Chapter 3

I struggled with all my strength, desperately hoping the security guards would sense something was wrong.

“I’m their housekeeper,” Mary said, her voice steady and sincere. “Mrs. River is pregnant and just fell asleep after I calmed her down. Please don’t disturb her any further. I’ll personally apologize to the neighbors first thing in the morning.”

With her trustworthy demeanor and disarming words, Mary managed to fool the guards, who left shortly after.

As soon as the door clicked shut, she stormed back into the study, grabbed my hair, and slapped me hard across the face several times.

Blood dripped from the corner of my mouth as she leaned in close, her voice dripping with venom.

“You tart, still hoping someone will come to save you? Do you think those guards could get you out of here? Pathetic! I’ve hated your dainty, delicate act for so long. Only Wynne deserves to be Mrs. Rivers!”

I stared at her in disbelief, which only made her laugh cruelly.

“What’s with that shocked look? You’ll be killed by your enemy. Who’s going to trace any of this back to me? You might think the house has surveillance, but too bad, I cut the wires to the cameras long ago. Your status and your husband—everything will belong to Wynne!”

I shook my head frantically, hoping to spark even a shred of pity in her.

However, Zack sneered coldly. “Why waste your breath on her? She’ll be dead soon enough. Michael ruined me. He bankrupted my company and destroyed my life. My wife and child left me because of him. Now, it’s his turn to feel that pain!”

Suddenly, Mary’s phone rang.

She frowned as she glanced at the caller ID before answering.

“Sir, what can I do for you at this late hour?”

Michael’s cold voice came through the line. “What’s going on with Janice? The security guards just contacted me. Why did she trigger the alarm in the middle of the night? Wynne is waiting for me to dance with her, and now Janice is not answering her phone. Tell Janice to get over here!”

Mary’s face twitched with suppressed anger as she glared at me. Still, she replied meekly, “Sir, Mrs. River has already gone to bed…”

Michael let out a derisive laugh. “She caused trouble and then went to sleep? Or is she just afraid I’ll hold her accountable? Wake her up. I have something to tell her.”

Zack smirked, dragging the edge of his knife across my cheek. “Let her take the call. Let’s see if Michael will actually come back to save her!”

Mary reluctantly shoved the phone against my ear.

While Zack was distracted, rummaging through the study, I seized the phone and shoved Mary out of the way with all my strength.

The balcony was just beside the study, and I quickly locked the sliding glass doors behind me. This time, I didn’t cry or beg Michael to come save me.

With trembling hands, I swiftly typed out a message to the police before hesitantly answering Michael’s call.

“Michael, send the security guards over. The baby and I are in danger.”

I wasn’t trying to disrupt his night with Wynne; I just hoped he’d take this opportunity to have the guards intervene.

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line before he let out a bitter laugh, as though I’d just told a ridiculous joke.

"Janice, has your jealousy of Wynne really gotten this out of hand? I spend one Valentine’s Day with her, and you pull these childish stunts?

“Wynne isn’t like you. She’s had a hard life since she was a child. Can’t you stop being so petty and mean? Stop making a scene. If you were really in danger, why didn’t you call the police?”

A sharp pain ripped through my abdomen, and I gasped for air, barely able to speak. “I already called the police, but it’ll take time for them to get here!”

Through the glass doors, I saw Zack raising a claw hammer, aiming it at the glass.

“Michael, I’m not asking you to leave Wynne and rush back. Just send the security guards over!”

The shattering sound of breaking glass cut through the night as Zack burst onto the balcony and dragged me back inside.

The shattered glass tore into my skin, leaving me bloodied and raw.

Zack snatched the phone from my hand and sneered darkly. “Michael Rivers, long time no see. Your wife is in my hands now. If you ever want to see her alive again, you’d better get here fast.”

On the other end, Michael’s voice was cold and laced with sarcasm. “Janice, you’re really committed to this act, aren’t you? How much did you pay this guy to help you pull this off? You think I’m stupid enough to fall for this? If you actually die, don’t worry—I’ll make sure to collect your corpse.”

Pain coursed through my body, and my teeth chattered uncontrollably as a warm fluid trickled down between my legs. Summoning the last of my strength, I cried out, tears streaming down my face. “Michael, I’m going into labor! Please, send someone to save me and the baby!”

Zack shoved the phone at Mary and signaled her to start recording.

“Well, Mrs. Rivers,” he said with a chilling grin. “Since your husband doesn’t believe you, let me deliver your baby myself.”

His words froze me in terror, but the excruciating pain as he pressed down on my abdomen robbed me of any ability to resist.

With a swift, brutal motion, the knife came down. Blood sprayed across my vision as he cut into me, tearing open my stomach.

I watched helplessly as he pulled the baby from my womb, small and fragile, not yet able to open its eyes.

Zack tossed the newborn to the floor and stomped on it mercilessly until it was nothing but a blood-soaked heap.

Mary recorded the entire scene and sent the video to Michael, feigning panic. “Sir, it’s real! The intruder forced me to record everything. He’s just cut the baby out of her!”

Michael drew a sharp breath but then let out a mocking laugh. “You really think I’d believe this? Nice touch with the housekeeper, Janice. How much did you bribe her to play along?

“So much blood, and you’re still not dead? And where’d you get that realistic baby prop? Quite convincing…”

Tears streamed down my face as his ridicule echoed in my ears.

“Police! Don’t move!”

Just as despair swallowed me whole, the police burst in.

One officer glanced at the still-connected call in Mary’s hand and sighed. “Mr. Rivers, there was a break-in at your home. Your wife has been gravely injured and has been taken to the hospital. Please come as soon as possible.”