Chapter 4

Carolyn's face went white, her body trembling.

"Violet, we—"

Justin cut her off at once and took a quick step toward me.

"Violet, it isn't what you think. You just finished your confinement, the hormones have your emotions all over the place. You've misunderstood."

I looked at him coldly.

"The day I gave birth, I saw you two in the hospital stairwell."

The words were barely out before Carolyn dropped hard to her knees in front of me, tears spilling instantly.

"Violet, I'm sorry!"

She sobbed it, then raised her hand and slapped herself across the face.

Before I could say anything, Justin pulled her behind him.

"Violet, we got drunk once. It was a one-night thing."

"And later, when you were pregnant, I had needs to take care of. Whatever you have, take it out on me. Don't bully her."

"I know you're only using divorce to threaten me. I can sign over everything in my name to you as compensation."

The promise he'd made when he proposed, that he would love me forever and be faithful, was still ringing in my ears.

Rage surged straight to my head. I strode forward, drew back my arm,

and with all the strength in my body I slapped Justin across the face.

"You have me in your heart? Is that why you took her off to see the world while I was in confinement?"

"I could never forgive you. From today on, I'm done with the both of you."

Justin held his cheek and looked at me quietly.

"As long as hitting me makes you feel better."

He seemed certain I would never actually divorce him.

After all, to marry him back then, I had even cut ties with the parents who fought so hard against it.

Carolyn crawled closer, voice thick with tears, and reached for my hand.

"Violet, I know you're angry. If you want to hit me, do it. Just don't ignore me…"

A wave of disgust rose in me and I flung her off, hard.

She crashed to the floor, and in an instant her face was streaming with tears.

"Violet, it was my fault. Today I'll pay for it with my life."

Before the words were done she snatched the fruit knife off the nightstand and drove it hard into her own belly.

Blood sprayed.

Justin went ashen and lunged, catching Carolyn tight against him.

"Doctor! Get a doctor, now!"

Carolyn's face was drained of all color as she looked weakly at me.

"Violet, if I die, stay with Justin and be good to him. Forget everything between us."

I stood frozen where I was, watching the medical team rush in and wheel Carolyn away into the emergency room.

Outside the emergency room, his hands covered in blood, Justin turned and fixed his eyes on me.

"Why did you have to push Carolyn with a divorce? Now she's dying. Is this the result you wanted?"

I cried until I retched, barely able to breathe,

everything I'd held down pouring out of me,

"If the two of you were having an affair, you should have told me. I would have let you go."

"Why hide it from me, why make a fool of me like I'm an idiot!"

"How can you face me and our daughter? You used the money in our daughter's account to take your mistress traveling."

Something complicated flickered through his eyes.

"Take the child home first. When Carolyn's recovered, we'll talk about whatever needs talking about."

The emergency room door opened, and Carolyn was wheeled into an ordinary ward.

Justin went straight to her, gripping her hand, keeping step beside the gurney the whole way.

A nurse held out a form to Justin. "Are you the patient's family? Sign here, please."

Justin took the pen without a moment's hesitation.

"I'm her boyfriend."

Listening to the answer that came right out of him, I laughed at myself,

left the signed divorce papers in the ward, and blocked the two of them pinned to the top of my chat list.

That night, holding my daughter in my arms,

I boarded the plane out of Cloudport without looking back.