He Gave Me Pills, He Gave Her a Baby

On our wedding anniversary, I secretly booked a flight to another city, wanting to surprise my husband on his business trip.

Instead, I found his secretaries crowded around a little boy, gushing over how the child's eyes and nose looked exactly like my husband's when he was young.

Trembling, I pushed open the heavy wooden door of the CEO's office, only to hear his assistant's mocking laugh from inside.

"Mrs. Sinclair didn't even finish high school. What kind of quality could her genes possibly have? To keep her from getting pregnant, Mr. Sinclair purposely swapped her vitamins with anti-fertility pills."

"My wife is not yours to gossip about."

Julian Sinclair's voice rang out, cold as ice.

But in the next second, he walked over to the sofa where a woman in a delicate white dress was sitting. His voice softened instantly. "Vivian, what gift do you want? Jewelry? Or a new property in the Hamptons?"

My mind went completely blank.

For over two thousand days and nights, I had suffered so much. I had taken countless painful hormone pills and endured three grueling rounds of IVF.

In the end, it was all a meticulously designed trap by the man I loved.

I pushed the door wide open.

Seraphina's POV

Having been married to Julian Sinclair for six years, my greatest wish was to have a child of our own.

Yet, over those six years, I tried every method possible, and my pregnancy tests always came back with a single, devastating line.

I, who feared pain more than anything, endured countless injections and took handfuls of bitter pills. I even went through three painful IVF cycles, all of which ended in failure.

Seeing me suffer so much, Julian would hold me tight, his eyes red with tears. "Sera, let's stop. We don't need a baby. I don't care about having an heir. I only care about you."

I always blamed myself. I thought my body was broken.

Until today, our wedding anniversary. I took a flight to our branch office in Chicago, hoping to surprise Julian.

Instead, I saw a crowd of secretaries surrounding a little boy who looked about two years old.

"Happy birthday, Oliver! Here's your gift. Do you like it?"

"Oliver is so adorable! His eyes, his expressions... he looks exactly like Mr. Sinclair's childhood photos!"

"Honestly! Mr. Sinclair is so blessed. A thriving empire, a perfect family, and such a cute son. Anyone would be jealous!"

Staring at the boy who was a carbon copy of Julian, my mind shattered.

I tried to tell myself it was a mistake.

How could Julian have a son this old?

Refusing to believe the nightmare unfolding before my eyes, I decided to ask Julian directly.

While everyone's attention was on the child, I bypassed the front desk and walked straight toward the CEO's private office.

Just as I raised my hand to knock, I heard the voices inside.

Through the crack of the door, the scene inside became clear.

Julian's assistant, Marcus, was speaking in a flattering tone.

"Mr. Sinclair, using a business trip as an excuse to see Vivian and Oliver was brilliant. Your wife bought it again! She's so incredibly gullible. For the past two years, you've used this excuse, and she has never suspected a thing!"

"If you ask me, you and Ms. Sterling are the true power couple. She's from an old-money family and graduated from the Ivy League. With her genes combined with yours, Oliver will definitely be a genius. Taking over the Sinclair Group in the future will be a breeze!"

"As for your wife, she didn't even finish high school. What kind of quality could her genes possibly have? A child from her would only drag down the Sinclair family's IQ. Besides..."

Before Marcus could finish, Julian's icy voice cut him off. "Who do you think you are to talk about her?"

His eyes were like daggers, the sheer coldness making the assistant shut his mouth instantly.

"My wife is not someone you get to look down on. If I hear another disrespectful word about her, you can pack your bags and leave."

Marcus turned pale and apologized profusely. "Yes, sir. My apologies."

Julian didn't look at him again. He turned and walked toward the sofa.

Through the crack in the door, I saw a woman sitting on the sofa. She wore a white dress and carried herself with an elegant, gentle aura.

I recognized her. Vivian Sterling.

Years ago, when the Sterling family went bankrupt, Vivian had tried to save her family by drugging Julian and climbing into his bed.

But she had failed. Julian had her thrown out of the hotel room, barely clothed.

At the time, Julian's face had been dark with disgust. "Ms. Sterling, I have a wife. You come from a noble family and graduated from a top university, yet you resort to such cheap tricks to save your business. Don't you find it pathetic?"

That scandal had rocked the New York elite back then. Everyone said Vivian had ruined her life by offending the devoted Julian Sinclair.

In fact, I hadn't heard her name in years.

I never imagined that the missing Vivian had been hidden away by Julian at this branch office.

And they even had a child together!

