Chapter 2

Tristan quietly helped me change out of my clothes stained with vomit and placed fresh hot water by my bedside.

"Nathalie, did you get scared when you woke up and didn't see me next to you? From now on, I will stay by your side and never leave you," he said.

I turned away because I didn't want to see him, and I especially didn't want to hear his insincere words.

I simply closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep.

This time, Tristan didn't leave, but while I was lightly asleep, I suddenly heard a woman calling him. "Tristan, I heard you were injured."

Tristan hurried out, lowered his voice, and said, "Didn't I tell you to call me if anything came up? Why did you come here?"

He probably thought he was speaking quietly, but in the still hospital room, I could faintly hear their conversation at the door.

Sophie said, "Your son just woke up and told me he wanted to see his dad.

"I could only tell him that his dad was busy with work and couldn't come to see him."

Obviously, Sophie's words made Tristan feel ashamed.

He said, "Sorry, I've been ignoring you all day. I'll go with you to see Nolan."

Just moments ago, Tristan said he wouldn't leave my side. Now, the sound of his footsteps gradually faded away.

I lay numbly on the bed, and the baby in my belly seemed to sense my sadness, gently kicking me.

Just then, the hospital room door suddenly creaked open.

Sophie's voice came from the doorway. "I know you're awake, Nathalie."

I was silent for a moment before slowly sitting up, supporting myself.

Sophie wore flawless makeup and a fitted dress that accentuated her graceful figure.

She looked nothing like a mother caring for a sick child.

"Your son has leukemia?" I asked.

She shrugged indifferently. "Yes. I wanted to become Mrs. Yates through my child, but he let me down—born sick and weak.

"Still, having Tristan emotionally tied to me works well. At least he always thinks of me."

As a mother myself, I couldn't understand how Sophie could be so cold; to her, a child was just a tool to be used.

"If you want to keep him for the child's sake, why not have another one with him?" I asked coldly.

The more I learned, the more I gave up on Tristan. Six years of marriage was nothing but a ridiculous lie.

She said, "Having a baby is exhausting. Tristan feels sorry for me and doesn't want me to suffer. We can't be intimate while I'm pregnant, and he just can't wait."

Sophie spoke with smug satisfaction, and every word felt like a knife scraping my heart.

She continued, "Come to think of it, I gave birth to Nolan around the time someone in your family passed away.

"Tristan missed your mother's funeral because my due date was that day. He stayed by my side until I finished my confinement."

I froze all over.

I grew up in a single-parent household with my mother, relying on each other.

My mother had always been in poor health. Two years ago, her old illness relapsed, and she was rushed into the ICU.

During that time, Tristan told me he couldn't leave work because a major project was about to launch.

I ran back and forth between the company and hospital on my own, utterly exhausted, and lost over ten pounds in a month.

But Tristan hadn't shown up for a month.

The day of my mother's funeral, we were supposed to leave together for the funeral home.

Tristan suddenly answered a call and said there was a problem with a company project, so he left first.

It turned out he missed a key moment in my life because he had someone more important to be with.

I asked, "Is your son's birthday August 13th?"

Sophie nodded.

That confirmed what I had always suspected.

Tristan' bank card password was 0813. I had asked him before if this date was someone's birthday, but he insisted it was just a random string of numbers.

Sophie unlocked her phone and showed me a photo of the three of them together.

In the picture, Tristan was holding a young boy, smiling happily at the camera.

My world collapsed completely in an instant.

The perfect marriage I thought I had, and a husband who supposedly loved me, turned out to be nothing but a lie.

Seeing me so shocked that I couldn't speak, Sophie achieved her goal and said to me with satisfaction, "Give birth to your child and then get out of here for good."

Sophie wanted me to have the baby, use the umbilical cord blood to save her son, and then leave Tristan.

That way, she could be with Tristan.

"Otherwise, once my son recovers, I'll still find a way to kick you out for good!" Sophie threatened me viciously, then swaggered off, looking very pleased with herself.

Sophie threatened me viciously, then swaggered off, looking very pleased with herself.

I sat dejectedly on the bed, watching her walk away.