Their Secret Child, My Sterile Husband Chapter 04
Chapter 4 “Jayden, I Didn’t”
I watched their little performance without a word, then walked calmly into the bathroom. Before closing the door, I said lightly, “No need.” My tone was steady, almost detached, and that calm frightened me more than anger would have. Something inside me was no longer fighting.
When I finished washing up and stepped back out, only Lily remained at the dining table. Ariella leaned casually against the doorway, a faint smile curving her lips. It wasn’t friendly. It was triumphant.
“Rebecca,” she said softly, “you do realize Jayden got a vasectomy for me, right? Whatever’s in your belly is probably some bastard.”
My fingers tightened at my sides.
It was almost laughable. I hadn’t expected to get pregnant either. And through everything, Jayden had never once truly asked about the baby.
Seeing that I didn’t react, Ariella’s eyes sharpened.
“Let me be clearer,” she continued. “You only married into the Richardson family because you saved Edward’s life. Me? I gave Jayden his only child. The moment I bring Lily to formally claim our place, do you really think the old man will still acknowledge you?”
“Go ahead,” I replied evenly. “I won’t stop you. If he’s willing to marry you, I’ll give up this position anytime.”
Her expression darkened instantly.
I turned to leave, but she suddenly grabbed my wrist. In the next second, she twisted her body and tumbled dramatically down the stairs, dragging the situation into chaos before I could even react. The fall looked violent and convincing.
Before I could process what was happening, Lily charged forward and slammed her head straight into my
stomach.
Pain exploded through my lower abdomen.
I dropped to the floor, breath knocked out of me, a burning ache ripping through my body. I had just undergone a procedure yesterday; I was still weak. That impact felt like something inside me was being torn
apart.
“Bad woman! Don’t touch my mom!” Lily screamed.
Then she bit down hard on my hand.
The sharp sting shot up my arm, and I shoved her away instinctively. My palm throbbed as I stared at the red marks blooming across my skin. I hadn’t even had time to defend myself.
“Rebecca!”
Jayden’s voice cracked across the room.
Lily immediately ran to him, tears pouring down her face. “Daddy! She pushed Mommy! She hit me too!”
I looked up at Jayden.
Pathetic as it was, there was still a sliver of hope in me. After everything, I still wanted him to look at me and see the truth.
Reality didn’t hesitate.
He knelt to soothe Lily first, then rushed past me to help Ariella up from the bottom of the stairs. Blood streaked along Ariella’s forearm, bright and shocking against her pale skin. Jayden’s expression tightened, instantly with concern.
He lifted her into his arms.
“Rebecca,” he said coldly, “I asked Ariella to come back to help take care of you. And this is how you treat her?”
The speed of it all left me dizzy. I shook my head weakly.
“No… I didn’t…”
“That’s enough. We’re going to the hospital.”
He didn’t shout. He didn’t need to. After three years by his side, I knew exactly what that tone meant. He had already decided I was guilty.
As he walked past, I grabbed his wrist.
“Jayden,” I said slowly, forcing him to meet my eyes. “I didn’t.”
Annoyance flickered between his brows.
“Let go,” he said. “I’m taking them to the hospital.”
Before the words were even cold, Lily shoved me again. The three of them moved toward the door in perfect unity.
Not one of them looked back.
My phone rang.
Edward had sent over the divorce papers.
The tears burst free at last. I wiped them away fiercely, fighting through the cramps twisting in my abdomen, and signed without hesitation. If this was how it ended, then I would end it cleanly.
I walked into the bedroom step by step. I didn’t pack clothes. I didn’t take jewelry. I took only my ID and my
bank card.
Everything else could stay behind with the life that was never truly mine.
At the door, I paused and looked back at the house that once felt like home.
“Jayden,” I whispered, “goodbye.”
Three years with him had not been entirely false. I knew he had cared for me in his own way. The quiet routines, the gentle gestures, the everyday companionship-those things had been real.
And yet, he hid from me that he had a child with Ariella. He even went so far as to undergo sterilization for her, but he never once had the courage to bring up divorce himself.
It’s already come to this. How we got here no longer matters. So I’ll be the one to step forward and end it- personally, and for good.
An hour later, I was on a plane, eyes closed, exhaustion pulling me under. I had no idea that the Richardson house was already unraveling.
At the hospital, Jayden stood beside Ariella and Lily, waiting for test results when his assistant hurried up and knocked on the door.
Seeing him there, Jayden’s expression darkened.
“Didn’t I tell you to buy a cake and take it to Rebecca?” he demanded. “Why are you here?”
The assistant swallowed hard.
“Mr. Richardson… Mrs. Richardson is gone.”
Jayden froze.
He dialed my number.
No answer.
