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On my thirtieth birthday,the first“surprise”I got was a livestream. On the screen,Zion held an esports female streamer by the back of her neck and kissed her. But an hour earlier,he had been kneeling in front of me,kissing my eight-month pregnant stomach. All the guests at the banquet turned to look at me at once,showing pity and barely held-back excitement. “Ma’am…” The butler had sweat at his temples and quickly took the phone aside.“Do you want me to turn off this livestream room?” He spoke in a low voice,worried I would break down again like before and hurt the baby. My voice was calm.“No need.” “Just go ahead and cut the cake.” “Not…not wait for President Payne to come back?”the butler asked in a careful tone. I shook my head.“No need.” The people waiting to enjoy the scene went still. Someone had intentionally placed the livestream in front of me,expecting me to fall apart,sobbing like all those times in the past. But I did not. I got up according to the plan,cut the cake,and blew out the candles. Then the whispering stopped,hiding itself,speaking openly behind me. “What’s wrong with Natalie Morrison?Why isn’t she crying?” “Didn’t she always cry like the world was ending every time she caught him cheating?” “Didn’t she catch Zion with that young model before?She got so mad,she risked the baby,cried for three days and nights until he bothered to come home.” “Valentine’s Day was even worse,with that big stomach,she ran to the seaside crying and begging him to return.” “And the ending?President Payne soothed her a little and went back to playing the next day.” “Maybe she finally knows he doesn’t care about her tears.Looks like she learned something?” “Haha,maybe she’s trying to copy that online‘strong female lead washing underwear with a cold face’trope?Too bad she didn’t cry this time.” Laughter broke out again and again. They believed I was acting like the“respectable wife.” I heard every whisper but didn’t respond,only held my stomach and stared outside the window. Fireworks burst one after another in the night sky.I had planned them for my own thirtieth birthday. The lights reflected on the glass and also showed in my eyes,bright and brief,impossible to keep. It wasn’t that I wasn’t hurting. I had just cried too much,and I was tired. After the banquet ended,I had just taken off my gown when Grandma Ravenna stormed in. Her face was pale from anger,her cane hit the floor loudly,and she told someone to call Zion. No one answered. She had the butler throw the streamer’s livestream onto the tablet,turned on the mic,and said in a cold voice,“Zion,get back here right now!” On the screen,Zion Payne leaned on the sofa in a lazy pose,smiling at the camera.The woman beside him adjusted her setup,with loud music playing behind them. “Grandma,”he said in a laid-back voice,“I’m busy here.I won’t be coming home tonight.” “The little girl is doing a PK battle;it’ll affect her ranking.” After he ended,he seemed to recall something and added,“Oh,right,tell my wife she did fine today,didn’t cry.Finally acting like a real Mrs.Payne.She’s thirty now,anyway.Tell her to keep it going.” The tablet was slammed down on the table. Grandma Ravenna was shaking with anger,turning to grab my hand tightly.“This heartless kid!Natalie,if you want to cry,then cry.Don’t hold it in.Grandma is here.” But I handed her a cup of water and softly said,“Grandma,I’m not angry,but I do have something I want to tell you.” I started slowly,speaking gently,“The year I got into university,my family couldn’t afford the fees.You helped pay for my schooling.” “I’ve always kept that kindness in mind.” “So when you asked me to watch over Zion in college,I agreed.The reason I could later be with him was all because you brought us together.” “I once thought I was really happy,but after five years of marriage,Zion changed into someone else,flirting everywhere.I cried,I argued,but nothing changed.Six months ago,I actually wanted to get a divorce.” “But at that time,I learned I was pregnant.” Grandma Ravenna’s hand tightened,as if she didn’t want to hear anything more. “He acted like a caring father again,and I softened and stayed.But after a few months,he went back to the same habits.” I lifted my head.My voice was quiet,but steady. “Grandma,I’m thirty now.I don’t want my child to grow up with a dad like this.” Grandma Ravenna’s eyes turned red.She pulled me close,patting my back,her voice rough.