Chapter 1I gained 60 pounds during pregnancy, then my husband dropped the bomb.
"No more allowance. Lose 10 pounds = $1,000. For your health."
Except I NEVER saw a dime.
Next checkup: $968.
I barely ate for TWO WEEKS. Only lost three pounds.
"Are you even trying?! Less than ten—you get NOTHING."
My stomach was screaming. I starved myself for THREE MORE DAYS.
Finally—ten pounds gone.
My phone buzzed.
Transfer: $1
Note: Weight-loss bonus.
Three hours later, he finally added: "Secretary's mistake. Sending now."
I didn't fight. Just took the money.
Skipped the checkup.
Booked an abortion instead.
He wanted me to lose weight? Bet. Losing his baby FIRST.
...
The abortion went smoother than I expected.
One hour. Three years of fertility treatments, injections, hope—gone.
I sat alone on a cold hospital chair for two hours.
Reign Blackwell never called.
My phone buzzed.
His little secretary Alina posted a photo flaunting a designer bag.
"Boss's favorite, obviously. ? Finally got the bag I've been dying for!"
That bag cost $100,000.
My checkup fee was less than $1,000.
Hunger clawed at my stomach, sharp and relentless.
I used to crave food like crazy.
For once, I couldn't eat. Didn't want to.
I jogged five miles back to the estate.
Out of breath, I opened the door—only to find a new scale sitting by the entrance.
"Mrs. Blackwell, you're back?"
"Miss Hart bought this scale to help you lose weight."
"She said if you haven't lost weight today, you can't come in."
Rosa stood awkwardly in the doorway, blocking my path.
I looked inside.
Alina Hart stood next to Reign, wearing my tight dress from before I got pregnant.
"Reign, I'm so sorry. I got my period and ruined my dress."
"I borrowed your wife's dress. She won't mind, right?"
Reign snorted.
"Mind what?"
"She can't even fit into this dress anymore."
Reign took off his glasses, looking almost apologetic.
"Thanks for pretending to be my wife today."
"If I'd brought her to that investor meeting, I would've been humiliated."
With that, he leaned back casually.
"My wife—Reign Blackwell's wife—is a 220-pound fat cow?"
"I won't give my competitors ammunition to attack me."
Fat cow.
The words stabbed straight through my chest.
They tore straight through me, ripping out a bloody piece of everything I had left.
I stood frozen at the door.
During pregnancy, my symptoms were brutal.
I vomited until I tasted blood. Dark patches all over my skin.
The worst time, I spiked a fever that wouldn't break.
I had thought about ending the pregnancy.
But Reign begged me. Pleaded with tears in his eyes to give him a complete family.
So I did everything I could to keep our baby.
Medication. Injections. Treatment after treatment.
My weight spiraled out of control.
He promised.
No matter what I looked like, he'd love me.
Now "fat cow" rolled off his tongue like nothing.
"Reign, your wife is back!"
"Oh my god, what happened to her?!"
"She smells—"
Alina covered her mouth, swallowing the rest.
Reign frowned and walked toward the door.
When he saw me, disgust flashed in his eyes.
Then disappeared.
Chapter 2
"Kaia, are you seriously doing this to get back at me?"
"All because Alina accidentally misheard a thousand as one dollar?"
"Or because I transferred the money late?"
Reign's voice was hoarse. He covered his mouth, dry heaving.
"Reign, are you okay?"
"Kaia, Reign closed a huge deal tonight. They made him drink way too much."
"Please don't be upset. This is all my fault!"
Alina rushed over to support him, her hands smoothly loosening his tie, unbuttoning his shirt.
I watched quietly.
My heart twisted.
I started to walk inside.
Alina's voice cut through sharply.
"Kaia, weigh yourself first before entering!"
My foot froze mid-step.
I looked at Reign.
His voice came out cold and hard.
"Kaia, this is for your own good."
"You can't keep making excuses, not even lose some weight."
"My wife must have this basic level of self-control."
"Do you really want to become a joke? Want people laughing at me?"
His words were ice cold.
I closed my mouth. Pressed the abortion receipt deeper into my bag.
"Fine."
Barely a whisper.
I started to take off my shoes.
Alina frowned.
"Kaia, taking off your shoes is kind of cheating, isn't it?"
"Reign told me you pulled that trick before when we started the weight loss program."
"You need to weigh in WITH your shoes on!"
My hand froze.
I stepped on the scale with my shoes.
"155 pounds?"
"Ma'am, did you tamper with this?"
"Lost five pounds in one afternoon?"
Alina's voice dripped with contempt and suspicion.
