My husband Antonio Kaufman gave the one million dollars we had prepared for our unborn baby to his first love, Emma Dixon.

I wanted the money back, but he said, "Emma needs it more. Don't be stingy."

When I demanded an IOU, Antonio called me heartless.

Then Emma cried that she had lost all of the money.

Antonio didn't get mad. He held Emma to comfort her and promised to take care of her forever.

I packed silently and called my dad.

"Antonio is an asshole. I'm leaving him and going home to run the family business."

When I hung up, Antonio walked out and told me in a low voice, "Grace, go cook for Emma. She'll be hungry when she wakes up."

I ignored him and walked to the room.

Antonio grew angry and blocked my way.

"Grace, it's just one million. What's the big deal? You're so unfeeling!

"Be good, or get out!"

His yelling woke Emma, who was asleep in the room. Annoyed, she took his arm and looked at me with disdain.

"Antonio, you were popular in school, and your family is rich. Why did you marry such a miser?"

Antonio sighed and looked at Emma.

"You think everyone is as kind as you?" he said, glancing at my baby bump.

"Grace and I are having a baby. Regrets won't help now." Antonio looked at me impatiently.

I touched my belly and thought, "Should I keep this baby?"

When I had the prenatal checkup, the doctor said my health was poor, and I might not even deliver.

Even if the baby was born, caring for it until age three would cost a million dollars, and there was no promise it would be healthy.

Every day, I felt the fetus growing weaker.

And we lost that one million dollars.

My dad would only help if I divorced Antonio and went back home.

I had married him against Dad's advice. Dad warned me never to mention our family's power, or Antonio would lose his job.

My pregnancy was merely three months along. If the baby was unhealthy, I shouldn't bring it into this world. I didn't want it to suffer, especially with a man as irresponsible as Antonio.

What pained me most was that, even though he knew the money could make sure I delivered our baby safe and sound, he gave it to Emma without a second thought.

Since the baby and I meant less than Emma, there was no reason to stay.

I turned to grab my bag, ready to head to the hospital.

Suddenly, Emma snatched my suitcase and yelled, "Grace, don't try to run away and make things hard for Antonio!

"I'll dine with my clients tonight. Even if I end up with a bleeding stomach or on someone else's bed, I'll pay you back!"

Antonio, who had never cooked, was in the kitchen. Hearing the commotion, he rushed out. Emma, in a flimsy black dress, hugged him as she walked toward the door.

"Don't worry. I won't put you in a dilemma. I'm off to earn money. Now, go comfort your wife."

Antonio immediately locked the door.

My eyes lit up as I thought, "Is he fearing I'll leave?"

Antonio walked toward me, and I thought he was gonna say sorry.

But he only said coldly, "Grace, you're the cruelest woman I've ever seen. You're a woman too, but you forced Emma to sell herself for money!"

Before I could explain, Antonio grabbed my bag and tossed it into the fireplace.

With an icy glare, he added, "Without your ID card, you can't go anywhere."

Then he turned to Emma with a smile.

"Emma, we've known each other for years. You're like family. You don't need to pay me back. If you're short on cash, we can sell the house and car. Now, go get changed. I'll take you to eat out.

"Grace's bag just got burned. This place smells toxic. We can't eat here."

I ran to the fireplace to get my bag back, but it had a big hole in it. My ID, the few grand I had, and even my phone were burned up.

Fearing my phone might explode, I dashed to the kitchen and grabbed a pair of tongs to pick it up.

When Antonio left with Emma, he double-locked the door.

I couldn't open it, and my phone was broken. He must've done it on purpose.

But did he forget that I hadn't eaten, either? There were no snacks in the house.

And I couldn't even cook because of my morning sickness.

I lay on the bed, feeling starving and helpless. And I vomited often. Soon, I grew very weak.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my belly. Then, I smelled blood. I had a bad feeling. So I crawled to the window with all my might.

