After Husband's Fake Marriage License, Real Heiress Left Him

The checkup was over when the Simmons heiress walked in, her belly round and heavy.

By some coincidence, the husband listed on her file had the same name as mine.

I told myself it was chance, until I saw my husband circle an arm around her waist and ease her carefully into his car.

Rain came down in sheets. I stared at the twenty-some missed calls on my phone and made it home in a daze.

Nathan finally came back in the middle of the night, and the sight of me on the couch seemed to break his heart.

"How are you soaked through? Let me dry you off."

Once he finished, he went and got the hair dryer, drying my hair with great care.

"Silvie, back when I started the company, you went through all the hard times with me. Things are finally turning around, and it's time you got to enjoy the good life with me."

"How did the checkup go today? Did the doctor tell you anything?"

Only then did it register. "Tell me what?"

His hands went still. He looked pained, hesitant. "The doctor probably couldn't bring herself to tell you. The hospital called me today."

"They said our baby isn't doing well. They recommend we terminate as soon as possible."

"I know you can't bear it. Neither can I. But this is for your own good, and I've already booked the surgery for you at the hospital."

If I hadn't seen that woman's prenatal file and the fake marriage certificate today, I might really have believed him.

He wanted to sacrifice my child to pave his own way.

Well, he'd have to see whether I, the true-born Simmons heiress, agreed to that first.

I raised my eyes and looked at Nathan Henson, calm. "Why did the hospital call you and not tell me?"

His hands never stopped, his expression open, his voice still gentle. "The doctor was worried the shock might be too much for you while you're pregnant, so she reached out to me first."

I tugged the corner of my mouth. "I'm the baby's mother. I should be the first to know."

"No matter how considerate a hospital is, they don't go over the pregnant patient's head to give a family member a termination recommendation alone."

Nathan tucked away the flash of anger in his eyes and reached out to smooth my hair. "Silvie, don't overthink it."

"You grew up with no parents, all on your own, and you didn't get much education. You can't follow these medical things, you can't make sense of them." "Just trust me and set your mind at ease. I'm your husband. Every decision I make is for your own good."

Inside, I laughed coldly, but I didn't argue with him any further.

Out of nowhere, the memory of how we first met came back to me.

Back then I was spoiled and willful, a girl who knew nothing of the world.

My parents had given away my puppy without asking me, so I stubbornly ran away from home.

Alone, wretched, and helpless, I ran into a pack of street thugs cornering me in the middle of the night.

I was terrified, certain I was about to be hurt, and that was exactly when Nathan stepped in and saved me.

Back then he had nothing, in the hardest stretch of building his company.

Day after day he ran around begging investors for funding, hitting wall after wall, scraping by in a tight, worn-down life.

Later, remembering that he'd saved my life and aching at how hard he had it, I hid it from everyone and swallowed my pride to go to my brother, a man of real position, and win Nathan his first crucial investment.

It was that money that pulled his teetering little company back from the edge.

It carried him step by step to where he is now, with a business the world sees as thriving.

His company looks impressive these days, but next to the Simmons family and their vast fortune, it's nothing.

He probably thought that as long as he kept Hildegarde Simmons, the fake Simmons heiress, happy, he could ride the Simmons family's power straight to the top and slip into the highest circles.

Nathan set the hair dryer down and reached out, meaning to circle my waist. "It's late. Let me help you shower, then get some rest early."

He'd barely stood up when the phone beside him rang.

He glanced down at the caller's label, and something like panic crossed his eyes.

He snatched up the phone and explained to me quickly, "Silvie, something urgent just came up at the company. I have to go back and deal with it."

Without waiting for my answer, he grabbed his coat from the entryway and left.

I got to my feet slowly, picked up my car keys, and followed him downstairs.

Nathan's car finally stopped outside an apartment building.

It was exactly the property my parents had given Hildegarde all those years ago.

So it had all gone to the baby in Nathan's arms now, and he hadn't set aside a single thing of his own for Hildegarde.

For that matter, this apartment was the one I'd once turned down, back when I thought the location was too far out of the way.

I watched Nathan go up, and then I followed.

Nathan's voice came from inside first, worried, thick with alarm: Hilda, don't be scared. Did that fall hurt just now? Are you feeling anything wrong anywhere? Should we go to the hospital right away and get you checked?

