Her Ex-Husband's Remorse

It's considered public knowledge that the CEO of Nextronics, Spencer Ford, is totally and utterly smitten with his wife, Nikita Young. Case in point: the very first digital voice assistant that Nextronics launched was called Nikki. Nextronic's newest launch, a smartphone that would revolutionize the tech industry, was to be named the Niko Ultra. Spencer seemed born to be a perfect husband—loving, devoted, and affectionate towards her. That was until she caught him in bed with his assistant. Nikita snapped out of the haze and realized a startling truth—promises could be broken, no matter how sincere the person who made them appeared. "I want to terminate this pregnancy. I don't want to bring this child into the world." "Give me ten days, and I will leave him." Chapter 1 "Ms. Young, are you certain that you want to proceed with the termination?" Nikita Young, clutching the medical report tightly in her hands, nodded in determination. "Yes, doctor, I've made up my mind." The doctor sighed wistfully but did not attempt to change her mind. "Very well then. The best time frame for a pregnancy termination would be between thirty-five and fifty-five days after conception. Out of concern for your current health, I've scheduled your procedure to be carried out in ten days." "Thank you, doctor." Nikita found a spot on the bench in the waiting room. With one hand lightly stroking her still-flat tummy, she booked a flight ticket back to her hometown in 10 days. At that very moment, the little television screen in the waiting room was broadcasting a livestream of Nextronics' product launch. Nextronics was a company that rose steadily to fame over the past few years, not only because it boasted an impressive array of state-of-the-art digital devices, but also because of its handsome, intelligent, and incredibly wealthy CEO. The very same man who Nikki was so lucky to marry. Spencer Ford was the epitome of the perfect man— He was loving and devoted to his wife, much to the envy of women everywhere. The very first digital voice assistant that Nextronics launched was Nikki, whose name was soon revealed to be coined after Nikita. Nextronics' newest product, whose launch was being televised on screen at that moment, was a smartphone named Niko Ultra. There were no doubts where the inspiration for that name came from, either. Anyone who did not live under a rock knew that Spencer was crazy about Nikita, which proved to be a great selling point, especially in the female consumers' market. The reporters were interviewing civilians outside the product launch conference. One woman said to the camera, "To be very honest, I have no idea what this new smartphone does, but I'm hoping that if my husband buys it, he'll learn to be as loving of a husband as Mr. Ford is." The reporter then gave this message to Spencer, whose handsome face was beaming at the camera. "Mr. Ford, everyone knows you're smitten with your wife. I must ask, if Mrs. Ford is with a child in the future, will the little rascal take any of your affection away from your wife?" Spencer considered this for a few moments, then grinned and replied, "I very much look forward to that day, but I leave the decision to my wife. To answer your question, I'd still prefer to be known as the man who is obsessed with his wife rather than his child." A chorus of laughter broke out at this. All of a sudden, Nikita's phone buzzed. It was a message from her best friend, Mia Samson. A long chain of text messages soon followed, and it was clear Mia was following along the broadcast from wherever she was. [Hey, tell Spencer to stop! It's getting annoying!] [Come on, you need to give that man a child. He came by this morning to visit, and I swear at the rate he's stroking my little Taylor's head, she'll be bald before I know it!] [To be honest, Nikita, I'm quite envious of you. You're so lucky to have a husband like Spencer!] Nikita had to stifle a snicker at this. Mia was right, though—she was indeed a very fortunate woman. She grew up in a loving home, raised by parents who were still as in love with each other as the day they married, even decades later. Unfortunately, this set her up for impossibly high standards when it came to her love life. Precisely because she witnessed her parents' perfect marriage, Nikita was always incredibly picky about men. She refused to settle and thus never dated even until the ripe age of 26. That was until she met Spencer. When they met, it seemed apparent that they were made for each other. Dedicated and loving, Spencer had been the perfect husband a woman could ever dream of. He respected her every decision and placed her above anything else in his life. He even had a notebook that he carried everywhere, which was dedicated to jotting down all of Nikita's whims and fancies. A glimpse into this notebook revealed that Nikita did not like