"Today is Oliver's birthday. I already gave him his present. What about you? What do you want?" Julian stopped in front of Vivian, his voice dropping to a gentle whisper. "Jewelry? A new house? Or..."

"I don't need anything," Vivian said softly. "The contract was very clear. I give you an heir, you fund the revival of my family's company. It's a pure transaction. Oliver is two now; he's long past the nursing stage. Take him back to New York and let your wife raise him. After today, we have nothing to do with each other."

The smile on Julian's face vanished.

"Who told you we're done?" His voice deepened as he reached out, pinching her chin. "Vivian, what do you take me for? A tool you can just discard when you're done?"

Seeing the tension rising, Marcus quickly chimed in, "Ms. Sterling, to help you get pregnant back then, Mr. Sinclair spent almost every night here with you, barely going home. For the past two years, no matter how busy he was, he always carved out time to fly here to see you both."

"And to keep Mrs. Sinclair from conceiving, Mr. Sinclair personally swapped her daily hormone supplements with anti-fertility pills. She still thinks it's her own fault and goes to the fertility clinic every week."

"Ms. Sterling, Mr. Sinclair has done so much. Can't you feel his heart? How can you just cut ties with him now?"

Outside the door, the blood in my veins rushed to my head before freezing into solid ice.

Over two thousand days and nights... I had suffered so much, cried so many tears. In the end, it was all a trap he had meticulously designed?

It wasn't that I couldn't have children.

It was that he wouldn't let me!

Seraphina's POV

The office fell into a dead silence.

I couldn't hold it in any longer. I pushed the door open.

The moment Julian saw me, he let go of Vivian's chin in a panic.

"Sera?" His brow furrowed, a flash of pure panic crossing his eyes. "What... what are you doing here?"

I didn't look at him. My gaze swept past him and landed on Vivian, who was still sitting on the couch.

Vivian's face remained expressionless as she spoke first. "Mrs. Sinclair, did you hear what we said? Are you here to cause trouble?"

She stood up. "Please don't misunderstand. Your husband and I have a strictly contractual relationship. There are no feelings involved, and I never intended to ruin your marriage. Oliver is two years old. According to the agreement, you two can take him back to raise. From now on, I have nothing to do with Julian."

She paused, then added with a calm, deliberate tone, "So, if you want answers, you should probably look at your husband. He's the one refusing to let go, not me."

Every word felt like an icicle piercing straight through my heart.

I turned my eyes back to Julian's face.

The face I had looked at for six years. The man I had loved with all my soul.

His brow, his nose, his lips. I had traced them a thousand times with my fingertips.

Now, those eyes that used to look at me with nothing but warmth were filled with shock, panic, and a humiliating shame of being caught red-handed.

Slowly, I walked toward him.

Slap!

The sharp sound of a hand hitting flesh echoed through the quiet office.

Julian's head snapped to the side. A bright red handprint quickly swelled on his left cheek.

He slowly turned his head back, his dark eyes clouded with a storm, his jaw clenched tight.

My hand was still trembling, the palm burning with pain.

But I didn't stop. I turned toward Vivian, raising my hand again.

This time, my wrist was caught in mid-air, gripped tightly.

"Seraphina!" Julian roared, violently shoving me away. "That is enough!"

His strength was terrifying.

Losing my balance, I stumbled backward, my lower back slamming hard against the sharp corner of the mahogany desk.

A sharp, blinding pain shot through my spine, forcing a scream from my throat. I collapsed onto the floor, unable to stand up.

Julian rushed forward, but not to help me.

He stepped in front of Vivian, shielding her completely with his tall frame. He glared down at me, his face dark. "If you have anger, take it out on me. Don't take it out on an innocent person."

An innocent person?

My vision blurred from the pain. The agony in my back was nothing compared to the violent tearing in my chest.

Suddenly, I remembered a charity gala six years ago.

Shortly after I married into the Sinclair family, I had accompanied him to a high-society event. A group of wealthy socialites had surrounded me, mocking me, calling me a "gold digger" and saying a "high school dropout didn't deserve to stand next to Julian Sinclair."

Julian had overheard them. His face had gone cold instantly. He not only forced them to bow and apologize to me on the spot, but he also ruined their family businesses within a month.

Back then, he had shielded me just like this, telling the world, "My wife is not someone you get to insult."

But now, he had thrown me against a desk, showing no concern for my pain, only rushing to protect another woman, calling her "innocent."

How laughable.

"Security!" Julian's sharp command snapped me out of my thoughts.

The office door opened, and two bulky bodyguards walked in.