The light downstairs was on, so I grabbed the clothesline pole and struck the window downstairs while calling out for help.

The neighbor downstairs knew me well. Seeing me pasty and bleeding, she reassured me, all anxious, "Honey, don't worry. I'll call 911. They'll open the door for you."

About ten minutes later, the police and the ambulance came. The door was opened.

I borrowed my neighbor's phone to call Antonio.

I had no money. He had just received a bonus of 18,000 dollars.

The line was connected before long.

I said anxiously, "Antonio, come back. I'm bleeding. The paramedics say the fetus is in a critical condition."

Emma snorted at the other end of the line.

"Grace, save it. You're just lying to make Antonio come back to you."

I was bleeding profusely. I couldn't help shouting, "Bitch, leave my husband alone!"

Without saying a word, Emma put down the phone but didn't hang up.

I could hear music from a bar and the sound of glasses clinking. I kept calling Antonio's name, but he couldn't hear me.

Then, I heard him and Emma laughing. I finally hung up.

Maybe I was wrong to have expectations of him. He'd rather trade his wife's and child's happiness and lives for Emma's happiness.

Were he and Emma just friends?

Emotionally overwhelmed, I sobbed and called my dad.

He said he'd have a friend of his in this city send me money at once, and that I'd have new identification within one day.

Reassured, I finally got into the ambulance.

The operation was performed under general anesthesia, but I still could feel the pain, physically and mentally.

Antonio used to want this baby. He had even picked a name for it.

He knew how difficult and dangerous this childbirth was for me. But when it came to Emma, nothing else mattered to him.

I had thought when our baby was born, Antonio would know how much I loved him. Surrounded by me and the baby, he'd feel the familial affection; he'd forget Emma and love me and the baby more.

Reality told me it was all in my head.

When I came to after the operation, Antonio was sitting by the hospital bed. Emma was lying at the other end of the bed. I felt a chill at my waist. I looked and found Emma had put her cold foot against my waist.

I pushed her feet away.

Emma opened her eyes and looked at me. Under the quilt, she kicked me with her other foot. Then, she pretended to fall off the bed.

Antonio hastened to catch her.

Emma pretended to just wake up.

She complained, "Who kicked me? It hurts."

Holding Emma, Antonio glared at me.

"Grace, my friends never mean anything to you, do they?

"Emma is unwell. But still, when she learned you were in hospital, she insisted on coming to keep you company. She was cold, so I asked her to lie down and get warm."

His words enraged me.

I had a miscarriage. Instead of showing any concern for me, Antonio wanted me to warm Emma with my body?

I couldn't help yelling.

"Antonio, get out! I want a divorce!"

Emma stood before Antonio and lectured me loudly.

"Grace, I don't blame you for kicking me off the bed. But show some respect for Antonio, or I won't be so nice.

"You're just a powerless bitch. You totally relied on Antonio after marrying him. The baby is gone. But he didn't blame you and took care of you all night. What did you do?"

Then, Emma's eyes rolled cunningly. She looked at Antonio and continued, "And who is the man who paid your medical bill? Did you cheat on Antonio? Is that why you didn't want his baby?"

I struggled to sit up and threw the pillow at Emma furiously.

Holding Emma in his arms, Antonio tossed the pillow away and looked at me in disappointment.

"Grace, are you mad because it's true?

"You're the only woman I've ever loved. Why did you betray me?" Hearing Antonio's words, the two pregnant women in the ward and their husbands looked at me disdainfully.

After a triumphant glance at me, Emma grabbed Antonio's arm.

"Let's get out of here. I'll buy you breakfast. Thank you for catching me just now. Your wife can stay here and think about what she did."

Antonio sighed and patted Emma on her back.

"You're a good friend. You care more about me than my wife does."

Under the quilt, I clenched my fists.

Did Antonio forget?

He had a digestion problem. In our three years of marital life, I specially made him nutritious meals every day. So, he didn't have diarrhea again.