fish, she despised onions, ginger, and garlic, she loved cherries, and she was often in a bad mood in the first hour upon waking. Spencer's friends were, politely speaking, outright appalled when they learned this. They asked, "Doesn't it get tiring, being with such a fickle woman?" Spencer's reply was apt. "Don't you think it's rather cute?" Spencer's friends did not have a comeback for that. Nikita, however, did not let her guard down easily. Until one day, the two of them encountered a landslide on one of their trips. They were admiring the mountain view in a jeep when the cliff face above their heads collapsed, sending rocks and sand flying. The sheer impact of the landslide crushed the vehicle they were in, but even then, Spencer's first instinct was not to save himself. Instead, he shielded Nikita underneath him as the rocks rained down over them. Nikita came out of the incident without so much as a scratch, while Spencer ended up in the intensive care unit. Three times during his admission everyone thought they would lose him, but he pulled through in the end. How could Nikita not be touched by this sheer display of unconditional love? This man risked his life for her. Surely there could not be a love greater than this? It was then that Nikita finally agreed to marry him. On the day of their wedding, Spencer sobbed like a child as he slid the ring onto Nikita's finger with trembling hands. He said solemnly to her, "I, Spencer Ford, will take Nikita Young as my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health. To love and to cherish, till death do us part. I'll never betray you, Nikita, for I love you with my whole heart and more." Nikita replied in a voice barely above a whisper, "I hope that's true, Spencer because once I leave, I'll never turn back." Spencer loved her more than anything else in this world, and so she loved him in return. Unfortunately, it seemed life had different plans. Two weeks ago, Nikita made a startling discovery—it turned out Spencer slept with another woman behind her back. According to the hotel check-in records, the affair was ongoing for at least six months, and Spencer met up with his mistress twice a week. Spencer turned back on his vows. Her marriage, as she knew it, fell apart and vaporized in a cloud of dust. Nikita stroked her belly, scrawled her signature on the divorce agreement, and stuffed it into an envelope. Even though Spencer turned back on his promise, she was still a woman of her word. She would leave and never return. Half an hour later, Spencer showed up at their front door, covered in sweat and panting as though he had run a marathon. It seemed he rushed home from the product launch as fast as he could. He put his arms around Nikita and murmured, "Darling, I just got a call from Mrs. Lewis. She told me you're pregnant. Is that true? Are we going to have a child?" It took Nikita all she could to hold back her tears. She nodded slowly. "Yes, we are." She did not tell him that in exactly ten days, the child would be gone, and there would never be another one. An oblivious Spencer was so overjoyed by the news that he did not know how to act. As soon as he snapped out of his stupor, he called his secretary and chirped, "Everyone gets double the bonus this month!" Then, he called everyone he knew and basked in the glow of the heartfelt congratulations. Nikita chuckled at this. She handed him the sealed envelope and said secretively, "I have another present for you." Spencer was about to open the envelope, but she stopped him just in time. "You're not allowed to open it until ten days from now. It's a surprise." Spencer immediately set a reminder on his phone for the date. He kissed Nikita and crooned, "I'm the luckiest man alive!" Nikita smiled but did not answer. Chapter 2 The next morning, Spencer cleared his schedule for the morning so that he could bring Nikita to a private hospital, funded by Nextronics, for her obstetric checkup. After receiving confirmation that the pregnancy was viable, he laid his head gently against Nikita's belly. His assistant reminded him, "Mr. Ford, it's still too early to feel the baby kicking." Spencer grinned. "No, I can feel it, I can feel it!" His assistant had to stifle a chuckle. Spencer bombarded the obstetrician with questions regarding Nikita's care during her pregnancy. It was a funny sight indeed, when Spencer, one of the greatest minds in the tech industry, had to resort to taking out his phone to jot down the doctor's advice. The doctor warned him that nausea was very common during the first trimester and that in severe cases, the mother would not even be able to keep down food. Tears welled up in Spencer's eyes, and he pulled Nikita closer to him. He said in a choked voice, "I'm sorry that you have to go through this, darling. I wish men could carry babies as well so that the burden would not fall onto you