Five Times Too Many

His words were still as sweet as ever, but I could no longer feel their warmth.

Back when I had just graduated and became an employee at his family business, I was bullied and harassed by my superiors. Sam stepped in, back then, and protected my dignity.

He told me that he'd support and protect me for the rest of my life, and I believed him, devoting my heart and soul to him.

When he requested that I keep our marriage a secret, I agreed without any hesitation. I was afraid that if the news that the CEO's wife was from the countryside went out, the stocks of Wilson Group would plummet.

Every time I got pregnant, Sam was as happy as a kid, overjoyed at the prospect of being a father. Every time, he worried about my pain, insisting that the doctors use general anesthesia and staying by my side the entire time.

I thought that he sincerely cared about me and our children.

In reality, he only wanted to kill them in cold blood, and all for Nicole's sake.

All this time, I'd assumed that the stillbirths and miscarriages were because of my own body, and I had even felt guilty about the fact.

Thinking back, it was all just laughable.

When I got home, I made an appointment for an abortion and bought plane tickets for three days later while Sam was taking a shower.

After his shower, Sam casually dried his hair and said, "Penny, I'll go overseas on a business trip in three days. It'll probably take a month or so."

A month, just enough time for a wedding and a honeymoon.

"Sam, I haven't been feeling well lately… Can't you keep me company at home instead?"

Sam frowned, and his tone turned cold, "Penny, I thought you knew that I don't like it when women interfere with my work. Be obedient and wait for me at home, and I'll bring you a gift."

My last shred of hope shattered, and my heart turned cold as I nodded.

"You're right. I was being unreasonable. Go ahead."

Only then did Sam smile and press me onto the bed, his breaths smelling of alcohol as he leaned in, speaking with a drawl, "Penny, the nutritionists said that you're recovering well, so why don't we try making a baby tonight? I want to raise a child with you…"

Hearing those words, I felt nothing but irony and disdain in my heart.

Without a trace of emotion, I gently pushed him away. "Let's do this another time, okay? You've been drinking. It won't be good for the baby."

I had always been the type to worry about this sort of thing, so Sam didn't suspect anything, pressing a kiss on my forehead and falling asleep.

While he was fast asleep, I reached for his jacket, and that's how I found out that he actually had another phone.

And the lock screen wallpaper was a photo of him kissing Nicole.

As I expected, the password was Nicole's birthday.

Opening up their chat history, I instantly found the photos of my five unborn children.

"Nicole, I got you a new specimen. I'll have it sent over by helicopter by afternoon. It's fresh, so it'll be good for research!"

"You finished using the last one? Don't worry, Penelope got pregnant again, so I'll make sure she delivers early. You'll have another specimen soon, okay? You're so hardworking, you'll definitely be a great doctor someday."

"When are you coming back from overseas, Nicole? You're the one who's going to be my wife. I only used that woman to fulfill my physical needs."

My hands trembled as I reached to caress my stomach, bitter tears flowing down my cheeks.

This child shouldn't be brought into this cruel world.

I scrolled through their chats, seeing the tens of thousands of photos they took together. With each photo sent, Sam left Nicole a heartfelt note, never once repeated.

So this was where he had been for the past eight years when he told me he was on business trips. He was together with Nicole.

He even sent her more than a hundred wedding layouts and banquet designs, all personally planned by himself.

Each set was luxurious, and Nicole had the choice to pick whatever she wanted.

For every holiday, no matter how busy he was, he always prepared an extravagant gift for Nicole and personally delivered it to her.

Meanwhile, I was nothing more than an afterthought.

I never even got a bouquet of flowers on the day we registered for marriage.

That evening, he saw how much I wanted them as we walked past a florist's, but he only said, "Only immature little girls like this sort of thing. You're not someone like that, right?"