Chapter 4

I went out to the courtyard for some fresh air, accompanied by the nurses.

Claire was in the living room, playing with Noah.

Noah hurled a toy car at me, and it bounced hard off my shin.

"Mean lady!"

Claire leaned back on the sofa, scrolling through her phone. She didn't even look up.

"Noah, don't do that," she said, her tone entirely devoid of sincerity.

The nurses immediately stepped in front of me, but I walked around them and kept going.

In the corner of the yard stood a magnolia tree.

I planted it my first year in this house.

Evan had said he loved the sweet scent of magnolia, so I special-ordered a tree from a local nursery.

Five years later, it had grown very tall.

"Mara." Claire's voice drifted from behind me.

I didn't turn around.

Her heels clicked against the ground as she walked over and stood beside me.

"There's something I've been meaning to tell you."

She tilted her head, her smile so sweet it was almost harmless.

"The lead surgeon who operated on you? He's my brother."

White noise roared in my ears.

I swayed, and the nurses instantly grabbed my arms.

My baby. My uterus.

All the blood in my body rushed to my head in one violent surge.

"It was you..."

But I was too weak. My knees buckled, and the nurses gripped me tight.

Claire took two steps back, her smile widening.

"Careful, Mara. Don't move around too much. You'll tear your stitches again."

She turned and walked away.

I stood there, supported by the nurses, shaking uncontrollably.

Tears spilled over my lashes, hot and fast.

Not because of her taunt.

But because I finally had confirmation.

My child really was murdered by them.

That night, Evan came to my room again.

"Claire speaks without thinking. Don't take it to heart."

I looked at him. I looked at the face of the man I had loved for five years.

"Evan," I said, my voice dead calm.

"You knew, didn't you? You arranged it."

His eyes flickered.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Dr. Worth was the only specialist on call at the time. The hemorrhage was an accident, Mara. Nobody wanted this."

He reached out to stroke my hair again.

"Mara, no matter what happens, you are my wife. That will never change."

He actually believed that letting me keep the title of Mrs. Calder was some kind of merciful gift.

But he forgot.

I never needed his charity.

I lay in bed that night, forcing the rage, the terror, and the grief down.

Only one thought remained in my mind.

I was going to make them pay.

Chapter 4

I went out to the courtyard for some fresh air, accompanied by the nurses.

Claire was in the living room, playing with Noah.

Noah hurled a toy car at me, and it bounced hard off my shin.

"Mean lady!"

Claire leaned back on the sofa, scrolling through her phone. She didn't even look up.

"Noah, don't do that," she said, her tone entirely devoid of sincerity.

The nurses immediately stepped in front of me, but I walked around them and kept going.

In the corner of the yard stood a magnolia tree.

I planted it my first year in this house.

Evan had said he loved the sweet scent of magnolia, so I special-ordered a tree from a local nursery.

Five years later, it had grown very tall.

"Mara." Claire's voice drifted from behind me.

I didn't turn around.

Her heels clicked against the ground as she walked over and stood beside me.

"There's something I've been meaning to tell you."

She tilted her head, her smile so sweet it was almost harmless.

"The lead surgeon who operated on you? He's my brother."

White noise roared in my ears.

I swayed, and the nurses instantly grabbed my arms.

My baby. My uterus.

All the blood in my body rushed to my head in one violent surge.

"It was you..."

But I was too weak. My knees buckled, and the nurses gripped me tight.

Claire took two steps back, her smile widening.

"Careful, Mara. Don't move around too much. You'll tear your stitches again."

She turned and walked away.

I stood there, supported by the nurses, shaking uncontrollably.

Tears spilled over my lashes, hot and fast.

Not because of her taunt.

But because I finally had confirmation.

My child really was murdered by them.

That night, Evan came to my room again.

"Claire speaks without thinking. Don't take it to heart."

I looked at him. I looked at the face of the man I had loved for five years.

"Evan," I said, my voice dead calm.

"You knew, didn't you? You arranged it."

His eyes flickered.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Dr. Worth was the only specialist on call at the time. The hemorrhage was an accident, Mara. Nobody wanted this."

He reached out to stroke my hair again.

"Mara, no matter what happens, you are my wife. That will never change."

He actually believed that letting me keep the title of Mrs. Calder was some kind of merciful gift.

But he forgot.

I never needed his charity.

I lay in bed that night, forcing the rage, the terror, and the grief down.

Only one thought remained in my mind.

I was going to make them pay.