alone. I love having children, but I don't want to see you go through the pain." Nikita stroked Spencer's hair lovingly. It took everything in her not to cry or scream at him. Why? Spencer was the perfect husband, but why did he have to betray her? How hard was it to keep it in his pants? How hard was it to stay loyal to one person forever? Spencer had no idea what was going through Nikita's mind. At this point, his phone was buzzing nonstop with messages from his secretary. He was the CEO of one of the pioneering tech companies in the field, after all, so he had a massive workload to tackle every day. Having cleared his morning for Nikita's doctor's visit, he had even more work to do that afternoon. He did not like the idea of leaving Nikita alone, however, so he brought her with him to the office. He settled her in his office, where the temperature was set to exactly how she liked it, with all of her favorite snacks prepared. He also stationed one of his assistants to keep an eye on her before leaving for his meeting. Before his departure, he cuddled up to Nikita like a warm, loving puppy and crooned, "I wish I could stay by your side forever, darling. If only I didn't have so much to do!" Spencer did not seem to mind showing his affection to his wife in front of his employees. His female employees eyed them in envy, and Nikita's keen ears picked up on some of their whispers. "I wish I could find a husband like that! Mrs. Ford is a lucky, lucky woman!" "Mr. Ford usually keeps such a distance from women that I thought he'd be just as stiff and cold at home, but turns out he's the exact opposite!" "Mrs. Ford is quite a catch, too. She's gorgeous and smart, for that matter. I hear she graduated from an Ivy League school. She's the perfect match for Mr. Ford. We just have to admit that we aren't good enough." All of a sudden, someone from among the crowd scoffed. It was an attractive, curvaceous woman dressed in designer clothing from head to toe. She tossed her designer bag on the desk and said snarkily, "What's there to envy?" Everyone turned to her in awe. "You have nothing to envy, Queenie. Your husband spoils you as well!" "Everyone knows your husband just bought you Maybach, Queenie. What a stunning car!" "You're so blessed, Queenie. I also hear that your husband's buying you a bungalow soon!" Spencer's assistant noticed Nikita eyeing the woman and whispered, "She's one of Mr. Ford's assistants as well. Her name is Queenie Cadwell. Her husband is one of Mr. Ford's partners, so she doesn't need to work, but she has too much time on her hands. Just ignore her, Mrs. Ford." Nikita smirked but smartly kept herself out of the drama. Spencer did such a great job of hiding his tracks that not even his assistant knew the truth—Queenie's sugar daddy was none other than Spencer himself. She was his mistress, and he smartly hired her as his assistant so that no one would suspect a thing even if they showed up everywhere together. All of a sudden, Queenie brandished her wrist for everyone to see. On her wrist shone a sparkling bracelet, bedazzled with diamonds that glinted under the fluorescent lights. She said smugly, "This is a bracelet that my husband customized for me. He's an elite VIP, and the jewelers fulfilled the order just for him!" Gasps rang out all around her. "I've seen a prototype of this on the website! With the amount of diamonds there, it costs several millions of dollars!" "Millions for a bracelet? Queenie, your husband is almost on par with Mr. Ford!" Nikita narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists. Her birthday was last week, and Spencer gifted her a bracelet. At that time, he said to her, "I customized this bracelet at the jeweler just for you. It's unique, and there is no other in this world, just like how there is no other woman for me besides you." The bracelet Queenie was showing off was the same as the one Spencer gifted Nikita. Unique? No other woman for him? Nikita lowered her head so that no one could see her tears fall. Life was playing a sick joke on her. All of a sudden, Nikita felt like she could not breathe. Chapter 3 Nikita's sudden change of mood, however, did not escape the assistant's notice. She was watching Nikita's every move because she knew her job was on the line. Nikita was the apple of Spencer's eye, and if anything happened to her, she would be sacked before she could even blink. She immediately notified Spencer of this, and five minutes later, Spencer showed up, having just come out of a meeting held over an international phone call. He stroked Nikita's head, then glanced at the table, noticing that her snacks were untouched. Finally, he hugged her and whispered, "What's wrong, darling? Is it too noisy here? Are they startling you? Why don't I take you home?" Nikita did not object. Spencer helped Nikita put on her coat, then picked up her bag and led her out