Chapter 1
After three years of being Stuart Hatcher's kept woman, I got pregnant.
I was packing my things, ready to run away. Somehow, Stuart found my pregnancy test in a trash can.
His face darkened, and his voice was cold enough to freeze blood.
"Who is the bastard's father?" he asked.
My scalp prickled with instant terror as I stared into his bloodshot eyes.
Words Stuart had said three years earlier flashed through my mind.
"I have a naturally low sperm count. Saves you a lot of trouble," he had said back then.
Stuart grabbed my neck suddenly, grinding his teeth. "I want to find out which man with a death wish dares to lay hands on my woman."
Later, he looked at my son, who looked almost exactly like him when he was a child.
Stuart, the man who dominated the business world, asked bewilderedly, "Why does he look exactly like me when I was little?"
*****
My period was over two months late, so I got curious and picked up a pregnancy test.
Staring at the two glaring red lines, I finally understood what it meant to be killed by curiosity.
After half an hour of trying to calm down, still hoping maybe the test was wrong, I grabbed a cab and headed straight to the hospital.
When the doctor said, "Congratulations," my heart sank to the floor.
For a kept woman like me, getting pregnant was a total no-go.
Forget about my job. I might not even get to keep my baby.
But honestly, I was already 26.
And the baby's dad had some top-tier genes.
So in the end, I decided to keep the baby.
If I told Stuart directly I was quitting, he would definitely dig into everything.
There was no way I'd get to keep the baby then.
So, I decided to run away secretly.
Stuart was out of town on a business trip in Journ City, which was the perfect chance for my escape.
Back home, I packed up my stuff in record time.
I hadn't even managed to shove my silk nightgown into my suitcase yet.
Out of nowhere, Stuart, who was supposed to be in Journ on a business trip, walked out of the bathroom.
His face was stormy, and in his hand was my pregnancy test.
His voice was cold enough to freeze the air.
"Who is the bastard's father?" he asked.
I jolted, fear gripping me as I met his bloodshot eyes. Instantly, his words from three years ago echoed in my mind.
"I have a naturally low sperm count. Saves you a lot of trouble," he had said back then.
Yeah, Stuart had a low sperm count.
So for the three years we had been together, we never bothered with any protection.
Back then, I was actually relieved that I didn't have to mess with those nasty pills that screw up my body.
But his low sperm motility didn't mean he was infertile.
When I kept silent, Stuart's hand shot out, clamping around my throat, his grip tightening as he spoke through gritted teeth.
"I want to find out which man with a death wish dares to lay hands on my woman," he said.
Stuart didn't kick me out, and I didn't lose my baby.
Instead, I became his kept woman, locked up in his house.
Stuart was furious. He wouldn't let me step outside, and he cut me off from everyone.
He even assigned me ten bodyguards.
Yeah, not one, but a whole squad of ten.
Ten suit-clad tough-guy heartthrobs with broad shoulders, narrow waists, and long legs who never took their sunglasses off.
Every day at home, watching these ten hot guys, I felt happy yet somewhat guilty toward Stuart.
After all, even cheating with my mind still counted as cheating.
I lived in his place for half a month and had an absolute blast.
Then, out of nowhere, someone I never expected showed up.
Standing before me was a noblewoman who introduced herself as Chelsea, Stuart's mom.
My hands flew to my belly before I even realized it, fear spiking through me.
After all, in a family like the Hatchers, nothing was more despised than an illegitimate child.
"You're Eloise?" Chelsea asked.
She took a slow, elegant sip of coffee before speaking.
I nodded warily. "Yes, I am."
"So, I heard you're pregnant?" Chelsea asked.