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Chapter 1

Charles Montague was breathing hard, his drunken eyes locked on the woman beneath him.

"Emily..." he mumbled.

That name made the woman beneath him freeze. Grace Windsor tightened her grip on Charles' shoulder, her eyes welling up.

How messed up was this? She was his wife, but he called out another woman's name during sex!

Grace bit her lip, turned her face away, and let Charles have his way, too drained to fight back.

After what felt like forever, Grace slipped out of bed, threw on a nightgown, and glanced back at the sleeping Charles, a sneer on her lips.

Charles had told her he had a work thing tonight and wouldn't be home. She'd been up late reading and had just gotten out of the shower when she found him slumped against the headboard, reeking of booze.

Feeling bad for him, she tried to help him undress, but he grabbed her wrist, pinned her to the bed, and went from rough to surprisingly gentle.

Just as Grace was starting to get lost in this rare tenderness, he dropped the bomb: "Emily."

Grace sneered, feeling like the biggest fool ever.

Emily Johnson had once been her good friend. Grace's mom died when she was a baby, her dad remarried, and her stepmom didn't like her. So, her dad sent her to live with her grandparents in Emerald City. She didn't come back until her grandparents passed away.

Emily was someone Grace met in Emerald City. Emily often hung out with her, and Grace used her own money to buy her designer bags and fancy makeup.

Grace never thought Emily would cheat on her with Charles!

She had thought tonight was going to be special for her and Charles, but nope.

Exhausted from crying, Grace fell asleep on the couch. When she woke up the next morning, the villa was eerily quiet, like Charles had never been there.

Since that night, Charles seemed to have vanished and hadn't come back for a long time.

A month later, the obstetrician handed Grace the ultrasound report, congratulating her. "Mrs. Montague, congrats, you're pregnant! And it's twins."

Grace took the report with trembling hands, murmuring, "I'm pregnant? That's amazing!"

She instinctively touched her still-flat belly, her face lighting up with joy. She thought, 'Charles should be thrilled to hear this, right?'

After thanking the doctor repeatedly, Grace left the hospital.

Unable to contain her excitement, Grace got back to the car. The driver glanced at her and asked respectfully, "Mrs. Montague, are we heading home?"

Grace clutched the ultrasound report and shook her head gently, "No, we're going to Serenity Manor."

The driver was taken aback and stammered, "Mrs. Montague, that place is..."

Grace's face turned cold as she put away the ultrasound report. "It's fine, let's go," she insisted.

She wanted to tell Charles the good news ASAP, no matter what.

Twenty minutes later, the car pulled into the villa area. Looking at the rows of towering villas, Grace's heart sank, and her face turned grim.

Among dozens of villas, only one belonged to Charles, but the mistress of that house wasn't her.

The car came to a stop, snapping her back to reality.

Grace's eyes darkened a bit. She took a deep breath and got out of the car. The servant led her to the back garden.

By the pool, Emily was lounging in a sheer long dress. Under the sheer fabric, her long, straight legs were barely visible.

She asked calmly, as if she were the mistress, "What are you doing here?"

Grace looked coldly at this former friend who was now tangled up with her husband. She demanded, "I'm here to see Charles. I have something to tell him."

Grace didn't want to waste words with Emily; she desperately wanted to see Charles.

Emily twirled a bright red rose between her fingers, smiling slyly, "Charles was really exhausted last night. We had sex multiple times, and now he's sleeping."

Grace's heart sank as she saw Emily's smug face. She wanted to rip that smirk right off.

But she managed to keep it together. She took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. "Which room is he in?"

Emily circled around her, eyes full of mockery. "Sorry, can't tell you. Why don't you just go back home? You can talk to Charles when he gets there."

Those words cut deep. Since that drunken night, Charles hadn't come back for over a month.

Grace had loved Charles since she was a kid. In their two years of marriage, she had tried so hard to be a good wife, even though he didn't love her back. She was willing to take care of him.

She never wanted to give up on Charles. She had loved him for so long. And now, she was pregnant and didn't want her child to grow up in a broken home.

This time, Grace was determined to fight for her child.

