Chapter 1

I was about to give birth, but my husband told me to hold it in so we could go live first.

Cradling my heavy, aching belly, I looked at him and asked, "Does it really have to be right now? I think the baby is coming."

My husband, Tyler, turned around and barked at the director to start the broadcast immediately.

Dizzy, I swayed on my feet and instinctively grabbed his arm for support.

Instead of holding me, Tyler snatched a makeup brush and began aggressively patting powder onto my face, muttering, "We're going live in a second! Can't you pay attention to how you look?"

The second the red light flipped on, Tyler dragged me toward the camera and shouted with performative enthusiasm: "The twenty-four-hour baby countdown starts right now!"

A sudden pop echoed through my body. My water broke, soaking my clothes, and my knees buckled. I collapsed backward.

While the crew scrambled in panic to call an ambulance, Tyler leaned closer to the lens, flashing a grin.

"Big giveaway for the stream today, guys! Join the live, drop your boy-or-girl guesses in the chat, and win huge prizes!"

After a grueling night of labor, I finally gave birth just as dawn broke, soaked in sweat from head to toe.

When the nurse wheeled me out of the delivery room, what awaited me wasn't a warm, loving greeting from Tyler.

It was his furious roar after losing a mobile game.

The cameraman rushed over, nudging Tyler’s arm. "Bro, your wife is out."

Tyler blinked blankly, looking up. Realizing where he was, he hurriedly smoothed his hair and straightened his shirt.

My throat was parched. I parted my lips, desperate for a sip of water.

Tyler ignored me and waved the cameraman over. "Are the levels set? What about the lighting? Where are the props?"

I pressed my lips together and tried to gather my remaining strength.

Tyler grabbed a bouquet of flowers from the floor, knelt by my gurney, and softened his tone to pure silk. "Babe, you were amazing. Thank you for your sacrifice."

I managed a faint, tired smile and reached out to take the flowers.

"Cut! The vibe is totally off!" the cameraman yelled, breaking the moment.

Tyler ruffled his hair in pure irritation, glaring at me. "Can you look a little more excited? Move around a bit! Stop lying there like a dead log."

I exhaled a shaky, ragged breath. "I just pushed out a baby, Tyler. I can barely breathe."

Tyler frowned deeply. "If we don’t make it look genuine, how are we supposed to get engagement? Take it from the top!"

Powerless to fight back, I was wheeled back into the entryway. I forced another picture-perfect smile onto my face as the camera started rolling again.

This time, Tyler placed the flowers neatly beside my pillow, leaned in, and planted a gentle kiss on my forehead. "You did so well, babe."

I closed my eyes and offered a soft, scripted smile.

When no one called cut, Tyler let out a relieved sigh.

He turned around, picked up our newborn, and wore the proud expression of a doting father. "A baby girl! She’s our little treasure. She’s going to bring so much good fortune to our family."

He leaned down so I could get a better look at her.

I raised a trembling hand and gently brushed my fingers against our daughter's soft cheek. Tyler looked between us with warm eyes.

"She looks just like you. Especially around the eyes."

I looked up at him. I remembered the nights he had pressed his ear against my belly, listening for kicks. He had been just as excited for this baby as I was, hadn't he?

At that thought, the bitter cloud over my heart began to lift.

Tyler leaned closer, his voice dropping into a tender whisper. "Let's give our baby a meaningful name, okay?"

Watching our daughter smack her tiny lips, I smiled weakly. "My brain is fried right now. You pick."

Tyler smoothed my hair back, his gaze brimming with affection. "Let's name her Hope. Like meeting that one special soul in the universe, that's how we found her."

I touched the baby's tiny hand, nodding eagerly. "Okay. Hope. We'll protect her together."

The cameraman gave a quiet clap, signaling the shot was done. Instantly, the sweet illusion shattered.

The smile fell from Tyler’s face like a lead weight. With an exasperated groan, he carelessly tossed the baby down onto the mattress beside me.

"Seriously? A girl? All the brand deals I lined up were for baby boy gear! You’re totally useless."

My heart stopped. I instinctively shielded our daughter with my arm, staring at him in utter disbelief. "You said over and over that you didn't care about the gender!"

He cast a look of pure disgust at the newborn. "Hope? You actually bought that garbage the director fed me?"

"I named her Hope because I was hoping for a son! How dense can you be?"

I froze. It felt like liquid lead had been poured down my throat, rendering me speechless. Every single moment of tenderness in front of the lens was nothing but toxic foam.

I glanced down at Tyler’s phone resting on the side table, watching the TikTok comments flood in:

[I'm literally crying. Why are all the good husbands taken?]

[If my man treated me like this, I'd pop out five kids for him.]

[OMG! You guys need to stay together forever!]

[This just restored my faith in love.]

A bone-chilling numbness slowly swallowed me whole.