His Second Chance Regret

Jessica Martinez was jolted awake by a sharp ache in her abdomen and the stinging friction against her skin.

The moment consciousness returned, she realized she was suspended from the century-old oak tree outside the manor's main building in an extremely humiliating position.

Her eight-month pregnant belly was exposed to the cold air, rough climbing ropes passing under her armpits, between her legs, and beneath her swollen abdomen, securing her about ten feet off the ground.

The late autumn dew was cold enough to sting like needles, the chill creeping up her spine, draining the color from her limbs until her skin tightened into a field of goosebumps.

"Awake?"

A low, cold voice came from below.

Jessica struggled to turn her stiff neck and looked down—Benjamin Jones sat leisurely on a wicker sofa under the tree, wearing a black velvet robe and holding a steaming cup of black coffee.

"Benjamin..." Jessica's voice was hoarse and broken. "Let me... down..."

"What's the rush?" Benjamin took a slow sip of coffee. "You've only been hanging for half an hour. Don't they say pregnant women need more activity? Hanging like this should be good for the baby too."

He spoke casually, as if just chatting about the weather.

Jessica's tears welled up instantly. "I'm carrying your child... eight months along... how could you..."

"Oh, you know you're carrying my child?" Benjamin chuckled, the laugh devoid of warmth. "Jessica, when you were begging seven or eight men to take turns with you, did you think about the baby in your belly?"

She shuddered violently, shocked by his crude words.

Benjamin had found a series of videos on her phone.

In the videos, her pregnant belly was high and taut, her legs splayed.

A man gripped her thighs, his thick shaft moving in and out of her.

Two men kneaded her breasts, swollen abnormally large from pregnancy, squeezing so hard that milk sprayed out.

Someone was licking her pregnant belly.

Two men simultaneously shoved themselves into her mouth.

Her hands each gripped another man, her body covered in semen.

The whole scene was obscene and grotesque.

"Those were faked... it was Harper—"

"Harper again?" Benjamin cut her off, his eyes turning cold. "Eight months ago when you climbed into my bed, you also said someone drugged you. Now with these disgusting things, you're saying Harper faked them again."

He set down his coffee cup and slowly stood up, walking directly beneath her.

The hem of his robe swayed slightly with his movement, revealing his tightly muscled calves.

"Jessica, guess whether I believe you or not?" He looked up at her, his lips curling into a cruel smile.

The manor's servants stood at a distance, heads bowed, not daring to look.

The butler stood three steps behind Benjamin, eyes on nose, nose on heart.

Of course he wouldn't believe it—Harper, who grew up with him, who he depended on, who saved his life multiple times, couldn't possibly be a scheming, malicious woman.

"I didn't... I really didn't..." Jessica desperately repeated what she'd said countless times over the past six months. "That night I was set up..."

Hearing Jessica bring up the past again, the last trace of expression vanished from Benjamin's face.

The air seemed to drop to freezing.

"Really?" Benjamin's voice was terrifyingly gentle. "So when Henry brought reporters to accuse me of raping you, that was also a setup?"

Jessica's face showed pain, tears trembling in her eyes. "Shut up!"

Benjamin sneered and snapped his fingers.

Two doctors in white coats carrying medical kits hurried over, followed by three midwives.

They quickly spread sterile pads under the tree and laid out instruments with practiced movements.

Jessica's pupils contracted sharply. "What... what are you doing?"

"Since you love excitement so much," Benjamin sat back on the sofa, elegantly crossing his legs, "you can give birth right here. Outdoor delivery—good for the baby to connect with nature."

"No—" Jessica's scream pierced the sky. "Benjamin! You're insane! This will kill both me and the baby!"

"Die?" Benjamin raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't that be letting you off easy?"

He tilted his chin toward the doctor. "Begin. No anesthesia—Harper needs to take medicine soon, and I'm afraid the anesthesia might affect its potency."

The doctor looked troubled. "Mr. Jones, the fetal position is normal, but she can't give birth in this suspended position. At least we need to lower her—"

"Then let her give birth while hanging." Benjamin's voice brooked no argument. "Doesn't she like being suspended? I'm doing her a favor."

Through the pain and haze, Jessica wondered what Harper had to do with not using anesthesia. What medicine? Why worry about affecting its potency?

But another wave of contractions hit, more intense than before. Jessica arched her body in pain, the ropes cutting deep into her flesh, blood seeping from the abraded skin.

"Her water broke!" a midwife exclaimed.

Warm fluid ran down the inside of her thighs, across her body, dripping bit by bit onto the sterile pad.

Another violent contraction, and Jessica nearly lost consciousness from the pain.

She could feel the baby being born, that sensation of being torn apart alive making her howl like an animal.

"The head is crowning! Ma'am, push! Push!" the midwife shouted anxiously.

But the suspended position made delivery nearly impossible.

Jessica used every ounce of strength, her nails digging deep into her palms, blood dripping between her fingers.

Her vision began to darken, her ears filled only with heavy breathing and her heart pounding on the verge of collapse.

"Mr. Jones, this won't work! The baby can't come out—it'll suffocate eventually!" the doctor said, sweating profusely.

Benjamin stared at Jessica's face twisted in agony, silent for a few seconds.

Then he said, "Lower her."

The ropes were released, and Jessica fell like a puppet with cut strings, caught by the doctors and midwives and laid flat on the sterile pad.

Before she could even catch her breath, the next fierce contraction crashed over her like a tidal wave, forcing another tearing scream from her throat.

Her pelvis was stretched to its limit. She could clearly feel the baby's head slowly but steadily pushing outward, compressing every inch of muscle in the birth canal.

"I can see it! Push harder!"

Jessica used the last of her strength, letting out a tearing roar, and then a baby's weak cry rang out.

"It's a boy!"

Benjamin walked over, looking down at Jessica lying on the ground.

The midwife held the baby up for him to see. He looked away in disgust and ordered, "Take it away and dispose of it."

He turned to leave but felt a weak tug on his pant leg.

Benjamin looked down. Jessica used her last bit of strength to ask, "What do you mean, 'dispose of it'?"

Benjamin's lips curved into a smile. "Jessica, you didn't actually think I let you give birth to this child so I could raise this bastard, did you? Harper's heart condition needs a living infant's heart as medicine. Otherwise, you would have died along with Henry long ago."