Grace steadied herself, not wanting to waste words with Emily, and turned to leave. She planned to search every room until she found Charles.

Emily's face turned cold. She rushed over and grabbed her, shouting, "Grace, don't push your luck! This is my place, and I won't let you cause trouble here!"

Grace was determined to find Charles and angrily whispered, "Emily! I am Mrs. Montague. What right do you have to stop me from seeing Charles?"

Emily sneered, "Grace, if you hadn't schemed to sleep with Charles, making him marry you, I would be Mrs. Montague now!"

Grace's eyes reddened with anger at the mention of the past. "Emily! Charles and I had an engagement since childhood. Besides, two years ago, I was set up and framed. I was a victim too!"

Because of that incident, Charles hated Grace. And Emily, as her friend, not only didn't comfort her but also seduced Charles behind her back.

This had made Grace the laughingstock of the entire Silverlight City.

Her mind snapped back to reality. Dwelling on it now only deepened her sadness. All Grace wanted was to see Charles and share the good news about her pregnancy.

Grace took a deep breath, steadied herself. "Let go!"

Emily suddenly glanced behind Grace, her previous arrogance gone, and said softly, "Grace, don't be angry. It's all my fault. I'll take all the blame, but the child in my belly is innocent!"

Emily even squeezed out a few tears, looking extremely pitiful.

Grace was stunned. "Emily, what are you talking about?"

Pregnant? Child? What was going on?

Before Grace could react, she saw Emily suddenly let go of her hand and fall into the pool.

"Help!" Emily's panicked screams echoed over the villa, and the splashing water hit Grace's face.

Grace stood there, bewildered and at a loss.

Suddenly, a familiar voice hit her ears. "What are you doing?"

Grace turned to see Charles rushing out of the villa like a madman. He was wearing a black shirt, looking particularly handsome in the sunlight.

He jumped into the pool without hesitation, quickly holding Emily, his face full of concern. "Are you okay?"

Emily, like an injured bird, leaned against Charles, her face pale, indistinguishable between tears and water. "Charles, my belly hurts," she murmured.

As soon as she finished speaking, blood stained the pool water.

Charles looked up and glared at Grace. "What did you do to her?"

Grace instinctively shook her head. "I...I didn't push her, she..."

Charles was furious, his expression cold. "Do you think I'm blind?"

Emily trembled as she grabbed Charles' shirt. "Charles, our baby, the baby..."

Charles' face was filled with concern as he carefully lifted Emily from the pool. He gently reassured her, "Don't worry, we're heading to the hospital."

Grace's heart ached as if someone had stabbed her. He didn't even give her a chance to explain and directly condemned her. She was his wife!

Watching Charles carry Emily, Grace took small steps forward, tugging at his shirt, softly explaining, "Charles, I really didn't..."

Charles' mind was all on Emily. He forcefully pushed Grace's hand away. He snapped, "Get lost! Stay away from her!"

Grace stumbled, almost falling, and Charles didn't even look at her.

At the door, Charles stopped, slowly turned around, his eyes full of cold killing intent. He warned, "You better pray that Emily is okay, or I won't let you off!"

Grace felt a sharp sting from Charles's cold gaze, and an overwhelming sense of powerlessness washed over her.

As she watched him anxiously leave with Emily in his arms, Grace instinctively touched her belly and bit her lip.

"Sorry, but you need to leave," the servant of the mansion said, issuing an eviction order.

Grace was kicked out of Serenity Manor, utterly humiliated.

From that day on, Charles gave an order: except for necessary prenatal check-ups, Grace was not allowed to step out of the house, effectively putting her under house arrest.

At the same time, Grace received a divorce agreement. The moment her fingers touched the divorce papers, it was as if she saw Charles's indifferent face and the cold fury in his eyes.

From the day she received the divorce papers, Grace never saw Charles again.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was the second month after Grace had given birth.

On this day, Grace was playing with her child as usual when she suddenly noticed something amiss. Her hand holding the toy suddenly stopped, and she frowned, "Mia, why is the baby's face so red?"