His friend Emma, however, only asked him out to drink. One day, he drank too much and had gastric perforation.

I was the one taking care of him until he was discharged from the hospital. He had forgotten all of this.

Thinking of the past, I dozed off. Less than an hour later, I was woken up.

With a long face, Antonio said, "I've gone through the discharge formality. Get up. Someone else needs this bed."

I had to get out of bed, covering my aching belly with my hand.

"Why? I haven't recovered."

Antonio got impatient.

"You only had a miscarriage. You don't need to be hospitalized. I had the hospitalization deposit refunded. I need the money to negotiate with Emma's client. If it goes well, her company's crisis will be over."

I was confused.

"What does it have to do with me?"

Emma walked in and showed off the designer purse in her hand.

"I needed 5,000 dollars. I bought this purse with the hospitalization deposit for my client.

"Don't look at me like that. I know your lover paid the hospitalization deposit. When I have the money, I'll pay you back.

"To be honest, if Antonio hadn't spent all of his 18,000 dollars on me, I wouldn't wanna use this money. It's disgusting!"

Antonio urged Emma to go.

"Hurry. We're running late."

At the door, something seemed to occur to him. He threw a 100-dollar bill in my face.

"I'm going with Emma to talk business. Go home. I'll reckon with you about that asshole when I get back."

Soon after they left, my dad came with his friend.

I sobbed in his arms and told him everything.

Dad hired a divorce attorney for me immediately. Afraid that Antonio would pester me and affect my recovery, Dad took me home in a private jet.

The private jet was about to take off when Dad's assistant Chad Heath brought a purse.

"Mr. Fisher, a contractor sent a gift for Ms. Fisher, wishing to continue our cooperation.

"Ms. Fisher, do you like this purse?"

It was the purse Emma showed to me in the ward. Turned out she had bought the purse to please Dad.

She wanted further cooperation with Dad.

I looked at Chad and said, "Tell the person. She bought this purse by immortal means. I'll never cooperate with her!"

Chad nodded and called Emma before the private jet took off.

When I got home, I turned my phone on. There were hundreds of missed calls and tons of new messages from Antonio.

"Grace, are you insane? Emma and I have been friends since childhood. You're divorcing me just because I lent her money?

"Tell me honestly. Are you leaving me for that asshole who paid your medical bills? His car and watch both cost millions of dollars.

"Do you think I'm too poor? I've been working hard to make money. I used to make thousands of dollars a month. It's been only three years. Now, my monthly salary is 50,000 to 60,000 dollars. You've lived off me these years."

I put my old phone in a drawer and took out a new one.

I had to admit Antonio was a hard worker. Many college students who had graduated together with him didn't even have a job.

But Antonio was already living comfortably in that city. His pay had been raised a great deal. He was competent. Many companies were willing to poach him. Before Emma came along, I cooked after work, and he cleaned the house.

Antonio didn't spend much. He didn't smoke or drink or gamble. His monthly consumption was less than 2,000 dollars.

I made 15,000 dollars a month and only spent 3,000 dollars. We saved up 50,000 dollars in our joint account every month. In addition to year-end bonuses and other bonuses, we finally saved up one million dollars within three years.

I could've told Dad proudly that I could live a comfortable life without family support.

But Antonio gave all our money to Emma.

He loved her more than me.

One week later, Dad made Antonio sign the divorce paper. I was divorced. I didn't know how Dad did it.

He said he'd throw a grand party for me to celebrate my return, and that he'd openly give 50% of the company shares to me.

Parrish was my mom's surname. To get those shares, I had to change my last name to Fisher, which was Dad's last name, at the party.

I looked at Dad. He was getting on in years. Eventually, I agreed with him.

The party happened soon. I appeared before the guests after taking a lot of time getting prepared.

I had just sat down in a corner to have some cake when someone grabbed my arm.