Chapter 3

Leonard’s face went pale instantly.

His hand, which had been resting on Laila’s belly, jerked back.

I stood at the doorway and did not step inside for a long time.

This was no longer the home I once knew.

The living room was filled with Laila’s belongings.

A pregnancy pillow sat on the sofa. Tins of prenatal formula stood on the coffee table.

Even our wedding photo had been replaced by a maternity portrait of Laila.

The nursery had been converted into a dog room.

Two fluffy Samoyeds were romping inside, turning the once delicate space into a complete mess.

I had been terrified of dogs and was allergic to them since childhood.

Leonard knew this better than anyone.

In the past, he would not allow a single strand of dog fur in the house.

Even outside, if there was a dog within three miles, he would take me on a detour.

But simply because Laila liked them, he had not only gotten dogs, but he had also turned our child’s room into their kennel.

My heart clenched, and I felt like I was suffocating.

Just then, the two Samoyeds spotted a stranger and charged at me excitedly.

I shut my eyes on instinct and kicked them away.

Laila screamed, “Felix! Felicity!”

My heart jolted violently.

Those were the names Leonard had picked for our unborn baby.

Felix, if it were a boy. Felicity, if it were a girl.

So Laila had named her two dogs after our unborn baby.

Laila rushed over and used her own body to shield the puppies.

Leonard was alarmed and ran up to hold her.

Then, a calloused palm struck my face with a hard slap.

It was from my mother. She yelled, “Iris, since when did you become so cruel? If anything happens to Laila, I swear I’ll make you pay!”

“Right! She can’t have kids herself, so she goes and kicks someone who can!”

“A ruthless person like her will never end well!”

Chaos erupted in the room.

Someone smashed a glass against my forehead. Warm blood trickled down my cheek.

“Iris!”

Leonard looked furious.

He let go of Laila and rushed toward me.

Laila’s face was pale, and she bit her lip until it bled.

The next second, she started slapping herself in front of everyone.

“At the end of the day, this is all my fault. I never should have fallen for Mr. Griffin, and I definitely never should have gotten pregnant with his baby.

“Iris, if it’ll make you feel better, I’ll get rid of this child to make up for it.”

As she spoke, she continuously slapped herself until her cheek became red and swollen. Somehow, blood began to flow from between her legs.

Leonard’s expression changed drastically as he panicked.

He rushed over and scooped her into his arms. He held her close, his face full of worry.

“Don’t talk. I’m taking you to the hospital.”

The people around stayed angry at me. They filed out while saying mean things to me.

My mother was the last one to go out.

She grabbed my hair, roughly shoved me into the dog crate, and locked it.

“You hurt Laila. You’re staying in there tonight to think about what you did!”

She knew I was terrified of dogs and was severely allergic to dog fur.

When I was little, she had been badly bitten while chasing away a fierce dog to protect me. She still bore a gruesome scar on her leg.

However, at this moment, for Laila’s sake, she had locked me in a dog crate.

My breathing started to become heavy.

No matter how hard I pounded on the crate, begged, or wept, nothing helped.

My entire body began to itch, swell, and break out in hives.

I did not even have the strength left to grab my phone and save myself.

As my vision gradually turned dark, my phone screen lit up. Someone was calling me.

I mustered my last ounce of strength and tapped the green answer button.

The person on the other end said calmly, “Ms. Lyon, I’ve looked over the partnership proposal.

“If we move forward with this, Leonard will be ruined. Are you sure you can go through with it?”

With the last bit of strength I had, I choked out a few words, saying, “Just get me out of here first. If I die, there’s no one left to finish this game.”