Chapter 4

"I get it... I get it now," I whimpered. I couldn't fight her anymore. I just wanted to survive. "Just let me leave. I promise I’ll never see Julian again."

I didn’t dare argue with Judith anymore. I just wanted to soothe her rage so she would let me go to a hospital.

"Let you go?"

"How do I know you won't creep back to my son? He’s young and easily tempted. As his mother, I have to eliminate the threat completely!"

"Where are the scissors I asked for?"

Judith screamed at the secretary, grabbing the scissors and hovering them over my face. "You only got close to my son because of this pretty face. If I ruin it, I’ll believe you won’t ever see him again."

"No... please, no..."

As the sharp metal coldness neared my cheek, terror gripped me. But just as I braced for the worst, a phone rang.

It was Julian, calling the secretary's desk phone.

He was demanding his lunch be sent up.

I had arrived at the office in the morning. It was now past lunchtime. I had been subjected to hours of torture.

I looked at the crowd blocking the doorway. Dozens of people, yet not a single one was willing to help me.

I couldn’t escape this nightmare.

But my heart ached most for my baby. My baby, who had every right to see this world, had been murdered by these monsters.

I hated them. I wanted them all to rot in hell to accompany my child!

Especially Judith. She was a mother too. How could she be so evil?

"You still dare to glare at me?"

Judith slapped me hard across the face, several times. "What? Unfair?"

She raised the scissors and slashed them across my cheek. A sharp, burning pain flared up as my skin tore open. It hurt so much I could barely breathe.

"What are you all doing standing around here? Don't you have work to do? Does this company pay you to slack off?"

It was Julian’s voice.

Judith quickly pushed me under the coffee table, hiding me under the long tablecloth. Then, she walked out of the lounge casually. "Julian, sweetie, don’t blame them. I just had a few questions for your staff."

"Mom, why are you still here? This is a place of business, not your personal interrogation room."

"What’s that supposed to mean? I can’t even talk to your employees now?" Judith whined, pretending to be hurt.

"That's not what I meant. Just... go home, please."

Julian was standing right outside the door. I had to make some noise. I had to let him know I was in here.

But the lounge was sparse, with only a sofa and a coffee table.

As I tried to kick the table leg to make a sound, the secretary guarding me realized my plan. She immediately crouched down and clamped her hand over my mouth, choking back my cries.

I was pinned down, completely silenced.

My husband was just a door away, yet he couldn't hear me.

I hated him. I hated his mother, who killed our baby, ruined my face, and broke my body.

"Aren't you going to eat? Have someone bring it to your office. Don't starve yourself," Judith said smoothly.

Julian sighed, turned around, and began walking back to his office.

Listening to his fading footsteps, the tiny ember of hope in my chest died completely.

I closed my eyes, letting my tears mix with the blood on my face.

Suddenly, his voice sounded closer again. "Oh, by the way, Chloe, when you bring my lunch, bring the Q3 project proposal with you."

I heard the door to the VIP lounge creak open. "And whatever my mother asks you, just tell her you don’t know."

He finished his sentence and turned to leave, but suddenly stopped. He frowned. "Wait... why is there so much blood on the floor?"