the door, his arm slung protectively around her shoulder. As they walked, Spencer's gaze never once left her, but still, Nikita could feel someone watching them from among the crowd. When they arrived home, Spencer put on an apron and whipped up a meal. Who would have thought that the CEO of Nextronics, a man with a net worth of tens of billions of dollars, would willingly step into the kitchen to cook himself? Unbeknownst to the public, Spencer frequently cooked for Nikita. He knew his way around the kitchen quite well. Nikita was an extremely picky eater, but she was too kind to hurt other people's feelings. Therefore, although she did not enjoy their live-in chef's cooking, she never once complained. Spencer, however, noticed the way she picked at her food, and did not want her to go hungry, so he took up the responsibility of cooking for her himself. After half an hour, Spencer emerged from the kitchen with a full, delicious-looking four-course meal. He set the table and immediately offered Nikita a slice of pork chop. He brought it up to her lips and crooned, "Have a taste, darling." Nikita just barely swallowed the bite when all of a sudden, Spencer's phone rang. He glanced at the screen, and for just the briefest of moments, his face paled. He soon regained his composure, however, and explained, "Darling, I'm sorry, I need to take this. It's from one of our partners. Please excuse me." Five minutes later, he reappeared, looking apologetic. "I'm sorry, darling, but something urgent has come up. I need to stop by the office. Finish your meal, alright? I'll be back soon." Without even waiting for her reply, he turned and disappeared out the door. Nikita knew there was only one other person who would tear him away from her at such short notice—his mistress. All of a sudden she lost her appetite. She waited a few beats, then walked out of the house and hailed a taxi. She pulled the footage from the dashcam of Spencer's car and followed the location of a luxurious high-rise condominium. Spencer arrived and parked his car. Nikita just so happened to be the owner of one of the units in this condominium. Shortly after she started university, her parents bought her a unit here so that she would have a place to stay if she ever fell out with her roommates. She never told Spencer this, and thus he had no idea. She went to the management office and requested to see the surveillance footage of the building, feigning that she wanted to check on the state of her vacant unit. She was chatting with the landlord when two familiar silhouettes appeared in the footage of the elevator. It was Spencer and Queenie. They stepped into the elevator, and the doors barely closed when all of a sudden, they pounced on each other and were soon entwined in a passionate kiss. To Nikita's horror, she even saw Spencer's hand slide underneath Queenie's shirt. Queenie was grinning, but she pushed Spencer away abashedly. This only seemed to ignite Spencer's desire even more, for he began kissing her as if he wanted to devour her whole. When the elevator finally stopped at the 17th floor, Spencer scooped Queenie up and carried her out of the elevator, as if he could not wait even another minute. All of this happened so swiftly that the oblivious landlord did not even notice it. Nikita was the only person who witnessed the entire ordeal. Silent tears slid down her cheeks. Although she knew of Spencer's infidelity and already braced herself for the consequence, it seemed she underestimated just how much it would hurt. It broke her to see the man she loved—the very same man who claimed he would love her to the end of their days—pounce onto another woman in such a lust-filled frenzy. Years ago, when Spencer was trying to make a name for himself in the tech industry, his mentors tried to take him to various bars and clubs, under the guise of networking. There would be plenty of women at his beck and call, but Spencer turned these invitations down, even though it cost him many valuable contacts. At that time, he kneeled before Nikita and said solemnly, "If a man resorts to sleeping with any woman he meets, then he is not a man, but a beast motivated by carnal desire." He even mischievously added, "Besides, I wouldn't even be able to get it up, unless it's you, darling." Nikita was so embarrassed by this that she smacked him playfully, but because of this seemingly sincere declaration, she never once suspected him capable of infidelity, no matter where he went or who he was with. Ironically, it was Spencer himself who broke her trust. He turned back on his wedding vows, the oath he swore at the altar. Nikita returned in despair to her taxi. Her phone buzzed with a message, and she glanced at it. It was a reminder from the hospital of her appointment. [Ms. Nikita Young, you have an appointment on 15 June, 2 pm, for a medical termination of pregnancy. Do