I rushed straight over the second I got your call.

Hildegarde's voice, soft and delicate, with an uneasy edge. I'm okay, I just got such a fright just now, honey.

I live here all alone. If I fall again and you're not around, what am I supposed to do?

Her tone grew more pressing. Honey, my belly's getting bigger and bigger. I can't drag this out any longer.

When exactly are you going to make the baby in her belly disappear for good?

If we keep dragging like this, our baby's going to be born first, and by then it'll be too late for everything!

Nathan soothed her in a low voice, his tone ruthless. Soon. Don't panic, and don't rush.

I've already told her the fetus is developing abnormally, that there's something seriously wrong. She half believes it now.

In another two days I'll take her to the hospital for an induced delivery and put an end to this once and for all.

Hildegarde still sounded anxious, murmuring her worry: That's good, then.

But our fake marriage license is still a risk. If the authorities check it and it turns up, our child won't even be able to get on the household records later. What do we do then?

From inside came the soft sound of kissing, along with Nathan's gentle promise: Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. I'll take care of everything. I'll never let you or the baby suffer the slightest bit

Then came the rustle of clothing.

I stood outside the door and listened to all of it in silence, and all that was left inside me was despair.

I didn't push the door open and burst in. I turned and walked down the stairs, one step at a time.

Back in the car, I dialed the brother I hadn't contacted in a long time.

The call connected at once, and his steady, gentle, concerned voice came through the receiver: Silvie, why are you calling so late? Did something upset you? Has someone been treating you badly?

His words broke through the tears I'd been holding back all at once.

I forced down the sob in my throat. Aiden, I want to come home.

On the other end he went still for a moment, then brightened, his voice light and doting: Good! It's about time you came home!

Your birthday's just a few days away. I'll throw you a grand birthday party myself and bring in every big name and power player in the business world.

I'm going to let everyone know that the one true heiress of the Simmons family, the one we've always cherished above all, has finally come home.

For the next two days, Nathan didn't come home once.

Off keeping Hildegarde company, no doubt, six months along as she was.

I used those two days to reach out to a lawyer.

"Clay Mason, I need you to draw up a divorce agreement for me."

"And there's something else I want to ask. Faking a marriage certificate during a marriage, then living with someone else as husband and wifethat's bigamy, isn't it? What's the usual sentence for it?"

Clay told me to gather evidence. Everything else, he would handle.

Nathan, gone for two days, walked back through the door right on time the third evening.

His clothes were neat, a faint clean scent about him.

Still that same gentle, attentive face.

He came in carrying an elegant takeout box, changed his shoes, and crossed quickly to me. "Silvie, work's been crazy these two days. I'm sorry you've been stuck here alone."

"I went out of my way to get you the soup dumplings you used to love. Eat them while they're hot."

He opened the box with care and held it out to me, his eyes tender.

The old me would have gone soft at the sight.

I gave nothing away and ate a few bites.

The taste was as familiar as ever.

I lifted my eyes to the man who was just as familiar.

I couldn't make myself believe he had turned into something this monstrous.

"Good, aren't they? Have another."

"Your appetite's been off since you got pregnant. Silvie, I know how hard this pregnancy has been on you. And since it's been this hard, and the baby isn't well anyway, why don't we hurry and get rid of it?"

I meant to refuse on instinct, but somehow a wave of dizziness came over me all at once.

My arms and legs went limp and weak, my head heavy and clouded, until even keeping my eyes open took everything I had.

I forced myself to stay conscious. "Nathan, what did you put in that? Why is my head spinning so"

He leaned in and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "Silvie, don't blame me. I'm doing all of this for us."

Before he finished, my eyes closed on their own and I sank into the dark.

I don't know how long it was before a small jolt of the car shook me awake.

From the front seat came Nathan's and Hildegarde's voices.

Hildegarde sounded a little tense. "The drug should've kicked in by now, right? She still won't wake up. What if something goes wrong?"

"We'll be at the hospital any minute. You're sure you can get rid of her baby for good today?"

Nathan's voice was cold. "Relax. The dose was just right. She can't lift a finger, let alone fight back."

"The operation has to be finished today. After this, no one will ever get in our way again."

