Chapter 6

Olivia's words hit me like a punch to the gut. My eyes widened in shock—this couldn't be real.

I hadn't gotten any shots recently, especially not in my hip. So why were there needle marks on my body?

"Though I'd suggest you don't mention this to your husband just yet," Olivia added before dismissing me with a nod. "Daniel's already waiting outside in the car."

The moment I stepped out of the hotel, Daniel sprang from the driver's seat, grinning like he'd won the lottery.

"Sweetheart, I'm so sorry about last night! Guess what? Richard just texted—I'm getting promoted to Director today!" He practically vibrated with excitement. "It's official!"

I clenched my jaw, fighting to keep my expression neutral.

"Hey… you okay?" His smile faltered as he studied my face. "You look wrecked. Aren't you happy for me?"

"Just tired. Didn't sleep well," I muttered, sliding into the passenger seat before he could press further.

He offered to drop me at work, but I faked a headache and begged off, claiming I'd called in sick. As we pulled up to our apartment, he squeezed my hand. "Rest up—tonight's the big celebration dinner with the team. Wear something nice, yeah?"

I nodded mechanically. The second his taillights vanished, I flagged a cab and sped to the hospital.

After explaining my situation to a specialist, we both braced for a worst-case scenario—some kind of virus or poison. But the test results were even more bizarre.

"Fertility treatments," the doctor confirmed.

My stomach dropped.

Daniel knew I didn't want kids yet—not for years. Between our mountain of debt and my health issues, we could barely keep our heads above water. A baby would drown us.

Then it clicked. Those weirdly deep sleeps after his "special weekend soups"...

A cold sweat prickled down my spine. The man I'd married—was he really capable of this?

What else was he hiding?

Folding the test results into my bag, I made a decision. No confrontations. Not yet.

First, I'd dig up the truth myself.