Chapter 1

The doctor smiled and congratulated her. “Ms. Portier, your IVF procedure was successful this time.”

On her twelfth attempt, Mathilde Haagen finally got pregnant. She clutched the ultrasound report tightly, her face beaming with joy.

Over the years, she had undergone in vitro fertilization (IVF) again and again because her previous natural pregnancies had always ended in miscarriage for various reasons.

Fortunately, she succeeded this time. With this good news, she immediately took a taxi to the company and planned to tell her husband, Edward Portier.

Just as she reached the office door, the smile on her face froze in an instant hearing the mocking voices inside.

Inside the office, a few of Edward's close friends teased him.

"Edward, do you think your wife will get pregnant this time? Besides, you've tried so many tricks to get her to miscarry the last few times."

"The first, it seems someone slip something into her milk, and she was too foolish, to think it was just a miscarriage.”

"And the third, it was when you're abroad with Louisa, right? Your wife couldn't reach you and thought something happened to you. She was so panicked and worried that she had a miscarriage. And then, she kept apologizing out of guilt."

"But, she probably never imagined, that all you did, was to make her believe that natural pregnancy would result in miscarriage, and then trick her into doing IVF. And she never had idea, the eggs used in her IVF treatments comes from Louisa."

"To be honest, she's so pitiful, undergoing so many rounds of IVF and in the end, she’s carrying someone else's child."

The mocking voices inside grew louder, but Mathilde, outside the door, felt a chill surge from her feet to her scalp, her blood boiling.

Word for word fell into her ears, like a knife inch for inch torturing her heart.

So, her repeated miscarriages were not due to her poor health, but rather the result of repeated schemes.

Mathilde had her expression and steps froze, yet the mocking voices went on.

Louisa leaned against the man’s chest and asked innocently, "Edward, aren't we going too far?"

"She’s your wife after all. Don't you fear, one day she might find out the truth and cause you trouble?"

Under the dim light, Edward's profile was deep, his expression half-mocking, his lips curling a cruel grin. "She, cause me trouble? You think, what qualifications does she have to cause me trouble?"

"Back then, relying on being the biological daughter of the Haagens, she forcibly tore us apart and even forced you to go abroad."

“If it weren’t for her, we would have gotten married long ago, and you wouldn’t have had to come back and hide like this.”

“Louisa, you’re just too kind. This is what she owes us, she deserves it.”

“Once she gives birth to this child, I’ll announce to everyone that the child needs its biological mother, and I’ll definitely bring you into our home.”

But, someone still raised some concerns. "But Edward, what if she finds out and has the baby aborted?"

"As long as you guys keep your mouth shut, she won't find out." Suddenly, his lips curled into a cold smile, and he scoffed lightly. "She loves children so much. If she finds out she's pregnant, she'll only be more careful to protect the child."

The man's words were resolute, completely shattering Mathilde's last line of defense.

Mathilde instinctively grasped the cold wall to barely support her trembling body, then hunched her back, clutched her abdomen, and ran out.

The streets were bustling with people, but her world had gone completely dark.

So, the child she had fought so hard for was actually her husband’s and Louisa’s, and for all this time, her husband always thought she was the one who drove Louisa away.

But back then, it was clearly Louisa who had hooked up with a wealthy foreigner and insisted on breaking up with him.

To consider his pride as a man, Mathilde never told him the truth.

Now, however, he thought she was the one forcing Louisa to leave?

Thinking Edward's thoughtfulness and gentleness over the years had all been an act, Mathilde felt sick.

It was all fake! All that so-called love and care was fake!

Edward never loved her!

Mathilde’s eyes reddened as she touched her lower abdomen.

Even though she had longed for this child for a long time, she couldn't accept carrying another woman's child!

She immediately hailed a taxi and made an appointment for an abortion.

However, as soon as she arrived at the hospital, the doctor apologetically said, "Ms. Portier, I'm sorry, but you can't have an abortion for now."

Mathilde frowned and shouted angrily. "Doctor Becker, I haven't even questioned your hospital for taking my eggs without my consent, forcing me to carry my husband’s child with another woman, so what right do you have to stop me from having an abortion?"

"Ms. Portier, we have just learned something as well. Due to our hospital's oversight, the child in your womb is not your husband's and Ms. Louisa Haagen's, but yours with another man."

"Last year, Mr. Edward Portier, your husband, and Mr. Nolan Fischer, the heir of the Fischers, both had their sperm stored at our hospital. The junior nurses, unfortunately, made a mistake, and ended up mistakenly identified you and Mr. Fischer."

"We've just contacted Mr. Fischer, and he should be on his way here now, so you can't leave yet."

Mathilde's eyes widened, and her body stiffened.

Was this child truly her own biological flesh and blood?

Before, she had considered to abort the child, but now she knew it was hers ….

She hesitated.

In just a few seconds, she made a decision and said, "Fine, I won’t have the abortion, but I need you to promise that no one else besides the two of us will ever find out about this.”

Simon Becker froze and quickly shook his head. "No, the Fischers is dominant in London. I can't afford to provoke them."

Mathilde's voice suddenly turned cold. "If you can't provoke the Fischers, then you can provoke me?"

"You, as my attending physician, have replaced my eggs without my consent, and not just once. Second, I’ve been the biggest victim in this whole affair. If I take you to court, your medical license will be revoked, you will be expelled from the medical profession, and you will spend the rest of your life in prison!"

"Doctor Becker, you're a smart person. It’s up to you to decide whether to cooperate with me and keep this secret, or to remain stubborn and push things to the limit.”

Simon collapsed and trembled, but she was right.

Rather than stubbornly clinging to his delusions, cooperating with Mathilde offered a glimmer of hope.

He gritted his teeth and agreed to cooperate with Mathilde.

Before leaving, Mathilde asked the doctor for the hospital's surveillance footage and had all records related to her completely deleted.

Not only that, she went to the town hall to submit evidence of her husband's infidelity.

"Hi, I have evidence of my husband's infidelity. I want to apply for a forced divorce."

“And cancel my identity information.”

The staff looked at Mathilde with sympathy and said, "Ms. Haagen, once your ID information is canceled, every traces of your past life will be completely erased. Are you sure?"

Mathilde lowered her eyes and touched her lower belly, firmly saying, "I'm sure."

She intended to divorce her scumbag husband, cancel her identity, and leave the city, taking her own child far away!