Mia Wilson came over, shaking a bottle, "Ms. Windsor, is he sick?"

Mia touched the baby's forehead and exclaimed, "So hot, Ms. Windsor, the baby seems to have a fever."

"Let's go to the hospital!" Grace said. She panicked, not even bothering to change her clothes, and rushed out with Mia and the baby.

Since becoming a mother, Grace couldn't bear to see her child suffer even a little. Looking at the baby's flushed face, tears welled up in her eyes.

Fortunately, there was no traffic today, and they arrived at the hospital smoothly.

After a series of examinations, an hour had passed. Mia went to the pharmacy to get the medicine. The baby's fever had subsided, and Grace held him, his little mouth occasionally moving, looking adorable.

Watching the baby sleep peacefully, Grace couldn't help but smile. Although Charles didn't care about her, at least she still had her children.

Just as Grace was immersed in happiness, the light above her suddenly dimmed.

Thinking it was Mia returning, Grace looked up with a smile, "Mia, look at him…"

Before she could finish her sentence, Grace stopped, her expression instantly turning cold, "Emily, what are you doing here?"

Grace never expected to run into Emily when she took her child to the hospital.

Emily raised her slender eyebrows and reached out with her long nails to touch the baby's face. She smirked, "Why can't I be here? The hospital isn't owned by your family! Look at this child, sleeping so soundly."

Grace was startled and quickly stepped back with the baby, watching her warily, "What do you want? Stay away from my child!"

Emily sneered, folding her arms and looking at her disdainfully, "Grace, don't forget, the divorce agreement clearly states that this child will be raised by Charles. And he has already signed the divorce agreement with you."

Emily paused and smiled with triumph, "I'm marrying Charles soon, and I'll be this child's mother. You should be reasonable and let me see the child, so we can bond."

The provocation and smugness on Emily's face deeply stung Grace.

Grace's hands clenched into fists at her sides. The thought of this malicious woman becoming her child's stepmother made her tremble with anger.

But what could Grace do in her anger? She couldn't change the terms of the divorce agreement, nor could she fight Charles for custody of the child.

Suppressing the urge to hit Emily, Grace forced herself to stay calm, her face cold. "Charles isn't here. I won't let you see the child!" she said firmly.

With that, Grace turned to leave with the baby. Although she still had feelings for Charles, she no longer had any illusions about their marriage. The child was very important to her. She would never let Emily take him away easily.

Emily wasn't about to let her go so easily. She quickly blocked her path and tried to snatch the baby. She snorted, "You want to see Charles? Stop dreaming! Today, you must give me the child!"

Grace had just given birth and hadn't fully recovered. She was thin and weak, and with the baby to care for, she was no match for Emily.

After a few rounds of struggling, Grace was already exhausted. Emily took the opportunity to push her hard, causing Grace to lose her balance and fall.

As a mother's instinct, she protected the baby as she fell, landing on her back with a muffled groan of pain.

"Ms. Windsor!" Mia shouted. She had just returned and, dropping the medicine quickly, helped Grace up.

Seeing the whole process of Grace's fall, Mia didn't hesitate and slapped Emily.

Emily was stunned, covering her face and glaring at Mia in shock, "You, you actually dared to hit me!"

Mia angrily retorted, "So what if I hit you? How dare you bully Ms. Windsor!"

Worried about causing a scene, Grace quickly handed the baby to Mia and stood in front of her, warning in a low voice, "Emily, this is a hospital, a public place. You'd better not go too far!"

Grace knew Emily's character well and was worried she would cause trouble here. Emily might not care about her dignity, but Grace did.

Emily suddenly pursed her lips, revealing a calculating smile.

Grace immediately had a bad feeling. She looked up and saw Emily slap herself hard on the other side of her face. Her face instantly turned red and swollen.

The sound of the slap was crisp, and Emily, covering her swollen face, tearfully and pitifully said, "Grace, I was just concerned about the child. Please don't misunderstand."

Grace and Mia were completely stunned, not knowing what Emily was up to.

Grace tensed as she heard familiar footsteps approaching from behind; she already knew what was about to unfold.

