Chapter 2

The live stream chat was flooded with insults.

I only had one question left. "Can the baby finally have a name now?"

Charles was silent for a moment, then said, "When you've paid off your debt, then we can talk about the baby."

It was 106 thousand dollars.

I only had 4.3 dollars left in my account, and my cake shop was already shut down.

But I still nodded. "Okay, I'll pay it back. Give me my passport and the hospital bag first. Once I have the baby, I'll go out and earn the money."

Sophie blocked my way as I tried to head for the lounge. "There are baby supplies in there that the Goodwin family bought. They need to be checked again.

"You can get your passport after the family dinner is over."

"But my hospital admission papers are in there too," I said.

She gently smoothed my hair, which had been tousled by the rain. "Emily, you just admitted you were wrong. Don't go back on your word the moment you get your stuff.

"Behave yourself. The Goodwin family will make sure your baby is taken care of."

That was her go-to line, the one she always said every time she came with me for a check-up.

I believed her for twelve long years.

Even now, I found myself nodding without realizing it.

Amelia pointed at the front door. "Now that everything is done, what are you still doing here? Get out. You really think the Goodwin family would let a mistress sit at our table for dinner?"

I didn't move, holding onto my belly as it kept cramping up and getting harder. "Charles, you promised you'd take me for my last prenatal check-up after the family dinner."

Charles glanced at the time. "The doctor said your due date is still two weeks away. You don't have to make a scene every time your belly feels a little uncomfortable, acting like you're about to go into labor."

Amelia let out a cold laugh. "Even if you really are about to give birth, don't do it under our roof. Don't bring your bad luck here."

I looked at Sophie again. "Can you bring me my hospital bag from the lounge?"

She hooked her arm through Charles's and replied softly, "After we've gone through which things the Goodwin family bought, I'll send it over to you tomorrow."

I finally had nothing left to say.

It was pouring rain outside.

I looked at Charles, waiting for him to say something, to stop this.

But he told the security guard in a flat voice, "Take her out. Don't let her ruin the family dinner."

The security guard grabbed my arm.

As I stumbled through the ballroom, Pearl stuck out her foot on purpose.

I crashed to my knees, and a stabbing pain shot through my knees.

The baby inside me thrashed desperately.

I cradled my belly and looked up.

Sophie stood next to Charles, shooting me a gentle smile. "Take care on your way out, Emily."

The door slammed shut behind me.

The music started up again in the ballroom.

I stood in the pouring rain for ten minutes, waiting.

Charles never came after me.

Then I remembered my passport and hospital bag were still inside, so I had to go back and knock again.

The security guard peered at me from behind the iron gate but didn't unlock it. "Mr. Goodwin said no unauthorized persons are allowed in until the family dinner is over."

"My stuff is still in the lounge," I said.

"Sophie said they have to go through everything in there and figure out what belongs to the Goodwin family. Once they're done, they'll let you know."

"That's my passport and the baby's hospital admission papers."

The security guard looked away. "I only take orders from Mr. and Mrs. Goodwin."

I called Pearl.

She picked up and put me on speakerphone, the laughter from the ballroom echoing in the background. "Sophie, it's pouring out there, and she's pregnant. Why not give her her stuff?"

Sophie answered gently, "It's not that I don't want to give it to her, but she's really worked up right now. I'm worried that if she gets her documents, she'll start posting new stories online."

Pearl let out a laugh. "Yeah, that's right. Mistresses are pros at playing the victim. Let her stand in the rain for a bit. She'll drop the act soon enough."

She hung up.

I finally realized this door was closed to me for good.

The rain quickly soaked through my evening gown, and the pain in my belly kept coming in stronger waves.

I opened the ride-hailing app.

The first car pulled up to the gate.

The driver glanced at me, then at his phone, and immediately locked the car doors. "You're that mistress from the live stream, aren't you?"

I held onto the car window, my voice shaking. "Hey, please take me to the hospital. I'm about to give birth."

He canceled the ride right away. "Don't try to pull that with your bastard kid. I'm not getting involved in your mess."

The second car made a U-turn about thirty feet away from me.

The third driver snapped a photo of me and posted it online, captioning it: [Mistress kicked out by the Goodwin family. Serves her right to be left out in the rain.]

When the camera flash went off, I instinctively covered my face.

But the driver rolled down his window and called out, "Is it true that Mr. Goodwin is making you pay back 22.5 thousand dollars? So, who's the real father of that baby you're carrying?"

I didn't answer. I begged him to call an ambulance for me.

He rolled up the window, thinking I was bad luck, but the video was already out there.