My arch-nemesis mocked me for being perpetually single, so out of spite, I pinched my own neck until it turned red. "See this?" I smirked, pointing to the mark. "My boyfriend gave me this." He scoffed. "As if. What man would ever want you?" Later, as I sat crying outside the OB-GYN office, my nemesis appeared, his face dark as a thunderstorm. "Who is he? I'm going to beat him to a pulp." "Stop crying. I’m taking you and the baby." 1 I woke up naked next to a man. That wasn't the worst part. The worst part was that the man was none other than Lucas Chen, my mortal enemy. Everyone in the city knew we hated each other. Our feud was legendary. Last night at the bar, we lost a bet and were forced to kiss. Afterward, Lucas leaned back on the sofa, smirking lazily. "A little clumsy there, Princess. Was that your first kiss?" Furious, I snuck off to the bathroom and pinched my neck until a red hickey-like mark appeared. I flashed it at him triumphantly. "See this? My boyfriend gave it to me. He's incredible. Way better kisser than you." Lucas's expression soured. He stared at the mark coldly. Then he sneered, "Please. What man would ever want you?" Maybe he was pissed about losing to me, but Lucas, who rarely drank, got absolutely wasted that night. I drove him home, planning to take embarrassing photos of him for blackmail. Instead, I ended up in his bed. Damn it! I bit my lip, trying to wiggle out of Lucas's arms. The moment I moved, he tightened his grip, nuzzling his face into my neck. "Mianmian... be good... let me stay a little longer..." Mianmian? Great. He's sleeping with me but dreaming about his 'white moonlight,' his first love. Jerk! It took everything I had to escape his embrace. My legs were so weak I almost collapsed when my feet hit the floor. The room was a disaster. Flashbacks of last night hit me. Lucas holding my ankles, gripping my waist... my ripped stockings on the floor... I wanted to slap myself for not resisting. But then I glanced back at the bed. That body. Those muscles. That... size. Honestly? Who could resist that? I'll just consider it a free night with a high-end gigolo. An American-sized, top-tier gigolo. 2 In our circle of trust-fund babies, there's a rule about sleeping around: Keep it secret. If anyone found out I slept with Lucas Chen, I'd never show my face in this city again. Ignoring the soreness in my body, I scrubbed the room clean of any evidence I was there. Lucas stirred a few times, and I had to sacrifice my dignity to kiss and cuddle him back to sleep. After sneaking out of his villa, I slumped onto a bench outside a convenience store to catch my breath. My phone rang. It was Lucas. His voice was raspy with sleep. "Zoe, where are you?" My heart skipped a beat. I couldn't help but remember him whispering in my ear last night to relax. My face burned. "W-what do you want?" "Did you bring me home last night?" "Yeah... I was just passing by. Wanted to see you make a fool of yourself." Lucas didn't bicker like usual. He asked, his voice low, "Did you sleep here last night?" I lied smoothly. "...Yeah. I was drunk too. I crashed in the guest room and left early." "You didn't sleep in my bed?" "...No!" I gripped the phone, guilty as charged. "In your dreams! Who wants to sleep in your bed?" "..." Lucas went silent. Just then, a group of college guys walked past the store, bumping into my shoulder. I yelped. Lucas spoke up suddenly. "You're with a guy?" I seized the opportunity. "Yeah! My boyfriend. We're going on a date. What do you want?" Lucas's voice went flat. "Nothing. Guess I was dreaming. Bye." Dreaming? A... wet dream? Good. Let him think that. I knew he wouldn't suspect anything. I have ten years of experience helping my dad cover up his affairs. I'm a pro at cleaning up messes. Just to be safe, after hanging up, I photoshopped a picture of myself with a faceless muscle guy and posted it on Instagram with three kissy face emojis. It worked like a charm. For the next month, silence. Lucas didn't suspect a thing. He didn't even contact me. Relieved, I threw a party to celebrate my freedom. But before I could even take a sip of champagne, I threw up everywhere. 