When My Husband’s First Love Returned, I Ran Away with the Baby

On the day I discovered I was pregnant, my husband's first lovewho also happened to be my half-sisterreturned.

Chapter 1

I excitedly opened the door to Ashton Wallace's office, ready to surprise him with a piece of good news. However, what I saw stopped me in my trackshe was holding a delicate, tearful woman in his arms and comforting her tenderly.

Startled by the noise, the woman turned toward me with her tear-streaked face. She looked beautiful yet pitiful. Ashton's expression briefly flickered with panic and confusion when he noticed me.

I froze on the spot for a moment before managing to say, "Sorry for interrupting." Without waiting for a response, I stepped out and quietly shut the door behind me.

Leaning against the door, I gently placed a hand on my abdomen. "I'm sorry, baby. It looks like you might not have a dad, after all."

The woman I just saw was Mallory Stevensmy half-sister.

Ashton and I had been married for five years. But before our marriage, he had been Mallory's long-time boyfriend.

Our wedding was not born out of love; it was completely a coincidence.

The Wallace and Stevens families were business powerhouses in Regensburg, and many had their eyes on our assets. Hence, Ashton and Mallory's romance was a sensational topic in the industry.

However, just before their wedding, our rivals in the business world could not resist stirring up trouble. That was when they kidnapped Mallory.

As fate would have it, I was with her that day, helping her pick out her wedding dress. As a result, I was taken along with her.

The kidnappers delivered Mallory to the heir of Regensburg's mafia. Meanwhile, I was locked in a dark, tiny room without food and water for three grueling days. I didn't even manage to get a wink of sleep during that period.

When we were finally rescued, Mallory's mental state had deteriorated. Our family had no choice but to send her abroad to recover.

Then, in order to cover up the shocking scandal, the Wallace and Stevens families spent a fortune suppressing the news. The wedding proceeded as planned, with me standing in for Mallory as Ashton's bride.

While I was lost in thought, the office door suddenly opened, startling me. A rare trace of awkwardness was evident in Ashton's voice as he invited me back in.

I gripped the doorframe tightly, shaking my head. It was not just about seeing AshtonI did not want to face Mallory either.

When I was ten years old, I was thrust into the Stevens family. The abrupt change in my identity shattered everything I had known in my first decade of life.

The Stevens family lived in a wealthy neighborhood, in a standalone two-story villa with a large garden and an outdoor swimming pool. I had only ever seen such luxury on television. At the time, I could not fathom that my father was such a wealthy man.

The housekeeper had led me to the garden, where I first saw Mallory. She was swinging gracefully, dressed in a beautiful little dress with her pale, slender legs peeking out. The breeze stirred her silky, flowing hair, making her look enchanting.

I stared at her, utterly captivated.

When Mallory noticed me, she leaped off the swing and walked toward me with elegant poise.

I fidgeted awkwardly as my fingers nervously gripped the seams of my trousers.

She stopped in front of me, examining me carefully, her gaze like an X-ray scanning every inch of me.

I glanced down at my worn-out sneakers and my faded shirt and jeans. Standing before the princess-like Mallory, I wished I could disappear.

"You must be Piper?" she asked.

I nodded hesitantly.

Suddenly, she grabbed my hand. "I'm Mallory, and I'm two years older than you. From now on, you're my little sister!"

Back then, Mallory treated me like a real sibling. Only her mother, who was my stepmother, disliked me.

I understood why. My mother had been the other woman in the relationship, and my existence was a constant reminder of my father's betrayal.

Later, my stepmother overdosed on sleeping pills and took her own life. After that, Mallory began to distance herself from me, avoiding me as if it were instinct. I had always felt guilty, as if I owed her something.

"Pip, come in," Mallory's ever-sweet voice called out from the office.

Inside, I sat stiffly on the couch while clutching the hem of my dress. Mallory sat beside Ashton, her posture like that of the hostess. Her eyes were red from crying, making her appear even more delicate and vulnerable.

"Pip, your marriage to Ash is a business arrangement. There's no real love between you two," she began.

"Now that I'm back"

"I understand," I cut her off quickly while lifting my head. "Mal, I'll file for divorce."

Chapter 2

Mallory's eyes briefly showed a hint of surprise, as though she had not expected me to be so decisive. Meanwhile, Ashton's dark gaze rested on me, but he said nothing.

I forced a smile. "Take your time catching up. I'll head home now."

At that moment, a faint pain tugged at my lower abdomen. I just could not wait to leave.

Noticing my pale face, Ashton frowned slightly. "I'll have Cameron drive you home."

Cameron Sullivan was his secretary, and he was an efficient yet surprisingly reserved man.

In the past, when I frequently visited the office, Cameron often interrupted my tender moments with Ashton to deliver work updates. When we grew familiar, I teased him one time, "Cameron, with how strict and oblivious you are, it's going to be hard for you to find a girlfriend."

