Hospital.

"Mrs. Lin, the test results are in. I have two pieces of news for you. You are nine weeks pregnant, but these scans have discovered malignant cancerous cells in your uterus. I advise you to terminate the pregnancy and begin treatment immediately, otherwise, if the cells spread..."

Before Clara could even feel a spark of joy, the doctor’s second sentence threw her from heaven into hell.

"If I terminate the pregnancy and start treatment, can I be cured?"

"Mrs. Lin, your case is quite severe. With cancer, no one can offer any guarantees."

Clara refused the doctor’s suggestion to be hospitalized immediately.

As she walked out, a cute, jade-like little boy bumped into her feet.

"Xiao Zhang, how could you let the child run around the hospital like this?" The doctor glared at the nurse and looked at her nervously. "Mrs. Lin, are you alright?"

Mrs. Lin was a major client of the hospital, and with her complex health condition, no one could afford for something to go wrong.

Clara smiled and shook her head. She squatted down to look at the crying little boy and said softly, "Little one, what's wrong? Sister isn't hurt, don't worry."

The little boy sobbed, "They said... Mommy and Daddy are gone. Sister, is Xiao Qi an orphan now?"

The nurse finally managed to soothe the child and apologized to Clara. "I’m so sorry, Mrs. Lin. The family of three was in a car accident. The mother shielded the child, but both parents were too severely injured to be saved. Only the boy survived."

"It's fine. I don't blame you."

Clara walked blankly down the hospital corridor.

The child’s innocent eyes kept replaying in her mind.

Her hands tightened.

She was an orphan too. No one knew better than her how pitiful a child without parents was.

She had always known Julian loved Eva. She had never planned to be with him; she only wanted to hide that love in the deepest corners of her heart.

When Eva left, she saw how much pain Julian was in and stayed by his side, never expecting him to be the one to confess first.

Her reason told her that Julian was just acting on impulse, but after so many years of longing, with his love now within reach, she couldn't refuse.

Even if it was just to relieve his loneliness and share his pain.

In her heart, she always felt Julian would eventually leave to find Eva, so she had kept track of Eva’s life abroad—she just never expected Julian would propose to her.

At that time, she had heard from a college classmate that Eva was living a promiscuous life abroad.

Looking at the man before her and thinking of the two red lines on the pregnancy test, she couldn't resist saying yes one more time.

She had only been with Julian after he and Eva had broken up.

Eva had found the life she wanted abroad.

She didn't want her unborn child to grow up without a father.

But stolen goods never last. Eva returned, and the happiness she had so carefully nurtured vanished into thin air, replaced by a single, heart-wrenching "I'm sorry."

Eva didn't really love Julian. She didn't want to hurt Julian by letting him know Eva was lying to him, nor did she want her child to have no father.

Every time she had been with Julian, she was passive. But this time, she chose to be active—she drove Eva away and became Mrs. Lin.

But Julian hated her to the extreme.

Chapter 4: For the Sake of the Child

With a mind full of tangled thoughts, Clara drove back to the company.

There was a business negotiation today, and she had to lead it personally.

When she rushed into the conference room, the representatives from both companies were already there.

Clara opened her mouth to apologize, but Julian, with a dark face, snapped at her, "You are the head of this project. You’re late for the final report before construction begins. Where has your sense of responsibility gone?"

Clara’s face turned pale. Her stomach churned violently, and she had to fight to keep her trembling legs from giving way.

Clara finished reporting the status of the project.

Director Li from the Holy City Company took out a bottle of medicine and said, "Director Clara, I’ve always been confident in your project management. But a young lady shouldn't stay up late. Look at how pale you are. Get some rest; the project still relies on you."

Clara was stunned. A brief warmth washed over her, only to be replaced by a bitter ache.

Director Li was just a passing business acquaintance, yet he could notice her condition.

She and Julian were husband and wife—the people who should be closest and most trusting, yet...

Clara asked her secretary to show the Holy City representatives out. As soon as she stood up, her wrist was grabbed, and Julian slammed the conference room door shut behind her.

"What are you doing?" Clara asked, instinctively on guard.

"What? Dressing like this and acting all sickly—who are you trying to seduce? Are you looking to cozy up to someone else already? Are you bringing up a divorce because you’ve already found a new target?"

Julian’s expression was grim.

Clara had been a campus beauty, with striking features. Dressed in a white chiffon shirt and a high-waisted, form-fitting skirt, her figure was perfectly accentuated. From the moment she walked into the meeting, several men’s eyes had been glued to her.

Director Li was in his thirties, divorced, suave, and a man many women pursued.

He was usually cold toward others, but with Clara, he was entirely different.

Julian yanked her down and pulled at her clothes. Clara, remembering the abuse of the previous night, began to tremble.

"I bled yesterday," she gritted out.

His movements paused. The image of her lying on the bed like a broken doll flashed through his mind, and his hands subconsciously softened.

Just then, Clara’s phone rang. When she answered, a bright, cheerful male voice came through the receiver.

Julian pressed his hand against Clara’s waist and used his overwhelming strength to force himself into her.

The sharp pain nearly made her scream, but she bit her teeth hard to keep it in.

She widened her eyes, as if to say, "Are you crazy?"

"Clara, what is that sound? Are you alright?"

Julian’s eyes darkened. It was Li’s voice—so he even called her by her first name in private.

Thinking of this, his movements became even more brutal.

"Enough... I beg you, stop. What exactly do you want?" She covered the microphone, turned her head to look at Julian, beads of sweat rolling down her forehead.

Julian’s rough fingers traced her pale lips. "Or here—weren't you using this to seduce people just a moment ago?"

Clara stood stiffly, clutching her phone. After ten seconds of eye contact, she finally bent down slowly, yielding to the man beneath her.

As she endured the nausea, she kept telling herself: For the child. This is all for the child.

Chapter 5: Divorce, I Agree

Julian finished inside her.

Clara hadn’t eaten all day. Due to her pregnancy, her stomach was churning violently. She tried to push Julian away, but he held her tightly. Unable to control herself, she gagged and threw up on his suit.

Julian’s face turned livid, his hands clenching into fists.

Did his touch really disgust her this much?

"Ugh—"

Clara retched until she had nothing left to bring up but stomach acid.

"Has Clara found her next sugar daddy, so she wants to draw a line with me this quickly?" The veins in his forehead throbbed.

"Julian, this is the conference room. Someone could walk in at any time. Aren’t you afraid of others discovering our relationship?"

She had barely interacted with Director Li; there was no private relationship between them. Julian was just using any excuse to torture her.

They had been married for five years, but Julian refused to acknowledge it within the company. To the outside world, they were merely business partners.

Was he not afraid of their relationship being exposed?

Julian sneered, pressing Clara’s hands against his heated skin. "The position of Mrs. Lin is one you snatched. If I want you, you have no right to refuse. As for our relationship..." His gaze turned icy and mocking. "Aside from knowing you had the audacity to seduce me, based on how you act, do you really think anyone would figure anything out?"

Clara’s heart stung. They had known each other for fifteen years. For ten of those years, they had been the best of friends who shared everything, only to end up like this.

Yes, she was the one who had forced him to stay by her side.

But this wasn’t the version of him she wanted.

She closed her eyes. "Julian, let’s..." talk this over properly.

The baby was still small, and she was ill; she couldn't divorce. The child still needed Julian, needed a father.