Isabella’s face went pale as ash.

Ethan had just coldly ordered her to terminate the pregnancy. His indifference cut like a blade.

“Why, Ethan? Even if you don’t want this child, must you be so cruel?” Her voice shook with disbelief.

He met her gaze, detached and icy. His tone was low and unyielding.

“Our marriage is nothing but a contract. A child would only complicate things.”

Crushed, she looked away. The rejection was too sharp to bear. Inside, her heart ached with a deep, relentless sorrow.

After a moment, she steadied herself. Her voice turned firm, defiant.

“Don’t worry, Ethan. I would never force a child on you.”

Her mind was made up. She would keep the baby—not for him, but for herself.

One day, she would tell her child their father was just a chapter from her past. Nothing more.

Ethan’s brow furrowed slightly.

“Good. I’m glad we understand each other. You’re not well. Rest. Don’t worry about work.”

Without another word, he left her room. His figure vanished down the hall.

Yet the next day, Isabella showed up at the office.

Raising a child alone left no room for weakness. No matter how exhausted, she had to push through. Rest was a luxury she couldn’t afford.

She worked at Blackwood Enterprises. She had joined the secretarial department right after college, just to be near Ethan.

Their marriage was a tightly kept secret. Only his assistant, Benjamin Clark, and a handful of executives knew.

As soon as Isabella stepped into the busy secretarial department, she noticed a crowd gathered near the meeting room. They were whispering excitedly.

“So that’s her—the woman everyone says is Mr. Blackwood’s girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend? More like his true love. Remember how he fell apart two years ago because of her?”

“I heard they’ve known each other since elementary school.”

“Mr. Blackwood didn’t even lose his temper during the meeting earlier. She was watching.”

“And now Miss Reed is joining as his senior legal counsel. Talk about a power couple.”

Each whispered word felt like a shard of ice, stabbing through her composure.

The memory of Ethan’s lasting affection for Sophia haunted her. Even the employees remembered.

She felt utterly insignificant.

Isabella bit her lip until she tasted blood. Her nails dug into her palms, a physical distraction from the emotional pain.

She forced herself to ignore the murmurs. To shut out the jealousy. To focus on her work as if nothing was wrong.

But the words echoed in her mind, relentless and cruel.

Suddenly, nausea overwhelmed her.

Isabella stood up abruptly. Her chair scraped loudly.

She hurried to the restroom.

She turned the faucet on full blast. The rushing water masked the sound of her retching.