He then replied in his usual professional tone, "Mrs. Wallace, you're mistaken. I don't like women."

I was speechless at the time. Yet Ashton laughed heartily at that while I stared at Cameron in shock, feeling as though I had been blindsided. Cameron, of course, remained as expressionless as ever.

When I arrived at the office building today, however, he blocked my way in the hallway and stammered for quite some time. All he said was that Ashton was unavailable. Only then did I realize Cameron was not as oblivious as I had thought.

After working with Ashton for so long, he clearly understood Ashton's feelings.

On the drive home, I closed my eyes to rest. Cameron glanced at me through the rearview mirror and, to my surprise, asked, "Mrs. Wallace, are you feeling unwell?"

I opened my eyes slowly and replied, "I'm fine."

I added after a pause, "And don't call me Mrs. Wallace anymore."

'I won't be that for much longer,' I thought to myself.

Cameron's expression tightened, but he did not respond.

The moment I got home, I rushed to the bathroom and vomited violently. I was two months pregnant and had planned to share the news with Ashton today. But fate played a cruel trick, bringing his first love back on the same day.

I looked at my reflection in the mirrorred-rimmed eyes and a pale complexion stared back at me.

Well, Mallory was wrong about one thing. Though my marriage to Ashton had started as a business arrangement, over the course of these five years, I had grown to care for him.

For the first two years of our marriage, we treated each other with politeness, maintaining a distance. Nothing intimate happened between us. I knew his heart still belonged to Mallory back then.

In our third year together, on New Year's Eve, we sat by the floor-to-ceiling windows, drinking and chatting while watching the fireworks. As the sky lit up with a burst of colors, Ashton leaned in and kissed me.

Perhaps it was the alcohol, or perhaps it was my own buried feelings, but I could not resist awkwardly kissing him back. From that night on, there was no turning back.

Ashton treated me with great care. Everyone at the company knew how much he doted on me. His employees would even whisper about how envious they were of me behind our backs.

I had everything I ever wished forthe admiration and favor of those around me.

Now, Mallory was back. It was time for me to wake up from the dream.

I placed a hand over my still-flat abdomen. If Mallory found out about the baby, she would surely pressure Ashton to make me terminate the pregnancy. I could live without Ashton, but I could not bear to lose this child.

I began packing my things, determined to leave before Ashton returned. I had a small apartment under my name in Regensburg, where I had occasionally stayed before our marriage.

When I arrived, the place was covered in dust. I called a cleaning service to help tidy up and checked into a hotel for the night.

As I was in the early stages of pregnancy, I often felt fatigued. By 9:00 pm sharp, I was already fast asleep. All of a sudden, I was startled awake by the sound of my phone ringing. I answered it without thinking.

Ashton's voice came through, low and tense with suppressed anger. "Piper Stevens, where are you at this hour?"

I immediately snapped awake.

Chapter 3

When I stayed silent for too long, Ashton's patience began to waver. "Say something," he demanded.

I bit my lip, feeling a pang of bitterness. His attitude toward me had shifted dramatically now that his first love had returned.

"I moved out"

"Who told you to move out?" Ashton interrupted before I could finish.

A wave of frustration welled up in me. "Mallory is back. It doesn't feel right for me to stay."

He seemed to sigh, and his voice softened as he said, "Pip, come back."

Every time Ashton wanted to persuade me, he would use that same tone. It was gentle, almost coaxing, and hard to resist. For a moment, I nearly gave in, but I held myself back. "Ashton, we're getting a divorce."

His voice suddenly turned angry. "We're not divorced yet!"

I flinched at his outburst, and my chest was hurting. "Why are you yelling?! I'm the one being abandoned here! I should be angry, not you!" I shouted back at him, my voice breaking into sobs.

Hearing me cry seemed to throw Ashton off. "I'm sorry, Pip. It's my fault. I shouldn't have yelled at you."

Once I started crying, I could not stop. All of my emotions spilled over, and my sobs grew louder.

I heard faint shuffling noises on the other end of the line, but I could not tell what he was doing. Then, his voice came through, soft and steady. "Where are you? I'll come get you."

That was how Ashton was standing at my door 20 minutes later. Seeing my swollen, tear-streaked eyes, he pulled me into his arms without saying a word. In the end, I did not go back home. Instead, Ashton stayed with me at the hotel.

I did not ask where Mallory was. I only wanted him to be mine, just for a little longer.

Watching him sleep peacefully, I gently brushed my fingers through his hair while whispering silently in my heart, "Baby, this might be the last time you're this close to your dad. Remember him well."

The next day, I accompanied Ashton back to the Wallace family's estate.

Ashton's parents agreed to our divorce, but Ashton's grandfather, Elliott, absolutely refused.

Apparently, I bore a slight resemblance to Ashton's late grandmother in her youth, and because of that, Elliott had always been particularly fond of me as his granddaughter-in-law.

