"BIANCA!" Amelia Henry, Gideon's mother, welcomed me with a big smile on her face.

The woman was stunning in her emerald, green dress and pearl necklace. She looked regally beautiful for her age. Amelia was already fifty-five, but she could still pass as a woman in her forties.

"Amelia." I managed to return her smile as I kissed her cheek. "Happy birthday."

My husband might be a devil, but his family's different. Everyone I've met in my husband's family has been nice to me.

When Gideon introduced me as his wife to Amelia, the woman welcomed me with open arms. She even gave me a diamond necklace, an heirloom of the Henry family.

"Oh, thank you, dear," she muttered. "Gosh, you look stunning," Amelia praised me as she looked at me from head to toe. "Pregnancy suits you, Bianca."

Stunning? Well, all thanks to my make-up and beautiful dress.

When I stared at the mirror earlier, I saw a confident woman standing in front of me. Far different from the weak Bianca that was left alone crying after her husband physically abused her.

I only gave Amelia a smile as Darwin Henry, Gideon's father, joined us. The old man was an older version of Gideon—from his dark blonde hair, striking blue eyes, sharp nose, and chiseled jaw.

"Where's your husband, Bianca?" Darwin asked me, his hand snaking to Amelia's waist.

I cleared my throat and managed a smile. "He left something in the car. He went there to get it."

Amelia's party was held in the garden of a luxurious hotel in the city. Everyone was in their formal attire. The Henrys were one of the richest and most influential families in the whole state of America.

Darwin Henry is the founder of one of the largest multi billion-dollar companies in the country. Amelia Henry is a philanthropist who handles different charity organizations across the state.

Their son, Gideon, my husband, is the current CEO of the Henrys' family business.

"And how's your pregnancy, Bianca?" Darwin asked, his eyes dropping to the small bump on my belly. It was already showing in the peach dress I was wearing.

I stiffened at his question, but then I easily recovered. I managed to smile as I rested my hand on my belly. "You have nothing to worry about. This little bean's not giving me a hard time."

"Oh, there's Gideon!" I felt a cold shiver run down my spine as Amelia looked behind me. My throat suddenly went dry.

Soon after, I felt Gideon beside me. I stiffened in my place.

"Happy birthday, Mom!" Gideon greeted his mother as he handed the woman a black, elegant paper bag. It was a Gucci bag that Gideon bought in Paris when he went there for a business trip.

"Here's our birthday gift to you. It was my wife who brought that when we came to Paris last month." Gideon glanced at me before he looked back to his parents to greet Darwin this time.

I stopped myself from gritting my teeth. Liar. I wasn't with him when he went to Paris. He never takes me with him on any of his travels. Well, not that I wanted to join, anyway. I'd rather lock myself at our house than go with him.

"Thank you, Bianca." Amelia turned to me to give me a smile. "You're the sweetest, isn't she, Gideon?"

I felt Gideon's hand snake on me. His long fingers rested on the curve of my waist. "Yeah..." Gideon cocked his head at me, the corner of his lips forming a smirk. "She's the sweetest."

Sweetest, my ass. Despite the thoughts running through my head, I was forced to look at him and give him a smile in front of his parents.

In the eyes of everyone, Gideon and I were a perfect couple. Little did they know that everything was only a facade. An act orchestrated by Gideon himself.

On the outside, he always acts like a perfect and loving husband to me. I'm the only one who knows what kind of a monster he really is. Memories of what happened hours ago came back to me...

"Get up, you little bitch."

Gideon grabbed a handful of my hair, forcing me to look up at him. I tried to pick up my underwear on the carpeted floor below the bed, but he pulled me up and dragged me away from the queen-sized bed.

"We're not done yet, Bianca," he said, his voice rough and his eyes dark as he forced me to face the wall of our room.

"I-I'm already tired, Gideon," I muttered, my voice a bit shaky from tiredness and fear. "And I'm... already five months... pregnant…" I croaked. My eyes went down to the small bump in my belly.

"What made you think that I cared about that child, Bianca?" I heard a loud groan escape his lips. "It's not even mine."

I instinctively wanted to place my hand on my belly... but I couldn't do it with my position. Instead, hot tears started to form in the corner of my eyes. I always felt helpless against him.

"You're evil, Gideon," I said, gritting my teeth. "You're... really Charlie's opposite."

"Yes. I'm a devil, Bianca," he barked behind my ear. I could feel his hot breath on my sensitive skin. "And unfortunately for you, you're married to one." He bit the shell of my ear, and I almost screamed in pain. "The next time you mention that bastard's name, I'll fucking fuck your brains out until you won't be able to walk."