2

I met Charles' gaze steadily, watching as he wove his web of lies.

Four months ago, after a fight with Jessica, he'd gotten drunk and stumbled into my bedroom while I was asleep.

It was one of the few nights he'd actually shared a bed with me since our wedding.

Before that, he had always claimed to be swamped with work, avoiding me at every turn.

I tried to be understanding, never pressing the issue.

That only night, though, his sudden affection reignited my love for him.

But by the next morning, before I'd even woken up, he had packed his bags and left, leaving only a note saying he had to go on a business trip.

I thought he was truthful about it.

It wasn't until later that I discovered the truth. He had whisked Jessica away on a romantic getaway abroad.

I had been blindly in love with him for ten years, never knowing I was just a fool in his twisted game.

And now, to force me to abort our child, he was willing to destroy my reputation with lies about infidelity.

Charles was a renowned forensic pathologist, a symbol of justice and integrity.

His colleagues admired him and even idolized him.

Now, after hearing his words, they all believed that I had betrayed him.

A group of tall men, his loyal followers, started to rally behind him.

"This is too ridiculous! We can't let her give birth to another man's child and disgrace Charles!" one of them spat.

"Yeah, take her to the hospital and get an abortion right now!"

"No need."

Jessica smiled sweetly as she pulled a bottle of abortion pills from her bag, her voice dripping with fake sympathy.

"Our apartment building's security guard asked me for some medicine to abort his dog's puppies. Just like Lydia, the dog didn't know who was the father. The guard asked me for some abortion pills, powerful ones, to take care of it. He also said mentioned that dogs are shameless and will mate with any stray.

"He wanted something potent to make sure it was all cleared out. I hadn't had the chance to give it to him yet. Lydia, you're in luck.

"Don't worry. It'll only hurt for a couple of hours. You'll be good when that baby's gone."

She handed the pills to Charles.

A cold chill ran down my spine. I never imagined he'd let things go this far.

My blood ran cold.

I knew I couldn't take those pills. They'd kill me.

Panic surged through me. I instinctively stood up, making a dash toward the exit. But Charles' colleagues blocked my path, forming an impenetrable wall.

Their eyes were ice cold. They looked at me as if I was some kind of trash. Leading them was Norman Bennett, Charles' assistant.

Just like Charles, he'd been a struggling student my family had sponsored through college.

But now, even he had turned against me, his eyes filled with nothing but scorn.

Clutching my belly, I backed into a corner, my voice trembling as I faced Charles, who was approaching me.

"Charles, do you believe in Karma?"

Charles hesitated for a brief moment, his expression faltering as if remembering how much he had owed my family.

But Jessica's playful whine shattered that moment of doubt.

"Charles, hurry up! We're running late for the movie!"

With everyone's eyes on me in disgust, Charles didn't hesitate any longer.

He advanced toward me, eyes steely with resolve. Ignoring my struggles, he grabbed me, his fingers digging into my arms. With ruthless efficiency, he pried my mouth open and forced the pills down my throat.

The bitter, acrid taste filled my mouth. I tried to spit them out, to cough them up, but it was too late. The potent drugs took effect almost immediately.

A searing pain ripped through my abdomen, so intense it stole the breath from my lungs. Warmth spread between my legs as blood began to pool, staining my white dress.

I collapsed to the floor, curling into myself as agony consumed me. Faces blurred around me, voices muffled.

The white dress I wore was soon stained completely red.

Charles watched me with cold indifference, though his eyes briefly flickered with an unreadable emotion.

I realized then that he had recognized the dress I was wearing.

It was the one he'd saved up for and bought me as a gift for my 17th birthday.

But 17-year-old Charles had no idea that the boy who once swore he'd marry me would, ten years later, kill our first child for his old flame.