Chapter 6

Esther’s feet took a full week to heal.

She moved her increasingly heavy body around the house as she packed up her few belongings while waiting for the cooling-off period to end.

As she was about to head out for a prenatal checkup, she saw that Summer and Jasper were at home the moment she opened the bedroom door.

Esther asked warily, “What are you two doing here?”

Jasper’s already tense expression darkened. He said frustratedly, “Do you really hate seeing me that much?”

Summer nudged Jasper with her elbow. He pursed his lips and explained coldly, “Today’s your prenatal appointment. I’m the father of this baby, so I’m going with you.”

Esther tightened her grip on the document bag. She found the whole situation absurd.

“Don’t bother. It’s not like this is the first time you’ve skipped out on one. One more won’t make a difference.”

Summer trotted over to the second floor and linked her arm with Esther’s. She grinned and said, “Esther, I’m not even holding a grudge about you giving me that allergic reaction last time.

“Also, isn’t this like the fifth or sixth time Jas has swallowed his pride and come crawling back to you? Playing hard to get is one thing, but you need to know when to quit.”

The moment Summer linked her arm with hers, Esther felt as though she were in the clutches of a cold, venomous snake.

She frowned and tried to pull her arm free. “Get off me!”

Summer not only refused to let go but also dug her sharp nails deeply into Esther’s arm.

Though a smile remained on her face, her eyes gleamed with venomous spite as she leaned in close and dropped her voice to a whisper.

“Esther, what is it about you that keeps making Jas swallow his pride and give in to you over and over again?

“His whole family has been telling him to divorce you, but he keeps refusing. He hides behind the excuse that you’re carrying his child and that the baby needs its mother.

“Well, let’s see how he’ll protect you this time.”

After saying this, she shoved a small dagger into Esther’s palm. With a manic smile on her face, she clenched Esther’s hand tightly and drove the blade into her own abdomen.

“Ah!” Summer let out a piercing scream, then she forcefully pushed Esther’s belly.

Her position blocked Jasper’s line of sight. He did not see the small dagger. All he saw was Esther tumbling down the entire flight of stairs from the second floor.

His face went pale as he rushed toward Esther in a panic.

“Esther!”

Upstairs, Summer’s face looked deathly pale as she clutched her stomach and called for help. “Jas, help me! Esther... was trying to kill me!”

That was when he noticed the small dagger embedded in her abdomen and the blood pooling on the floor.

He rushed up the stairs and helped her up.

“Sunny...”

She leaned weakly against him with tears running down her face.

“Jas, all I did was tell her I wouldn’t keep bothering you anymore. I told her to stop being angry with you.

“I never thought she’d actually come after me with a knife.

“She even said that since she’s carrying your baby, no matter how furious you get, you won’t dare to do anything to her.”

He pressed his hand over her wound with trembling hands. “Esther, have you lost your mind? This is attempted murder!”

Esther felt waves of cramping pain in her abdomen. Her face had turned as pale as paper.

She shook her head frantically. “Jasper, she staged this herself! I didn’t do it, I swear...”

He became so furious that he lost all his composure.

“Sunny has had a low pain tolerance since she was a kid. There’s no way she’d stab herself just to frame you. She’d be risking her own life!

“Esther, how did you become so vicious? I am so disappointed in you!”

He hurried down the stairs with Summer in his arms.

As he passed by Esther, she reached out desperately and grabbed his pant leg as she pleaded, “Jasper, my stomach hurts so badly. Please, take me to the hospital. Our baby can’t die...”