Chapter 2
Even though he couldn't see, his body instinctively recoiled.
"Don't need you to wipe for me. I have a wife."
Lucas spoke with a cold, distant tone.
Inside my head, my son's voice rang out again, his tone buzzing with excitement.
[Way to go, Dad!
[The cheap perfume on that scheming woman is making me sick.
[Mom, quick, check Dad's phone now!]
I let out a cold laugh and, right in front of Stella, kissed Lucas hard.
Then I said, "Honey, give me your phone.
"I'd like to see who's pulling pranks on Christmas Eve."
Stella's face turned pale, and she instinctively reached out to grab the phone.
She said, "Mrs. Caspian, you really shouldn't look at this kind of stuff. Don't let it get to you..."
Before she could finish, I dodged her and pulled up the text messages.
Sure enough, the screen was full of dirty, flirty texts.
But I didn't bother reading them. I just checked who sent them.
"Huh, would you look at that, the IP address is coming from our own house," I said, smirking.
I held up the phone, shooting Stella a knowing smile.
Stella's face instantly turned pale, her lips quivering.
"This... this can't be happening..." she stammered.
My son's voice rang out again, [Mom, check the time those texts were sent.
[Stella sneaked off while Dad was showering and sent them, using a voice changer to cover herself.
[Her phone's right there, in her pajama pocket!]
I knew exactly what was going on, so I slammed the phone down on the coffee table.
"Let's call the police!" I shouted. "We'll check the IP address!
"This is disgusting, especially at Christmas.
"Stella, give me your phone!"
Stella's legs gave out, and she dropped to her knees with a thud.
She said, "Mrs. Caspian, we shouldn't involve the police at Christmas...
"I was just trying to do what's best for the family..."
I stood over her, my eyes cold and unforgiving.
Then, I asked, "If you've done nothing to hide, why fear the police?
"Or are you the one who sent those messages?"
Stella was shaking, her whole body trembling as she looked to Lucas for help.
"Mr. Caspian, please... speak up for me," she begged.
Lucas showed no emotion, but his grip on my hand tightened.
He said, "Do what my wife says.
"Call the police."
The police came by, and though they couldn't file a formal charge immediately, they left Stella thoroughly shaken.
She adamantly claimed her phone had caught a virus, bawling her eyes out and acting all pitiful, saying she was being framed.
It was Christmas Eve, so the police just filed a report and left us to deal with it on our own.
Stella slunk back to her room, but I knew this wasn't over.
Night had fallen, and the house was quiet.
The crackle of fireworks outside was growing faint.
Lucas lay in bed, his breathing slow and steady, as if he'd already drifted off.
But his hand was still gripping my shirt so tightly that his knuckles had turned white.
I couldn't sleep at all. My son's words kept echoing in my mind.
If it weren't for his warning, I might've already signed the divorce agreement and made way for that bitch.
Suddenly, my son's voice echoed urgently in my mind.
[Mom! Don't go to sleep!
[That woman is making a potion in the kitchen.
[She put tansy in it!
[She wants you to miscarry, then sell you off to some remote place.]
I bolted upright in bed, cold sweat soaking my back.
Tansy?
She was trying to kill me, and my baby, too!
I slipped silently to the bedroom door and peered out through the crack.
The kitchen lights were dim.
Stella was at the stove in her silk nightgown, moving furtively.
She held a small packet of dried herbs and poured everything into the pot.
Her face twisted into a sinister, warped smile as she muttered under her breath.
She pulled out her phone and sent a voice message.
She said, "Relax, the blind man does whatever I tell him.
"Once that old hag loses the baby and her health is ruined, I'll kick her out.
"Then the Caspian family fortune, and Lucas himself, will all belong to me."
I was trembling with fury, my nails biting deep into my skin.
How vicious she was!
She always played the helpless victim, but in reality, she was a ruthless monster, killing with cold‑blooded malice.
Not long after, Stella walked over holding a bowl of dark, murky liquid.
She knocked on the door, her voice slipping back into that sickly sweet tone.
"Mrs. Caspian, are you asleep?
"Mr. Caspian said your pregnancy's been unstable lately, so I cooked up some tonic for you."
"Drink it while it's still hot. It's good for the baby."
I took a deep breath, forced myself to look composed, and opened the door.
"Really appreciate it, Stella," I said.
I plastered on a fake smile as I took the bowl from her.
A sharp, bitter herbal smell hit me, masking the scent of tansy.
A smug glint flashed in Stella's eyes as she fixated on the bowl in my hands, watching my every move.
"It's nothing," she said. "Mr. Caspian will only be at ease if you're well.
"Drink it while it's hot, or it will lose its effect."
Cradling the bowl, I made my way over to the window.
Stella, clearly impatient, stepped forward as if she was ready to force the medicine down my throat.
[Don't drink it! If you do, I'm gone!
[Mom, throw it in her face! Scald that evil woman!]
My son was yelling inside me, frantic for me to act.
A cold smirk appeared on my lips.
Drinking it?
Not a chance.
I picked up the bowl, acting like I was about to take a sip.
Stella stared at me, her eyes wide and her breathing so tense she was practically holding her breath.
Just as the rim of the bowl touched my lips, my wrist gave a sudden twitch.
"Oops!" I said, pretending to be startled.
The hot medicine and the heavy porcelain bowl went flying.