Chapter 3
"You really have no shame! At least I have to keep some dignity for the baby! Don't forget. The child you're carrying is my child!" Daniel snapped.
I wrenched my wrist free from his grip, a cold smile tugging at my lips.
"So you do remember I'm pregnant with your child? For a second there, I thought you'd already forgotten," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.
"What do you mean by that?" Daniel snapped, glaring at me.
My words seemed to hit a nerve.
He started tearing into me right there in front of everyone, not caring who was watching.
"Ever since you got pregnant, have you even tried to make yourself presentable? Your face looks awful, all bloated and broken out from the hormones!" Daniel snapped.
"And you're always making me touch your stomach! Do you have any idea how gross those stretch marks and injection scars look?" he spat.
"I'm a normal, honest guy! I can't pretend otherwise! I just want a sweet, pretty, and caring wife!" Daniel yelled.
"Is that so wrong? Why do I have to put up with your moods and all your nagging?" he shot back.
Daniel's words were like daggers, each one stabbing right through me.
Back in the past, those words would've left me in pieces.
But now, I just watched Daniel go off the rails, feeling a strange, growing calm inside.
"Are you done? If there's nothing else, I'm leaving," I said coldly, my tone completely indifferent.
"Whitney, please don't leave! Daniel didn't mean it that way..." Susan called out, hurrying after me.
This time, Susan stepped forward and grabbed my arm, stopping me.
She said, "Whitney, I organized this get-together just so you and Daniel could make up!
"I know it was my fault before, and I caused a misunderstanding between you two.
"Just for me, could you stay and talk to Daniel?"
Daniel seemed touched by Susan's words.
He pulled her into his arms right in front of everyone, then yanked my wrist hard.
"Whitney, are you really going to keep acting out and make a fool of yourself in front of everyone?" Daniel snapped.
I finally understood.
Looking at how things were right now, if I didn't play along, there was no way they'd let me leave.
They definitely weren't going to let me walk out of here.
So I just went with it and found a seat at the edge of the room.
I'd barely sat down when Susan came skipping over, holding a gift box.
"Whitney, this is my apology gift for you! Try it on and show Daniel how great you look!" Susan said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
With that, Susan popped open the box.
She pulled out a flashy, spaghetti-strap mini dress.
It was a bodycon dress, at least two sizes smaller than what I could possibly fit into right now.
The dress had a plunging V-neck, a tight fit, a high slit, and stiff material.
No matter how you looked at it, this was definitely not something meant for a woman in her third trimester.
I pressed my lips together, folded the dress neatly, and placed it back in the box. "Thanks for the dress, Susan. It's really pretty, but I just can't wear it right now."
Susan said, "Why not?
"How can you not fit into it? I know your figure isn't great right now, but this is literally the largest size they had at the boutique!
"Seriously? Whitney, even the biggest dress can't fit you?"
But then, Susan suddenly started acting all hurt. "Or is it that you just don't want to forgive me, Whitney? Are you just coming up with excuses so you don't have to forgive me?
"Whitney, if you won't forgive me, guess I'll just go die then! I'll do it right now!"
She even dramatically threatened to slam her head into the soft couch cushions behind her.
Everyone panicked and scrambled to stop her.
The room was thrown into chaos for a moment.
Daniel's face darkened with anger as he roughly yanked me up from my seat.
"It's just a dress! Just do as I say and change! Stop with the drama!" Daniel snapped.
"You don't want to change? Guess I'll just do it myself, right here in front of everyone!" he shouted, his voice full of rage.
With that, Daniel started to yank at my clothes, right in front of everyone, not caring who was watching.
I fought back with everything I had, knocking things over in the private room and screaming for help at the top of my lungs.
But not a single person in the room stepped in to stop him.
Some just stood there with their arms crossed, watching the drama unfold.
Others were busy filming the whole thing on their phones.
Susan immediately dropped her whole dramatic suicide act.
Those big, innocent eyes of hers were now sparkling with gloating pride.
They just stood there, watching as Daniel abused and humiliated me, not a single person lifting a finger to help.
It was as if I was nothing but livestock to them, stripped of any humanity or dignity.
Finally, it happened. Daniel yanked so hard that my shirt just gave up.
My chest, my belly, even parts of me I never wanted anyone to see. Everything was exposed to the air, right in front of everyone.
The room went eerily quiet.
Everyone saw it.
On my belly, now soft and heavy, there was something even more obvious than the stretch marks and injection scars.
It was the scar left behind by the abortion.