"Mrs. Sinclair is emotionally unstable. Take her back to the villa in New York," Julian ordered coldly, his tone leaving no room for argument. "She is not allowed to leave without my permission."

"Yes, sir."

The bodyguards grabbed me by my arms, lifting me up.

"Let go of me!" I struggled, but the pain in my back robbed me of all my strength.

Julian's gaze finally landed on my face. Those eyes that once held nothing but tenderness now held only annoyance and coldness.

"Go home first. Once you've calmed down, we will talk."

The bodyguards practically dragged me out of the office, down the long corridor under the shocked stares of countless employees, and threw me into the waiting car.

Julian's private jet was already waiting at the airport.

By the time I was brought back to the New York villa, it was already midnight.

The bodyguards dropped me onto the cold marble floor of the living room and stepped outside, locking the grand doors from the outside.

The villa was dead silent, with only me left in the empty space.

Clutching my bruised lower back, I struggled to stand up.

The pain was still throbbing, like needles piercing my flesh with every movement.

The living room was brightly lit, and piles of beautifully wrapped gift boxes lay on the coffee table.

They were wedding anniversary gifts Julian had ordered for me.

There was antique jewelry bought at a premium from an auction, a limited-edition haute couture gown from Paris, and a painting by an artist I had casually mentioned liking.

Even my best friend had once said enviously, "Julian is so good to you. He doesn't care that you can't have kids. He only cares about you. He'd bring the whole world to your feet."

For a long time, I thought so too.

I felt so guilty for not being able to give the Sinclair family an heir, thinking my own body was a failure.

But now, looking at these gifts, they felt like the ultimate mockery.

The man who claimed he didn't care about having a child simply didn't want me to have his child. He wanted another woman to bear his bloodline.

Since he and Vivian already had a two-year-old son, I would happily get out of their way.

Seraphina's POV

I grabbed my phone, found the contact for Julian's mother, Eleanor Sinclair, and dialed.

"Seraphina?" Eleanor's voice was as cold and aloof as ever. "Why are you calling me this late?"

I took a deep breath, my voice surprisingly calm. "Mrs. Sinclair, I agree to divorce Julian."

"What did you say?" Eleanor couldn't hide the gasp of delight in her voice, though she quickly turned cautious. "Are you serious?"

Eleanor had always despised me because of my background. The last time she tried to force us to divorce, Julian had threatened to hurt himself right in front of her.

Since then, Eleanor hadn't dared to openly force us apart, only applying pressure on me in secret.

I bit my lip. "I will sign the papers. But under one condition: you must help me prepare a completely new identity and send me out of the country. Otherwise, with Julian's obsession, he will never let me go."

"Deal," Eleanor said, her voice shaking with excitement. "I will come to the villa myself tomorrow morning."

At ten the next morning, Eleanor arrived at the villa.

Dressed in a pristine Chanel suit, she looked every bit the powerful matriarch. She didn't even sit down. She simply tossed a manila folder onto the coffee table.

"Read it. If there's no problem, sign it," Eleanor said flatly. "I've agreed to your terms. Your new identity and travel documents will be ready in ten days. The official divorce certificate will be handed to you then."

I picked up the papers.

The terms were simple.

I would voluntarily waive all marital assets, leaving only with my personal belongings. The Sinclair family would pay me a lump sum of twenty million dollars as a settlement, and from then on, we would have no further association.

I didn't even bother to read the financial details. I flipped directly to the last page and signed my name.

The scratching of the pen on the paper sounded incredibly loud in the quiet room.

Six years of marriage, ended in a few seconds.

"You're smarter than I thought," Eleanor said, sliding the signed agreement back into her bag with a satisfied smile. "Someone will pick you up in ten days. Remember, you chose this. I didn't force you."

With that, she turned and left.

I sat on the sofa, staring at the bright sunshine outside, unable to tell if I felt heartbroken or relieved.

But the endless hormone treatments, the agonizing IVF procedures... it was finally over.

At three in the afternoon, my phone rang.

It was an unknown number.

I picked it up. "Hello?"

"Is this Julian Sinclair's wife?" a stern male voice asked. "Your husband was involved in a physical altercation. The other party is refusing to settle, and we need a family member to come down to the precinct. Please come as soon as possible."

I blinked. "A fight?"

"Yes, it's pretty severe. Please get here quickly."

After the line went dead, I frowned and opened Instagram.

Sure enough, the internet was already exploding with news.

#Billionaire CEO Julian Sinclair involved in street brawl#

#Julian Sinclair's secret child exposed#

#CEO fights another man over mistress#

The top video had already racked up millions of views.

