Chapter 1

Three years into our marriage, and I was finally pregnant.

I packed a special lunch, ready to go to my husband's office and tell him the good news.

Instead, his secretary mistook me for the other woman.

She dumped the food all over my head, tore off my clothes, and beat me until I lost the baby.

"Some little housekeeper, thinking she can seduce Mr. Sterling and get herself knocked up."

"Today, I’m going to show you exactly what happens to a homewrecker’s baby."

Then, she called my husband, practically begging for a pat on the back.

"Mr. Sterling, I took care of a little tramp who was trying to get her claws into you. What’s my reward?"

...

My appetite had been off lately; I couldn't keep anything down, so I went to the doctor.

The moment the doctor told me I was pregnant, I cried tears of pure joy.

My husband and I were childhood sweethearts. We got married right after college and started trying for a baby, but it just never happened.

Grant always comforted me, saying, "A baby will come when it’s ready. Maybe ours is just waiting for the perfect moment."

Now, the perfect moment was finally here.

"Ma'am, you're four months along," the doctor said. "The pregnancy looks stable, but you still need to be careful to avoid any physical trauma."

I smiled softly, stroking my slightly rounded belly.

Four months already.

My period had always been irregular, and when my waist got a little thicker, I just figured I’d been putting on weight.

Back home, I couldn't contain my excitement. I cooked his favorite meal, planning to bring him a surprise lunch and tell him our amazing news in person.

Carrying the lunch tote, I walked straight through the doors of Sterling Industries without any trouble.

Just as I was about to push open the door to my husband's office, a glamorous-looking woman blocked my way.

"Can I help you?"

Her tone was ice-cold, her eyes raking over me with disapproval.

I held up the lunch tote for her to see. "I'm bringing lunch for Grant Sterling."

I never liked calling him "my husband" in front of strangers.

She let out a breath, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Oh, you must be the housekeeper. I'm Jessica Reed, Mr. Sterling's executive assistant."

"Just give me the food. You can go."

I shook my head. "I'm not the housekeeper, and I need to give this to him myself. Please let me in."

The words were barely out of my mouth before the woman exploded, snatching the tote from my hands.

"Who do you think you are? A housekeeper trying to get her hooks into the boss."

"Dressed like that, too. So cheap. Let me teach you some manners."

She yanked me into a nearby conference room, slammed the door, and slapped me hard across the face.

My cheek flared with pain as I stumbled and fell to the floor.

Before I could even process what was happening, a sharp kick landed near my head.

The baby!

Forgetting everything else, I curled into a ball, my arms wrapped tightly around my stomach.

"Let’s just see what you brought for Mr. Sterling."

Jessica opened the container and dumped its contents directly onto my head.

The soup I'd spent three hours simmering was scalding hot, dripping through my hair and onto the floor.

My scalp burned.

But I didn't dare move, terrified of hurting the baby inside me.

"Ooh, spicy chicken, too."

"Looks to me like you're the cheap little chick here!"