Part 1The Karma of Betrayal: My Ex-Husband's Fatal Mistake

The day I nearly died in the delivery room, Carter was out cheating on me.

Throughout my entire postpartum recovery, he flew that woman all over the globe, buying out every luxury boutique in sight.

When he finally returned, he didn't forget to hand me a set of divorce papers.

"Chloe hates being called a homewrecker, so we have to divorce."

"Sign it. I purposely waited until your postpartum recovery was over to give this to you. Consider it my final act of kindness."

"I don't want the kid anyway. Keep her as a souvenir. Chloe will give me my own children in the future."

I didn't say a single word. I just picked up the pen and signed.

I was terrified that if I hesitated for even a second, I would delay my reunion with the man I truly loved.

Three months later, I received an emergency call from the hospital right in the middle of my wedding.

They said a female patient had engaged in such vigorous intercourse that she suffered a ruptured corpus luteum.

Furthermore, because this patient had been sleeping with multiple men simultaneously, she had developed severe pelvic complications. The situation was so critical they had to pull me in for emergency surgery.

I pushed open the doors to the ER, and what a coincidence—

The woman lying on the operating table was none other than my ex-husband's fiancée.

* * *

I looked down and carefully read the patient's name on the chart.

Chloe Montgomery.

Before my divorce from Carter Sterling, I had heard this name come out of his mouth countless times.

He called her his "sweet Chloe," his voice dripping with so much affection it made you sick.

I thought he had found some kind of flawless, perfect true love.

Turns out, this was it.

I remembered the day I gave birth. Complications arose, and I suffered a massive hemorrhage.

The doctors were frantic, paging my family over and over.

But Carter’s phone was unreachable.

Meanwhile, the tabloids were flooded with paparazzi photos of him and Chloe Montgomery walking into a luxury hotel, wrapped in each other's arms.

With the sheer power of the Sterling family's wealth, no media outlet would dare publish those photos unless Carter explicitly allowed it.

The truth was clear: Carter didn't want to hide her anymore.

He was giving her official status.

When I miraculously survived and woke up, Carter finally showed up.

A look of impatience flashed across his face. "Sarah, why do you always have to make yourself look so pathetic?"

"You were a top student, and you're a doctor yourself. Did you really have to push yourself to have this baby?"

"I don't even want it. Your idea of using a child to secure your position as Mrs. Sterling is honestly laughable."

"I’ve been very busy lately. I don't have time to sit here and watch you throw a pity party..."

Before he could finish, his phone rang.

He answered it right in front of me without the slightest hesitation. "Chloe..."

The voice on the other end cut him off playfully. "Carter, babe! Is my birthday surprise ready yet?"

"You said you were just going to the hospital to check on the old ball-and-chain. It's been half an hour! Why aren't you back?"

"I heard she was bleeding everywhere? Isn't it gross and messy?"

"Hurry back, Carter. Don't get your shoes dirty over there."

Carter chuckled softly. "You're always looking out for me, Chloe. I'm heading back right now."

"Your birthday gift has been ready for days. I promise it'll be a surprise that keeps you in bed all night..."

Carter talked as he walked out the door, never sparing me another glance.

Naturally, it didn't even cross his mind to go look at our newborn daughter.

Fortunately, I wasn't heartbroken.

After confirming my baby was healthy and safe, all I felt was relief.

Relief that I could finally talk to Grandpa Sterling about our original agreement.

I took the initiative to call him. "Grandpa, the baby is safe and healthy. May I leave now?"

Years ago, when the Sterling empire was on the verge of bankruptcy, Grandpa Sterling sought me out.

A psychic had told him that my astrological chart was perfectly aligned to bring prosperity to the Sterling family. As long as I bore them a child, their wealth would be secured forever.

I was already a medical intern at the time. To a woman of science, it sounded like utter nonsense.

But the ultra-rich are often the most superstitious.

When I refused the marriage, Grandpa Sterling used his influence to get my younger brother expelled from his university.

Then, my parents called me, sobbing. They had just been in a hit-and-run accident and were an inch away from being killed.

I was forced to compromise and agree to the marriage.

In truth, I already had a boyfriend I’d been dating for ten years.

He knew the whole truth, and he had been waiting for me the entire time.

Grandpa Sterling sighed heavily over the phone. "I saw the news over the past few days. Since you can't force a horse to drink, I'll let you go."

"But your body is weak right now. I've hired a professional postpartum care team. Wait until your first month of recovery is over before you leave."