Chapter 2

After hanging up, I silently started packing away all traces of myself from the house.

To say I wasn’t heartbroken would be a lie. My hands even trembled when I took down our wedding photo.

Chloe’s grandfather died saving me from a fire. Before he passed, he asked me to take care of Chloe.

For her grandfather, and for the goodwill in my own heart, I approached her, cared for her, and married her.

I still remember how her eyes shone on our wedding day, full of dreams for our future.

Even though she never let me touch her after we married, she claimed a bad childhood experience left her traumatized, and she didn’t want to experience the pain of childbirth.

I never suspected anything, waiting patiently, but the result…

Tears splashed onto the floor, spreading into dark circles.

I had just booked a flight for three days later when a call from the hospital came through.

“Hello, are you Chloe’s husband?”

Almost instantly, I instinctively clutched my phone and sprinted to the hospital without a word, my worry surging uncontrollably.

But at the door to the hospital room, I had to stop. My blood ran cold, freezing me to the spot.

Chloe and Ryder were nestled in the small hospital bed, kissing passionately, completely lost in each other.

“You were too rough, you almost made me lose the baby! And you landed me in the hospital!”

Ryder held Chloe’s delicate, almost childish hand, his eyes soft with adoration.

“Well, Chloe, you’re just too captivating! Even pregnant, your charm is undeniable.”

He curled his lips, leaning in to whisper in Chloe’s ear, “Am I better than Liam?”

The man’s other large hand remained hidden under the covers.

I watched Chloe’s face flush, her expression distant and blissful.

“Of course, it’s you. That loser, I never even touched him. How could he be as good as you?”

“If it weren’t for you, I might never have experienced this kind of joy in my life, Ryder… It’s just a shame I met you too late, too late.”

My legs wobbled, and I almost collapsed.

My chest ached, making it hard to breathe.

A doctor suddenly appeared behind me, his brows furrowed with deep displeasure. “Do you even know your wife is pregnant? Why were you two being so rough? Are you trying to jeopardize her life?”

“How can there be such an irresponsible husband in this world? You’re no different from an animal!”

He slapped the medical report hard against my chest.

I clutched the report, flipping through it repeatedly, but I couldn’t ignore the truth.

Taking two deep breaths, I suppressed all my emotions and pushed the door open.

Chloe was caught off guard by my sudden entrance. She hastily grabbed the blanket to cover herself.

At the same time, she shoved Ryder off the bed. There was a faint hint of guilt in her expression as she looked at me.

“Liam, what are you doing here?”

I silently placed the medical report on the table. “The hospital called me, her next of kin.”

“But it seems, I came at the wrong time.”

Chloe’s gaze lingered on the report, a fleeting panic in her eyes. She forced a strained smile, leaned forward, and grabbed my hand. “You’re my husband, you can come anytime.”

“What did the doctor just tell you?”

I looked at her face, still the same as before.

But why did I feel like she was a complete stranger?

“You’re pregnant, and you’re in the hospital because of how rough you were during sex.”

As I spoke, my gaze fell on Ryder’s face, my voice laced with ice. “Chloe, didn’t you say you two never slept together, that it was all artificial insemination?”

“Are you trying to make a fool of me?”