Chapter 7

Anthony's face was stormy as he ordered, "Jessica! As the head of this household, I'm telling you to drink that soup!"

Linda had already taken her bags downstairs, heading for the door.

In a panic, Anthony rushed to Jessica's side. He grabbed the bowl of soup and forced Jessica's mouth open, pouring it down.

"There's no way a bowl of soup can kill anyone," he muttered.

Jessica could not fight back as she was made to swallow the mushroom walnut soup.

Finally, Anthony backed off.

Jessica's knees buckled, and she slumped into a chair, coughing and sputtering, her face wet with tears and a runny nose.

Without a second look, Anthony went after Linda.

After soothing Linda, who was crying in his arms, Anthony passed by Jessica and remarked calmly, "Look at you, not a scratch. Always playing the damsel in distress."

Jessica's throat was so swollen that she could barely whisper, "Call 911... help me."

Anthony scowled, "You're about to be a mother. It's time to grow up. Apologize to Linda, now."

Jessica's mind was foggy, and she passed out, suffocating in silence.

Anthony never imagined that a simple bowl of mushroom walnut soup could have nearly cost Jessica her life.

Sitting in the back of the ambulance, he was ghostly pale and shaking uncontrollably.

"Jess, please don't scare me like this!"

After being whisked into the ER, it took a grueling five hours before Jessica was finally wheeled back out.

The doctor, pulling down his mask, let out a weary sigh. "If you'd been any later, not even the best doctor in the world could've brought her back."

"Didn't you know she had allergies?" he asked, looking at Anthony.

Anthony could not find the words. He had known about her allergy, yet he had pushed her to drink that deadly soup.

The weight of his guilt was crushing.

He did not leave her side, not until her eyes fluttered open again.

Her throat was still sore and swollen.

Holding her hand, Anthony asked, "Knowing how bad walnuts are for you, why didn't you stop me?"

What was she supposed to do, plead with him?

When she just looked at him, straight and unwavering, Anthony could not bear it and looked away, feeling guilty.

His phone rang, and after a moment's hesitation, he answered.

"Jess is okay, stop beating yourself up, no tears now."

He handed the phone to Jessica. "Linda is really torn up about it, she wants to apologize to you herself."

Jessica held the phone to her ear, bracing herself.

However, Linda's voice was harsh and mocking. "Jessica, I heard you nearly kicked the bucket. Anthony didn't blame me at all. Tell me, who do you think is more important to him?

"I knew about your allergy to walnuts, and I did it on purpose. Go ahead, call the cops. Ah, what a shame, you've got no proof."

Jessica's grip tightened on the blanket, and in a swift motion, she hurled the phone against the floor.

Anthony shot up from his chair.

"Jess! Linda is just trying to say she's sorry. Why can't you let this go?" he exclaimed.

With every ounce of strength, Jessica screamed, "Leave!"

Anthony's face turned stormy. "I've arranged for a nurse to take care of you. Use the next few days to cool off," he said.

He picked up the remnants of the phone and strode out of the hospital room.

That same day, Jessica signed herself out of the hospital.

She walked into the home she had lovingly crafted over five years, feeling the weight of betrayal.

Every detail of the villa, from the choice of location to the smallest decoration, had been her doing.

In the living room, the wedding portrait still hung, their smiles frozen in time. In a twist of fate, Linda had been pregnant during those captured moments of false joy.

In a fit of rage, Jessica grabbed a vase from the coffee table and hurled it at the photo.

The frame hit the ground with a resounding crash, dust billowing up.

The nanny rushed in at the sound. Jessica pointed at the wreckage. "We're going to need a new photo. Burn this one. Burn all the pictures of us in this house."