Hearing the slap, Charles quickly walked over. When he saw Emily's red and swollen cheek, he turned and glared at Grace, his face instantly darkening with rage.

Grace's already pale face turned even whiter, and she stared at Charles without blinking.

Seeing her backer arrive, Emily threw herself into Charles's arms, sobbing, "Charles, I saw Grace and the baby at the hospital and wanted to show some concern, but Grace was really hostile and wouldn't let me get near them."

Emily sniffled, clutching her chest, crying so hard she could barely breathe, "Charles, if our child were still here, it would be born by now. I miss our child so much."

Charles's cold face was full of heartache. He held Emily tightly and gently said, "Don't cry. I'll make it right for you."

Emily lowered her head, slightly pursing her red lips, revealing a triumphant smile.

Charles held Emily in his arms and turned, his cold gaze falling on Grace. "Did you hit Emily?" he questioned. His imposing manner made Grace take a step back in fear.

Mia stepped forward to explain, but Grace pulled her back, protecting her and the baby behind her.

Grace knew Emily's tricks before. Mia was straightforward and no match for Emily. No matter what Mia said, Charles wouldn't believe her.

Grace took a deep breath, raised her head to meet his gaze, and coldly said, "I hit her."

Mia tugged at her sleeve cautiously, full of guilt. Emily was also stunned, not expecting Grace to admit it so easily.

Charles's face turned even colder. He looked down at Emily and asked, "How many times did she hit you?"

Emily blinked, her eyes glistening, and whispered, "Just once."

Looking at Emily's red and swollen face, Charles coldly asked again, "How many times did she hit you?"

Emily sniffled, pretending to be reluctant to tell the truth, "Five times."

Mia was anxious and loudly defended, "You're lying! It wasn't Ms. Windsor who hit you, it was me…"

"Mia!" Grace quickly pulled her back, cutting her off, "Mia, the baby must be hungry. Take him to the nursing room."

Grace turned her back to Charles and Emily, winking at Mia.

Mia had no choice but to hold back, glaring coldly at Emily before taking the baby to the nearby nursing room.

After Mia left, Grace turned around, bracing herself to face them. She said, "It was wrong of me to hit you. I apologize."

Charles narrowed his eyes, looking at her coldly.

Emily sniffled, pretending to be magnanimous, and softly said, "Grace, we're good friends. It's okay, I won't blame you."

Grace pursed her lips and sneered. This scene felt all too familiar.

Emily looked up, tears streaming down her face. "Charles, my face hurts so bad. I need to see a doctor."

Charles' face darkened immediately. He tightened his grip on Emily's shoulder and said, "I'll take you to the doctor after I get justice for you."

He turned to Grace, his voice icy. "Come with me."

The hospital was packed, and he didn't want to draw attention.

Grace lowered her eyes, nervously clutching her clothes as she followed him.

In an empty office, Charles sat on the sofa with his arm around Emily's waist. Grace stood in front of them, her heart aching as she watched their affectionate display.

Charles looked up and told the two bodyguards who had followed them in, "She hit Emily. Hold her down and give her fifty slaps."

Grace's head shot up, her eyes wide with pain and shock. The man she loved so deeply looked at her with nothing but coldness and disdain. She never imagined he would order fifty slaps for her because of Emily!

Tears welled up in Grace's eyes as she looked at Charles. His face, still handsome, now appeared distant and unfamiliar to her.

Biting her lip, she let out a bitter laugh, her heart aching unbearably. Crying, Grace pleaded, "Charles, can you hit me somewhere else? Please don't hit my face."

Her red, pleading eyes were filled with desperation. Fifty slaps would ruin her face!

Charles remained silent, his lips pressed together, his fingers clenching.

Sensing Charles' emotional shift, Emily tugged at his sleeve, pitifully saying, "Charles, let it go. Grace didn't mean it."

After a pause, Emily glanced at Grace, her tone aggrieved. "My face hurts so much. Take me to the doctor."

Emily's words seemed to reignite Charles' anger. He immediately ordered the bodyguards, "What are you waiting for? Do it!"

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