My Sacrifice Became His Betrayal Chapter 02
As an old and prestigious family, the Atkinsons had upheld the same rule for generations. Any married couple who remained childless for three years must adopt an heir from the orphanage.
Five days from now marked the third year since I married Howard.
He refused to let me take the ovulation shots because he didn’t want anything to go wrong before taking Madalyn’s child back into the family.
Honestly, he could have just told me that he resented me for my infertility. It wasn’t like I was begging to be his wife.
But what broke my heart was that since the woman he loved was Madalyn, why wouldn’t he let me go?
He even hid his mistress in the suburbs, and I only found out when their baby was almost born.
After getting rid of the ovulation shots, Howard thought of my injury and carried me to the bedroom himself.
Afraid that I might strain the wound, he brushed my teeth, washed my face, and even helped me change into my pajamas.
His meticulous care reminded me of the day I was diagnosed with infertility.
Despite the elders’ objections, he knelt for three days and nights before them, determined to marry me. He vowed to care for me, protect me, and stay loyal to me for the rest of my life.
My heart ached terribly when I saw his pale face and swollen legs. I urged him to forget about me.
But he locked me in his embrace, pressed a dagger to his throat, and threatened the elders. “If you don’t let me marry Adri, you’ll be holding my funeral tomorrow!”
In that moment, I believed Howard had fallen head over heels for me, as though losing me would be the death of him.
But the thought of Madalyn, pregnant in the villa, made all those years of love and trust burst like bubbles and disappear without a trace.
Howard prepared a foot bath for me and carefully checked the temperature.
I couldn’t wrap my head around it. How could someone so devoted and gentle be capable of cheating?
After Howard finished cleaning up and lay down, his phone rang.
He hesitated for a few seconds before picking it up. With his hand covering the speaker, he walked to the window and scolded, “Why are you calling me this late? Adri is injured. I can’t leave. Tell the vice president to take care of it!”
His tone was all business, but the slight curl of his lips gave him away. Whoever was on the phone wasn’t from work.
Hanging up, Howard strode over to me and said, “Adri, there’s a problem with my client. I need to go take a look.”
He met my eyes with a conflicted expression, and I began to wonder how many times he had used the same trick to fool me.
I forced down the bitterness and pretended nothing was wrong. “It sounds important. You should go.”
At my words, Howard spun around and hurried out of the bedroom, even forgetting to close the door.
If I remembered it correctly, this was the first time he had left me behind while knowing I was injured.
Tears filled my eyes as I slipped on my shoes and headed up to the rooftop.
After some searching, I finally spotted Howard in the northwest corner of the woods, pinning Madalyn against a tree and kissing her.
After the kiss, he carefully stroked her pregnant belly, his eyes full of concern. “Didn’t I tell you to stay in the villa and rest? Don’t go running around like that!”
Madalyn kept drawing circles on his chest and whispered, “You went too hard this afternoon, and I started bleeding. I’ll probably go into labor early.”
Taken aback, Howard crouched down and listened against Madalyn’s belly, a smile tugging at his lips. “Can’t wait to see your Daddy, huh?
“And you—since you know you’re bleeding, why did you come here? What if something happens to my son?”
Madalyn pouted, looping her arm through Howard’s. “It’s my first time having a baby. I’m scared. Can you stay with me, Howie?”
The man lowered his gaze. “The doctors at the villa will watch over you. Besides, Adri injured her foot today…”
Madalyn played with the strap of her bra and said sheepishly, “Howie, the doctor says whenever I get emotional, I start leaking milk. Don’t you want to…”
Howard’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he flashed a cheeky grin. “You little minx.”
“Be gentle, Howie. Don’t make me bleed again.”
Without delay, he guided her into the car. “Relax. I’ll have the doctors on standby around the clock. The sooner you give birth, the sooner I can take my son home.”
A few minutes later, the car started to rock violently.
The moonlight fell over me, cold as ice, sending a chill through my body.
We had been in love for nearly ten years. Howard was always gentle in bed, careful not to hurt me.
I didn’t expect him to have such a wild and unrestrained side.
I walked down from the rooftop, like a soulless zombie.
Suddenly, I missed a step and tumbled down the stairs.
The necklace I had worn for ten years shattered into dust. With a wry smile, I gathered it in my palms and let the wind carry it away.