Chapter 3

"Take your medicine." Edward cooled the liquid carefully and brought the spoon to my lips.

I reached for the bowl, but he refused to let me take it. He insisted on feeding me himself.

Before I could swallow, my body suddenly tensed.

"What's wrong?" His expression shifted to concern.

I shook my head. "Nothing."

I obediently drank the medicine and said nothing more.

Something flickered in Edward's eyes, but he said nothing.

After I finished the medicine, Edward helped me lie back down, and pain tore through my abdomen moments later.

I wasn't surprised. I'd smelled what it was before the first sip touched my lips.

Everything Lillian had whispered in my ear before I lost consciousness had come true.

Edward truly loved her. He'd wanted this child so badly, but he'd still chosen to kill it for Lillian without hesitation.

Edward watched me carefully the whole time, and when he finally saw the blood seeping through the sheets, he yanked the blanket back in a panic.

My face didn't change at all, and for the first time, something like guilt flickered across his expression.

"Lillian was upset all night. She said she'd leave the estate if you had this baby. Evelyn, we can have other children later. It's fine."

I stared at the flowers just beginning to bloom outside the window and said quietly, "I know."

My calm reaction seemed to unsettle him, and he finally stood up to leave.

He said, "I'll have the kitchen send up some tonic for you."

Whether out of guilt or not, I was moved from that dark, damp cottage to the sunny room.

Tonics and remedies flowed into my room every single day after that.

One afternoon, while I was drinking my medicine, Lillian's shrill voice rang outside my room.

"Smash everything! I'm not using hand-me-downs. Bad luck."

My new maid rushed out to confront her, but Lillian's servant grabbed her and slapped her face hard several times.

"What are you doing? Stop it!"

Lillian strutted into the room with a triumphant gleam in her eyes, like she'd just won a war. "What am I doing? Cleaning out the unwanted trash from this house, obviously."

The maid behind her wore the same smug expression and threw a contract onto the floor.

"Mr. Hastings clearing out everyone for Ms. Monroe. You need to stop trying to seduce him and get out of this house."

I froze for a moment, but I wasn't really shocked.

From the day Edward brought me to the mansion, Lillian had been shouting about how she'd never share her man with anyone.

I'd always known this day would come, but I didn't expect it to happen so suddenly.

I nodded and bent down to pick up the contract. "Understood."

Then I stood up and started packing my things.

Lillian had been waiting for me to break down and cry, so my calm reaction made her furious. She grabbed my bag and threw it on the ground, stomping on it several times.

"You're not taking anything. Who knows if you'd steal jewelry from the house."

I left the bag on the floor and walked out of Edward's mansion alone.

I stood at the corner of the street, unsure where to go, when Edward appeared out of nowhere.

He pressed some money into my hand and said in a condescending tone, "I bought you a house on Pear Lane. As long as you stay out of Lillian's sight, I can still support you."

I weighed the money in my hand and gave him a meek smile. "Okay."

Edward looked satisfied for a moment, but his expression quickly returned to normal.

Edward called over a servant. "Have Ian take you there. I need to go back and check on Lillian."

Ian started walking. "Let's go."

But I stayed where I was.

"I'm not going. Tell Mr. Hastings thanks for the severance pay. With this money, I can take the ferry south."

I waved at Ian and headed for the docks.

A ferry was about to leave, and I jumped on board just before it departed.

"Miss, where are you headed?"

I smiled. "Yorkland."