Chapter 4
I had thought my emotions were long buried, but Arielle Ramos's actions hit me out of nowhere.
I stared at her, disbelief and a growing sense of coldness washing over me.
Unable to hold back any longer, I pushed her away with all the force I could muster.
But she seemed prepared. She crushed a blood bag hidden in her pocket, letting it spill as she dramatically fell down the stairs.
"Brother-in-law! Help me!"
Her shrill scream immediately caught Jayceon Henry's attention. Seeing Arielle lying there in a pool of blood, he lost his composure, abandoning any facade, and rushed toward her, shoving me aside.
"Ezra Bennett, have you lost your mind?"
He shouted at me while cradling her, urgently lifting her in his arms.
His shove sent me crashing into the table, my abdomen slamming against its edge.
And then, unexpectedly, I began to laugh. I laughed until tears ran down my cheeks.
Oh, Jayceon Henry.
They say that if you truly care for someone, even deceit can't hide the affection that shines through your eyes.
Why had I never noticed before how every glance you gave her was filled with an overwhelming love, like the calm ocean hiding its depth?
Had I not already lost my baby, being pushed with such force could have endangered my child.
That night, sleep eluded me, knowing this issue wouldn’t be easily resolved.
As anticipated, Jayceon's assistant returned the next morning, saying he needed to take me to the hospital to see Arielle.
He told me she had miscarried.
It was a cruel twist of fate. How could she claim to have miscarried when she supposedly couldn’t have children?
Arriving at the hospital room, Arielle's smug smile and the indulgent yet helpless look in Jayceon's eyes made it clear it was all a trap she had orchestrated.
Just like before, she was doing this just to create trouble for me.
And Jayceon, fully aware of her charade, chose to play along.
Soon, my father, Colten Bennett, and stepmother, who were in Europe, were informed and rushed back.
As soon as they entered, Dad stormed over and slapped me hard.
The slap was so swift and fierce, I could taste blood in my mouth.
Seeing them return, Arielle immediately began to sob, "Dad, Mom! My baby is gone!"
"The doctors said I'll never be able to have children again! It's all Ezra’s fault. Over the years, no matter how she bullied me, I chose to forgive her, but this time she's taken the most important thing from me, and she must pay the same price!"
Everyone knew the most important thing to me was my ability to paint with my hands.
Her words implied she intended to destroy my hand!
Sensing imminent danger, I turned to escape. But my father was faster. Before I could reach the door, he ordered his bodyguard to lock it.
"Get the boiling water!"
Panicking, I struggled to flee, but they held me in an iron grip. I could only watch helplessly as the bodyguard approached with boiling water.
"No! No!"
"She wasn't even pregnant! How could she miscarry? This is all an act!"
No matter how much I protested, my father's expression remained cold. He was willing to sacrifice his own daughter's hand for his stepdaughter!
Just as despair overwhelmed me, Jayceon finally spoke up.
But as he looked at me, he only frowned slightly. "Ezra is pregnant. Just ruin her right hand."
In that moment, any hope I had left shattered.
When Colten forced my hand into the boiling water, he ceased to be my father.
"Ahhhh!!!"
The searing pain turned my face crimson, and I bit my lip until it bled before finally fainting.
When I awoke, I found myself in a hospital bed.
Nearby, Jayceon was talking to Dr. Scott Ryan, seemingly asking about my condition.
"Doctor, is her baby okay?"
The doctor's eyes widened in surprise.
"What baby? The child was gone a while ago..."