Chapter 1

When I was eight months pregnant, my husband, Daniel, insisted on giving my childhood sweetheart, Ashley, a child to fulfill her wish of becoming a mother, completely disregarding my objections.

I was so enraged that my water broke, and I started bleeding. I frantically called Daniel eighteen times, but he didn’t pick up a single call.

By the time I was rushed to the hospital, it was too late; I lost the baby. Turning around, I saw Ashley flaunting her ultrasound results on SnapChat.

Afterward, Daniel calmly said, "The baby was gone because it wasn't meant to be. Why take your anger out on Ashley, who's already sick? Once Ashley's child is born, we can just have another one."

Everyone thought I was hopelessly devoted to my husband, convinced I’d swallow my pain as always.

But this time, I decisively signed the divorce papers and bought a plane ticket to leave the country.

I saw Daniel again two years later at an alumni gathering.

The moment he walked into the private room, he shoved a two-year-old child into my arms, a smug look on his face.

"Chloe, you've been throwing a tantrum for two years. Isn't it time you cooled off? If you apologize to me in front of everyone, I might even let Ethan call you 'Mom'!"

The others chuckled, covering their mouths, saying I'd scored big by becoming a mom the easy way.

I, however, held up my left hand, flashing the wedding ring on my finger.

"I have my own child and my own husband, so I don't need to be anyone's charity case!"