CHAPTER 2

Laurette POV

Mrs. Ava has always been very laid-back about her grandson's affairs.

None of her former female companions had become grandmothers, so she wasn't in a hurry.

However, now that Salome has suddenly become a grandmother, Mrs. Ava is both envious and jealous as she watches her holding Little Nico and laughing uncontrollably.

She can no longer maintain her laid-back attitude.

I purse my lips and remain silent.

I thought that Bryce would come up with an excuse to appease Mrs. Ava as he had done before, but he doesn't say anything this time.

I look up at him, and in the brightly lit banquet hall, his handsome and sharp eyebrows and eyes are reflected.

He stares at me silently, with no intention of helping me out.

"I'm talking to you. Why are you looking at Bryce?" Mrs. Ava becomes impatient and her tone becomes sharp.

"You'll go to the hospital to check your body tomorrow, and then stay at home to prepare for pregnancy."

"Mom," I feel bitter in my heart.

My mother and brother have opposite views on me having a child.

I'm caught in the middle and feel helpless.

"The company is very busy lately, and I can't take time off. Can I wait for two more months?"

"What's so important in the company? Can't it operate without you?" Mrs. Ava interrupts me forcefully.

"Laurette, don't forget that we agreed to let you marry into the Rodriguez family because you were pregnant with Bryce's child. We didn't want the Rodriguez family's bloodline to be lost outside." Of course, I wouldn't forget.

Being pregnant before marriage had pinned me to the pillar of shame.

Every time Mrs. Ava brings up this matter, I feel ashamed.

Bryce glances at my pale face and says lightly, "I'll take her to the hospital tomorrow. You don't have to worry. Aunt Salome seems to be looking for you."

Mrs. Ava's attention is suddenly diverted.

She looks at Salome, who is looking in their direction, and says, "She's looking for me just to show off her grandson. You two have to give me face and have triplets or quadruplets to make her jealous!"

After Mrs. Ava leaves, my stomach starts to ache.

I whispered in a low voice, "I'll go to the bathroom."

Bryce frowns as he watches me walk away, feeling inexplicably annoyed.

He takes a glass of wine from the waiter and drinks it in one gulp.

The strong liquor burned his stomach, fueling his anger.

As he lifted his gaze, he saw a familiar figure leaving the banquet hall.

Wasn't that Tyson?

Leaving the restroom, I heard Bach's piano piece echoing down the hallway.

I don't want to go back to the banquet hall, so I turn and head for the courtyard.

The night enveloped the courtyard, but the lights are bright.

Unfortunately, someone is already there when I arrive. I'm about to turn and leave when I hear a familiar voice behind me, "Laurette."

I shudder all over, and the warning from Bryce's earlier rings in my ears.

I hurriedly quicken my pace to leave.

I hear hurried footsteps behind me, and a shadow sweeps past me, blocking my way.

"Laurette, don't you want to see me?" I look up at the familiar figure with reddened eyes.

He looks at me with injured and aggrieved eyes, and my heart aches. "Tyson, we shouldn't be meeting like this."

Tyson and I had known each other since childhood.

Tyson is one year older than me, and after his mother gave birth to him, she was too weak to breastfeed him, so she had to give him up.

Later, when my mother gave birth to me, she ate too little, so Tyson's mother brought him over to be fed by my mother.

Perhaps it was this unique intimacy that made our relationship special.

Until the accident happened later on...

The hallway is dark, and Tyson's eyes shine brightly and passionately as he looks at me.

He grabs my wrist excitedly, "Laurette, don't go, I... miss you so much."

Earlier in the banquet hall, he saw me with the Rodriguez family.

He could tell that Bryce isn't treating me well.

He regrets it.

Five years ago, when I needed him the most, he chose to let go.

"Tyson, you've had too much to drink." I forcefully pull my wrist out of his grasp and walk past him.

"Laurette!" Tyson stands behind me, distressed, "I know you're not happy at all. You used to smile a lot, but tonight I haven't seen you smile once. Are you still pretending to be happy in front of me?"

I freeze, before I can say anything, I see a tall figure slowly walking out of the darkness into the light.

The light and shadow change, and the person has a cold and sharp look, like a demon from hell.

"Oh?" Bryce stands beside me, his big hand wrapped around my waist, forcefully pulling me into his arms, and then turns to face Tyson,

"Is she happy or not? It seems that Second Young Master of Howard family cares more about her than her own husband."

As he speaks, he lowers his head to look at me, pinching my chin with his hand, his pitch-black eyes full of malice, "Why don't we show our love for each other and put his mind at ease?"

I'm scared, my stomach spasms, and the pain worsens.

I haven't forgotten Bryce's warning to me. Now that he's caught me alone with Tyson, I don't know how he'll deal with me.

Tyson sees that he's almost going to kiss me, and he's jealous to the point of having red eyes, "Bryce, you don't love Laurette at all, why don't you let her go?"

"Who said I don't love her?" Bryce tightens his grip on my waist, and our bodies are tightly pressed together.

His tone is light, "Come on, baby, let me tell you how I love and cherish you every night."

My face turns pale.

I can tell that this love is not the same as the other love. He wants to humiliate me.

Tyson isn't a fool, and he naturally understands that Bryce is deliberately humiliating me in front of him.

He's furious, "Bryce, you bastard... "

"Tyson, could you leave first?" I interrupt Tyson.

I smell the strong smell of alcohol on Bryce, and I know that he's in a bad mood now.

I'm afraid that if Tyson continues to stay here and stimulate him, I'll be the one who'll suffer in the end.

"Laurette, are you going to let him humiliate you like this?" Tyson is distressed.

The person he cherishes is being treated like this by another man.

He regrets it deeply.

"This is a matter between husband and wife," I say, emphasizing the words "husband and wife".

Like a bucket of ice water poured over his head, extinguishing the raging anger in his heart, Tyson stares in disbelief at the two people tightly entwined like conjoined twins.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have interfered." Tyson stumbles away.

The sound of chaotic footsteps follows him, but soon disappears from my ears.

Feeling upset, I suddenly feel a wave of nausea rising from my stomach.

I push away Bryce and rush to the trash can to vomit.

Bryce is stunned for a moment, then explodes in anger.

He glares at me, who is still retching, and says without restraint, "What, you find me disgusting just because you met your ex-lover?"