Chapter 3
Page said, "Britney, you're finally back.
"Next time you have a prenatal check-up, let me come with you, okay? I was scared out of my mind when you fainted this time."
Page was wearing a loose maternity dress, her face showing that usual innocent and harmless expression she always had.
Back then, I always thought Page was gentle and kind-hearted, and honestly, I never cared about whatever history she had with Vernon.
I even took the initiative to comfort her when she was bullied for not having kids after three years of marriage to Vernon, and agreed to her request to have me by her side during childbirth once she got pregnant.
But I never expected that she was never really pregnant.
That sweet, gentle act turned out to be just a facade as well.
"Page, you should go back home to the Kinsman family tomorrow," I said coldly.
I was no saint. I was not about to let her get what she wanted, not when I knew she was after my baby.
"Britney?" Page called out, her voice trembling with disbelief.
Her eyes widened in shock, a flicker of surprise flashing across her face.
But I just dodged her touch and headed straight upstairs without looking back.
Her hand froze in mid-air, and her eyes dropped, disappointment flickering in them.
The comments started scrolling again.
A person wrote: [Who does Britney think she is, treating Page like that?]
Another wrote: [Come on, Page, just act cute and get Vernon to take both of those twins away. Don't let that bitch keep a single one.]
Someone wrote: [Honestly, just push her over the edge. This is what she gets for stealing Vernon from Page.]
The comments were dripping with malice, and even I paused for a moment.
I heard Page address the comments, saying, "Thank you."
With a hint of self-mockery in my eyes, I paused at the turn of the stairs and glanced back.
I saw Page, eyes red from crying, holding onto Vernon.
Page said, "Vernon, Britney suddenly turned cold and now she wants me gone.
"Did she find out something?"
She looked really anxious.
Vernon glanced at my retreating figure, looking exhausted, then gently patted her head to comfort her.
He said, "Of course not.
"I've been hiding it really well. Britney won't find out.
"If she did, with her temper, she would've burned this place down by now.
"She's probably just having pregnancy mood swings.
"Things will get better once the baby's here."
Page visibly relaxed at his words.
Page bit her lip, struggling with her thoughts, then finally asked, "Vernon, is it possible for me to have both of Britney's twins?
"I'm afraid Dustin might get suspicious when he sees the kids in a few years.
"I want to be adored by both families, just like Britney is."
At first, she was only after one of my kids.
But now, she wanted them both.
Vernon, ever the devoted second male lead, gave her exactly what she wanted.
He said, "Alright."
Hearing that, I didn't look back.
No matter what he said, Page's little plots would never succeed.
Because I chose to take us both down.
My heart was pounding as I headed straight for the kids' room.
Stepping closer to their bed, I saw two little ones curled up together, fast asleep.
Their long lashes made gentle shadows on their cheeks, and even in their sleep, they were whispering for their mom.
Back then, I always left them alone when they were sleeping.
But knowing I was about to leave them for good, I tiptoed over and gave each of them a careful kiss on the forehead.
Noticing Vernon coming up behind me, I didn't bother to turn around.
I kept my eyes fixed on the kids, my voice so calm it was almost chilling.
"If I die, you'll look after them, right?" I said, barely above a whisper.
Vernon froze for a second, caught off guard by how hoarse my voice sounded.
He came over and wrapped his arms around me, worry written all over his face.
He said, "Don't say things like that. You're not going to die.
"Baby, what's really going on with you?"
He just couldn't understand why I was talking like I was saying goodbye for good.
But I guessed that it was because he still didn't know that I had learned about what he had done for Page.
But now, because of those comments, I knew that he would choose her even if it meant letting me die.
I found that just laughable.
Just thinking about how I actually caught feelings for a guy this phony made me want to smack him across the face.
Like Vernon said, maybe I should just call it out with my bad temper and let everything fall apart.
But when I saw the kids sleeping so peacefully, I bit back all the questions and swallowed my anger.
I was not scared of going down with him, but as their mom, running away just because I meant that I had let my kids down.
I couldn't let them lose their father because of me.
Anyway, I was about to leave for good.
Whether I wanted to question him or if I just wanted to vent, none of it mattered anymore.
So I turned around, managing a bittersweet smile.
"It's nothing, really. Just feeling a bit sentimental all of a sudden, blame it on the pregnancy hormones," I said, trying to brush it off.
Vernon finally relaxed a bit when he heard me say that.
He quickly reassured me, "I won't let you feel uneasy anymore."
After that, Vernon kept his promise.
He canceled all his international meetings and projects, handed everything over to his deputy, and never left my side. He stayed home with me every single day.
If I craved those famous foods from the old shop in the south alley, he'd drive out at five in the morning just to wait in line for me.
When the kids begged him to build a three-story block castle, he'd patiently play with them all afternoon.
When I couldn't sleep at night, he'd sit by my bed and quietly read stories, even though I never responded, just lying there with my eyes shut.
When it came to me, Vernon was almost pitifully eager to please. He'd bend over backwards for anything I asked, no matter how trivial.
But the one thing he stubbornly refused was to send Page packing.
Vernon claimed, "I just want someone around to keep you company."
But honestly, we both knew all too well what he was really after.
Knowing he wasn't going to change his mind, I stopped insisting and completely ignored Page, like she was invisible to me.
I never touched the health tonics she brought, and I just turned a blind eye to the barrage of insults flooding the comments.
Every day, I'd sit with the kids, reading picture books and counting the baby's kicks, quietly waiting for the ending I knew was coming.
Just like that, twenty-eight days were gone.
My water broke.
Once the family heard, chaos broke out.
"I think I'm about to have my baby," Page stammered.