He called the house phone. The butler sounded confused. “Sir, madam left in a hurry. She didn’t say where she was going.”
I watched their little performance without a word, then walked calmly into the bathroom. Before closing the door, I said lightly, “No need.” My tone was steady, almost detached, and that calm frightened me more than anger would have. Something inside me was no longer fighting.
When I finished washing up and stepped back out, only Lily remained at the dining table. Ariella leaned casually against the doorway, a faint smile curving her lips. It wasn’t friendly. It was triumphant.
“Rebecca,” she said softly, “you do realize Jayden got a vasectomy for me, right? Whatever’s in your belly is probably some bastard.”
My fingers tightened at my sides.
It was almost laughable. I hadn’t expected to get pregnant either. And through everything, Jayden had never once truly asked about the baby.
Seeing that I didn’t react, Ariella’s eyes sharpened.
“Let me be clearer,” she continued. “You only married into the Richardson family because you saved Edward’s life. Me? I gave Jayden his only child. The moment I bring Lily to formally claim our place, do you really think the old man will still acknowledge you?”
“Go ahead,” I replied evenly. “I won’t stop you. If he’s willing to marry you, I’ll give up this position anytime.”
Her expression darkened instantly.
I turned to leave, but she suddenly grabbed my wrist. In the next second, she twisted her body and tumbled dramatically down the stairs, dragging the situation into chaos before I could even react. The fall looked violent and convincing.
Before I could process what was happening, Lily charged forward and slammed her head straight into my
stomach.
Pain exploded through my lower abdomen.
I dropped to the floor, breath knocked out of me, a burning ache ripping through my body. I had just undergone a procedure yesterday; I was still weak. That impact felt like something inside me was being torn
apart.
“Bad woman! Don’t touch my mom!” Lily screamed.
Then she bit down hard on my hand.
The sharp sting shot up my arm, and I shoved her away instinctively. My palm throbbed as I stared at the red marks blooming across my skin. I hadn’t even had time to defend myself.
“Rebecca!”
Jayden’s voice cracked across the room.
Lily immediately ran to him, tears pouring down her face. “Daddy! She pushed Mommy! She hit me too!”
I looked up at Jayden.
Pathetic as it was, there was still a sliver of hope in me. After everything, I still wanted him to look at me and see the truth.
Reality didn’t hesitate.
He knelt to soothe Lily first, then rushed past me to help Ariella up from the bottom of the stairs. Blood streaked along Ariella’s forearm, bright and shocking against her pale skin. Jayden’s expression tightened, instantly with concern.
He lifted her into his arms.
“Rebecca,” he said coldly, “I asked Ariella to come back to help take care of you. And this is how you treat her?”
The speed of it all left me dizzy. I shook my head weakly.
“No… I didn’t…”
“That’s enough. We’re going to the hospital.”
He didn’t shout. He didn’t need to. After three years by his side, I knew exactly what that tone meant. He had already decided I was guilty.
As he walked past, I grabbed his wrist.
“Jayden,” I said slowly, forcing him to meet my eyes. “I didn’t.”
Annoyance flickered between his brows.
“Let go,” he said. “I’m taking them to the hospital.”
Before the words were even cold, Lily shoved me again. The three of them moved toward the door in perfect unity.
Not one of them looked back.
My phone rang.
Edward had sent over the divorce papers.
The tears burst free at last. I wiped them away fiercely, fighting through the cramps twisting in my abdomen, and signed without hesitation. If this was how it ended, then I would end it cleanly.
I walked into the bedroom step by step. I didn’t pack clothes. I didn’t take jewelry. I took only my ID and my
bank card.
Everything else could stay behind with the life that was never truly mine.
At the door, I paused and looked back at the house that once felt like home.
“Jayden,” I whispered, “goodbye.”
Three years with him had not been entirely false. I knew he had cared for me in his own way. The quiet routines, the gentle gestures, the everyday companionship-those things had been real.
And yet, he hid from me that he had a child with Ariella. He even went so far as to undergo sterilization for her, but he never once had the courage to bring up divorce himself.
It’s already come to this. How we got here no longer matters. So I’ll be the one to step forward and end it- personally, and for good.
An hour later, I was on a plane, eyes closed, exhaustion pulling me under. I had no idea that the Richardson house was already unraveling.
At the hospital, Jayden stood beside Ariella and Lily, waiting for test results when his assistant hurried up and knocked on the door.
Seeing him there, Jayden’s expression darkened.
“Didn’t I tell you to buy a cake and take it to Rebecca?” he demanded. “Why are you here?”
The assistant swallowed hard.
“Mr. Richardson… Mrs. Richardson is gone.”
Jayden froze.
He dialed my number.
No answer.
He called the house phone. The butler sounded confused. “Sir, madam left in a hurry. She didn’t say where she was going.”