you want to confirm your appointment?] With tears streaming down her cheeks, Nikita replied, [Yes.] It was already late at night by the time she returned home. She wrapped herself in her covers and finally mustered the courage to call her mother. "Mom!" she croaked. She wanted to cry but did not want her mother to worry, so she swallowed her sobs and tried to sound as normal as possible. Her mother knew her too well and would not be fooled. She asked, sounding concerned, "What's wrong, my dear? Did something bad happen?" Nikita opened her mouth and almost told her mother the truth, but she stopped herself just in time. Instead, she replied lamely, "Nothing's wrong. I just miss you and Dad. Can I come home on the 15th?" "Of course, dear. Your father heard that you wanted to come home. He's already thinking of what to cook you for dinner!" her mother sounded delighted. "You're our baby. You can come home anytime you want!" Silent tears streamed down Nikita's cheeks. Not long after she got off the phone with her mother, she heard the key turning in the front door. Spencer finally came home after a passionate night with Queenie. He smartly took a shower, so that Nikita would not notice that anything was wrong. He tiptoed into the room, wrapped his arms around Nikita, and whispered, "I love you." He was surprised when he felt Nikita's wet cheeks. He immediately turned the lights on and gazed at Nikita in worry. "Darling, is something wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Let's go to the hospital." Nikita stopped him. Gazing upon his handsome face, all she felt was a wave of disgust. She wanted nothing more than to slap him and scream in his face, but she had to bide her time. She merely replied in a trembling voice, "Spencer, I had a dream that you cheated on me." Chapter 4 Spencer felt his breath catch in his throat. He immediately retorted, "How can I possibly do such a thing? My darling, even if every single man in this world cheats, I'll never stoop to their level." He then said, sounding very convincingly ashamed, "I asked the doctor about this, and he told me that because of the fluctuating hormone levels, pregnant women can undergo mood swings and feel very insecure at times. This is all my fault, my darling. I've been spending too much time away from you lately. I'm ashamed of myself. The company is hosting a luncheon the day after tomorrow. Would you like to join me? It'll be good to get out of the house." He hugged Nikita so close to him that she could hear his pounding heart as clearly as though it were her own. She resisted the urge to ask him whether his heart was racing out of concern for her, or because he was terrified that she found out about his affair. On the day of the company luncheon, Spencer and Nikita's appearance immediately caught everyone's attention. Spencer placed his secretary in charge of overseeing the luncheon so that he could spend time with Nikita. When Nikita was thirsty, she did not even need to tell him. He could sense her every mood and handed her a drink with a straw in it before she could ask. When she munched on some cherries, Spencer was there to catch the seeds in his palm. When she went to the bathroom, Spencer waited patiently for her outside the door. If anything, Spencer seemed like the more clingy one in the relationship. The female employees were all green with envy. "What do I have to do to find myself a husband like that?" "Mr. Ford is so obsessed with his wife. They're inseparable!" "Hey Queenie, we invited our spouses and families today, so where's your husband?" someone piped up, and immediately, all eyes were on Queenie. Queenie's husband always spoiled her with luxuries like Spencer did Nikita, so naturally, everyone was curious to meet her loving and generous husband for the first time. Queenie gave a forced smile and replied, "It's a shame. He's busy and couldn't make it today." Everyone seemed disappointed by this. "We were all looking forward to meeting your husband. I'd like my husband to learn a thing or two from him." "I wonder if Queenie's husband is anywhere as handsome as Mr. Ford is!" Nikita emerged from the bathroom, and who would she run into but Queenie? Queenie pursed her lips and muttered, "Oh, finally! The entitled brat has finally emerged. We've been waiting for ages." Everyone gasped. Queenie had always been snarky and rude, but everyone knew there was one person not to be messed with—Nikita. She was the apple of Spencer's eye, and one could easily lose one's job if they crossed her. What was wrong with Queenie? Why was she deliberately picking on the CEO's wife? One of her colleagues nudged her and hissed, "Are you out of your mind, Queenie? Apologize to Mrs. Ford right now!" Queenie turned her head away and refused to budge. Before Nikita could even say anything, Spencer barked, "Queenie, I won't tolerate such behavior. I'll