Chapter 2
The banquet hall was very bright.
Edward and Emma stood in front of a flower wall, surrounded by a crowd.
His hand rested on her waist.
She looked up at him, like a bride who'd waited for a long time.
The first person to spot me was Michael Reeves.
His smile froze, and his glass shook in his hand.
The noise in this room slowly faded away.
Edward looked up and saw me. His expression showed only a moment of panic, and soon sank again.
Emma moved closer to him.
I walked up to them and heard my own voice growing hoarse.
I said, "Edward.
"I already know. That person is your twin brother.
"Tell me why. Why did you do this to me?"
It was completely silent around.
Emma's face went pale, and her eyes welled up with tears.
Emma said softly, "Lily, I'm so sorry."
Her voice was so gentle, as if she was the one who was wronged.
She said, "I was planning to tell you at a right time.
"You and Edward have been together for so long, but honestly, you two are unmatched for ages."
She glanced at Edward, her voice growing firmer.
"He will take the path of combining academic and capital in the future. My dad can help him, and so can I."
When she looked at me again, there was nothing apologetic in her gaze.
"You'll only distract him," she said.
Her words hit me, but I couldn't process them right away.
She moved into my home the year she lost her job, saying her stepmother was making her life unbearable.
I cooked for her, accompanied her to hunt for part-time jobs, and even took her to the hospital in the middle of the night.
She hugged me and cried, saying, "Lily, you're the most important person in my life."
I could hardly believe it. Overnight, everything had gone wrong.
Everyone had been lying to me.
"Why didn't any of you tell me?" I asked.
By the end, I couldn't even get the words out.
Emma shed tears.
She said softly, "I never wanted to hurt you, and neither did Edward.
"It was just a white lie. Besides, we even had his twin brother pretend to be him for your sake."
"So it was you all along!" I shouted.
I was so angry that i was about to raise my hand and slap her.
"That's Enough," Edward said coldly.
Edward gripped my wrist so tightly, I grimaced in pain.
"It's not what you think," he said.
"Then what is it?"
He stayed silent.
Emma reached out and tugged at his sleeve.
"Edward, stop. She can't take any more right now," she said.
"Well, it's all up to you," Edward replied.
I was thrown to the ground like trash by Edward, and a sharp, dragging pain suddenly shot through my lower abdomen.
I bent down and everything went black before my eyes.
Warm liquid started running down my legs.
Blood splattered onto my skirt.
Edward's face finally showed concern, and he reached out to catch me.
I wanted to get away, but my body had no strength left.
Just before I fell down, I saw a flicker of resentment in Emma's eyes.
I know she blames me for ruining this proposal.
When I woke up, I was lying in the hospital.
The doctor stood by my bedside, glanced at my medical records, then looked at me.
*****
"You've been through too much stress. You've had a miscarriage, the baby was only one month and hadn't even taken shape yet," the doctor said.
The ward was very quiet.
I never even knew I was pregnant.
Argument voices came from outside the door.
Edward said in a low voice. "I told you not to cause a fatality."
Andrew let out a mocking laugh.
*****
"She probably didn't take the pill, just trying to trap you with a baby," he said.
There was a brief silence outside the door.
Andrew said, "Besides, it's not even certain whether the child is mine. You've slept with her yourself."
I closed my eyes.
Tears slid into my hair, so cold they made me shiver.
*****
The next day, I insisted on leaving the hospital.
The nurse tried to advised me to stay for two more days, but I just shook my head.
I don't want to lie there and let them toss me around like a plaything. I was determined to leave them completely.
After a few days of rest, I went to the company to propose my resignation.
But as soon as I got downstairs, a woman rushed over and slapped me right across the face.
I was struck so that my face turned away.
The next second, a bucket of dog blood was dumped all over me.
A fishy, foul odor filled my nostrils, and people soon surrounded.
The woman pointed at me and scolded.
"You homewrecker!
"You seduced my daughter's husband! God will punish you!"
My vision was a blur of red, but I recognized her voice instantly.
Susan Grant.
Emma's wicked stepmother, the one who'd abused her for years.
Emma had told me how Susan hurt her, scolded her, and forced her to leave home.
And now, she's standing outside my office building, scolding me as a mistress for Emma.
Just as I was about to speak, two bodyguards pushed through the crowd and dragged me into the car.
The car door slammed shut.
Edward was sitting inside, his face grim.
I reeked of blood, and my hands were still trembling.
"Are you happy now?" I asked.
He closed his eyes.
"Don't show up for a while," he said.
I turned to look at him, but there was nothing but indifference in his eyes.
After returning to the apartment, Edward took my phone away.
The door was locked from the outside.
That night, Emma started a livestream.
The nanny's phone blared her crying sounds out loud.
Emma cried, "I'm a victim too.
"My stepmom just cares about me too much, that's why she did something wrong."
The comment section was flooded with people comforting her.
Meanwhile, I was trapped in the locked room, the stench of blood still clinging to my clothe.
Late at night, the door lock clicked.
I looked up and saw Edward walk in.
Just as I was about to speak, he shut the door behind him, his eyes turned red, and the smell of alcohol heavy in the air.
"Hey, isn't this my girlfriend?" he said.
The moment I heard that voice, I realized.
It was Andrew.
He smirked and was about to lunged at me.