Chapter 2

I was busy revising my graduation thesis when my boyfriend, Albert, suddenly called, his voice accusatory.

"Chloe King, what the hell is wrong with you?! Chelsea is your roommate! How could you help your dad do something so disgusting?!"

I couldn't quite process it.

"Albert, what are you talking about?"

"Still playing dumb?!"

Albert continued to roar into the phone.

"Go watch Chelsea's live stream yourself! She's pregnant and standing outside your house! You and your father, the Kings, are truly a pair of despicable monsters!"

The call was abruptly cut off.

My fingers trembled as I clicked open SnapChat. The first thing I saw was a huge push notification:

**[Poor Female Student, Unwed and Pregnant, Exposes Corrupt Businessman's Deception, Only to Be Threatened by His Daughter and Cruelly Abandoned!]**

The cover photo was my roommate, Chelsea Miller.

She stood outside my house, her stomach slightly protruding, tears streaming down her face.

Behind her, a crowd of angry netizens livestreaming on their phones had gathered.

I rushed home. Sure enough, the entrance was swarming with people.

When Chelsea saw me, she dramatically fell to her knees, her voice a desperate wail.

"Chloe, I'm begging you, make your dad acknowledge this child! I know I'm just a poor student and not good enough for your family, but the baby is innocent..."

The live stream comments instantly exploded.

"Holy crap! The villain is here! So young, yet helping her own father deceive people, even preying on her roommate! How disgusting!"

"Exactly! She looks like a good person, but her heart is so evil!"

I was fuming, shaking with anger, and tried to pull her up.

"Chelsea, get up! Explain yourself! Who deceived you? My dad has been..."

Before I could say "dead" a tall figure suddenly burst forward.

He pushed me aside, shielding Chelsea.

It was my boyfriend, Albert.

The look he gave me was filled with disappointment and disgust.

"Chloe King, I never thought you'd be this kind of person! Chelsea is so pure and kind, yet you used her trust to trick her into your family's company, letting your dad exploit her! You utterly sicken me!"

Chelsea nestled into Albert's arms, crying her eyes out.

"Albert, don't blame Chloe. It's my fault for falling for someone I shouldn't have. Chloe just doesn't want her inheritance to be split with a younger sibling..."

Seeing her fake demeanor, my stomach churned with disgust.

As graduation approached, I noticed Chelsea only had $500 a month for living expenses and often couldn't afford food.

So, out of kindness, I offered her an internship at my mom's company, paying $300 a day, plus free meals.

She had thanked me profusely back then. Now, this is how she repays me?

I was so angry I laughed.

"Chelsea Miller, are you out of your damn mind?"

"You keep claiming my dad deceived you, but his ashes have been cold for eight years! How could he possibly get you pregnant? In your dreams?"

The crowd went silent for a moment.

Chelsea lifted her tear-stained face, whimpering.

"Chloe, how can you curse Mr. King like that? When I interned, I was with him every day. He even told me he was single and really admired me..."

With that, she pulled out her phone and showed me her wallpaper.

The photo showed someone in a crisp black suit, with slicked-back hair and features as handsome as a movie star, slightly tilted their head, listening to Chelsea speak.

That profile, that aura—it was breathtakingly handsome.

But my vision swam.

That was my mom!

Though my dad passed away early, my mom was incredibly capable, single-handedly keeping the entire company afloat.

She was tall, with short hair, and always dressed in suits, exuding an imposing presence.

Nine out of ten strangers mistook her for a successful, powerful CEO.

I never imagined Chelsea would make the same mistake, but what about the baby in her belly?