Seven months pregnant with twins, my world shattered with a single message.

I had been folding tiny onesies, running my fingers over the soft fabric, picturing what my babies would look like when they finally arrived. My phone buzzed beside me, breaking the peaceful moment.

It was from Veronica—my husband’s boss. My stomach twisted. Why was she texting me?

A sinking feeling settled in my chest as I unlocked my phone.

The message contained a picture.

Eric, my husband, lay sprawled on an unfamiliar bed, shirtless, smirking at the camera like he had no care in the world.

I didn’t even have time to process the gut-wrenching image before my eyes landed on the caption.

“It’s time you knew. He’s mine.”

My hands turned to ice. The babies kicked, as if they sensed my distress.

Eric. My Eric. The man I loved, the man I had built a life with, was cheating on me.

With her.

I called him immediately. Straight to voicemail. Again and again, I tried. Nothing.

I lowered myself onto the couch, clutching my belly. My breath came in short gasps.

“Easy, babies,” I whispered, rubbing my bump as if I could soothe the storm brewing inside me. “Mama will take care of you. Always.”

I wanted to believe Eric would never abandon us.

I was wrong.

That evening, Eric finally came home. But he wasn’t alone.

Veronica walked in beside him like she owned the place, her head held high, her designer heels clicking against the floor. The type of woman who demanded attention just by existing.

I forced myself to stand, every muscle in my body screaming in protest. “Eric… what is this?”

He sighed, rubbing his face like he was the one exhausted. “Lauren, let’s not make this difficult. I’m in love with Veronica. I’m leaving you.”

The words slammed into me like a truck. My knees nearly buckled.

“You can’t be serious,” I whispered, my voice barely holding steady. “We’re having babies in two months.”

“Life happens,” he said with a careless shrug.

A shrug.

Like he was discussing a change in dinner plans. Not abandoning his pregnant wife.

Veronica crossed her arms, tilting her head. “Since this is Eric’s apartment, you’ll need to move out by the end of the week.”

I blinked.

I had nowhere to go. No family nearby, no close friends to lean on. I had put everything into this marriage, and now they wanted to toss me out like trash.

I opened my mouth to argue, but Veronica cut me off.

“Twins, right?” Her cold eyes swept over my belly. “Or is it triplets? You’re rather… swollen. I think I can offer you a solution.”

Every nerve in my body went rigid.

“A solution?”

A slow, calculated smile spread across her lips.

“I’ll buy you a house and cover your expenses. But in exchange… I want one of your babies.”

I recoiled, horror ripping through me. “What the hell did you just say?”

“You’ll never manage raising twins alone,” she said smoothly, twirling a finger in the air. “I’d like to have a baby, but I have no intention of ruining my body. Think of this as a win-win.”

My stomach churned.

Eric nodded along.

Like this was some reasonable business deal.

Like bartering our child was something we could discuss over coffee.

I felt sick.

Veronica ran a hand over Eric’s chest, her nails trailing down his shirt. “The child will have the best nannies, the best schools… everything you can’t provide alone. And in return, you get a home. A fair trade.”

My body trembled with fury.

They thought they had me cornered.

They thought I had no options.

But they were wrong.

I took a slow, shuddering breath, forcing tears into my eyes. “I… I don’t have anywhere else to go,” I whispered, looking down as if ashamed. “I’ll agree to your deal… but I have one condition.”

Veronica smirked, thinking she had won.

“Smart girl. What’s your condition?”

I sniffled. “I want to pick which baby you take.”

She exchanged a glance with Eric. He nodded, buying my act completely.

“Fine,” she said. “But don’t take too long. Once they’re born, we’ll take the one you don’t want.”

I wiped a fake tear and sealed the trap. “And… one more thing.”

Veronica sighed. “What now?”

“You’ll buy me a house. Not rent. Buy.”

She arched a brow.

“I need security,” I said, voice firm. “If you don’t agree, I’ll walk. And you’ll never see either of them.”

Eric scoffed, but Veronica held up a hand. “Fine. It saves me the hassle of finding an alternative solution. But you better hold up your end of the deal.”

I nodded, looking every bit the helpless woman they thought I was.

Inside?

I was grinning.

They had no idea what was coming.

Over the next few months, Veronica bought me a three-bedroom house in a quiet neighborhood.

She and Eric never even bothered to check the paperwork.

When we signed the documents, I walked away with the keys to my home. And they remained clueless.

I updated them on doctor’s appointments, let Veronica touch my belly, and pretended to agonize over which baby I’d give up.

All the while, I was biding my time.

Then, the babies came.

Two perfect girls with dark hair and lungs that worked just fine.

The nurse smiled at me. “Want me to tell your husband and… friend?”

I cradled my daughters. “Tell them the babies are fine, but I need three days.”

The nurse looked confused but nodded.

I named them.

Lily and Emma.

I memorized their tiny faces, their cries, their warmth against my chest.

And I finalized my plan.

On the third day, I called Veronica. “I’m ready to talk.”

They showed up within the hour.

Veronica was practically vibrating with excitement.

“So,” she cooed. “Which one is mine?”

I stood, body aching, but voice steady.

“Neither.”

Her smile froze. “Excuse me?”

I met her gaze. “I’m not giving you my child, Veronica. Either of them.”

Eric groaned. “Oh, don’t start this dramatic nonsense—”

“You two thought you could buy my baby? Like I was some desperate idiot? Well, newsflash: I’m not.”

Veronica’s face darkened. “Then I’m kicking you out of this house.”

I laughed.

“You can’t. It’s mine.”

Her face drained of color. “What? No. Eric, tell her!”

Eric looked equally confused. “We signed the papers together!”

“Yes. And you both signed it over to me completely. My name’s the only one on the deed.”

Veronica stumbled back, realizing she had lost.

And I wasn’t done yet.

“By the way,” I said casually, nodding toward my phone. “I posted everything. The messages. The pictures. Your sick baby deal. It’s all online. I tagged your company too, Veronica.”

She lunged for my phone, scrolling in horror.

Her career? Over.

Eric? Fired.

And me?

I rocked my girls to sleep every night in my home, content in the knowledge that I didn’t just get revenge.

I won.