Chapter 3

David froze, his face twisting in discomfort and embarrassment. He tried to say something, but not a single word came out.

Helen instantly exploded. "Seriously? You dragged my son home over something this petty? Sophia, when did you get so fragile? Is washing clothes too much for you now? Honestly, it's just—"

I locked eyes with David, my stare cold and unmoving.

"Forget what your mom says. David, tell me. Am I really supposed to wash your ex's clothes?" I demanded.

David looked away. He swallowed hard as he struggled to speak, "Sophia, it's just two pieces of laundry. If you could just..."

Whatever came next didn't matter to me anymore. I'd already stopped listening.

My mind was reeling, a dull buzzing blanking out everything else.

I went back to the guest room and locked the door behind me.

I didn't wash the laundry, and I was done arguing.

On Friday, my sister-in-law, Chloe Lane, came home early.

When she saw Emily, Chloe gave me a sarcastic smirk. "Sophia, you're still hanging around? It's way too noisy with all these people. Why don't you just go stay with your parents till the baby comes?"

Helen's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Chloe, you're so clever. How did I not think of this? Sophia, go stay at your parents' place. It'll be so much quieter—and better for your baby," she said.

I looked at David.

His lips parted, but in the end, he just lowered his head, refusing to meet my eyes.

Richard nodded in agreement.

"That's a good idea. Go stay at your parents' place for a couple of days, and get some peace. With so many people around, it's easy to get bumped or jostled," he said.

They were all in perfect sync, pushing me out of my own home.

I let out a cold laugh. "This is my home. I'll stay or leave whenever I damn well please. None of you gets to tell me otherwise."

Late at night, I was woken up once more by the baby's relentless crying.

The bed next to me was cold and empty—again.

Of course, David was off soothing the baby.

Before I knew it, I was standing at the doorway.

Helen's excited whispers drifted in from the living room.

"Emily really nailed it. She gave us a baby boy. David, look at this chunky little guy. He's the image of you when you were a kid," she gushed.

My blood ran cold.

David looked irritated.

"Mom, keep your voice down. Sophia's here," he said under his breath.

Helen shot him a disgruntled look.

"What are you so worried about? If her family isn't loaded, do you really think I'd have let you two get married? I was always afraid she'd give birth to a girl.

"But now look—Emily's given us a boy, the first grandson of the Lane family. That's the one who really matters," she said, pride dripping from every word.

David looked clearly torn, struggling even to find the right words. "But Sophia's pregnant too."

Helen snapped back, cold and merciless, "In a couple of days, go take her to the hospital to check if she's carrying a boy or a girl.

"If it's a girl, make sure it's gone as soon as possible, and I'll focus on looking after Emily and her son. If it's a boy... Well, we'll talk then."

It felt like my brain had been hit by a sledgehammer.

So, the baby really was David's.

Suddenly, everything clicked into place.

Their so-called helping and kindness turned out to be their twisted scheming.

The whole Lane family had been treating me like I was their fool.

I braced myself against the wall and straightened up, my hand curling into a fist over my belly.

I stepped back to the bed, a cold clarity settling in.

I couldn't keep this baby.

This marriage had to end.

If the Lane family couldn't act like decent people, then I wouldn't owe them any decency.

The next day, I went to the hospital on my own.

I spoke to the doctor to schedule the abortion.

While I was there, Helen called. "Sophia, Emily's feeling dizzy and has to lie down for a bit. I'm making her some food. Can you come home and help take care of the kid?"

I kept expressionless. "I can't."

Helen's voice instantly went up. "What do you mean you can't? Is it really that hard for you to help out? You should learn to take care of a kid. It'll be useful when you have your own someday."

My voice grew even colder. "I don't have time to look after people who have nothing to do with me."

As soon as I hung up, Richard called. "Sophia, can you go to that old pastry shop in the south of the city and pick up some walnut cakes? Emily's craving something sweet, and that place makes the real deal."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "If she wants it, she can get some herself. I'm not free."

Richard hadn't expected me to refuse. He froze for a second, and then totally lost his temper. "Sophia, I just asked you to grab something for us. How can you—"

I tuned out his yelling, hung up again, and put my phone on silent.

Finally, peace.

After the check-up, the procedure was scheduled for the afternoon.

David called while I was reaching out to my lawyer friend, Rachel Grant. He said, "Sophia, Mom says you're acting up again? I know things have been unfair to you, but Emily—"

"I'm at the hospital," I interrupted him coldly.

David paused on the other end.

"Hospitals are crawling with germs. Why are you even there again? Stop acting so fragile because you're pregnant—that's bad for the baby. Just come home. Emily's sick, Mom's swamped, go help out already."

Hearing him dish out orders like it was perfectly normal, I let out a laugh. "David, deal with your own family. Don't bother me anymore."

After hanging up, I called Rachel. "Rachel, I want a divorce. Help me draft the agreement. I want David to walk away with nothing. If that's not possible, at least make sure I get back everything that's mine."

Rachel listened to my brief explanation, and I could practically feel her anger boiling over the phone.

She said, "What a bunch of scumbags. Sophia, just wait. I'll get right to it. Save any evidence you can—recordings, screenshots, whatever. How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine," I cut her off, voice firm and unwavering. "Let's talk about the divorce agreement first."