deduct your bonus for this month, and you're officially off the project. Wendy will take over instead." Queenie's eyes were as wide as saucers. She stared at Spencer in sheer disbelief, but Spencer ignored her. Instead, he straightened Nikita's dress and said gently, "Let's go, darling." Nikita did not reply. She could see out of the corner of her eye that Queenie was glaring at Spencer. Angry tears slid down her cheeks, but no one else seemed to have noticed. They all checked into a luxurious five-star hotel for the night. In the middle of the night, Nikita jolted awake, but when she turned around, she discovered that the other side of the bed was empty. Her stomach was churning, and that was what woke her. She rolled over, and after a brief moment's hesitation, she decided to check the dashcam in Spencer's car. She pulled up the footage and could hear a familiar voice as clear as day. Queenie said, her voice dripping like honey as she giggled, "For a moment, I thought you forgot me, Spencer. You were so mean to me this afternoon! I was so upset. Is that how you're going to treat me from now on?" Spencer's husky voice came in short bursts. All of a sudden, he thrust, and Queenie gasped. He said coldly, "You were out of line this afternoon, Queenie. Have you forgotten what I told you? We can fool around all we like, but I draw the line with my wife. If you pick on her ever again, this will be the last we see of each other." This seemed to put Queenie in check. She hooked her arm around Spencer's neck and crooned, her voice interspersed with moans of pleasure, "I was just jealous. I'm jealous of her, Spencer. She gets all of your attention, and I get the leftovers." Spencer's tone softened. "Don't cry, baby. You had your eye on the bungalow on Second Promenade, didn't you? I'll buy you anything you want. I love you, Queenie, but I hope you won't make things difficult for me." Queenie was satisfied by this. She beamed and replied in a syrupy tone, "I'm willing to be your mistress forever, Spencer if that means I get to be with you." Their conversation was interrupted by another round of passionate moans that ended in a climax of ecstasy. Nikita felt as if she was shaken to the core. Tears streamed down her face, and she could not even bring herself to utter a single word. I love you. Spencer told Queenie that he loved her. Those three sacred words that he said to her at their wedding. Nikita felt as if her world shattered into pieces, and Spencer's wedding vows were like maggots crawling out of the remains of their ruined marriage. A long time ago, Nikita idolized a celebrity, who practically changed into a different person after her divorce. At that time, when interviewed regarding her failed marriage, she replied wistfully, "In the end, it was nothing more than ashes and dust." For a long time, Nikita did not understand it, but now, she felt the words ringing right down to her bones. People changed, sometimes in seconds. The only thing constant about the world was that nothing was. All of a sudden, Nikita felt a tearing sensation through her lower belly. She rolled out of bed, feeling as if someone had taken an axe to her uterus. She summoned all the strength she could to crawl to the door. She forced the door open, startling a passing employee as she passed. "Mrs. Ford! My goodness!" the woman screeched. Nikita felt a wave of relief. She glanced appreciatively at the woman, but the next moment, she passed out cold. Chapter 5 The next thing Nikita knew, she awoke in a hospital bed. Spencer was sitting next to her bed, nodding off. When he sensed Nikita moving, though, he jolted awake. "My darling!" he gasped. He was relieved to see that Nikita could see and hear him. He said, sounding guilty, "This is all my fault, darling. I got hungry in the middle of the night, so I went down to the buffet. I shouldn't have left you alone. This wouldn't have happened if I didn't leave you alone." Nikita had to stifle a sneer. Hungry? Well, he was not technically lying. Spencer knew that he would be discovered if he checked into another room with Queenie, which was why they resorted to doing it in the car instead. Spencer once again proved to her that she did not know him at all. Spencer did not seem to pick up on Nikita's mood. "Hit me, Nikita. I deserve to be punished." He stroked Nikita's hand lovingly, then set it down and slapped himself instead. "I should've stayed by your side. None of this would have happened if I didn't leave you alone in the room. This is all my fault!" Nikita did not reply. Instead, she glanced down at her belly and asked, "How's the baby?" Spencer's face lit up. "The baby's fine, darling. The doctor said that the bleeding was due to some changes in your mood, but otherwise, the baby would be fine. Darling, was it a bad idea that I brought you here with me? It doesn't seem like you're having a good