4

Chapter 4

The moment I finished speaking, both women in front of me froze.

My mother-in-law, as if receiving approval, turned to instruct the servants: "Remake the master bedroom on the second floor that faces the sun. Evelyn needs proper rest during her pregnancy."

"It's good that Alex values loyalty. Otherwise, I wouldn't have a grandchild."

Values loyalty? I found it ironic. If Ethan knew his wife was pregnant with his best friend's child, he'd probably cough up blood.

Seeing my continued silence, Evelyn immediately looked at me with pitiful eyes.

"Are you still angry, Clara? I'm sorry. I just wanted to have my own child."

"Don't mind her. The child in your belly is Alex's, and my grandchild. It must be born."

She deliberately emphasized "grandchild," the word like a scalding seal stamped in the air before me.

I smiled and looked up at Evelyn: "When the child is born, remember to call me—Mommy."

The dining room went briefly quiet.

Evelyn's eyes immediately reddened. She covered her belly and stood up, her voice barely audible: "Clara, I'm sorry... this situation must hurt you. If Ethan hadn't left so suddenly, I wouldn't have... I'm just afraid of being alone. Please don't hate me, okay?"

She slowly walked toward me, reaching out to hold my hand—I instinctively pulled back, not wanting her to touch my body that was still aching from the recent surgery.

But she took another step closer, her fingertips already touching my sleeve.

"Don't touch me." I lowered my voice and brushed her hand away.

Just then, the sound of keys turning came from the entrance. Alexander pushed through the door from outside. Before he could stop, he saw Evelyn's body sway, as if I had pushed her off balance. She cried out.

"Clara!" He practically rushed over and shoved me aside forcefully.

The chair leg caught on the carpet's edge. I fell backward with the chair, my spine hitting the floor hard. My vision went black, bile rising in my throat.

The emptiness from the surgery washed over me like a tide, my limbs going cold.

"What are you trying to do?" Alexander bent down to protect Evelyn, his anger undisguised. "Are you bullying Evelyn again? Wasn't your performance at the hospital enough? Are you trying to frame her in front of my mother?"

I pushed myself up from the floor, my fingertips trembling, but I still smiled—the smile as cold as a paper cut.

I pulled from my bag the document printed with my name, its sharp corners clean and precise, and slammed it onto the dining table with a slap. The bone china trembled, silverware clinking.

"Let's get divorced." I forced out the words, my lawyer's calm like a thin layer of ice over my voice. "Equity and joint property liquidated according to Article Two's proportions, real estate returned to respective names; Article Three, neither party interferes with the other's life under any pretext. Don't you need 'peace and quiet' for the pregnancy?—Perfect."

After speaking, I turned to leave under Alexander's incredulous gaze.

But I hadn't taken two steps when my vision went black and I collapsed to the floor.

Before losing consciousness, I heard someone shouting: "Oh my God, why is she bleeding so much?"

"Call an ambulance!"

"Clara!"