Chapter 3

I stared at the two lines on the pregnancy test, my mind completely blank.

In the bathroom mirror, my face was white as paper.

Julian's cologne from last night still lingered in the air, and I dry heaved again.

If this had been three days ago, I might have been overjoyed.

But now, I only felt suffocated.

To be absolutely certain, I disguised myself and went to the hospital for confirmation.

"Congratulations, six weeks pregnant, fetal heartbeat normal." The doctor handed me the ultrasound report.

Walking out of the examination room, my legs were weak. I held onto the wall, shuffling step by step toward the hospital terrace.

I needed to think clearly.

Just as I took a deep breath, a familiar voice came from around the corner.

"How much longer do we have to wait?"

It was Serena.

I immediately ducked behind a pillar.

"Don't worry." Julian's voice was tender in a way I'd never heard before. "I've already switched her birth control pills to ovulation stimulants. If nothing goes wrong, she'll get pregnant."

"But her blood quality is declining. My checkup last week..." Serena's voice carried a complaint.

"That's exactly why we need a new blood source." Julian interrupted her. "A fetus with Rh-null blood type—its umbilical cord blood and newborn stem cells are the perfect 'regenerative medicine' to treat your degenerative disease. Once we extract the cord blood and bone marrow, whether that child lives or not, we won't need Clara anymore."

I clamped my hand over my mouth.

Tears blurred my vision, but I didn't dare make a sound.

So when he once said he "wanted a child of ours," he simply wanted to create a younger, purer medicine for Serena.

"You're so brilliant." Serena's laughter was piercing. "Truly my Julian."

Their footsteps faded away.

I slid down to the ground, clutching my abdomen tightly.

Baby, Mommy will never let you become the next blood bag.

Back home, I started packing.

Five years of marriage, and my personal belongings were pitifully few.

Everything else was what Julian had bought me—those exquisite clothes, jewelry, cosmetics, each piece like shackles, reminding me of my captive status.

I wanted none of it.

Then I arranged two items on the table.

My signed divorce agreement and the forged miscarriage certificate.

I removed my wedding ring and placed it on top of the documents.

Five years of marriage were finally ending.

Lucas's black sedan was parked at the corner.

"Let's go." I opened the car door without looking back.

I was finally escaping.

Eleven o'clock at night.

Julian opened the front door in a good mood.

Serena's test results today were excellent. As long as I got pregnant soon, everything would proceed according to his plan.

"Clara?" He called out once. No response.

He walked into the room and saw what was on the table.

In that instant, he froze.

He collapsed to the floor, clutching that miscarriage certificate tightly.

"Ahhh—!"

A roar erupted from deep in his throat.

The next second, a metallic sweetness surged up.

He violently spat out a mouthful of blood.