Chapter 4

Just like that, Tobias scooped Celeste into his arms and carried her into the ambulance.

I'd nearly lost our baby, yet he'd accused me of nothing more than jealousy. I stared at his retreating figure and felt something inside me die.

Determined to clear my name, I tracked down whoever was spreading the rumors online.

To my shock, Celeste herself had started them both times. She'd staged the whole thing to make herself look like a helpless victim of bullying.

I sent Tobias the evidence, but his expression grew colder. "So, you're telling me she deliberately trashed her own reputation?

"Adeline, even if you're trying to shift the blame, you don't get to turn around and accuse the victim."

Behind him, Celeste gave me a faint, knowing smile.

I understood at once. She had gotten exactly what she wanted. She'd driven a wedge between Tobias and me.

Devastated, I took to social media and accused Celeste of having an affair with my husband.

Tobias fired back with a scathing response. "Just because I carried her to safety? Adeline, you targeted a student because of me, deliberately gave her lower grades, cost her a shot at a scholarship, and drove her to the point of attempting suicide.

"I rushed back from over 600 miles away to clean up your mess, and you think I was flirting with her just because I saved her life? Does my whole world have to revolve around you?"

Once they read his comment, people online pieced together what had happened and started tearing into me.

One wrote, "Seriously? He was saving someone's life, and you call that cheating? By that logic, doctors would be cheating every time they treated a patient of the opposite sex."

"How gross! She seriously thinks everything between a man and a woman has to be sexual."

Another comment read, "She bullied a student over something she made up in her head? Someone like that has no business teaching. Get her out of that school!"

I stared at the flood of hateful comments, then I collapsed.

I was rushed to the hospital, where the doctors gave me treatment to help support the pregnancy. The doctors said the baby was still at risk and warned me that further emotional stress could increase the risk of a miscarriage.

Tobias and I had been together for eight years. When he found out I was pregnant, he had even gotten certified in newborn care and early childhood development, all to prepare for our baby.

And now, both times I'd nearly lost the baby, he'd been the one responsible.

A bitter smile tugged at my lips. If that was how things stood, then it was time to get a divorce. So, I asked him out to discuss the terms of the divorce.

But just as I was about to head out, Celeste took Tobias' phone and texted me a new address. It was my sculpture studio.

…

The police cruiser passed the last traffic light and pulled up at their destination. Then, the officers got out one by one.

Tobias pulled out his phone and opened our chat. We hadn't been in touch for so long that our conversation had dropped to the bottom of his message list.

But when he opened the chat, I stared at the screen, stunned by how many messages there were.

"Adeline, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Did you get an abortion? Are you really going to divorce me? Just because I carried Celeste? Is it really that big a deal?"

"Adeline, I acted on impulse earlier. I've already deleted my reply. I don't want a divorce. Let's talk this through."

But I'd never replied to any of them.

Tobias took a deep breath and pushed open the studio door, his expression grave.

Dust, mildew, and a strange chemical smell billowed out. Frowning, he stepped inside and saw countless plaster sculptures throughout the studio.

Then he gave the team a deion of my appearance. "The suspected victim had long hair, no bangs, and was about five-foot-three. She was pregnant, with a very prominent baby bump."

Following the deion, the officers carefully made their way between the sculptures, searching for me. But even after a lengthy search, they couldn't find anyone who matched it.

Tobias looked displeased, though he was unconsciously beginning to relax.

He gave a dismissive snort. He'd actually believed the nonsense a drug addict had fed him. Besides, I owned the studio.

Tobias turned to his team and ordered, "Alright, everyone, let's clear—"

But an urgent voice cut him off. "Detective Clark, we've found a sculpture that matches the deion!"