Chapter 1

Xavion's newly acquired seventy-second lover was pregnant. I discovered this just after I had finished dealing with his previous obsessively clingy little bird who was already showing.

Right in front of me, lover number seventy-two cradled her belly as she perched on Xavion's lap:

"I heard that Serenity's opera performances before her pregnancy were among the best in the circle. I'd love to hear it~ Mr. Winters, could you make her change into costume and sing for me right now? If she pleases me..."

She leaned closer to Xavion, her eyes filled with seduction.

"Tonight, Mr. Winters can play however he wants."

Xavion's gaze lingered on her face for a moment, then in the next instant, he looked up at me.

He didn't say anything, but everyone present understood his meaning.

With a pale face, I clutched my stomach and pleaded with him:

"Xavion, please, no. Singing and dancing, I'll miscarry!"

The crowd burst into laughter. Xavion, feeling embarrassed, looked at me with disdain:

"It's not like you haven't miscarried before. If you lose it, can't you just get pregnant again? Why are you still standing there?""Strip off your clothes now! If you can't cheer Vivienne up, you might as well not come down from that stage tonight!"

With that, the crowd roughly tore off my outer garments.

I was stripped bare, their mocking gazes roaming over every inch of my body. Their disgusting stares made my pregnant belly ache with pangs of discomfort.

Finally, having had their fill of looking, they tossed me a costume like some kind of charity.

With trembling hands, I put on the costume, watching as Xavion and Vivienne shared a passionate kiss surrounded by the adoring crowd.

In the chaotic breeze, I began to sing, my laughter bitter.

Xavion, this is the seventh time, and it will be the last.

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1

The pungent odor of disinfectant assaulted my senses as I groggily awakened on the hospital bed.

In the room, apart from Xavion lounging carelessly with his arm around Vivienne on the couch, there wasn't a single other member of the Winters Family present.

Noticing my eyes open, he lazily inquired:

"Awake?"

My face was pale as I gazed down at my now-deflated belly.

Xavion paused for a moment, then clicked his tongue impatiently.

"So you really lost it."

"What a shame, it was so far along."

I numbly tugged at the corners of my mouth. Yeah, eight months along.

Last night, Xavion had summoned me to the theater. Because of something Vivienne said, I can't remember how many plays I performed on stage or how many times I twirled my sleeves. I only recall that by the end, even breathing was agonizing.

Finally, when Xavion and Vivienne in the audience had their fill, Xavion buttoned up his last shirt button and tossed two condescending words at me on stage:

"Enough."

Pale-faced and barely alive, I lowered my arms and stopped my singing.

Pain and a sticky sensation enveloped my lower body as I gazed, dazed, at Xavion surrounded by the crowd.I stumbled a couple steps and collapsed onto the edge of the stage, reaching out my hand to him.

"Xavion... 911..."

I clutched my stomach as large beads of sweat dripped down my forehead.

The young men with Xavion noticed my expression and gathered around:

"Come on, you just sang two acts on stage. Is that really enough to leave you in this state?"

"I gotta say, Xavion, she's putting on quite a convincing act. I almost believed it for a second."

"You know what, her performance right now is exactly like how she kept insisting she didn't cause Mrs. Winter's death back then! Not bad, Serenity. After all these years, your acting skills haven't slipped a bit!"

Xavion walked over while shielding Vivienne, frowning as he looked me up and down.

He must have forgotten what I looked like during my last miscarriage, so like everyone else, he thought I was faking.

Vivienne stepped out ahead of him. She looked at me with disgust, feigning surprise as she stared at the sticky fluid between my legs:

"Oh my god, did you wet yourself?!"

She deliberately raised her voice, drawing everyone's attention to my legs.

An overwhelming sense of shame engulfed me. I could barely breathe.Instinctively, I reached out to Xavion for help:

"Xavion, please help me, my stomach hurts so bad."

But Xavion swatted my hand away in disgust.

"Embarrassing."

Dropping those two words, he left with the others, striding away. Even the theater staff didn't pay me any mind, leaving me alone on stage crying for help.

Later, I passed out, and when I woke up, I was here.

My eyes stung with unshed tears. It happened again, I lost my child once more.

Vivienne tilted her head to rest on Xavion's shoulder, her hand gently caressing her pregnant belly.

"It's all because Serenity isn't meant to have children. She just performed a few acts and lost the baby. Serenity truly is a jinx. I've been in bed with Mr. Winters so many times while pregnant, working up a sweat each time, but my baby is still safe and sound in my belly."

Xavion chuckled at her words, leaning down to plant a kiss on her lips.

"How could she compare to you? She's nothing but a lowly actress. Even if that bastard in her belly was still alive, when it grew up, it would only be fit to shine our child's shoes."