The Baby Couldn’t Tie Him, The Lie Did Chapter 03

The Baby Couldn’t Tie Him, The Lie Did Chapter 03

When I woke up, I was back in the same private hospital where I’d undergone IVF treatments.

Outside the door, I heard Julian arguing with the doctor.

“Use the best specialists, the best medication, whatever it costs. Nothing can happen to either of them.”

Either of them.

My hand drifted instinctively to my stomach.

The best treatment?

Julian… which version of you was real?

Tears slipped silently down my face just as the door opened.

Julian walked in.

My throat burned when I spoke. “Where’s my mom?”

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he sat beside me and gently wiped away my tears.

“I had your mother brought to the Everett estate. My mom wanted to meet her. The doctor said you need complete bed rest.”

I closed my eyes, exhausted.

“Julian… we should break up.”

But he acted like he hadn’t heard me.

He carefully lifted my legs onto his lap and began massaging them with slow, practiced movements.

“The doctor said pregnant women get swelling in their legs during the later months. I learned a few techniques. Does this feel better?”

I stared at him stubbornly.

He met my gaze in silence.

Seconds stretched into something unbearable before he finally sighed.

“Audrey agreed to accept you,” he said quietly. “The only difference between us is a marriage certificate. In my heart, you’ll always be Mrs. Everett.”

He watched me expectantly, waiting for a response.

But when I said nothing, the warmth in his expression vanished.

“This is already the biggest compromise possible,” he said coldly. “Audrey’s the daughter of the Vance family. What, you expect her to be some secret mistress? Stop overreacting. Arrangements like this are normal in Silverport.”

A laugh escaped me before I could stop it.

Back when we first fell in love, Julian had once told me about his mother.

“I grew up watching my parents’ arranged marriage destroy her,” he’d said back then. “My dad loved the family he kept outside our home more than the one he had with us. That’s why I swore to myself I’d never marry for business. If I ever got married, it would only be to the woman I loved.”

And now, only six years later, he’d become exactly the man he once despised.

His phone rang.

Julian glanced at the screen before immediately standing and walking toward the window.

But Audrey Vance’s voice still carried clearly through the call.

“Julian, when are you coming back? We were supposed to have dinner together.”

He glanced at me before softening his tone even further.

“I’ll be there soon. I’ll take you to Whitman & Coe, okay?”

Audrey laughed sweetly. “I’m only giving you twenty minutes. If you’re late, don’t expect to get into my bed tonight.”

The sugary intimacy in her voice made my stomach twist violently.

After hanging up, Julian tucked the blanket around me carefully.

“Vivienne, I’ll come back tomorrow. I’ve already arranged everything with the hospital. They’ll use the best treatment available. And one more thing…”

He glanced at his watch.

“I hope you behave yourself. After all, your mother is still a guest at my home.”

The second he left, I lunged for the trash can and threw up so hard my entire body shook.

Then my phone buzzed.

An unknown number.

[Maybe you should ask the doctor for a copy of your IVF records.]

My heart slammed against my ribs.

I immediately rushed to the attending physician’s office.

It was the same doctor from six months ago. The same one who’d told me my body couldn’t conceive naturally.

The records took a while to locate.

Finally, he handed me the file.

[Patient: Vivienne Sterling

Sperm Source: Julian Everett

Egg Source: Donor Egg]

I froze.

Donor egg?

What the hell did that mean?

My hands trembled as I turned the next page.

The moment I saw the donor’s name, every drop of blood in my body turned cold.

[Audrey Vance.]