My Husband's IVF Secret, The Mistress is the Mother

My husband, Austin, was the top creator at my digital agency. During a live stream battle today, they were playing a game of Pictionary, and the prompt was "Pregnant Woman." His little assistant, Chloe, glanced in my direction. Then, she picked up a cucumber prop and slid it slowly into her mouth. Before I could even process the disgusting implication of her gesture, Austin blurted out, "Pregnant woman!" The live chat instantly exploded. "OMG! Is the chemistry between them always this insane? I stared at that cucumber for a solid minute and still didn't get the connection..." "Haha, and look at Chloe's technique. That definitely wasn't her first time doing that!" Our live room's traffic skyrocketed, instantly hitting the number one spot on the platform. I completely ignored the screen. Clutching my aching, pregnant belly, I slammed the studio door and walked out. Chloe quickly chased after me, a playful, innocent smile plastered on her face as she tried to explain. "Aurora, honey, please don't get it wrong. Austin didn't cheat on you." "Remember the celebration party for our last big launch? You had just gotten pregnant, and Austin had way too much to drink. He looked so frustrated and tense, so... I just helped him out a little." Before she could finish her sentence, Austin ran over, grabbing Chloe by the arm and pulling her back. "Why are you wasting your breath here? The stream isn't over yet, and we just hit number one on the charts!" Chloe looked at me, then back at Austin, putting on a worried face. "Austin, Aurora just walked out so suddenly. I only came out to explain things so she wouldn't misunderstand." Austin glanced at me, let out a hearty laugh, and patted Chloe on the shoulder. "Is Aurora really that petty? The whole company knows I got a vasectomy for her! How could she possibly get upset over some stream content?" Without waiting for my reaction, Austin dragged Chloe back into the studio. In Austin’s casual words, his vasectomy sounded like some grand, benevolent gift to me. But the truth was, he had a severely low sperm count. I was the one who couldn't get pregnant because of him. To conceive this child, I had gone through over a hundred rounds of IVF, enduring countless hormone injections. The box of empty needles I saved weighed literally pounds. Afterward, to prove his loyalty, Austin went and got a vasectomy, promising me that boy or girl, he would only ever love me and our child. I had been so deeply moved by his "sincerity" that I actually believed I had found true love. Standing outside the studio, I stared coldly through the glass window. Because they had temporarily left the screen, they had to take a penalty from the opposing streamer. The penalty was for Austin to hold Chloe and do twenty squats. Chloe leaped effortlessly into Austin's arms, wrapping her hands tightly around his neck. Austin's hands landed, far too conveniently, right on her perky chest, while Chloe blushingly buried her face into his neck. I looked at the live chat on my phone. The viewer count had reached an all-time high, and the comments were rolling in like a tidal wave. "Holy shit, is this really just for the views? If you tell me these two aren't sleeping together, I'll eat my hat!" "Did I accidentally click on some premium adult stream? Honestly, I'm not complaining. Keep it coming!" I couldn't take it anymore. I immediately reported the stream on my phone. Then, I kicked the studio door open, marched in, and violently slammed all the cameras and lighting equipment onto the floor. Screams and gasps echoed through the room. I crossed my arms, looking at the panicked crew, and spoke in a bone-chilling voice. "Are you done with your little penalty?" I waved over my assistant, Mia. "Clip the footage from the stream just now. Attach the security camera footage from the hallway outside, and make sure the audio is at maximum volume." "Put it out on Ins and TikTok: Top Creator Austin Harasses Female Staff." Austin finally snapped out of his shock. He lunged at me, raising his hand to slap me across the face. I stepped forward, thrusting my pregnant belly right in front of him. He froze instantly. Seeing Mia pulling out her phone beside me, Austin redirected his anger and slapped her hard across the face. "She tells you to do something and you just do it? Do you have a brain at all? Can't you see this is all just for the stream?!" "We have so much traffic right now! Spreading lies like this will ruin my career! It will ruin Chloe!" Staring at Mia's swollen, red cheek, my fists clenched so hard my nails dug into my palms. But when I spoke, I forced a sob into my voice. "Austin, you are the one who ruined our marriage, your career, and your precious little assistant!" Austin glared at me coldly. He pointed at the confused crew members around us and sneered. "Look at them! Do you even know how live streaming works? Everyone here knows it's just content!" I grabbed Mia's hand and turned to walk out. But Austin took a swift step forward, blocking our path. "I need you to issue an official statement under the company's name. Say tonight's stream was just an accident, and promise a one-million-dollar cash giveaway in the next stream to make it up to the fans." I