I tapped on it. The footage was shaky, but it clearly showed Julian pinning a man to the ground, his fists raining down mercilessly.

Vivian was screaming, trying to pull him off, while little Oliver stood nearby, sobbing hysterically, crying, "Daddy, stop! Stop hitting him!"

Under the video, the comment section was filled with mockery, and many of the comments were aimed directly at me.

"See? Men's promises are trash. He claimed he didn't care about his wife's infertility, but he went ahead and had a son with a gorgeous Ivy League heiress anyway."

"A woman who can't produce an heir in a wealthy family always ends up discarded. This Mrs. Sinclair is the perfect example."

"Do you guys think the wife will divorce him? I bet she won't! She's a high school dropout; she relies entirely on him for her luxury lifestyle. Without him, she's nothing. Who would want a useless, infertile woman?"

"She definitely won't leave the money."

"I heard he spoils her rotten. If I were her, I wouldn't divorce him either. Just take the money and shut up."

I scrolled through the comments, my expression completely blank. I hit retweet on the most-liked comment and added a simple caption:

Ten days. Wait and see.

Seraphina's POV

When I arrived at the precinct, I immediately saw the two of them sitting on a bench.

Vivian was holding an antiseptic swab, gently dabbing at the cuts on Julian's face.

Her movements were tender, her eyes filled with worry. Julian sat with his eyes closed, letting her tend to him.

Without saying a word, I walked past them to speak with the officers and the lawyer of the man Julian had beaten.

By the time the paperwork was finalized and we stepped out of the police station, the sky had gone completely dark.

Julian walked ahead with a dark face, and Vivian followed a few steps behind.

She suddenly stopped and looked at me, biting her lip. "Mrs. Sinclair, about today..."

Before she could finish her sentence, I turned around and slapped her hard across the face.

The force of the blow caught Vivian completely off guard. She stumbled back, clutching her cheek, her eyes instantly filling with tears.

"Seraphina!"

Julian reacted instantly. He lunged forward, grabbing my arm and pulling me away so hard I almost lost my footing.

He shielded Vivian behind him, his face livid, his eyes blazing with fury. "What the hell is wrong with you? Why did you hit her?!"

I stabilized myself and glared back at him coldly. "Why? Because she knowingly slept with a married man. What's wrong with giving her a slap?"

"I didn't!" Vivian sobbed, lowering her hand to reveal the bright red finger marks on her pale cheek. Her voice cracked with tears. "Mrs. Sinclair, I've explained this to you. I never wanted to ruin your marriage! It's Julian who won't let me go! What more do you want from me?"

"He won't let you go?" I let out a mocking laugh, my gaze sharp. "Vivian, stop playing the victim. Three years ago, didn't you try everything to drug Julian and get into his bed? Did you not know he was married then?"

Vivian's face drained of color. "Yes! I admit I was wrong back then, but I was desperate to save my family's company! Only Julian could help me! I had no choice! And I was punished for it!"

"Oh really?"

I sneered, about to tear her apart verbally, when Julian barked, "That's enough, Seraphina!"

He stared at me, his face grim. "Vivian and Oliver were publicly humiliated at the mall today by some random thugs. They called her a mistress and called my son a bastard. You hired them, didn't you? If you're mad at me, take it out on me! Using such disgusting tactics against a woman and a child... don't you think you've gone too far?"

I froze.

Looking at the pure accusation in Julian's eyes, a freezing coldness swept from the soles of my feet to my chest.

What was he saying?

He thought I hired people to humiliate Vivian and his son?

How absurd!

I was the one who had been lied to, drugged into infertility, betrayed, and humiliated. Yet, in his eyes, I had somehow become the vicious villain, bearing the weight of his baseless accusations.

Julian frowned deeply. "Sera, I know it's hard for you to accept Vivian and Oliver. But everything is my fault. I'm the one who hid her away. I'm the one who made the contract for the baby. Vivian never wanted to steal my heart. If you have anger, throw it at me. What is the point of targeting her and a two-year-old child?"

His words pierced my eardrums and stabbed into my heart.

Looking at the man I had loved for six years, the man I thought I would grow old with, I felt only a profound sense of disgust and exhaustion.

I curled my lips into a bitter smile.

"Julian, you tampered with my daily supplements, making me infertile for six years. I thought my own body was broken, living in constant guilt and pain. You cheated on me, had a child with another woman, hid them in another city, and enjoyed a secret family. Now, you've dragged your mistress and bastard into the spotlight, making me the laughingstock of the entire city. And you have the audacity to call me cruel?"

