Chapter 4

Glass after glass of wine went down my throat. My abdomen cramped with pain. Red rashes began spreading all over my body. My stomach churned violently.

Nathan's friends watched with glee, egging me on.

"Hey, don't just drink—where's the apology?"

"Right! Weren't you supposed to get on your knees and apologize to Chloe? We're all watching!"

They pulled out their phones and started recording.

My eyes burned.

But to save my mother, I didn't hesitate. I dropped to my knees and apologized to Chloe.

"I'll chug this whole bottle," I said. "Consider it my apology to you."

I pried the cap off and poured the liquor down my throat.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my abdomen. A warm gush followed—blood trickling down my legs.

My vision flickered and darkened.

The people around me panicked. Their faces tensed up.

"Blood! Why is she bleeding? You don't think she's pregnant, do you?"

Nathan's pupils contracted. He took half a step forward.

Chloe suddenly clutched her stomach. Her face went pale.

"Honey," she said, "Evelyn doesn't look right. You should go check on her."

Nathan noticed something off about her. His hand, reaching out midair, dropped back to his side.

"No one," he said, "is more important than the baby in your belly."

My consciousness began to fade. The last thing I saw was him carrying Chloe away in a hurry.

When I opened my eyes again, a nurse frowned impatiently.

"You're three months pregnant. Your pregnancy had just stabilized. How could you drink that much hard liquor? The fetus didn't make it. Sign here."

I stared at the ceiling, dazed.

Nathan loved children. But I had a hard time getting pregnant. I'd done countless rounds of IVF—none of them worked.

Two years ago, I finally got pregnant. The doctor said the fetus was weak and could harm my body.

Nathan was so worried about me. He held me and said, "We don't have to keep this baby, Evelyn. I just want you to be safe."

I hid it from him. I got shot after shot of pregnancy hormones. But in the end, I still lost the baby.

When he saw all the needle marks on my body, his eyes turned red. "Evelyn," he said, "how could you be so foolish?"

I was consumed with guilt for a long time. I thought I'd never have a child. And now, just after getting pregnant again, I drank so much that I lost it.

I touched my flat stomach. Tears fell against my will.

Maybe this was fate.

I signed the papers, pulled out the IV, and went to my mother's hospital room.

Chloe was kneeling by my mother's bed, sobbing.

"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Madison. I was shameless. I seduced your daughter's boyfriend. I'll terminate this pregnancy. I'll leave Nathan forever."

My mother's eyes went wide. Her chest heaved with rage.

"That's impossible! Nathan and Evelyn are getting married next month. How could you be carrying his child?!

"You two… you actually got married… You—you!"

My mother's anger spiked. She collapsed to the floor.

"Mrs. Madison! Mrs. Madison, are you okay?!"

As Chloe reached out to help, rage surged through me. I ran over and shoved her hard.

"What are you doing?! Don't touch my mother!"

Chloe flinched. "I—I came to apologize."

But I saw the flash of provocation in her eyes. Enraged, I slapped her hard across the face.

"You knew my mother has a heart condition! You deliberately provoked her!

"Chloe, you've stolen two boyfriends from me—is that not enough? Now you want my mother dead?!"

Chloe's cheek swelled up. Her eyes reddened with hurt.

"Evelyn, I didn't…"

She cried pitifully. The next second, Nathan had pulled her tightly into his arms.

Nathan glared at me.

"Evelyn, she's your best friend. How could you be so malicious toward her? Apologize to her."

A bodyguard kicked me. They pinned me down. I knelt on the ground in agony.

"Evelyn…"

My mother's eyes were bloodshot. She grabbed Nathan's sleeve.

"Nathan, aren't you afraid of driving Evelyn away by doing this?"

Nathan shook her off. He curled his lip into a sneer.

"Drive her away? A woman who's been used by another man—who else would want her except me?"

His gaze went cold.

"Chloe and I talked it over. Since they are best friends, she's willing to let your daughter be my mistress.

"Besides, you were the other woman yourself. Like mother, like daughter. It's not like it would shame the family name, right?"

My mother's lips turned purple with rage. She pointed at Nathan, struggling to breathe.

She got a sudden heart attack and collapsed to the floor.

"Mom—!"

I broke free from the bodyguards. Terror on my face, I ran toward her. "Doctor! Somebody call a doctor!"

Chloe tried to help me, but Nathan stopped her. His voice was cold.

"Nobody helps her. Let her suffer a little. Teach her a lesson. Then she'll know who actually cares about her."

They walked away without a second glance.

The blinding surgery light went on. Then it went off. The doctor announced my mother's death.

I felt hollowed out. Numb. I looked at everything with dead eyes.

I walked to my mother's bedside, reached out, and closed her eyes.

I took the death certificate someone handed me and signed my name. My chest felt empty, like cold wind blowing through it.

After burying my mother's body, I dragged my suitcase to the curb and took a taxi to the airport.

From this day on, Nathan and I were done. Forever.