paused and looked at him. "A giveaway? Are you paying for it? Or is your assistant?" Without a shred of shame, he replied, "The company, obviously!" Unable to hold back my rage any longer, I swung my hand and slapped him squarely across the face. "In your dreams!" The entire room fell into a dead silence. Chloe stepped forward, gently tugging at Austin's shirt, looking incredibly victimized. "Austin, don't blame Aurora. We're both women; I can understand why she's upset." She sighed, looking at me with an apologetic expression. "Aurora, to be honest... I'm pregnant too, and Austin knows about it. That's why we're so comfortable with each other and don't mind doing some edgy content for the stream." She took my hand and Austin's hand, trying to force them together. "Austin, just apologize. Once Aurora calms down, she'll help us handle the PR. She'll tell everyone it was just a stunt." "Right, Aurora?" She even winked at me. In an instant, she had made me look like the only unreasonable, dramatic person in the room. But Austin kept glaring at me, refusing to back down. Chloe gently pulled Austin down and whispered something in his ear with a soft, coquettish giggle: "I'm carrying a boy." Her voice wasn't loud, but it was just clear enough to reach my ears. Austin's eyes lit up, an uncontrollable joy washing over his face. Only then did he look at me with reluctant obedience. "I'm sorry, okay? I was wrong. I'll make sure to keep my distance from my colleagues in the future." At that moment, my anger surged straight to my brain. I didn't even notice my nails drawing blood from my palms. I pushed past Austin and walked straight out of the building. I pulled out my phone and sent a message to a blocked number: "I believe what you told me now. I'll send you my and the baby's DNA. Help me find out who the real mother is."My phone screen lit up with a reply, but before I could read it, a large hand clamped onto my shoulder. Austin, who cared more about his streams than his own life, had actually followed me out. Startled, I hastily locked my screen. I looked at him, feeling a sudden wave of anxiety, but Austin was distracted, typing away on his own phone while muttering. "Babe, let's not be mad anymore. You're just extra sensitive because of the pregnancy. Next time, I won't let Chloe do those suggestive stunts." "I swear to you! I would never make the kind of mistake 'every man makes'!" I couldn't believe he had the audacity to chase me down just to spew this shameless garbage. "I'm sensitive? So what, should I wait until our son is born, and then tell him his father sexually harasses his female coworkers?" "And don't lump yourself in with 'every man.' You're the only one who can't keep it in his pants." There was no reply for a long time. I turned around and saw Austin completely glued to his phone screen. Sensing my glare, he quickly explained, "I'm just telling Chloe to be ready tomorrow. I'll pick her up on the way to our product sourcing trip." I trembled with rage, losing the strength to say another word. "On the way"? Chloe lived on the complete opposite side of the city. Feeling physically sick, I went straight home and fell into a deep, exhausted sleep. In the middle of the night, a sharp, stabbing pain in my abdomen woke me up. I reached out to the other side of the bed. It was cold and empty. Just then, the tablet on my nightstand lit up. It was synced to Austin's SnapChat. I tapped open the notifications. The first thing I saw was a message from Chloe, dripping with fake concern. "Austin, is the baby okay? Aurora scared me so much earlier. I'm so worried she'll get stressed and hurt the baby." Seeing how "concerned" she was, I actually started to wonder if I had truly misjudged them. But then, Chloe's next message popped up. It was a photo of her dressed in a revealing bunny girl outfit. "How do I look? Want me to wear this tomorrow? Please punish me, Master!" Below it was a cute, pleading bunny emoji. My eyebrows knitted together. I scrolled up further in their chat history. There was a receipt for a massive wire transfer, captioned: "Investment for our new joint studio." Chloe’s reply was filled with kissing emojis: "MUA! Thank you, Austin! I can't wait until you leave that old hag so we can be our own bosses!" I checked the date of the transfer. I vaguely remembered Chloe posting a brand-new red Porsche on her social media around that time, claiming it was her 20th birthday gift. I had even shown it to Austin back then, commenting on how rich her family must be. It turned out her "family's money" was actually my hard-earned cash. My trust shattered like glass, the shards piercing deep into my chest. The emotional shock triggered another wave of violent abdominal pain, and I let out a sharp cry. Hearing my voice, Austin rushed into the room from the hallway. Seeing my pale, sweat-slicked face, he panicked. He quickly brought over warm water and a heated towel, gently massaging my belly with his warm hands before lifting me into his arms and rushing me to the car. For a split second, I was dazed. It felt like nothing had changed—he was still the doting husband everyone envied. "Babe, I'll drop you off at the hospital, but I have to run to work right after." "Today's product selection is crucial. After