Chapter 2

"Lena, you idiot!" Cheryl was clearly in a state of collapse, her face contorted as she glared at me and shouted.

I sank back in my seat, feeling a mix of resentment and hidden joy. "Cheryl, I only offered you the chicken soup to help you stay healthy."

"What? You drank the chicken soup?" George asked Cheryl, surprised.

Cheryl looked back at him with tears in her eyes.

I shivered all over, feeling cold.

It turned out George knew everything about the surrogate pregnancy too, yet he just stood by and watched me walk toward my demise.

"Lena!" George jumped up in anger, picked up the empty soup container on the table, and smashed it hard on the ground.

"Why did you feed Cheryl the chicken soup?"

I pinched my fingertips, suppressing the resentment in my heart, and burst out of the room, wailing loudly.

Before long, a head popped up on the courtyard wall. It belonged to Sonya Wittaker, the biggest gossip in the neighborhood. "Lena, what's all the fuss at your house?"

I wiped away my tears and blurted out before George could chase after me, "I fed Cheryl chicken soup, and George held Cheryl while trying to hit me!"

Sony quickly extracted the key point. "Oh, George held Cheryl? That can't be right. Cheryl was your matchmaker, wasn't she?"

I sneered inwardly.

Indeed, Cheryl set up George and me. She told me every day how wonderful George was, and that they were godsiblings.

I somehow ended up marrying George. I was a fool, always saying they had a good sibling relationship.

I had just finished nodding pitifully when George angrily grabbed me. "What nonsense are you spouting? Come home with me!"

I forcefully shook off his hand and screamed at the top of my lungs, "Tell me the truth, what exactly is your relationship with Cheryl? I've known it for a long time. As long as Cheryl is around, you can't tolerate anyone else! If you two are a couple, why did you trick me into marrying you?"

George's face was gloomy. Looking at the growing number of neighbors at the door, he leaned closer and threatened me in a low voice, "Do you still want to stay married? If you keep making a scene, I'll divorce you!"

I sneered and slapped him hard. "Fine! Let's get a divorce. We'll get the divorce certificate right now!"

"Lena, you've got it all wrong," Cheryl said apologetically, leaning wearily against the doorframe behind me. "It's my fault. I brought you soup because I knew you needed to take care of yourself."

Tears streamed down her face. "I... I’ll leave now..."

Supporting the staggering Cheryl, George shouted at me with a sullen expression. "Lena, can you stop acting like a spoiled princess? Cheryl kindly brought you soup, yet you're slandering her!"

I stared intently at the two who had shared indignation, and I wondered, 'Kindly brought soup? How dare he say that?'

The uninformed neighbors at the door started speaking up for them.

A shiver ran down my spine. Clenching my teeth, I stayed silent as I lacked evidence. Even if Cheryl was pregnant, it would not show just yet.

Cheryl smiled and came over, taking my hand. "Lena, stop making a fuss. What matters is building a good life with George."

George scoffed and grabbed my arm to lead me inside.

I reluctantly stood there, biting my lip, unwilling to move.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my side.

I looked down in pain. Cheryl had pinched me hard.

My eyes darted around, and I shoved Cheryl hard.

She collapsed to the ground with tears in her eyes. "Lena."

Slap! A sharp slap landed on my face.

My face burned in pain, but I felt a sense of relief.

George stood frozen in place, still in the position of hitting me. After a long pause, he uttered, "You shoved her first."

Tears streamed down my face as I looked at the somewhat flustered George and sobbed, "You hit me for her. Even my parents never hit me."

He moved his lips as if trying to say something.

I covered my face and rushed out of the house. Then I went straight to the committee office. "Excuse me, I need to request a visitor pass to see my family at the Jettopia military base."

I took out the letter my uncle had sent me a while ago.

Cheryl would not let this go easily, and her pregnancy system was just bizarre.

I did not want to get pregnant cluelessly, so I might as well go to Jettopia and stay far away from them.