3 Holding the test report, I was stunned. Pregnant. Is Lucas Chen a sniper or something? One shot, one kill? The doctor asked if I wanted to keep it. I just wanted to crawl into a hole and hide. But fate had other plans. Before I could even leave the clinic waiting area, my mom called. "Zoe! Your Aunt Karen just called. She saw you at the OB-GYN. Are you pregnant?" I felt a sudden urge to cry. "Mom... actually, I kind of want to keep—" She cut me off. "Get an abortion immediately!" "I've already found you a match. Come back, get married, and secure that land deal in the East District. We need to stabilize your father's position..." I froze. It felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over my head. "Mom... you don't even care how I am? Or who the father is? You just want me to abort it?" "Who cares who the father is? Your bastard half-brother is climbing the ranks in the company. That son of a mistress is trying to steal my inheritance!" "Is that all you care about? Am I just a tool for you to fight his mistress?" "Stop being dramatic! If you were a son, would I have to fight this hard? It's my fault for having a useless daughter. I've treated you well, haven't I? Just marry the man. How can you talk to your mother like this?!" "Just marry him? Mom, do you ever think about how I feel?" My hand shook as I gripped the phone. "Just like every time you needed money, you'd stage a 'catch him in the act' scene with Dad, pretending I was on his side so he'd pay me hush money!" "Mom, you might be willing to endure a twisted marriage, but I'm not!" Silence on the other end. Then, a cold voice. "I don't care what you say. Zoe, you have one week. Get the abortion, come back, and get married. Or don't call me Mom again, and don't expect a single cent of the inheritance!" Click. She hung up. I couldn't hold it back anymore. I buried my face in my hands and sobbed right there in the hallway. I dropped my phone and didn't even care. Through my tears, I saw a pair of polished leather shoes stop in front of me. "Didn't know the Princess cried so ugly." A magnetic, mocking voice drifted down. I looked up. Lucas Chen. Narrowing his eyes at me. What the hell is he doing here?! Thinking of my ruined makeup, I wiped my face and turned away. "None of your business!" Lucas stood there, hand in his pocket, a smirk playing on his lips. "Where's that muscle boyfriend you posted? Dumped you?" "Crying alone at the OB-GYN... people might get the wrong idea." I jumped up. "Shut up! I'm not pregnant! I'm not here for that!" Just then, a nurse walked out. "Miss Zoe Zhuang? Are you scheduling the abortion? If not, we're closing." Me: "..." Lucas blinked, his smirk vanishing. His gaze sharpened. "Zoe, how far along are you?" He reached for the report I had left on the chair... 4 My heart stopped. I snatched the paper before he could touch it and hid it behind my back. If he sees the date, he'll know. And he'll force me to get an abortion. "Lucas! What are you doing? A woman's uterus is... private! You can't just look!" "Fine, I'm pregnant... 9 weeks! Happy? Want to laugh at me for being unwed and pregnant?" I glared at him, bluffing with all the acting skills I honed lying to my dad. Lucas stared at me for a long ten seconds. "9 weeks." His expression darkened. The timeline didn't match the night I took him home. He bought it. "Is it the muscle guy's?" he asked abruptly. I looked down, guilty. "...Yeah." "Does he know?" "...Why does he need to know?" I pretended not to care. "Call him," Lucas said, his face void of emotion. "Tell him to get his ass here. Now." "..." How do I summon a nonexistent person?! "He blocked me," I lied through my teeth. "Blocked?" Lucas repeated the word, his voice dangerously low. "Zoe, usually you're so loud and arrogant. Now you get dumped and bullied, and you just take it?" He sounded... angry? Wait, why is he mad? Even if we are enemies, mocking me right now is low. I bit my lip. "Who said I got dumped? I dumped him!" Lucas scoffed. "Oh? Then why are you crying?" "I... tears of joy! Okay?!" Lucas went quiet. I thought he'd leave after getting his laugh. Instead, he asked, "What are you going to do with the baby?" "I'm keeping it," I blurted out. Talking to my mom earlier made me realize something. If I didn't abort and marry for business, she really would abandon me. I was useless to her otherwise. Unloved children learn to be rational. This baby... might be the only family I'll ever have. "Keeping it?" Lucas snorted, his tone stinging. "Zoe, you love that naked muscle guy that much? You're keeping his kid after he blocked you?" "I didn't know you were such a simp." See? He just wants to mock me. Jerk! I didn't want him to see me break, so I turned and walked away.
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