“If you want to leave,Grandma won’t stop you,but the child…” “I want to keep the child but remove the father.” I gently cut in,“The child will still be your great-grandchild,but will have nothing to do with Zion.This is my only wish at thirty,Grandma…can you help me?” The room stayed quiet for a long while.I thought Ravenna would say no to such an unreasonable request. But she shut her eyes for a moment,then finally nodded. “Alright…I will take care of it.Even though I am Zion’s grandmother,in my heart,you are also my granddaughter.” My nose prickled as I wrapped my arms around grandma,hearing her quiet mumble.“You two were so sweet back then…how did things end up like this?” I dropped my gaze. Zion had truly cared for me once. The proud golden boy of Greenville’s elite circle had softened every hard habit for my sake,sitting through classes with me,building small game projects with me,cutting off all those messy friend groups. On the day we had our wedding,the game we created together,“Knowing Me,”went live in a big way. He said he wanted our love to stay forever,just like the game staying online. On the day I became pregnant,he had reddened eyes as he moved all his property into my name,announced it publicly on every platform,and even placed the notice inside our game. To countless people,we were seen as the perfect pair. But when the moment came where our love shifted,the first person who chose to walk away was me. Returning to my room late at night,I saw my phone suddenly light up. Zion had sent over two photos of lingerie. [I heard the little crybaby didn’t cry today?Getting more sensible,good girl.] [So choose one for me,which of these two is more useful?] [You pick one for me,and I’ll keep the other as your thirtieth birthday present.] Chapter 2 Looking at those lines of text,I kept a blank face and sent nothing back. Once the screen went dark,I didn’t feel even the smallest shift inside. Zion had always been like this,liking to watch me get jealous,lose control,break down because of him,then be pushed to lower my head and give in because I loved him. But I was truly worn out. So drained that I didn’t even have the energy to argue with him anymore. Grandma Ravenna said to give her a week,and she would settle everything. I didn’t have to do anything,just quietly wait for the week to end,and I would finally be free. The next morning,when I woke up,there was a familiar presence beside me. I didn’t know when Zion had come back.He leaned against the headboard,his fingertips lightly playing with my loose strands of hair in a distracted way. His other hand rested on my swollen belly,his head lowered,as if he were truly listening to something. “The baby is moving.” He smiled at me.“Wife,he’s scratching me.” As if responding to his words,a clear small movement pressed against his palm,tiny but sure. My heart suddenly ached sharply,but I didn’t move away. Zion had always been like this. No matter how wildly he fooled around outside,whenever he returned to me,he acted like the gentle,patient husband,the father waiting for his baby to come. He would soothe me softly,pull the blanket over me,and when my emotions slipped,he would repeat over and over,“Wife,I’ll fix myself,”“Don’t cry,alright?” As long as I ignored the dirty things he did outside,we could still keep a marriage that looked warm and proper. But I couldn’t keep doing that,and that was why I chose to walk away. “Sit up and eat a little.” Zion leaned down and kissed my forehead. “After we eat,I’ll drive you to the hospital for the checkup.Isn’t your appointment today?” At the dining table,while he watched me drink milk,Zion suddenly chuckled,with a hint of testing in his voice. “Wife,I thought you would call me last night crying,just like when you used to catch me cheating,calling nonstop until I picked up.” “What happened,little crybaby suddenly switched personality?You really don’t care anymore?” I held the cup without raising my head. “Isn’t this exactly what you’ve been hoping for?” My voice stayed even.“A quiet,obedient Mrs.Payne who acts like nothing ever happened.” Zion clearly stopped,as if my words caught him off guard. Then he reached out and brushed my hair,like calming a small pet that had finally stopped resisting. “It’s good you understand now.Men like us,how could we not have social situations to deal with?” “Wife,relax.No matter what,you will always be the only woman I marry.The ones outside are just passing shadows.” Passing shadows. Those simple words landed lightly,soft and weightless,yet hard to breathe through. I suddenly thought back to many years ago. When Zion confessed to me,he had promised that in this life,he would only love me,stay true to me,and never turn his back on me. So promises really do wear away.To the point where even he no longer trusted his own. My nails pressed into my palm,the small pain spreading slowly,barely keeping me alert. “Let’s go.” I got up,cutting off Zion. During the drive to the hospital,the car stayed quiet. In the past,I would speak happily at times like this,chatting