Chapter 2

Seeing me keep quiet, Hector pulled Sherry along inside.

"Sherry's pregnant now. Her morning sickness is really bad. You're responsible for making sure she's taken care of," he said.

In my previous life, when Sherry smugly announced she was having Hector's baby, I totally lost control. Disheveled and still in pajamas, I stormed into Hector's office, looking like a madwoman.

I screamed, "Just get rid of Sherry's kid. I'll do whatever you want!"

I kept sacrificing every ounce of self-respect for him, but all he cared about was how my breakdown was making him lose face in front of his colleagues.

Worried about his reputation, he immediately put out a flashy press release, painting me as some deranged, jealous wife.

And behind closed doors, he kept warning me, "Keep running your mouth, and I'll have you shipped off to a psych ward. No one's coming to bail you out."

Thinking back on everything, I felt so stupid that I wanted to slap myself.

I let that man treat me like dirt, and I actually convinced myself he was doing it because he loved me.

But now, I only felt pleased. I wanted Sherry to have the kid.

Next time Sherry went for a hospital check-up, I'd do a DNA test.

That test would be the nail in the coffin for that stupid prenup.

And just like that, I could claw back every cent my family had sunk into Hector's company over the years.

The next morning, I had the housekeeper deliver Sherry a spread of luxury delicacies.

I crouched by her bed, feeding her.

At first, Sherry just basked in it, enjoying my subservient attention.

But as I kept pushing food her way nonstop, she grew irritated and shoved me aside.

She snapped, "I've had enough. Can't you get it through your thick skull? Stop feeding me like a pig!

"Are you trying to fatten me up so Hector will get sick of me? Give it up!"

I waved my hands. "No. I just want you to hurry up and give Hector a gorgeous little girl.

"I know you're not in the best of health, and this is the most crucial time for the baby. You need to eat more, even if it's just for the baby's sake."

Seeing Sherry still acting all paranoid, I kept up the act. "Just look at this massive villa. Once you pop out that baby, you'll officially get your hands on all this property."

The lure of all that wealth did the trick.

Sherry clenched her jaw and swallowed every bit of the food.

Meanwhile, I was busy stockpiling dirt on Hector and had my legal team draft a foolproof divorce agreement.

At home, I waited on Sherry hand and foot, treating her even better than her own mom ever did.

Even though Sherry kept side-eyeing me in suspicion, Hector started acting way more gentle to me.

Especially after seeing how I'd basically run myself ragged taking care of Sherry—barely sleeping and shedding pounds—Hector did the unthinkable and actually made soup for me.

"Don't wear yourself out," he murmured.

But in my head, I was smirking.

On the surface, I kept up the docile wife routine and drank the soup without protest.

"Thanks, Hector," I replied sweetly.

Hector paused and then flashed a smile. He ran his hand through my hair.

"If you'd just learned to behave from the start, things would've been way smoother. I can't stand that spoiled princess act of yours. I was only tough on you to break your attitude," he said.

Staring at his phony "caring husband" face, I left and instantly puked up all the soup. Then I grabbed my phone and called my parents.

"Dad, Mom, get the PR team on standby," I said.

My parents always supported my decision.

Meanwhile, Sherry still thought Hector could boss me around.

When she was about two months pregnant, she deliberately puked some nasty mess all over me.

The housekeeper couldn't take it anymore and wanted to stand up for me.

But I held her back and wiped my face off calmly.

"Sherry, you seem to be throwing up everything you eat lately. Why don't we go to the hospital for a check-up?

"I'll get you the best doctor. We need to make sure the baby's fine. Only then can Hector and I finally relax," I said.

Sherry sneered, "Carol, just look at you, reeking of desperation. Is this what a rich heiress is supposed to look like?

"You're nothing but my servant for life."

I smiled and kept quiet, playing the dutiful hostess as I coaxed Sherry into the luxury car and headed straight to the hospital I'd already arranged.

Every doctor and nurse there worked for me.

They treated Sherry like she was a princess.

While she was busy with her check-up, I quietly slipped Hector's hair to the staff and got the DNA test done without her ever noticing.

When I held that report in my hands, I finally felt relieved.

Sherry started flaunting her pile of bogus reports right in my face.

She bragged, "The doctor said my baby girl was totally healthy.

"Soon, even Jerome will be thrown out along with you."

"Oh, Jerome?" I replied with a mocking grin. "That ungrateful brat? Getting kicked out would be exactly what he deserves."

Sherry stared at me, eyes wide in disbelief.

"Carol, are you crazy? He's your son, the apple of your eye!" she said.

I kept my mouth shut and got into the car.

Before Sherry could even get in, the driver slammed the gas.

Sherry was left totally stunned, choking on car fumes and stomping her feet in frustration.

"Carol, you dumbass! I'm not even in the car yet," she shouted.

I drove straight back to my own home and handed the DNA report right to my legal team and PR crew.

Once everything was ready, I got a call from Hector.

Hector was furious, yelling down the phone at me. "How could you treat a pregnant woman like that? Get over here and give Sherry a proper apology!"

I agreed and took my time getting meticulously dressed. Once I was ready, I made sure my bodyguards and lawyers were escorting me.

Hector had summoned me to the city's most luxurious shopping mall.

As I walked in, I caught sight of Hector with his arm around Sherry's, flaunting their status as he pointed at an entire row of ten-thousand-dollar designer handbags. "We'll take all of these," he announced.

The moment Hector saw me, his expression instantly turned sour.

"You ungrateful idiot, get over here and apologize to Sherry right now," he barked.

With an arrogant air, Sherry lifted her chin and stroked her belly, flashing me a smug look.

"Mr. Harris is out here buying birthday presents for our daughter. Our little princess will be living a high life," she bragged.

I folded my arms and cocked an eyebrow.

Sure enough, before I could even say anything, the sales assistant, looking apologetic, gave Hector his card back.

"Mr. Harris, I'm sorry, but this card has been deactivated. The payment won't go through," the clerk said.

Hector's face darkened in disbelief. "How can that be?"

Just as he was in doubt, his personal assistant ran to him in a hurry, shouting anxiously, "Sir, all the money in your account has been transferred, and now there is nothing left!"