The car reached the hospital soon after. Someone lifted me out with great care and wheeled me straight into the operating room.

Nathan murmured against my ear: "Silvie, this is all for us. Trust me."

The operating room door closed.

The faint clink of instruments echoed in my ears.

My whole body was rigid, unable to move at all. I could only lie there and feel a despair I had no words for.

Then, in the instant before the operation was to begin, the lead surgeon suddenly bent down close to my ear, his voice respectful: "Miss Simmons, don't worry. Mr. Simmons arranged for me to come and watch over you. Everything is under control. You will be perfectly safe."

I woke slowly on the soft bed of the VIP hospital room.

They told me the surgery had run so long that Nathan and Hildegarde couldn't wait around, and had left ages ago.

The whole time I was in the hospital, Nathan never once showed his face.

He'd sent me a single message, saying an urgent matter had blown up at the company and forced him to leave on a last-minute business trip, that he was stretched too thin to be at my side and care for me.

He kept repeating that losing the baby hurt him more than anyone, and that once he was back from the trip, he would give everything he had to make it up to me.

I stared at the words on the screen and felt only sick.

Meanwhile, Hildegarde's social media feed was one update after another of the two of them on vacation.

Blue sea, blue sky, sand and evening wind. In the frame Hildegarde beamed, and Nathan leaned in to shelter her, all tenderness.

The caption under the photo read: Together year after year, happy year after year.

After a few days of recovery, I handled the discharge paperwork.

I went home first to pack my own things, left the divorce agreement behind, and went downstairs.

Down at the curb, the familiar black luxury car was already waiting for me.

The window slid down, and my brother looked out at me with aching eyes.

"Silvie, I've come to take you home."

I got into the car, and he reached over to ruffle the top of my hair. "Mom and Dad were so happy you're willing to come back, they haven't slept properly for nights." "The birthday party's all arranged. We're just waiting for our Silvie to come home in style and celebrate."

The car headed for the banquet hotel.

The grand ballroom blazed with light, packed with the city's elite. Every heavyweight and power broker in the business world had turned out, all to await the return of the Simmons family's true heiress.

At that same moment, Nathan and Hildegarde, just back from their vacation, were getting dressed to rush to the party.

At the ballroom entrance, Hildegarde held Nathan's arm, her makeup flawless, her whole face bright with smugness and anticipation. "Honey, my family arranged a birthday party especially for me. Today's the perfect chance to introduce you to everyone officially."

She was full of joy.

She and I happened to share the same birthday.

Back when I kept my identity hidden, everyone assumed she was the Simmons family's true heiress, so she wore my glory without a shred of guilt, enjoying everything that was never hers.

The ballroom was full of guests.

Hildegarde walked in on Nathan's arm, elegant, and made the introductions to my brother and my parents. "Mom, Dad, Aiden, this is my husband, Nathan Henson."

"He and I are in love with each other. He's so good to me, so good."

My parents' faces went dark at once, displeasure written all over them.

Beside them, my brother stood tall, his face cold, an icy air radiating off him.

The atmosphere froze in an instant. No one dared say another word.

Nathan noticed nothing off about the room, mistaking the Simmons family's silence for a cold nature.

He stepped forward on his own, humble and deferential, and inclined his head politely to my parents and my brother. "Uncle, Aunt, Mr. Simmons, hello. I'm Hilda's husband, Nathan Henson."

My brother looked down at him, his thin lips parting without a trace of warmth. "You're sure?"

Nathan didn't hesitate. His eyes were full of conviction, even a touch of tenderness, as he answered clearly. "I'm sure."

"I love Hilda deeply. We're already legally married. For the rest of my life, I'll cherish her, protect her, and never fail her, never fail the Simmons family."

My brother let out a cold laugh, his gaze dark. "You married her? Then what does that make my sister?"

Nathan froze on the spot, blank and stunned, and blurted out before he could stop himself. "Mr. Simmons, isn't Hilda your sister? So of course I'm your brother-in-law."

My brother's voice was steady. "My sister has never been her."

Then he raised his hand gently toward the spot where I stood and called out softly. "Silvie, come here. Come to Mom and Dad and your brother."

Every eye in the room snapped to me at once