time." He fished a necklace out of his pocket and handed it to her. "Take this, darling. I bought this just for you. The pendant on it is a good luck charm. I hope that it'll bring you and the baby good health. I want to spend the rest of my life with you!" Nikita gazed deep into Spencer's eyes. For a split second, she wanted to confront him. It was sickening just how good at acting he was getting. However, she chose not to. She was too tired for this. All of a sudden, Spencer's phone rang. He glanced at it and declined the call, but whoever was calling refused to give up. The call came again, then again, then again. Finally, Spencer had no choice but to take it. He apologized to Nikita and then left the room to take the call in the hallway. Minutes passed, but yet he did not return. Nikita yanked the IV drip out of her arm and stepped out of the room. She found Spencer just a few feet away, but he was not alone. He had Queenie in his arms, who was stroking her belly lovingly as she grinned from ear to ear. "We're finally going to have a child of our own, Spencer." Nikita heard her voice as clear as day. She stood there, rooted to the spot. She could not believe her ears. All of a sudden, the room began to spin, and she swayed. A passing nurse grabbed her just in time. "What's going on? Miss? Miss? Can anyone help me?" Spencer turned around and felt an electric shock go through him when he realized Nikita was right behind him. He hastily shoved Queenie away, then leaped to Nikita's rescue and asked nervously, "What are you doing here, darling? Do you need to use the toilet?" Nikita kept staring at Queenie, and he replied, sounding sheepish, "Darling, this is Queenie. She's one of my assistants. Not long after you woke, she found out that she's pregnant. Her husband is one of my partners, but he couldn't be here today, so I'm helping him look after her. This is not what it seems, darling." Nikita did not hear even a word. Her gaze was trained on the medical report that Queenie was holding. She asked, "How far along are you?" A glimmer of triumph flashed through Queenie's eyes. She replied, sounding pleased with herself, "The doctor said I'm almost fifty days along now. I'm such a doozy. I've been so busy the past couple of months that I didn't even notice I missed my period. My husband felt so bad that he gave me his card, and he promised he'd take a month off work to be with me during my first trimester." 50 days? Nikita closed her eyes. If Spencer did not hold her, she would have collapsed and fallen to the ground. She and Spencer's child was only 33 days old. He and Queenie's child was conceived earlier than hers. He probably just left Queenie's house the very night that their baby was conceived. What kind of sick joke was this? Even if she took the pregnancy to term, his child born out of wedlock would be older than his legitimate child. All of a sudden, Nikita caught a glimpse gave her earlier. That was it. She had enough. Nikita replied stiffly, "Well, congratulations, then." Then, she removed her hand from Spencer's and shuffled back to her room. She just laid down on the bed when her phone buzzed with a series of messages. They were from Queenie. [You know everything by now, don't you? That's right, my child is Spencer's. Nikita, I'm not as selfish as you. I don't want to keep Spencer to myself. All I ask for is a sliver of his love and affection. Besides, my child will be older than yours, and he or she will be the first in line for Spencer's inheritance. Who's laughing now?] Spencer entered the room. Nikita turned off her phone just in time, but Spencer did not notice this. Instead, he showed Nikita his online shopping cart, which was full of baby items, along with some toys and clothing. He grinned, looking proud of himself. "Why don't you take your pick, darling? Or shall I buy them all? I'm going to make our baby the happiest child on earth!" Nikita did not reply. She stared at Spencer. She could not discern which woman with whom he was expecting a child that brought him so much happiness. She could not help but ask, "Spencer, are you so excited for this baby?" Chapter 6 Spencer replied without even thinking, "Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be excited, when it's the child that my beautiful wife is bringing into this world? I'm planning on buying a bigger house for us, so we can have room for a nursery. It'll be perfect. The renovation will be complete by the time the baby arrives, and he or she will have all the toys they want." Spencer's eyes were glinting with excitement. Then, a moment later, he snapped out of his stupor to bump his nose gently against Nikita's face. "Thank you for everything, darling. You've had it rough lately, but I promise I'll do everything I can to take care of you." Nikita did not reply. Ever since returning from the luncheon, Spencer became more doting. He