She suddenly felt that something was wrong. Her heart raced, and she immediately bowed her head to inspect herself.

Her clothes were still on, just as they had been—the same dress that had been ruined by Summer that day.

Aside from the whip marks on her back, there were no other signs of discomfort.

Yet, she clearly remembered being drugged.

Flora pressed her phone screen to light it up; it showed that only two hours had passed.

It was too strange.

Something wasn't right. What kind of people were they? Drugging her just to send her back?

She stumbled out of bed, rushed into the bathroom, turned on every light, and stood before the mirror, obsessively examining every inch of her skin like a madwoman.

There were no needle marks, no strange bruises or traces—only the whip welts on her back, shocking and raw.

Yet, the more normal everything seemed, the colder her heart grew.

It felt as if a cold, poisonous snake was coiled silently in the invisible darkness, watching her with predatory intent, waiting for the right moment to strike.

No, she couldn't leave it so ambiguous.

Flora quickly changed into inconspicuous clothes, put on a hat and mask, wrapped herself up tightly, and went to the hospital alone.

The doctor gave her a comprehensive check-up and applied medication to her back.

She sat outside the examination room, waiting for the results, her mind in a chaotic, anxious mess.

"Flora! Ms. Jiang!" The doctor’s assistant stepped out and called her name.

Flora scrambled to her feet and went inside.

The doctor flipped through the report, his tone indifferent:

"Ms. Jiang, there are no issues with your physical health. Your vitals are all normal, and there are no signs of any assault. However, there is one thing..."

Flora’s nerves tightened. "What is it?"

"You are pregnant. About 12 weeks along. The fetus is currently developing well."

...

Pregnant?

Flora froze where she stood, her mind a complete blank.

Could it have been from that one time they had been intimate three months ago?

Flora touched her lower abdomen in disbelief. She hadn't been pregnant for all these years, so why now, at the very juncture of her divorce...

Her emotions were complex; she didn't know if this was a gift from heaven or a punishment.

"Ms. Jiang, do you wish to keep the baby?"

The doctor asked routinely while creating her file.

Flora regained her senses slowly.

Keep it, or... abort it?

The moment the thought arose, her heart felt as if it had been gripped by an invisible hand, throbbing with a dull pain.

The doctor noticed her hesitation and softened his tone:

"It’s alright. You can go back and think about it before making a decision, just don't wait too long."

Flora nodded blankly, stood up, and walked out of the exam room with cold hands and feet.

She clutched the report, looking down at the chilling word: pregnant.

Without any warning, large, heavy tears began to fall.

This was her first child, yet it had arrived at such an inopportune time.

She couldn't keep it...

She should get rid of it.

But just then, as if by some telepathic connection, a faint, barely perceptible flutter came from her abdomen.

Just once.

Flora’s tears suddenly stopped.

She instinctively raised her hand and pressed it against her lower abdomen, feeling that weak, stirring pulse of life.

Her chaotic mind was suddenly illuminated by a crazy thought.

No.

She would keep this child.

She wanted this child.

She had money, and she was capable of raising him well.

She would take him abroad, give him the best education, and make him the happiest child in the world.

He would grow up beautiful, inheriting her features and everything else.

This was her child, a complete flower blooming from her own body, belonging only to her, Flora.

It had nothing to do with anyone else!

Flora gritted her teeth, wiped away her tears, tucked the report away carefully, and left the hospital.

6

For the next half month, everything was quiet; nothing happened.

Flora gradually relaxed her nerves, focusing on recovering from her injuries and preparing for her departure.

And, of course, taking care of the baby in her belly.

Julian had neglected her for a long time, but one day, he suddenly notified her to attend a charity auction.

"I’m not going," Flora replied coldly over the phone.

"Julian, don't forget, we’ve already agreed to a divorce. I have no obligation to play along with your charade."

There was a moment of silence on the other end, as if he had only just remembered the divorce.

Then, he sneered with disdain:

"Flora, are you done yet?"

"I’m offering you an out. Are you sure you want to keep playing this game?"

"Ten minutes. Appear at the venue, or I won't mind sending you back to the Jiang family for another round of 'discipline'."

With that, he hung up without waiting for her reply.

Flora’s expression was dark and unreadable. Her fingernails dug deep into her palms until her knuckles turned white.

He was still so confident, so certain, so utterly dismissive of her.

The divorce certificate would be here in a few days. She was in the middle of a flurry of activity to finalize the asset division; she couldn't afford any complications now.

Endure.

Flora closed her eyes, and in the end, she changed into a modest, elegant dress and headed to the charity auction.

When she arrived at the venue, half an hour had already passed.

The celebrities present all had their partners with them, attending in pairs.

And on Julian’s arm, he was already escorting a seductively dressed Summer.

He sized her up coldly:

"Flora, you’re late."

"I told you, you only had ten minutes. If you weren't here in ten, someone else would naturally take your place."

He pulled Summer to sit in the VIP seats and swept a cold glance at her:

"Since there’s no seat for you, just stand to the side. Serve Summer; consider it an apology for your recklessness the other day."

The room was filled with elite socialites and wealthy wives, all of whom turned to look upon hearing his words.

In high society, it wasn't fresh news for a wife to be unloved by her husband.

But it was rare to see a husband who didn't give his wife a shred of face, instead helping his mistress slap her down and trample over her.

For a moment, the room was filled with hushed, mocking laughter.

Flora stood with a cold expression, her hand gripping her bag trembling slightly as she desperately suppressed the humiliation.

Just as she reached her breaking point and was about to turn and walk away, the first massive exhibit was brought up.

It was covered by a silk cloth; it looked like a gigantic picture frame.

The host's voice rang out:

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Our first auction item today is a photograph provided by an anonymous donor. Please, take a look—"

The silk cloth was pulled back, and the venue instantly erupted in an uproar.

"Oh my god, is that Mrs. Yan?"

"She looks so poised, I never knew she played so wildly in private?"

"My god, what a scandal."

Flora whipped her head around, and the moment she caught sight of the contents of the photos, her pupils constricted violently!

7

The massive picture frame contained not just one photo, but over a dozen indecent ones.

And the leading lady in every single one of them was her!

In the photos, Flora was completely unclothed, her eyes half-closed, even captured from specific angles to make her appear dazed and intoxicated.

Over her body, many different pairs of men's hands were wandering, lingering...

Flora stared fixedly at the frame, her blood seeming to rush to her head before freezing solid.

With her mind blank, she turned mechanically, scanning the faces of everyone present.

Mocking, shocked, disdainful, exaggeratedly laughing, lewd, suggestive...

She felt as if she had been stripped naked and thrown under a spotlight, left for everyone to肆 scrutinize, judge, and torture.

It was over.

Only these two words existed in Flora’s mind—it was completely over.

Finally, her gaze settled on Julian’s furious face and Summer, who was smiling coyly and triumphantly at his side.

Summer smiled, her red lips parting as she silently mouthed to her:

"You deserve it."

In that instant, Flora realized everything.

So, this was what had happened that day.

This was what those people had done after drugging her.

To prevent her from sensing anything amiss and reporting it to the police, which would have disrupted their plan, they hadn't even truly violated her. Instead, they had stripped her, taken these photos using forced perspective as quickly as possible, and then sent her back to the Yan residence.

Then, half a month later, once she thought the matter had long passed and she had truly let her guard down, they delivered the fatal blow!