Chapter 1

On the wedding day, my best friend Ms. Fallon was caught red-handed having passionate car sex with my fiancé.

Far from being ashamed, they claimed true love conquers all.

Disheartened, I decided to study abroad.

My childhood sweetheart Ivor spent a fortune to stop the plane, got down on one knee to propose, saying he had secretly loved me for years.

Touched, I married him.

He had weak sperm, and I went through hell before finally succeeding with IVF.

Eight months pregnant, I accidentally overheard his conversation with the doctor.

"Mr. Gevano, the baby is developing well. The due date is in two weeks."

"But I don't understand. Your wife is your lawful spouse. Why did you swap the fertilized egg with one from you and Ms. Fallon?"

Ivor scoffed.

"Jaxon is just a trust fund brat who only knows how to spend money. He'll blow through the family fortune sooner or later."

"This way, Fallon's child can legally inherit all my assets, ensuring she'll be set for life!"

So the love child I had been anticipating was just a bargaining chip to secure Ms. Fallon's future.

If that's how it is, I might as well leave.

...

"But if your wife finds out that the child she struggled so hard to conceive isn't her own flesh and blood, once she exposes this, it'll be a massive scandal for you and the company!"

"Ms. Fallon doesn't even love you! For her sake, you're willing to disregard generations of family legacy. Is it really worth it?"

Ivor smiled, a mix of melancholy and wistfulness.

"It's not her fault she doesn't love me. As long as she's happy, I'd give her not just the company, but my life if she asked."

The doctor, indignant on my behalf, pressed on.

"What about your wife? She's endured so much because of your infertility, suffering greatly to carry this child. Have you thought about her?"

Ivor fell silent for a moment, then finally said:

"I won't let her find out. Sacrificing myself for her... that should be enough!"

Standing outside the office door, my legs nearly gave out.

Footsteps approached, and I hurriedly hid behind the emergency exit door.

Ivor had weak sperm; I could only conceive through IVF.

My body was ravaged by the process,

Enduring both physical and mental torment, I finally had this child.

But I never could have imagined,

The baby in my womb was someone else's flesh and blood.

All of this, orchestrated by the husband I loved to my very core.

His humble fawning, his restrained patience, all just so I could give birth to their child.For five years of marriage, I lived in his carefully fabricated love.

What I thought was love was nothing but a cruel trap.

How laughable!

I walked downstairs in a daze, standing in the hospital lobby.

People rushed by in front of me, my eyes stinging and sore.

It wasn't long before Ivor found me.

His face full of concern, he spoke with an anxious voice.

"Vivienne, why did you come down by yourself? Didn't I tell you to wait for me?"

"You weren't answering your phone, you nearly worried your husband to death."

He finished with a gentle kiss, his gaze full of tenderness.

His eyes were as loving and affectionate as before,

But I could no longer feel his love.

"I was just looking for the restroom and got lost!"

Hearing my explanation, Ivor affectionately tapped my nose.

"You little scatterbrain! What am I going to do with you?"Getting into the car, Ivor fastened my seatbelt and casually mentioned:

"By the way, the Winters family is throwing a birthday party for Ms. Fallon and they've invited us. It's been five years since that incident, and considering our company is now collaborating with the Winters family on several projects, I thought..."

"Don't worry, I didn't make a fuss five years ago, and I definitely won't now!"