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.