2. Ousted

After a few moments, Elizabeth closed the folder, gesturing for Giselle to put it out of Alice's reach.

"No need to wait for the trial. Starting from now, you are no longer my daughter-in-law. You are no longer Edmund Hills' wife, and you have no right to set foot in this house."

“But I—”

“No buts. Now get out of here! Edmund, throw your ex-wife out!”

Edmund took a deep breath. His hands seemed reluctant to let go of the grip. Alice realized that. She looked back, furrowing her brows in anticipation of an opportunity.

“Ed, please. I don't want to be separated from you. We have promised to always be together. You remember? You are my purpose and reason to live. Especially now, I—”

“Edmund, don't waste your time on this trash! You don't need to hear what she says. Edmund?”

Seeing that her son did not move, Elizabeth grabbed Alice's hair.

Alice spontaneously screamed. She had to walk backwards following Elizabeth to reduce the pain. When she reached the door, a strong push made her stagger. When she fell on the floor, the world felt silent for her. Her whole body trembled. Her hand slowly moved towards her stomach.

She was really scared. The tiny baby had just arrived in her womb. She was not ready if she had to lose it that way.

“Ed?” Alice tried to ask for help, but her lips only trembled silently. Her tongue was too stiff. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead.

Meanwhile, Edmund swallowed hard seeing her sitting on the floor. His chest was tight, short of breath.

He actually couldn't bear to see Alice's pale face covered in fear. But when he was about to move, his mother had already thrown the suitcase in front of Alice.

“Here.... Take your stuff with you! Don't dirty my son's house again! Now get out of here!"

Tears flowed even harder on Alice's cheeks. Her lips no longer had any color. She occasionally coughed, choking on too much sadness.

"Please, Ed ...." Alice struggled to crawl towards her husband.

Unfortunately, her mother-in-law intervened again. She pointed towards the gate. "Get out of here!"

“But I was—ahh!”

Elizabeth bravely pushed Alice. The moment she fell to the side, a car came and a woman got out with a panicked expression.

“Alice? Oh, God!" She ran over. "Are you okay?"

Clutching her best friend's hand, Alice shook her head. “Emma, help me. I don't want to part with Ed. I was really scared.”

Seeing Alice touch her stomach again, Elizabeth's eyes widened. She quickly grabbed the suitcase that was lying around and threw it further away.

“There's no point in asking for help. Miss Clark, please get your friend out of here. I don't want her anywhere near my son anymore.”

Emma furrowed her brows. She looked around. Various expressions were spread there—Giselle's cold face, the servants' pitying faces, Elizabeth's haughty face, and Edmund's confused face.

"You have the heart to treat Alice like this?" she asked, disappointed and disgusted.

Edmund swallowed hard. After sucking in as much air as possible, he looked away. “My decision is final. I don't need a wife like Alice. Just take her away from here.”

Emma sighed when she saw Edmund walk in. She could not believe that he could leave Alice with deeper wounds. Understanding the situation was too complicated, she helped Alice into the car and take her to the hospital.

***

“How is she, Darling? Her pregnancy is fine, right?” Emma asked, looking at the man in the white coat across the table. Her hand kept to hold Alice's fingers, which were still cold and trembling.

Alice also didn't blink at Henry. Her heart was pounding, her breathing was erratic. When the doctor opened his mouth, her fists tightened.

“You don't need to worry, Alice. Your womb is fine." Henry nodded with a reassuring smile.

"Really? You're not saying that to cheer me up, right?” Alice's eyes widened.

“Is there any pain or bleeding?” Henry raised an eyebrow.

Alice pondered for a moment before shaking her head. “I just felt like my stomach was churning.”

“I think that happened because of excessive fear. Your womb is still very young, Alice. Its size is small and its position is well protected by the pelvic bones.”

"So, Alice and the baby are okay?" Emma interrupted, tilting her head forward.

Henry smiled again. "Yes, Honey. If you want to be surer, Alice can undergo observation for two days. Or, do you want to see it via ultrasound now?"

Alice froze. Edmund’s face flashed, occupying her heart and mind. When his voice echoed, she looked down and sighed in resignation.

“I ... just want to do an ultrasound examination with Ed. He has promised to accompany me."

Alice's tears started flowing again. Emma and Henry didn't dare make a sound.

“Ed said he would be very happy if our baby came. He would come home early, accompany me to dinner and joke around. He would prepare a comfortable nursery, buy the best furniture and equipment for our beloved child.”

Unexpectedly, a small laugh escaped her dry lips. Her voice was so sad and desperate.

"When our baby’s born, I will hold him at every opportunity. Not a second can pass without him smiling and crying. You have to send photos often when I'm working, hmm?" Alice recalled, imitating her husband's accent.

“Ed said he would welcome our baby with great warmth. He even chose the best name for our baby. Ocean for boy and Sky for girl.”

For a few seconds, Alice hung her gaze in the air. Her lips formed a faint smile as she rewound her sweet memories with Edmund. However, when reality came up, the curve of her lips immediately turned around.

"But why ...? Why did he change? He not only asked me for a divorce, but also kicked me out of the house."

While stroking her stomach, Alice swallowed the bitterness.

“He even refused a surprise from me. If only he had seen the test pack, I'm sure none of this would have happened. Instead, we would be rejoicing, welcoming the little angel we have longed for.”

"Alice," Emma rubbed her shoulder before giving her a hug. “Please don't give up. We don't know what really happened. Edmund just looked dazed. He probably didn't realize what he was doing to you. Let's try to improve the situation slowly, hmm? Henry and I will help you. Isn't that right, Darling?”

Receiving a glance from Emma, the doctor nodded quickly. "Yes, Emma and I will definitely help you. But now, you better focus on your health. Let me prescribe the best vitamins for you."

Taking a deep breath, Alice wiped away the tears. Her back was now a little straighter. "Thank you, Friends. I think you're right. I can't give up. Tomorrow morning, I have to meet Ed.”

With a small smile, Emma stroked her best friend's hair. "Good. This is the Alice I know. Now let’s take a rest at my home. I will take you to Edmund's office tomorrow morning. Without your mother-in-law, I'm sure Edmund can think more carefully. You guys will definitely make up and things will return to normal."