Where the ice melts

Camilla watched as her marriage crumbled before her eyes. Her cousin Diane stood confidently before the entire Miller family, stroking her protruding belly.

The room fell silent, all eyes fixed on Diane as her gaze swept across the room, locking on Camila briefly before moving on. “I’m carrying the Miller family heir,” she declared.

Camila's mind reeled as she tried to process the implications of Diane's announcement. Who was the father? She turned in Lawson's direction, expecting to see shock or curiosity on his face. Instead, his expression was unreadable as he sat silently on the sofa, observing the scene unfold.

She kept searching his face for answers, but It was as though he had no care in the world, didn’t care about her reaction or that of his family, and honestly, Camilla couldn’t quite grasp what was going on in his mind.

“Lawson, is this true?” Camila asked, trying to keep her voice steady. “Did you cheat on me?”

It was an unnecessary question, but Camilla couldn’t help it; she wanted to hear it from him.

“ANSWER ME!” her voice flared, taking on a more acidic tone. "Are you going to just sit there and pretend you don't know what I'm talking about?"

Lawson remained unfazed, casually leaning back on the sofa.

"You owe me the truth, Lawson. I deserve to know if you've been lying to me, if you've been cheating on me."

Lawson finally, rose from the sofa and walked over to Diane, who was smiling serenely. "Leave, Diane," he commanded. "Now."

Diane's smile faltered, her eyes darting to Camila before returning to Lawson. "Excuse me?"

"That's enough, Lawson," Lawson's mother chimed in. "Why should she leave? She has made a declaration that affects this entire family. And you want her to leave when you've already got her pregnant?"

Lawson's jaw clenched slightly, but he remained silent.

Meanwhile, Camila just stood, feeling like an outsider in her own home. The feeling of being ignored was suffocating, and the fact that her mother-in-law seemed pleased by the news made Camila's blood boil.

"Mother how could you? This woman is standing here claiming to be carrying the Miller family heir and you’re......" She paused, taking a deep breath in frustration. "I am Lawson's wife, remember? Your son cheated on me."

"Oh, yes, Lawson's wife who couldn't give us an heir. How's that for a wife?" her mother-in-law snarled, her lips curled in disdain. All the while, a triumphant smile was plastered on Diane's face, and Camila felt like an ant being crushed under the weight of their contempt.

Her eyes welling up as she stared at Lawson, expecting him to say something—anything at all. But no, he still remained quiet, making her feel like a fool.

"So... this is how it is, right? You're just going to stand there and humiliate me? After cheating on me?" Camila's eyes locked onto Lawson's, searching for any sign of defense, any hint of protection.

Still nothing.

"It's your luck, Camila; Lawson can't just sit back and wait for you to be fruitful. The world doesn't revolve around you," her mother-in-law spat. "You've had years to produce an heir, and what do you have to show for it? Nothing."

A cold realization crept over her. She was alone in this. Her husband, her family—they were all against her. Her husband cheated without remorse, so what would happen next? Divorce her? Because that's the possible action she could predict. Would he even bother to fight for their marriage, or would he simply cast her aside like a worn-out shoe?

With a deep breath, she blinked back the tears threatening to spill and looked up at Lawson.

"Can we talk alone, somewhere quiet and away from the prying eyes?" she requested, trying to keep her composure from breaking.

With his hands deep in his pockets, Lawson turned and walked away, expecting Camila to follow him.

Camila stared at her mother-in-law briefly, then at Diane before following after Lawson, steeling herself for the conversation ahead. She trailed behind Lawson, her eyes fixed on his back as he led her to their bedroom.

Lawson closed the door behind them, his eyes finally meeting Camila's.

"Well?" Camila asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Are you going to explain what's going on?"

Lawson's expression remained impassive, but Camila detected a flicker of something in his eyes. Guilt? Regret? She couldn't quite tell.

"Explain what?" Lawson asked. "I don’t owe you an explanation."

Camila turned speechless as she chuckled in disbelief.

He doesn’t owe her an explanation? Really?

"So that child is really yours?" she finally responded. "And you feel you have nothing to explain? Or perhaps you forgot you are married to me?"

Lawson turned away, irritated by the conversation. "It seems you've forgotten our agreement, Camila," he said, with condescension. "We had a deal. You knew what you were getting into when you married me."

Camila's eyes flashed with anger, but she kept her voice steady. "Our agreement was that I'd be your wife, your partner. Not that I'd stand by and watch you cheat on me with my own cousin."

"You're being dramatic, Camila. This doesn't have to be complicated."

"Complicated?" Camila repeated, her voice rising. "You're having a child with my cousin, and you think this isn't complicated?"

"THIS ISN'T COMPLICATED, CAMILA!" Lawson yelled, his composure finally cracking. "This marriage was arranged by my late father as an act of kindness to you. You have no right to question me or my actions. You're just a beneficiary of my family's generosity."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. The man she thought she knew, the man she loved, was telling her that she was nothing but a charity case.

"How dare you," Camila whispered, her voice trembling with rage. "I GAVE YOU MY KIDNEY, LAWSON! DON'T FORGET THAT!"