Chapter 1
Sadie Brooks was Brookveil's most renowned specialist in pregnancy preservation, but after four years of marriage, she'd suffered ten miscarriages and could barely conceive anymore.
Rumors were flying everywhere, and a bunch of spoiled heirs were betting on when Sadie would get booted from the Hawthorne family.
Everyone was waiting for someone else to take the title of Mrs. Hawthorne.
No one saw it coming when Stephen Hawthorne went and got himself sterilized, vowing to love Sadie for the rest of his life.
Sadie felt a deep sense of guilt toward Stephen. Determined to give him a child, she secretly used his frozen sperm and went through IVF.
When her tenth IVF finally worked, Sadie was so happy that she cried. She grabbed the test results and rushed to find Stephen, who was on a business trip overseas, eager to surprise him.
But when she got there, she saw all the employees at the branch office fawning over a little boy.
"He is so adorable."
"Well, look at Mr. Hawthorne. He's more handsome than the top stars in showbiz. His son could never be anything less."
Just then, a beautiful woman with a baby bump walked over. "He's already totally spoiled by his father. If you keep praising them, he'll get way too full of himself."
It was Jessica Sutton, the same girl who was so crazy about Stephen that she nearly ended her own life back then.
One of the employees beamed and said, "Mrs. Hawthorne, I'm being honest. You and Mr. Hawthorne had two kids in three years. I'm seriously jealous."
Sadie felt like her world had been turned upside down.
Mrs. Hawthorne? Two kids in three years? What were they talking about?
Sadie clenched her palm so hard that it hurt, refusing to believe the man everyone praised as the perfect husband could actually cheat on her.
But then she remembered how Stephen had been coming home less and less in recent years, always claiming he was busy with overseas business.
Sadie rushed, nearly tripping over herself, straight to Stephen's office, desperate for answers.
As she was about to push the door open, she caught the sound of teasing voices coming from inside. "So it's another business trip excuse, huh? And Sadie actually fell for it again?
"Hasn't she noticed how often you're gone? Well, I guess it makes sense. When she was pregnant, you swapped her meds for ones that would make her lose the baby, and she didn't realize it. She's adorably naive."
*****
Stephen blew out a smoke ring, a warning clear in his voice. "Say whatever you want when I'm here, but if I catch any of you talking outside, don't expect me to go easy on you because we're friends.
"Back then, I stood my ground against all odds to be with her, though she was from a poor family. My parents refused to accept her.
"They said she wasn't worthy of carrying a Hawthorne child, and wanted me to secretly drug her and make her lose the baby myself.
"At first, I could deal with it, went as far as getting sterilized. But being caught between them for so long drained me.
"Honestly, I might as well keep up appearances with Sadie, acting like we have a happy family, while secretly finding someone behind the scenes who's got looks, brains, pedigree, and actually loves me, to have my kids.
"At least that way, I can tick the box for my parents."
One of them asked, curiosity in his voice, "So, Stephen, do you still love Sadie?"
Stephen lowered his gaze, silent for a moment before he finally said, "Honestly, I don't know. These days, she's so drained, like she's lost all her spark.
"But Jessica is still that vibrant, sunny girl from back then, the junior who was head over heels for me. I have to admit, I really like how Jessica makes me feel. But I don't think I could actually let Sadie go."
Stephen spoke those words with chilling indifference, but they crushed Sadie, shattering her heart.
She couldn't wrap her head around the fact that all ten of her miscarriages were because Stephen was the one who switched her medication.
She couldn't believe who he had become.
He once ran three blocks in the bitter cold to buy her chocolates, and always promised he'd be satisfied being with her, with or without kids. Yet now his words made her feel completely worthless.
In that moment, the surprise in her hands became nothing but bitter mockery.
Ten excruciating rounds of IVF left her gasping in agony, and the so-called pregnancy preservation felt nothing short of a cruel joke.
Sadie didn't want to hear another word. She turned and left.
She had no idea how she managed to get back to Brookveil. All she knew was that the rain outside was relentless, soaking her through and through. By the time she was on the plane, she couldn't hold back anymore. Sadie broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.
The plane touched down in Brookveil.
Sadie wiped her tears, steeling herself, and made her way to Hawthorne Manor.
"Mrs. Hawthorne, you have always looked down on me for coming from nothing, saying I'm not good enough to have your family's kids, right? Well, I'm ready to get divorced," Sadie said.
Victoria Hawthorne's eyes sparkled with excitement. "You really mean you're willing to leave Stephen?"
Sadie's heart ached. All these years, no matter what she did, the Hawthorne family never accepted her.
But now, she was done letting herself keep falling apart.
"Yes, but I have one condition. Send me to the best hospital overseas for further training," Sadie added.
Victoria agreed instantly. "Fine. Seven days from now, I'll see to it that you're admitted."