Julian's brow furrowed, his face incredibly cold. "Sera, I will explain all of this to you later. But do not call Vivian a mistress. She isn't one."

"She's not a mistress?"

I was about to spit back a retort when a sudden commotion erupted around us.

"Look, Julian Sinclair and Vivian Sterling are over there!"

"The wife is here too!"

"Quick! Get the cameras!"

Seraphina's POV

A swarm of paparazzi rushed out from the shadows, surrounding us instantly.

Under the blinding flash of the cameras, Julian's expression changed.

His very first instinct was to violently shove me forward, using my body to block the lenses, while he quickly pulled Vivian into his arms, wrapping his designer suit jacket around her head to shield her.

"Move!"

He shielded Vivian, pushing through the crowd.

I was thrown off balance by his shove. My forehead slammed hard against the sharp metal edge of a paparazzi's heavy camera.

A sharp pain exploded in my head. Warm blood instantly flowed down my forehead, staining my eyelashes and blurring my vision in one eye.

I clutched my head, my hand instantly covered in thick, warm blood.

In the midst of the chaos and dizziness, I raised my eyes, searching for that familiar figure through the gaps in the crowd.

In the past, whenever we were in a crowded place, Julian would always pull me into his arms immediately, shielding me from the world.

But now, all I saw was his back as he carefully ushered Vivian into the passenger seat of his car.

He was so protective, so desperate to keep her safe.

He didn't even turn around to look at me, the wife he had shoved to the ground, bleeding and surrounded by vultures. He just drove away, leaving me behind.

When did he start changing? I wondered dizzily as the paparazzi screamed questions at me, pushing their microphones into my face.

Was it when Vivian drugged him? Or did he simply never love me as much as I thought?

Swallowing the bitterness in my throat, I forced myself to stand and pushed through the suffocating crowd.

I went to the hospital alone, got my forehead stitched, and dragged my exhausted body back to the villa, falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.

I don't know how much time had passed when I heard footsteps approaching.

A cool hand, carrying a familiar warmth I once craved, gently touched the bandage on my forehead.

"How did you get this cut on your head?"

Julian's voice echoed in the dark room, carrying a hint of genuine worry.

I snapped my eyes open.

The next second, before he could pull me into his arms, I pushed him away with all my might.

"Don't touch me," I said coldly. "You disgust me."

The air in the room froze instantly.

Julian's hands hovered in mid-air. The warmth in his eyes slowly turned to ice.

"I disgust you?" He let out a low, humorless laugh. "Seraphina, you're a high school dropout. You married me and enjoyed a life of luxury because of me. If I hadn't protected you all these years, do you really think you could have lived so peacefully as Mrs. Sinclair?"

He leaned down, his shadow towering over me with suffocating pressure. "I only wanted a child of my own bloodline. What did I do wrong?"

Every word felt like a poisoned needle, piercing the most vulnerable part of my heart.

A high school dropout.

This had actually become the weapon he used to humiliate me today.

Tears welled up in my eyes, but I forced them back, my chest aching.

I didn't drop out of school because I was stupid or lazy.

Quite the opposite. I was a straight-A student, on track for a full scholarship.

But during my senior year, my parents died in a horrific car crash, leaving behind massive debts. The predatory lenders practically invaded my parents' funeral, threatening to desecrate their graves if I didn't pay.

I had no choice but to drop out, working three jobs a day, dragging myself through the mud just to survive.

Six years ago, Julian met me while I was working at a coffee shop. He pursued me relentlessly, promising to pay off all my debts if I stayed with him.

At the time, I had rejected him. "I didn't even finish high school. I don't fit into your world."

But he had held my hand, looking into my eyes with pure sincerity. "Sera, I love you, not your resume. I don't need a wife with a prestigious degree to secure my status. The only thing I want in this life is you."

I hadn't believed him at first.

Not until a speeding car had hurtled toward us, and he had thrown his own body to shield me, taking the impact himself.

That was the moment I believed that a savior had truly entered my dark world.

Looking back, maybe his love was real then. But now, he simply didn't love me anymore.

"Since you think my education is too low for me to carry your child," my voice trembled.

"Why did you pursue me so desperately back then? Why did you go through the trouble of swapping my medicine?"

"You made me live in guilt and misery for six years. You made me think I was the broken one."

I looked up, tears spilling over. "Julian, if you had just said the word, I would have happily walked away. I would have divorced you and handed the title of Mrs. Sinclair to Vivian."