When he heard about the divorce, Elliott struck Ashton's leg hard with his cane. "You want a divorce? Fine! Wait till I'm dead!"

I winced at the sound, my heart aching for Ashton, but he did not even flinch.

When we left the estate, Ashton did not start the car right away. Instead, he rolled down the window halfway, retrieved a pack of cigarettes from the glove compartment, and pulled one out with practiced ease.

The burning tip glowed faintly red as he brought it to his lips. Smoke curled around him, veiling his face in a hazy mist that even I could barely see him.

Ashton rarely smokedonly when he was troubled or facing something particularly difficult.

I clutched my bag tightly and said, "Ashton, we don't have to tell your grandfather."

His hand paused mid-air as he held the cigarette, and he looked at me.

"As long as we don't say anything, he won't find out about the divorce," I said earnestly, genuinely trying to offer a solution.

Ashton stubbed out the cigarette, and his expression was unreadable. "Pip, are you that eager to divorce me?"

I froze, caught off guard by his question. "I'm not." I just did not want him to find out I was pregnant.

He sighed deeply. "Let's talk about it later."

As we stepped out of the elevator, we ran straight into Mallory.

She casually looped her arm through Ashton's, ignoring me entirely as she said in a playful, coquettish tone, "Ash, I've been waiting for you forever."

I almost immediately instinctively stepped back, retreating behind them.

Meanwhile, Ashton hesitated briefly but then murmured, "Sorry, Mal."

Then, I watched as the two of them, looking close and inseparable, openly walked into the house together. It was as though I were the outsider intruding on their home.

Chapter 4

Mallory casually sat on the couch. When she saw me standing hesitantly at the door, she called out, "Pip? Come in."

Feeling more like a guest in someone else's home now, I walked in slowly. The three of us ended up sitting facing each other on the couch.

Ashton spoke first, "Mal, the divorce needs to be put on hold for now"

"Why?!" she interrupted, reacting as fiercely as a cat with its fur standing on end.

Her sudden outburst startled me. It seemed like ever since I got pregnant, I was easily frightened. My reaction time had gotten slower, and my courage had diminished.

Before Ashton could explain, Mallory turned her sharp gaze to me. "Did you change your mind again?" she snapped.

I quickly shook my head. "No, I didn't!"

"This has nothing to do with her," Ashton said calmly. "My grandfather's health hasn't been great lately. I'm worried the divorce might upset him."

Mallory's expression softened almost instantly. She looked at Ashton with tearful, pleading eyes. "Ash, if we get married right after the divorce, it'll be a happy occasion, won't it? Your grandfather should be glad!"

Ashton frowned at her words. "Mal, let's take it slow. There's no rush."

Mallory's eyes filled with tears. "Don't you love me anymore? Why the delay? We've already lost five years! Do you know how I've spent these past five years?"

He hesitated, unable to respond right away. After a long pause, he finally said, "Alright. We'll go through with the divorce next week."

Hearing those words, I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails dug into my palms.

Mallory beamed with joy, and she hugged Ashton's arm. Meanwhile, his gaze instinctively drifted to me.

I quickly looked away, swallowing the bitterness that rose in my chest.

On Monday morning, we went to the county clerk's office to finalize the divorce.

As we stepped outside, Ashton stopped me. "Pip, I'm sorry. She's been through so much. I need to take care of her."

I forced a smile and shook my head. "These five years were stolen time for me anyway. Thank you, Ashton."

His eyes were filled with an emotion I could not quite place.

My throat tightened as I requested, "Could you hug me one last time?"

Ashton looked at me for a long moment before stepping forward and wrapping me in his arms. I buried my face in the crook of his neck and let my tears fall silently.

I felt a faint tremor run through his body.

After everything was said and done, I left Regensburg. Ashton left me with a substantial amount of money, but I did not touch any of it.

I moved to Zionsville, where I used my own savings to buy a small one-bedroom apartment. It was not large, but it had everything I needed. I quickly decorated the place and prepared for my new life as I awaited the baby's arrival.

The first few months were the hardest, with severe morning sickness. During the worst of it, I could barely keep anything down except water, and I found myself in and out of the hospital several times. I lost so much weight that I became almost unrecognizable.

Every time the doctor saw me coming in alone, he could not help but ask, "Where's your husband? Why isn't he here with you?"

I would simply smile faintly. "He's very busy."

The doctor frowned. "No matter how busy he is, he should be here for your check-ups. With your severe symptoms, someone needs to take care of you."

Even so, I brushed off his concern with vague answers.

Though I had mentally prepared for this, every time I saw other couples walking in and out of the obstetrics department together, I could not help but feel envious.

As I placed a hand on my slightly rounded belly, I whispered encouragingly, "You're the best baby ever. You'll grow strong even without a daddy!"

I thought my life would continue peacefully like this. But in my fourth month of pregnancy, Ashton suddenly reached out to me.