Chapter 4 · She Lost His Baby, So He Took Mine

A good deed? Making it up to her?

My hands were shaking with rage, but I forced my expression into something conflicted. I let my face show the struggle, the wavering, and, finally, the reluctant acceptance of someone worn down.

I dropped my gaze to avoid Edward's eyes, and my voice came out choked and hesitant. "You really promise you'll come home? That you'll be good to me and our baby?"

Edward's eyes lit up instantly, and he rushed to reassure me. "Of course. Olivia, I swear it. Just give the baby to Charlotte, and I'll move back home right away. We'll make this marriage work."

I lifted my head slightly, my eyes rimmed with red. "And what about the assets? You're giving away our child to her right now, so if we have more kids later, what happens to the family estate?"

Edward puffed out his chest confidently. "Don't worry about that. What's yours will be yours, not a penny less. Any kids we have will be heirs to the Grant family fortune."

Inside, I was laughing coldly.

He sure could spin pretty promises without a second thought.

I closed my eyes like I was making the hardest decision of my life, then opened them again with a look of grim resignation. "Okay. I'll give you the baby."

Edward's face flooded with emotion, like I'd just made some grand sacrifice for the greater good. "Olivia!"

Charlotte stopped crying immediately, and a flash of wild joy and victory shot through her eyes before she quickly masked it with gratitude. "Mrs. Grant, thank you. Thank you so much. I promise I'll love him like he's my own flesh and blood."

I cut through her fake performance and looked directly at Edward, enunciating each word clearly. "But I want a divorce."

The emotion drained from Edward's face in an instant. "What did you just say?"

"I said you can have the kid," I repeated calmly, my voice steady and emotionless. "But only if you divorce me right now. I want everything the law says I'm entitled to, not a penny less. You sign the papers, we finalize everything, and I'll hand over the kid."

"Olivia, are you insane?" Edward stared at me in disbelief. "I told you we'd start over. I'll treat you right. Why do you have to get a divorce?"

"Because I'm done." I looked at him with cold eyes. "Edward, I'm tired of playing this three-person game. Either divorce me and take the kid, or drag me to court for 'causing her miscarriage' and see who wins."

I dragged out my words deliberately. "As for the kid, you'll never see them again in your lifetime."

"Are you threatening me?" Edward's face turned dark.

"It's a deal," I corrected him. "Trade your freedom and your so-called love for your little mistress and a ready-made kid. Fair enough, right?"

Edward's chest heaved, and he was clearly furious.

He probably thought I'd be grateful and hand over the kid just because he had that leverage and promised to come back to me. He thought I'd keep being his on-call wife, ready whenever he snapped his fingers.

Charlotte started her performance again. She weakly tugged at Edward's sleeve, and tears came instantly.

"Edward, forget it. Don't break up your marriage because of me. I don't want the kid anymore. I'll just live alone."

She struggled to get out of bed, as if she were ready to end it all.

"Charlotte." Edward quickly held her down and looked between her and me with conflicted eyes.

The hospital room fell silent, and everyone watched Edward, waiting for his decision.

Kevin cleared his throat and tried to persuade him. "Edward, Olivia's being harsh, but Charlotte really is pitiful. She can't have kids anymore, so having a child would be good for her. Besides, Olivia's young. You two can have more kids later."

Oliver chimed in. "Yeah, Mr. Grant, you can always remarry later. Just get through this first. I think Olivia's made up her mind."

A vein throbbed at Edward's temple. He looked at Charlotte's pale, fragile face that seemed ready to shatter, then at my cold, unyielding gaze. Finally, as if all his strength had been drained, he said weakly, "Fine. I agree. We'll divorce."

The weight in my chest crashed to the ground.

It wasn't relief but a cold, settled numbness.

"My lawyer will prepare the agreement." I turned around and didn't look at any of them. "Sign it and contact me. One hand gives the divorce certificate, the other hand gets the kid."

I walked out of the hospital room, and the sharp smell of disinfectant struck me in the hallway.

I leaned against the cold wall and let out a long breath.

"I'm sorry, baby," I whispered. "I'm sorry I had to give you to those two people. But maybe this is your blessing, and maybe it's their karma too."

After all, they had money and could give the child a better life. If they ever found out about the XYY syndrome, they could afford the best doctors and treatments.

Chapter 4

A good deed? Making it up to her?

My hands were shaking with rage, but I forced my expression into something conflicted. I let my face show the struggle, the wavering, and, finally, the reluctant acceptance of someone worn down.

I dropped my gaze to avoid Edward's eyes, and my voice came out choked and hesitant. "You really promise you'll come home? That you'll be good to me and our baby?"

Edward's eyes lit up instantly, and he rushed to reassure me. "Of course. Olivia, I swear it. Just give the baby to Charlotte, and I'll move back home right away. We'll make this marriage work."

I lifted my head slightly, my eyes rimmed with red. "And what about the assets? You're giving away our child to her right now, so if we have more kids later, what happens to the family estate?"

Edward puffed out his chest confidently. "Don't worry about that. What's yours will be yours, not a penny less. Any kids we have will be heirs to the Grant family fortune."

Inside, I was laughing coldly.

He sure could spin pretty promises without a second thought.

I closed my eyes like I was making the hardest decision of my life, then opened them again with a look of grim resignation. "Okay. I'll give you the baby."

Edward's face flooded with emotion, like I'd just made some grand sacrifice for the greater good. "Olivia!"

I cut through her fake performance and looked directly at Edward, enunciating each word clearly. "But I want a divorce."

The emotion drained from Edward's face in an instant. "What did you just say?"

"Olivia, are you insane?" Edward stared at me in disbelief. "I told you we'd start over. I'll treat you right. Why do you have to get a divorce?"

I dragged out my words deliberately. "As for the kid, you'll never see them again in your lifetime."

"Are you threatening me?" Edward's face turned dark.

"It's a deal," I corrected him. "Trade your freedom and your so-called love for your little mistress and a ready-made kid. Fair enough, right?"

Edward's chest heaved, and he was clearly furious.

Charlotte started her performance again. She weakly tugged at Edward's sleeve, and tears came instantly.

"Edward, forget it. Don't break up your marriage because of me. I don't want the kid anymore. I'll just live alone."

She struggled to get out of bed, as if she were ready to end it all.

"Charlotte." Edward quickly held her down and looked between her and me with conflicted eyes.

The hospital room fell silent, and everyone watched Edward, waiting for his decision.

Oliver chimed in. "Yeah, Mr. Grant, you can always remarry later. Just get through this first. I think Olivia's made up her mind."

The weight in my chest crashed to the ground.

It wasn't relief but a cold, settled numbness.

"My lawyer will prepare the agreement." I turned around and didn't look at any of them. "Sign it and contact me. One hand gives the divorce certificate, the other hand gets the kid."

I walked out of the hospital room, and the sharp smell of disinfectant struck me in the hallway.

I leaned against the cold wall and let out a long breath.

"I'm sorry, baby," I whispered. "I'm sorry I had to give you to those two people. But maybe this is your blessing, and maybe it's their karma too."

After all, they had money and could give the child a better life. If they ever found out about the XYY syndrome, they could afford the best doctors and treatments.