Chapter 3

That night, I used my pregnancy discomfort as an excuse to demand we sleep in separate rooms.

Marcus hesitated at first.

It was Chloe who convinced him, telling him that a pregnant woman needed undisturbed rest for the baby’s development. Only then did he agree.

"Chloe is right. If sleeping apart is better for the baby, let's do it."

"But Vivian, pay close attention to how you feel. If anything feels off, call me immediately."

If I didn't already know he was just terrified that something would happen to his backup baby, I might have actually believed he cared about me.

Unfortunately, it was all a lie.

I hid the hatred in my eyes and nodded gently.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure to take 'good care' of the baby."

Hearing this, Marcus finally relaxed.

He knew I was a woman of my word.

When we first started dating through a business merger, I had fallen head over heels for him. Believing he was a family-oriented man, I had promised to step down from my executive role to become a stay-at-home wife once we married.

After the wedding, I kept my promise and put my career on hold, asking my business partner to suspend my active status at the firm.

Because of this, even though my professional standing had once been higher than his, Marcus assumed I loved him blindly. He was confident he had me completely under his thumb.

Over the next few weeks, I played dumb, watching him shower Chloe with undivided attention.

His schedule at the office was packed, but whenever he had a free hour, he was taking Chloe to her prenatal appointments. The staff at the private clinic already assumed Marcus was Chloe's husband.

When the doctor casually mentioned that "the mother looks a bit thin," Marcus immediately bought crates of premium prenatal supplements, insisting Chloe take them every day.

But because Chloe suffered from severe morning sickness, those supplements ended up in my stomach instead.

She didn't gain a pound, but I gained some healthy weight, which gave me more energy for my daily prenatal yoga.

Marcus wasn't thrilled about this.

Yet he couldn't say anything. After all, I was his legal wife.

How could a husband complain about his wife eating the food he brought home?

Eventually, Marcus and Chloe became so indiscreet that even our neighbors started noticing.

An older lady next door pulled me aside one afternoon. "Vivian, honey, I know you're open-minded, but don't be too naive. Your husband is young, successful, and handsome. Keep an eye on him. Don't let other women get too close."

I just smiled and thanked her for the warning.

Are you kidding? I wanted Marcus to focus all his energy on Chloe.

Otherwise, if he ever reached out to touch my "belly" or insisted on coming to one of my doctor's appointments, he would have instantly discovered my womb was empty.

My current baby bump was just a silicone prop, which I adjusted daily to match Chloe's size.

Marcus didn't disappoint me. As the due date neared, he still had no clue. He was just getting incredibly anxious because my "pregnancy" showed no signs of labor, causing him to break out in stress hives.

Meanwhile, Chloe was having painful Braxton Hicks contractions.

The doctor advised her to check into the hospital, but she was too paranoid about the plan failing. She insisted on staying at our house, watching my belly like a hawk.

Two days later, Chloe couldn't take it anymore.

She cried out that she was in agony. Hearing this, Marcus immediately brought a bowl of herbal soup to my room and knocked on the door.

"Vivian, my mom sent over this special herbal soup. Drink it while it's hot. It's good for the baby."