Chapter 4

After Brett Sanchez withdrew the divorce papers.

He never brought up divorce again.

Even when I went to him myself.

"Please, give me the divorce papers. I'll sign them."

He only sneered.

"You already made a fool of yourself, standing in front of everyone in a bath towel."

"Bianca said so."

"This time, she needs you to really understand what you did wrong."

And understanding what I did wrong.

Meant being tormented worse than before.

I was going to get an abortion.

Bianca forced me to drink with ten men.

"Once you drink your way into the hospital."

"The baby's gone on its own, isn't it? No need for an abortion."

My allowance was cut off completely.

I had to earn the baby's prenatal-checkup money by doing chores.

Even the money for that day's meals.

The most wretched time.

Was when I washed Bianca's shoes for a ten-dollar breakfast.

Bianca sat in the office chair in Brett's study, watching me with a face full of scorn.

"Mrs. Sanchez, if you'd known it would come to this."

"Would you still have been so unbearably arrogant back then?"

She said it full of hatred, that she'd had a good job back then.

And it was all because of me that she'd fallen into that hopeless nightmare.

She'd never once meant to fight me for Brett.

But after that night.

She was dead set on settling the score with me.

I lowered my head, silent for a long time.

"Secretary Fox, do you know why I ended up like this?"

Bianca froze for a moment.

"What else? It's your comeuppance, of course."

"You became the pampered Mrs. Sanchez, thought you could pop out a kid at home and tie a man down for good."

"What a joke."

Everyone thought I chose to be a stay-at-home wife.

No one knew what I'd been through.

Back when Bianca was fired.

Brett acted like nothing had happened and made up with me.

It was as though we were back in the honeymoon days.

Every night he wrapped himself around me, murmuring in my ear.

"Vonnie, I don't want to watch you work yourself to the bone every day."

"Stay home and have a baby for me."

But Brett had low fertility. Conceiving naturally was all but impossible.

Back then, to have a child.

I took a lot of ovarian injections.

They caused a bad reaction, and I kept leaking urine.

I'd humiliate myself in the middle of meetings.

Listening to everyone whispering and pointing, I was so mortified I wanted to sink into the floor.

After that I couldn't work anymore.

So I stayed home and became a full-time wife.

Little did I know that from the moment I agreed.

I had already walked into their trap.

Bianca's laughter echoed in my ears.

And tangled into it were Brett's cold, merciless words.

"Yvonne, if you want to blame anyone for all this, blame yourself."

"If it weren't for you."

"Bianca wouldn't have been fired from the company."

"Wouldn't have lost her job and been driven to something desperate."

"Wouldn't have been assaulted by another man at a work drinking party."

"You caused all of it."

"So you owe a debt."

Those words followed me like a nightmare, clinging to me every hour.

I couldn't sleep a single night.

That day, Bianca's kite got caught in a tree.

She forced me to climb up and get it.

I nearly dropped to my knees and begged.

"I'm still pregnant. Please, I really can't climb a tree…"

But Bianca wouldn't take no for an answer.

She even called over a few security guards to watch, forcing me up the tree.

Halfway up, my hands were rubbed raw.

Two-thirds of the way up, a violent pain tore through my stomach.

My foot slipped, and I fell with a thud.

A hot rush between my legs.

I begged Bianca, "Please, call an ambulance, my baby…"

"Call for what."

Bianca coldly flung my hand away.

"Didn't you want an abortion before? Didn't you not want this baby?"

My head buzzed.

"You made me climb the tree on purpose. You wanted to watch me miscarry?"

Meeting my shocked stare.

Bianca only sneered.

"Don't be so delicate. You think climbing one tree could get rid of a baby?"

I froze.

"What do you mean?"

Bianca didn't answer me. Instead she dialed Brett right there.

Her voice soft, coaxing, almost like a purr, smiling as she spoke.

"Brett, why don't we end the game."

"Why don't we tell your wife a little secret."

"The reason her baby's miscarrying is that she's greedy. I put crushed abortion pills in that cake."

"Guess how she'll react?"

The words had barely left her mouth when a familiar set of footsteps came.

"What's going on?"

Brett's voice was low and hoarse.

Bianca faltered.

"Brett, why are you here?"

Brett ignored her and instinctively looked toward me on the ground.

The blood between my legs kept coming.

Staining my white dress red.

Shock and grief flashed through Brett's eyes.

He strode toward me, his voice raw.

"Vonnie, are you all right?"

And I held on, forcing my bloodshot eyes up.

Looking at Brett.

"Then I have a secret to tell you too."