would turn down meetings just so he could go home and spend more time with Nikita. The change came so abruptly that everyone soon realized what was going on. Word on the street was that aside from being obsessed with his wife, Spencer was also a devoted father to his unborn child. People teased him, but in secret, they admired his devotion. Nikita was the only person who knew Spencer's whole heart was not with her. One morning, Spencer and Nikita just came home from a walk outside. Half an hour later, he had to leave, feigning that that was an urgent meeting he had to attend. Nikita, however, received a text message soon after his departure. It was a photo of Queenie and Spencer's hands entwined, along with a message that read, [Do you honestly think you have Spencer all to yourself? The truth is, whenever he's not around, he's always with me.] That afternoon, Spencer returned home to cook Nikita her lunch. It was soured by another message from Queenie. [So what if you're his wife? I'm his mistress, but he cooks for me just like he does you.] He promised Nikita that he would not stay even a single night away from her. Therefore, he made sure to have some fun with Queenie before returning home. Almost every evening, Nikita would receive messages from Queenie, accompanied by pictures of the two of them in bed. That day, it was one of Queenie and Spencer lying together naked, with Spencer's arm draped around Queenie's shoulder. There was a bite mark on Spencer's neck, with an apt message from Queenie, [Your man is mine, too.] Nikita never replied, but she made sure to save every last one of the photos and messages. On the morning of June 15, Nikita said to Spencer, "Darling, I want to visit the university today." Nikita and Spencer met during their senior year of grad school. They were not from the same majors but crossed paths because they shared a mutual mentor. The very same mentor gave a tear-jerking toast at their wedding. Nikita wanted to take him to the place where they first met. It would be a full circle moment to end things where they started. Spencer froze when he heard this, but he replied without hesitation, "Of course we can, darling." He drove them to the university, but they barely reached the gates when his phone rang. He glanced at the number, then stepped out of the car to take the call. A few minutes later, he returned, looking apologetic. "I'm sorry, darling. Something urgent has come up at the office, and I'll need to check on it. Can you wait for me here? You can stroll around the campus. I promise I'll be back soon." Unbeknownst to him, Nikita was at that moment being bombarded with messages from Queenie. [What gives you the right to keep Spencer to yourself? He should be with me at this very moment!] Nikita did not have words to describe how she felt at that moment. Was she disappointed? Perhaps, but the truth was, she was disappointed long ago. She nodded coolly, then got out of the car. Spencer watched her enter the university compound. He did this over a hundred times, but for some reason, watching Nikita leave this time made him nervous. It was as if he would never see her again, but it did not make any sense. Queenie was still blowing up his phone with her calls, so he had no choice but to put the thought behind him. He rushed to her place as fast as his car could take him. Meanwhile, Nikita strolled over to the notice board at the university's main building. Spencer was one of the university's most famous alumni, so naturally, his photo was right at the top. It was a photo of him when he was younger. His handsomeness was refreshing. Staring at the photo, for a moment there Nikita almost got fooled into thinking this was still the man she loved. She stared at the photo for a few moments before whispering, "This is the end, Spencer." Then, she turned and left. She hailed a taxi to the hospital, arriving at exactly 2 pm on the dot. She soon found herself lying on the cold operating table, where she spoke to her unborn child for the very last time. "I'm sorry, baby. I was looking forward to meeting you, but I can't bear bringing you into this world knowing that you would have a cheating man for a father. I can't do this to you. I'm sorry. Goodbye, baby." Silent tears streamed down her cheeks. An hour later, she awoke again, frail and pale-faced. Her flesh and blood were ripped out of her body, but she knew she made the right decision. Her mind was still sharp. She took out her phone and realized that Queenie was still sending her scathing texts. It seemed that Spencer was still with her. Relieved, Nikita returned to the house. She found the envelope she gave Spencer, tucked the pregnancy termination consent form into the envelope, and then resealed it. She looked around one last time at the house she called home for years, then left without so much as a second glance. She would never return.