Chapter 1
When Felicia Norris was eight months pregnant, Wally Norris's stepsister, Emma Norris, smoked in front of her again.
Felicia had people kick Emma out of the house.
Two hours later, Wally, who had been on a business trip abroad, arrived at the villa with a bunch of chain smokers.
Felicia sat quietly on the couch, holding a medical report in her hand.
Wally said, sounding indifferent, "Emma's in the hospital because of stress.
"If you can handle the smoke, she won't be afraid of getting kicked out. Try to get used to it."
Felicia's fingers curled tighter, then she set the medical report down on the table.
"My asthma's acting up again, and the baby's suffering from lack of oxygen. Are you seriously going to let her stay here?" Felicia asked.
Wally glanced at the report, then looked away. "Emma saved us. We should repay her kindness."
In that moment, the last thread holding Felicia together snapped.
She felt herself completely unravel.
"Repay her?" Felicia's eyes were red as she looked up at Wally, her voice trembling.
"Haven't I given enough already? Is it only enough if I give up my life for her? Is that what you want from me?"
Wally reached out and touched her face. "Felicia, once we've paid back what we owe, I'll send her away. For now, bear with it a little longer."
Thick, choking smoke spread through the villa.
Felicia lost it. She tried to get up and leave, but the bodyguard beside her pinned her down on the couch.
She completely lost control, thrashing in panic.
Felicia shouted, "Wally!
"The doctor said if my asthma acts up again, I could lose the baby. Are you really going to let her push me and our child to the brink?
"You promised me it was about repaying her, that you'd never let me go through hell for it.
"Did you forget?"
Wally pulled out a handkerchief and pressed it to his nose.
"Felicia, the more you struggle, the longer you'll suffer. I talked to the doctor. Keep yourself under control and you'll be fine," Wally said.
Felicia's pupils trembled with fear as the suffocating feeling closed in on her, threatening to drown her.
She gasped for breath, tears spilling uncontrollably from her eyes.
She wondered when things started going downhill like this.
A year ago, she was constantly butting heads with Emma.
Emma was totally obsessed with her brother. On the very first day Felicia and Wally got married, Emma moved all her stuff into their new place.
Emma claimed it was convenient for them all to live together.
Even when they went on their honeymoon, Emma bought herself a ticket and tagged along.
She claimed she hadn't traveled with her brother in forever.
After that, no matter what they did, even dates, trips, or Wally's business travels, Emma was always there.
Felicia couldn't take it anymore and argued with Wally countless times.
But every time Emma cried her eyes out, Wally was caught in the middle, and Felicia had to grit her teeth and endure it, time after time.
Until one night, during a heavy thunderstorm, Emma begged to sleep with Wally, sobbing uncontrollably.
Felicia finally snapped, drafted a divorce agreement, and handed it straight to Wally. Only then did he agree to send Emma away.
But on the day they were supposed to head to the airport, the villa caught fire.
Felicia inhaled too much smoke, her asthma flared up, and she blacked out.
When she came to, Wally was there to tell her what had happened.
"Emma's still in the ICU, fighting for her life. She carried you out to safety.
"When I tried to go back for her, the glass came crashing down, but she pushed me out first.
"Emma saved both of us.
"Felicia, we can't turn our backs on her. She's our savior."
After that, every time, Wally told her she had to repay Emma.
Her life revolved around paying back that debt.
Emma would fly into a rage and break stuff, and Felicia stood there until Emma was done, then cleaned up the wreckage.
Emma claimed she couldn't stand being apart from Wally, so every holiday they'd go off traveling together. Felicia was left home alone.
Then, when Felicia got pregnant, Emma had a total meltdown.
She was terrified Wally would abandon her, and even threatened to jump off the roof.
Wally took Felicia straight to the divorce office. "If we split up, Emma won't freak out anymore. It's a fake divorce, relax.
"We'll get our marriage license again later.
"Emma saved our lives. We owe her."
For the past year, that word, "paying back", had ruled Felicia's life.
She endured their intimate moments, Emma's every meltdown, and all those fake divorces.
Even when Emma strutted around outside calling herself Wally's wife, Felicia never said a thing.
But now, Emma was threatening her baby's safety. Felicia wanted to protect her child.
Felicia's breathing got worse and worse. Her eyes were so full of tears she couldn't even open them.
She curled up on the floor, crawling and clawing around, desperately searching for her inhaler.
"Wally, you can't do this to me. You can't..." Felicia gasped, crawling away, trying to get out of that area.
But every time, the bodyguard pulled her right back.
"My stomach hurts. The baby..." Felicia gasped, clutching her belly in agony.
Wally replied, glancing at his watch, "The doctor said the baby's fine at this level.
"You lost ten minutes, so that's ten more minutes you have to endure."
Ten minutes later, screams and frantic, gasping breaths echoed through the villa.
Felicia lowered her gaze to her belly. Blood was starting to seep out below.
"My baby!" Felicia screamed.