He Pushes Two Wives, I Say No

When I found out I was pregnant, Lucas Bennett, who had been desperate to marry me just days before, suddenly went dead silent. It wasn't until my family pressed him three times that he finally, nonchalantly confessed the truth. "My eldest brother passed away early, so my sister-in-law, Sophia, is my responsibility. I hope you can understand. Supporting both households is something I have no choice about." In my previous life, Lucas had deliberately waited until after I got pregnant to reveal this, knowing full well how much I cared about my reputation. I had been cornered with no way out and could only board this sinking ship. But in the fourth month of my pregnancy, I fell down the stairs because of my so-called 'careless' sister-in-law. Not only did I lose my child, but I also permanently lost the ability to become a mother. I went mad and lunged at Sophia, only for Lucas to slap me to the ground and pin all the blame on me. He believed I had been jealous of his sister-in-law and had caused my own child’s death. I was so furious that I lost my sanity, and after an unexpected car accident, I died full of hatred. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day he forced me to compromise. ***** "After we get married, I’ll stay in your room on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, I’ll stay with my sister-in-law. Honestly, I’m already favoring you more," Lucas spoke eloquently, his tone completely matter-of-fact, as if he had already decided I would agree. There wasn’t the slightest concern for my feelings. Just like in my previous life, I had completely broken down after hearing this and accused him of scheming against me behind my back. But Lucas had only frowned, his voice cold as ice. He sneered. "If you hadn’t willingly spread your legs for me, would your belly have gotten big before marriage?" My blood ran cold, and I even wanted to die right then and there. But Lucas snatched the knife away with his bare hands and pulled me into his arms to comfort me. "Even if you don’t think about yourself, you should think about your parents. They’ve spent their whole lives protecting their dignity. Do you really want them to be unable to hold their heads up in old age?" After striking me down, he immediately tried to soothe me again. He knew exactly where to hurt me the most. Lucas mistook my silence for compromise and pushed even further. "And the engagement gift won’t be as much anymore. My sister-in-law wanted to go on vacation overseas, so I gave her half of it.” As he spoke, Lucas glanced at my stomach, amusement in his voice. “Besides, you’re already pregnant. What do you need so much money for? In the future, all my money will belong to you and the child anyway. Rachel, you—" "Who said I’m marrying you?" Before he could finish, I coldly interrupted him. Lucas froze, his expression instantly stiffening. Meanwhile, my face remained calm, carrying only a faint look of indifference. "You and your sister-in-law are so deeply in love. How could I possibly separate you two?" Lucas' face darkened. He stared at me as if I were an unreasonable child. "Do you even know what you’re saying?" Of course, I did. I smiled calmly. In my previous life, Lucas had sounded perfectly honorable before marriage. But after the wedding, his sister-in-law, Sophia, was always either feeling unwell or emotionally distressed. Lucas could never stop worrying about her, and every time he went to see her, he never came back. At first, the arrangement had been four days with me and three with her. Gradually, it became four with her and three with me. Then five with her and two with me. In the end, I couldn’t even keep a single miserable day for myself. Sophia would even put on a considerate expression and say, "Rachel, you’re pregnant, so it’s better for you to sleep alone. Lucas moves around too much in his sleep. I should be the one taking care of him." Night after night, their passionate noises pierced through the walls like poisonous snakes crawling into my ears. Tears slipped from the corners of my eyes as I stared at the dark ceiling, unable to sleep through countless nights. I had truly had enough of living this half-human, half-ghost existence. Lucas frowned, seemingly convinced I was deliberately provoking him. "Is this really necessary?" I didn’t answer. I simply lowered my head and searched for a hospital on my phone. Lucas silently watched me, an inexplicable unease rising in his chest. Just as he was about to speak, his phone suddenly rang. His expression changed instantly, and I immediately knew it was Sophia again. "Lucas, someone’s knocking outside the door. I’m so scared..." My finger paused over the appointment confirmation button. Just as expected. Sophia never allowed us to spend more than half a minute alone together. The moment the time was up, she would always find some excuse to drag Lucas away. Sometimes, I even felt like I was the other woman. Sophia’s trembling voice grew more pitiful by the second, and Lucas immediately became restless with worry. He turned to leave, but halfway to the door, he unexpectedly stopped to explain himself. "My sister-in-law is in danger right now. Don’t overthink things. Take care of yourself and the baby. I’ll come see you tomorrow." With that, he left. And for the first time in a long while, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. Because the surgery appointment had been successfully confirmed.