Chapter 1

I was five months pregnant when an Uber driver hit me and knocked me to the ground.

At the hospital, the doctors couldn't get a hold of my family for a while.

The girl who hit me cried helplessly on the phone:

"I hit a pregnant woman, I'm so scared… Daniel."

That familiar name made me freeze.

Half an hour later, the ward door was pushed open forcefully, and a wave of cedarwood scent filled the room.

The man who appeared in the ward was none other than my husband, Daniel, who had told me he was on a business trip out of town and would bring gifts for our baby when he returned.

"Does it still hurt?"

Daniel stood at the doorway, his face etched with anxiety.

I rubbed my eyes, and after confirming it was really Daniel, the emotions I'd held back all night burst like a dam.

I didn't have time to wonder why he was here.

All I wanted was to rush into his arms and cry, pouring out all my grievances, fears, and helplessness.

But the next second, all the words got stuck in my throat.

I watched as Daniel walked towards the girl who had hit me.

His eyes were red as he scolded her:

"If this hadn't happened, would you have never contacted me again?"

"You used to get lost just going to school. What makes you think you can be an Uber driver?"

"Looks like in all the years you've been gone, you didn't marry a rich man, either."

Scarlett was silent for a moment, then pulled back the covers, got out of bed, and limped towards the door.

As she passed, Daniel grabbed her.

"You're injured. Where are you going?"

Scarlett cried in frustration, trying to pull away from him.

"It's none of your business. Even if I die, it has nothing to do with you!"

Daniel's chest heaved.

Scarlett, with her leg in a cast, limped out.

After only a few steps, he quickly caught up and scooped her into his arms.

Scarlett hit him fiercely.

Finally, she ran out of strength and quietly sat back on the bed.

She lowered her head and choked, "The person I hit looks really wealthy. For wealthy people like you, retaliating against someone poor like me is as easy as crushing an ant."

"You came here today, aren't you just here to see me fall apart?"

"Do you think I wanted to drive drunk? The guys at the bar pressured me into drinking. For those two hundred dollars, I had to take a shot."

"I'm really exhausted, and my rent still isn't paid. I don't want to be evicted!"

Scarlett burst into tears.

Daniel's voice was hoarse:

"Scarlett, why won't you let me help you?"

The girl looked up in surprise and threw herself into his arms.

Snot mixed with tears wiped onto his clothes.

"Really?"

Daniel was a germaphobe, but he didn't flinch.

After a long moment, he sighed, his voice laced with resignation:

"I owe you."