my career. A baby will only hold me back! Besides, I'm about to find the real culprit. Don't you want to know who killed your mom?"

Seeing me silent, he softened his tone and continued patiently.

"Don't worry. I'll find the person responsible for your mom's death. Just get rid of the baby. I'll make up for you on our first wedding annivesary, I promise."

I smiled at his words.

Because I had a bigger surprise for him.

1

"The doctor said my uterine lining is thin, and besides, the baby is already four months along. I can't terminate the pregnancy."

I took a sip of orange juice and spoke softly.

Charles' expression instantly darkened.

His colleagues at the table exchanged uneasy glances before trying to reason with him.

"Charles, it's a living life we're talking about. You can't just get rid of it."

"Yeah, Charles. You and Lydia have been together for ten years. This baby is a testament to your love."

The comments from the others hurt Jessica, who was sitting beside Charles.

Her delicate face paled, eyes welled up with tears that clung to her long lashes. She looked like a fragile doll on the verge of breaking.

Charles noticed her distress immediately, his eyes full of concern.

He slammed his hand on the table, his voice icy as he snapped with a gloomy face.

"That's enough!"

Silence fell like a heavy curtain.

Jessica bit her lip, casting a quick glance at him, her eyes filled with an almost overflowing affection.

Then she looked across the table at me with a smug smile.

Charles fixed me with a cold stare.

"Lydia, get rid of the baby. I won't say it again. I have to work on your mother's case, and it's at a critical stage. I can't be distracted for some stupid baby. Stop being unreasonable."

Even though I had long been aware of his heartlessness, I still felt like being stabbed in the chest.

Some colleagues seemed embarrassed. Some of them wanted to speak up for me.

But Jessica's sweet voice interrupted the silence.

"Charles didn't want me to say this, but you're being too unfair to him, Lydia. You claimed you're four months pregnant, right? But four months ago, Charles and I were on a business trip together. How could an out-of-town Charles get you pregnant? He's been dedicating all his time to your mother's case. How could you treat him like this?"

Her revelation sent a ripple of shock through the group.

Jessica and Charles had been college classmates, along with many of the colleagues at the table.

Compared to me, Jessica, the sweet-talking campus beauty, had always been closer to them.

The atmosphere shifted. The once supportive colleagues quickly turned against me for Jessica's bullshit.

Their eyes were now filled with disdain.

"I knew something was off when she announced her pregnancy. Turns out she's been cheating on Charles and wanted him to take care of the bastard child!"

"Unbelievable. Trying to play the victim when she's the real villain.  Everyone knows Charles has been working himself to the bone on her mother's case! She's nothing but an ungrateful snake."

Their words grew harsher, each one like a slap on my face. But Charles made no move to stop them.

Instead, he watched with satisfaction as I became the target of their contempt. He seemed to relish my humiliation.

I took a deep breath, keeping my composure. Under Jessica's increasingly triumphant gaze, I calmly pulled out my phone and spoke softly.

"Is this what you call a 'business' trip?" I said, my voice steady.

A Instagram post from Jessica's private account was displayed on my screen.

[I just mentioned that I was craving seafood, and he dropped everything to take me overseas. I wanna be adored by him like this forever.]

The photo was of her in lingerie, lying on a bed.

My husband, Charles, stood in front of her, wearing a bathrobe.

A hush fell over the table as everyone tried to grab my phone for a closer look. Shock, confusion, and disbelief flickered across their faces, but Charles snatched it from me in a rage.

Charles' expression twisted with anger. He snatched the phone from my hand and smashed it against the floor, the screen shattered into pieces.

"Lydia, have you no shame? You're doing this to steal my attention, aren't you? Jessa's a pure, innocent girl. How dare you slander her!"

His icy gaze shifted to my still-flat belly, his tone filled with disgust.

"I wasn't even home four months ago. You know damn well whose baby it is!"