tonight's live stream disaster, we can't afford another mistake." "As soon as I'm done, I'll run straight back to be with you, okay?" I gave a faint, cold grunt. I had no idea if he was going to select products or select a mistress. Suddenly, Austin’s car Bluetooth rang, breaking the silence.To ease my suspicions, he answered it directly on the car speaker. "Austin! Where are you? I told you we needed to leave early today. Why aren't you here yet?" Hearing Chloe's voice, Austin slammed on the brakes. The sudden jolt threw me forward, my stomach slamming into the front seat. I screamed in pain. "Oh, is Aurora in the car too? Aurora, sorry, but I have to borrow Austin first. The partners are rushing us, and I have no choice. I'll make it up to you next time!" I curled up on the floor of the backseat, throbbing with pain, unable to make a sound. But Austin merely gave Chloe a brief reply: "Wait for me at the curb. I'll be there in five." I clutched Austin's sleeve from behind, gasping out, "Can you... please drop me off at the emergency room first?" Austin answered me with his actions. He pried my fingers off his sleeve, one by one. Then, he dragged me out of the car and left me on the roadside. "Chloe is pregnant too, and she's not half as dramatic as you are! If you try to use this baby to control me one more time, we are through!" The car door slammed shut, and he sped away, leaving me in a cloud of dust. Clutching my stomach, I dragged myself along the asphalt. I had to crawl almost two miles before a kind stranger finally spotted me and drove me to the hospital. The doctor’s face was grim. "Mrs. Miller, you cannot afford any more emotional distress. The quality of your embryo is already highly unstable. Any more stress will lead to an immediate miscarriage!" I froze, my body turning ice-cold. Shaking, I dialed Austin's number. It took five calls before he finally picked up, his voice dripping with annoyance. "What now? I told you I'm busy!" "Austin... the doctor said there's a problem with the baby. Can you please come..." There was a brief silence on the other end, followed by a harsh, impatient shout. "Aurora! I warned you not to use the baby to guilt-trip me! Especially when you know I'm working!" The line went dead. Listening to the busy tone, my heart sank into a frozen abyss. I forced a weak smile at the doctor. "I understand. Please... do not share my medical records with anyone else." My knuckles turned white as I gripped the hospital bedsheets, staring blankly at the ceiling. I had gone through IVF in this exact hospital. Back then, Austin had stayed by my bedside for months, catering to my every whim. But now that the baby was finally here, he couldn't care less. I was the only one fighting to protect it. Was it even worth it? While I was lost in thought, Austin suddenly rushed into the room, casually glancing at my IV drip. "The meeting is done. I dropped Chloe off at her place and ran straight here." "Is the baby okay?" I gave a cold, indifferent nod. His sudden, rushed appearance caught the attention of the patients in the neighboring beds. "Isn't that the famous streamer? Oh, that must be his wife. Look at him, he's dripping with sweat from running around for her. I'm so jealous of their love!" "Oh, I remember! When his wife was doing IVF, he stayed up for three days and three nights straight without closing his eyes!" "Wow, some men really can have a successful career and still be a perfect husband!" In the past, these compliments would have filled me with pride. Now, they felt like hot needles piercing my heart. "Austin, about the company accounts..." I was about to confront him about the wire transfer when his phone rang again. It was a whiny, coquettish voice. Unsurprisingly, it was Chloe. "Austin... why haven't you bought my medicine yet? My ankle hurts so bad!" Austin immediately grabbed his jacket to leave. I reached out and grabbed his arm. "Does she not have a husband of her own?!" He yanked his arm back with force, ripping the IV needle straight out of my hand. Droplets of blood splattered across the back of my hand. "Stop acting up! If you're fine, just rest. Right now, Chloe needs me more than you do!" I watched his retreating back without saying a word. This time, I didn't shed a single tear. A few minutes after he left, a tall, elegantly dressed man pushed the door open. He teased, "I thought I'd have to wait out there longer. I didn't expect him to leave so fast." He tossed a thick folder onto my bed. I stared at his long, pale fingers for a moment before opening it. It was the DNA comparison report between me and the amniotic fluid from my pregnancy. The result: I was not the biological mother of the child in my womb. Though I had prepared myself for the worst, seeing the 0% match rate still made my chest tighten with a suffocating pain. "I told you already, the child isn't yours. You just didn't want to believe me," Tristan said softly. I let out a bitter, hollow laugh. "Tristan, who would believe this? A mother carrying a baby in her own womb, but the child has absolutely no genetic relation to her..." I flipped to the back of the report. There was another match page. Match rate: 99.99%. The name on the profile was Chloe. My pupils dilated in shock. "It really is her!"