Chapter 4

Cassandra's POV

When Mom found out about Dad's infidelity, she still stayed with the family, doing chores and taking care of us. She took Nathan's hand when I told her that we were dating, reminding him to take good care of me.

Nathan was the one who pulled me into his arms and swore, "Don't worry, Mrs. Jepson. I'm not like other men."

However, at that moment, he was saying that Mom deserved to be cheated on—that I was being too stubborn.

I closed my eyes, unable to hold back my tears anymore. Only then did I understand that all men were the same.

"I'm going to take you back right now and tell Dad just how stubborn you are!" Nathan exclaimed, forcefully dragging me back to Dad's house.

The first thing I saw when the door swung open was Jessica's tear-streaked face.

"I'm sorry, Cassie," she blubbered. "It's all my fault."

Nathan walked over to her and wiped her tears. "It's okay. We can sweep everything under the rug once you apologize. Cassandra's just being stubborn."

Dad didn't even bother lifting his head as he sat on the couch. "You've grown a spine now. How dare you try to get an abortion? What are you planning to do next? Turn this entire family upside down?"

Janice held Jessica protectively. Tears streamed down her face as she looked at me and demanded, "Will you only be satisfied once you've cornered us into a dead end, Cassandra?"

Nathan turned to look at me and coldly said, "She has already apologized. Be a little more understanding."

He was trying to emotionally blackmail me again, forcing me to give in.

"I already said that I was done being understanding," I retorted with a smile. "Let's get a divorce, Nathan. Whether I give birth to the child will have nothing to do with you anymore."

It was as if my heart had turned into a pool of still water. There wouldn't be any more ripples no matter how painfully my heart ached.

Silence descended upon the room the moment the words left my lips.

"Don't even think about it," Nathan gritted out while glaring at me. "I'll never agree to getting a divorce. Keep dreaming!"

Jessica was briefly stunned by my words. She then bolted to her room to pack her belongings. "It's all my fault! I shouldn't even exist in the first place! Cassie won't ask for a divorce anymore once I'm gone!"

Nathan immediately abandoned me and barged into Jessica's room. "Don't act rashly, Jessie!"

It didn't take long for Jessica to drag two huge suitcases out of her room. "I'm nothing but a burden. Cassie won't be mad anymore once I'm gone!"

Nathan stepped forward to stop her. As they struggled, one of her suitcases tumbled down the staircase. It rammed right into me when I couldn't move out of the way in time, sending me rolling down the stairs.

"Cassandra!"

My consciousness was slowly fading even as I heard Nathan shouting my name. The only thing I could feel was the blood flowing from between my legs.

…

I was lying on a hospital bed when I opened my eyes again. The doctor informed me that the baby was gone.

Nathan stood next to my bed and calmly said, "You got what you want. Are you happy now? Jessie had the scare of her life, and she fainted when she saw the blood. She has also been hospitalized to be monitored. I'm warning you. Don't give Jessie a hard time. What happened today was an accident."

A bitter smile stretched across my lips as I looked up and stared at the ceiling. "I understand."

"I'm going to take a break and take Jessie on a vacation. I hope that you'll have reflected on your actions by the time we're back. You can also forget about getting a divorce. You're nothing without me."

I received a call from my lawyer seconds after Nathan left the room.

"Are you sure that you want to give up on the house and only ask for half of the assets, Ms. Jepson?"

"Yes," I answered tiredly, closing my eyes. "Please get it done as soon as possible."