I looked at Reign.
His expression stayed cold and indifferent.
My heart ached.
I said nothing and walked into the house.
After running six miles, my throat was killing me.
I opened the fridge.
It wouldn't budge.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you, Kaia."
"The best way to lose weight is to stop eating after noon."
"It's already 11 PM. The fridge auto-locks until 7 AM tomorrow."
Alina walked over calmly.
Then pulled out a schedule.
"Kaia, I had a professional trainer create this weight loss plan for you."
"Please follow the exercise times strictly."
I took the paper from her hands.
Every inch covered with workouts and meal restrictions.
Every single minute of my day planned out.
"I don't agree!"
"Reign, my mom's in the ICU from a car accident! I need to visit her every day!"
I crushed the paper in my fist.
Looked up at Reign.
He frowned and reached for the schedule.
But Alina cut him off.
"Reign, if you hired me to supervise your wife's weight loss, you need to trust me completely."
"ICU patients don't need visitors. You can't help anyway."
"Kaia, stop making excuses!"
"At this rate, you'll be trying to lose weight for the rest of your life!"
Reign's hand stopped.
His phone rang.
He walked away with it, tossing back one line.
"Kaia, Alina's right!"
"Don't forget—I'M paying for all your mom's ICU bills."
I clutched the weight loss schedule.
Exhausted, I dragged myself to the bedroom.
My throat was so dry I drank water straight from the bathroom tap.
Reign's words kept replaying in my head.
Little by little, my heart went cold.
Late into the night, I tossed and turned, barely sleeping at all.
Just as I finally fell into deep sleep, my phone started vibrating violently.
Chapter 3
"Miss Ashford, your mother's condition is critical!"
"You need to get to the hospital NOW!"
I threw on clothes and rushed downstairs.
The second I hit the living room, Alina blocked my path.
"Kaia, did you break into the fridge last night and steal food?!"
What the hell?
I frowned, started to speak—
Reign walked out of the kitchen in his robe, holding a half-eaten roasted chicken.
His expression was ice cold. Disbelief written all over his face.
"Kaia! Have you lost your mind?!"
"I'm making you lose weight for YOU and the baby!"
"And this is how you repay me?! Lying to my face?!"
"You're such a disappointment!"
His voice was exhausted. Self-mocking.
He threw the mangled food into the trash.
"Maybe I was wrong."
"I shouldn't have bothered making you lose weight. Should've just let you destroy yourself!"
"When you die from obesity, at least I can find a wife with a decent body."
The words came out cold and cruel.
My chest tightened.
"Reign, I didn't!"
"I didn't eat anything!"
I shook my head frantically and reached for his hand.
Alina suddenly pulled out a scale. Shoved me aside.
"I knew you'd deny it."
"So let's settle this. Get on the scale!"
She set it on the floor. Her face smug and certain.
Suspicion crawled through me. I was about to refuse.
Reign spoke coldly.
"Kaia, you said you didn't eat, right?"
"Then get on. Prove it."
I thought of my dying mom waiting at the hospital.
Put down my phone.
Stepped on.
"Oh my god! 161 pounds!"
"Kaia, you're STILL lying!"
I stared down at the number on the scale, stunned.
"That's impossible!"
"I didn't eat anything!"
I looked up at Reign, panicked, and grabbed my phone.
"Reign, the hospital just called. My mom's having delirium."
"The doctor said she might not wake up. It could be life-threatening."
"Please, just let me go to the hospital."
"We can deal with this when I get back—"
Alina cut me off with a frown.
"Kaia, is this another one of your lies?"
"Trying to cover up what you did?"
My eyes filled with tears.
I ignored her, walked over and grabbed Reign’s hand.
"Reign, believe me!"
"I would NEVER use my mom's life as an excuse!"
After several tense seconds, Reign frowned.
Then nodded.
"Fine."
"I'll drive you."
Relief flooded through me.
I forced a smile and hurried toward the garage.
I was just about to get in the passenger seat when Alina stopped me.
"Kaia, Reign's business partners all think I'm his wife."
"If they see you in the front seat, it'll look bad."
"It could hurt Reign's reputation."
I froze and looked at Reign.
He nodded calmly.
My heart went cold.
I opened the back door and climbed inside.
The car started moving.
Not long after we pulled away, Alina suddenly slammed her seat back.
I got crushed against the backseat.
When I looked up, I finally noticed—
Reign and Alina were wearing matching pajamas.
My fingers clenched.
The gnawing hunger in my empty stomach came rushing back.
Growl. Growl.
The embarrassed sound echoed in the car.
Alina covered her mouth and laughed.
