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There were still two pills in the box, but one of them was a vitamin I had slipped in the night before.

Clayton came to me and said sincerely, “Don’t worry, Wendy. You’ll never have to take another regret pill for the rest of your life.”

I looked into his eyes and smiled with a nod.

“Alright.”

…

In the days that followed, Clayton treated me well. Even when Sophie called him, he no longer rushed off like he once did.

Then, one ordinary morning, Sophie ran into my room. She dropped to her knees, started crying, and said she was pregnant with Clayton’s child.

Clayton was in the kitchen cooking for me. When he heard her words, the spatula slipped from his hand and hit the floor.

“When did I ever touch you, you—”

Sophie’s sobs grew louder. “It was that night… You had too much to drink… and then…”

She clung to my pants while still kneeling on the floor.

“Wendy, please don’t make me get rid of the baby. Just think of it as keeping a pet. Think of it as a puppy or a kitten. Please?”

I stayed silent, and her crying became more desperate.

“You and I are the same. We both grew up without parents. You should understand where I’m coming from. If you agree, I’ll serve you for the rest of my life!”

She cried so miserably that every word was filled with pain. Clayton’s face filled with pity as he stepped forward to help her up.

I said nothing and called for the family doctor. After the examination, the timing matched what Sophie had claimed.

When the doctor left, Clayton stood there with guilt written across his face. He fumbled for words and failed.

I broke the silence.

“If the child is yours, then let her keep it. However, you’ve betrayed me again.”

I thought I could stay calm, but the tremor in my voice betrayed me.

Clayton looked guilty and ashamed.

“Wendy, I know this is my fault. The child is mine, and I can’t just walk away. You’re also aware that even after all these years, you still haven’t gotten pregnant. I was wrong, but you should bear some responsibility too. Tell me how I can make it up to you.”

Inside, I sneered.

“Don’t you think it’s too late for that? If you truly want to make it up to me, bring me the pill.”

Clayton clenched his jaw and swore with all his heart.

“Wendy, I swear this is the last time. If it ever happens again, may I be left penniless and reduced to nothing.”

He had no idea that he was out of chances.

I held the last regret pill in my hand, though I did not take it in front of him.

When he left for the office, I was so overwhelmed that I nearly collapsed. I clutched the pill tightly in my hand.

At last! At long last, I was free!

For years, the system had bound me. I had never been able to move more than 1.5 miles away from him.

Every effort I made only turned into luck for him, and that was why Clayton’s career kept climbing.

Through heat and frost, I waited outside his office every day. At home, I never stepped past the door.

He never worried about my whereabouts because he was certain that I would always be there every time he turned around.

I left the Jordan villa.

I would never see Clayton again.