Chapter 1

Wendy Lee, my husband's first love, staged a scene where she fell down the stairs and miscarried in an attempt to frame me.

Just as I was about to explain, Lucas Reed swore he believed me.

However, half a month later, I also miscarried.

After the surgery, I stumbled to find him for comfort, but accidentally overheard his conversation with his best friend.

"Lucas, you're too cruel. That was your own child you just killed."

"She made Wendy miscarry. That would have been my son. She's lucky I didn't kill her!"

His friend sounded worried, "What if your wife finds out later? Won't she sue you?"

Lucas sneered:

"Does she have any evidence? Just a lowly orphan who thought she could be Mrs. Reed. How dare she push Wendy down the stairs!

"This little lesson is just the appetizer. The real show is yet to come. Just wait and see!"

I was thunderstruck.

After the surgery, I dragged my exhausted body out to find Lucas.

The nurse said he was in the chief's office.

Dr. Gregory Chen, the OB/GYN chief, was Lucas's best friend.

I overheard their conversation at the door.

So his trust in me was fake.

He was convinced that I had pushed Wendy and caused her miscarriage.

To avenge Wendy, he had deliberately arranged for me to have a car accident and miscarry.

And the baby in Wendy's womb was actually his child.

The marriage I thought was mutual turned out to be a joke on me alone.

My heart felt pierced by countless blades, the pain making it hard to breathe.

Dr. Chen asked again, "Lucas, if you love Wendy so much, why don't you two just get married?"

Yes, why? I wanted to know too.

Mentioning his love, Lucas smiled and said:

"I married Natalie because Wendy left. Men have needs, you know.

"Now that Wendy's back, of course I want to marry her. But at first, I thought Wendy was too delicate and didn't want her to suffer through pregnancy and childbirth. I figured I'd have Natalie help bear a child.

"Who knew Wendy wanted to have our baby herself, only to be harmed by Natalie.

"If Wendy hadn't stopped me, I would've sent her to meet her maker already."

...

For Wendy's sake, he actually wanted my life.

But Wendy's miscarriage had nothing to do with me.

Half a month ago, Wendy had returned from abroad.

She moved directly into the home I shared with Lucas.

Lucas said Wendy was his childhood sweetheart and asked me to take good care of her.

But a woman's intuition told me Lucas felt differently about her.

Though I was unhappy, I didn't refuse for fear of upsetting Lucas.

So I took care of everything personally, attending to her every need.

But Wendy constantly mocked and provoked me.

"Natalie, do you know whose baby I'm carrying? It's Lucas's."

"Every time Lucas went abroad, he was coming to see me. You didn't know that, did you?"

"Don't you feel pathetic, clinging on like this?"

I had heard rumors about Lucas and Wendy before. She was the one that got away, his first love.

During Lucas's most difficult years, she went abroad. I was the one who stayed by his side and helped him through it.

So I didn't believe her attempts to drive a wedge between us.

Unable to provoke my anger, she resorted to more dangerous tactics.

Half a month ago, she stood at the top of the stairs, grabbed my hand, and made it look like I pushed her.

Then she deliberately fell backwards down the stairs.

Lucas happened to witness this scene.

Just as I was about to explain, he gently comforted me:

"I know Natalie is the kindest girl in the world. You definitely didn't mean to do it."

But then he turned around and arranged for someone to hit me with a car, causing my miscarriage.

When I was crying my heart out over losing the baby, he hugged me tightly with red-rimmed eyes:

"Childbirth is so dangerous. I just want you safe and sound.

"No one is more important than you, Natalie. You are my life."

Because of those words, I felt terribly guilty.

At the same time, I was grateful to have found such a good man.

But it was all fake.

No wonder his friends all looked down on me, repeatedly mocking me behind my back.

"If Wendy hadn't gone abroad, how could she ever have become Mrs. Reed?"

"Lucas probably married her just to make Wendy jealous. She's not even a backup, at best she's just a tool."

Everyone knew he didn't love me, but I believed the fake affection he put on.

Fighting through the pain, I stumbled out of the hospital on unsteady feet.

Numbly pulling out my phone, I dialed a number:

"Professor, I accept your invitation."

I was a top graduate from an elite university. To be with Lucas all the time, I had repeatedly turned down my mentor's invitations.

I became a diligent housewife, with everything revolving around my husband.

Now cruelly abandoned and trampled on.

If this was the price for my poor judgment and being blinded by love, I accepted it.

From now on, I would cherish myself and ride freely towards freedom.