Chapter 2

My phone screen lit up with a reply, but before I could read it, a large hand clamped onto my shoulder.

Austin, who cared more about his streams than his own life, had actually followed me out.

Startled, I hastily locked my screen.

I looked at him, feeling a sudden wave of anxiety, but Austin was distracted, typing away on his own phone while muttering.

"Babe, let's not be mad anymore. You're just extra sensitive because of the pregnancy. Next time, I won't let Chloe do those suggestive stunts."

"I swear to you! I would never make the kind of mistake 'every man makes'!"

I couldn't believe he had the audacity to chase me down just to spew this shameless garbage.

"I'm sensitive? So what, should I wait until our son is born, and then tell him his father sexually harasses his female coworkers?"

"And don't lump yourself in with 'every man.' You're the only one who can't keep it in his pants."

There was no reply for a long time.

I turned around and saw Austin completely glued to his phone screen.

Sensing my glare, he quickly explained, "I'm just telling Chloe to be ready tomorrow. I'll pick her up on the way to our product sourcing trip."

I trembled with rage, losing the strength to say another word.

"On the way"? Chloe lived on the complete opposite side of the city.

Feeling physically sick, I went straight home and fell into a deep, exhausted sleep.

In the middle of the night, a sharp, stabbing pain in my abdomen woke me up.

I reached out to the other side of the bed. It was cold and empty.

Just then, the tablet on my nightstand lit up. It was synced to Austin's SnapChat. I tapped open the notifications.

The first thing I saw was a message from Chloe, dripping with fake concern.

"Austin, is the baby okay? Aurora scared me so much earlier. I'm so worried she'll get stressed and hurt the baby."

Seeing how "concerned" she was, I actually started to wonder if I had truly misjudged them.

But then, Chloe's next message popped up. It was a photo of her dressed in a revealing bunny girl outfit.

"How do I look? Want me to wear this tomorrow? Please punish me, Master!"

Below it was a cute, pleading bunny emoji.

My eyebrows knitted together.

I scrolled up further in their chat history. There was a receipt for a massive wire transfer, captioned: "Investment for our new joint studio."

Chloe’s reply was filled with kissing emojis: "MUA! Thank you, Austin! I can't wait until you leave that old hag so we can be our own bosses!"

I checked the date of the transfer. I vaguely remembered Chloe posting a brand-new red Porsche on her social media around that time, claiming it was her 20th birthday gift.

I had even shown it to Austin back then, commenting on how rich her family must be. It turned out her "family's money" was actually my hard-earned cash.

My trust shattered like glass, the shards piercing deep into my chest. The emotional shock triggered another wave of violent abdominal pain, and I let out a sharp cry.

Hearing my voice, Austin rushed into the room from the hallway.

Seeing my pale, sweat-slicked face, he panicked. He quickly brought over warm water and a heated towel, gently massaging my belly with his warm hands before lifting me into his arms and rushing me to the car.

For a split second, I was dazed. It felt like nothing had changed—he was still the doting husband everyone envied.

"Babe, I'll drop you off at the hospital, but I have to run to work right after."

"Today's product selection is crucial. After tonight's live stream disaster, we can't afford another mistake."

"As soon as I'm done, I'll run straight back to be with you, okay?"

I gave a faint, cold grunt. I had no idea if he was going to select products or select a mistress.

Suddenly, Austin’s car Bluetooth rang, breaking the silence.