Chapter 2
Ethan was startled.
"Bruce, what are you talking about? Stop spouting nonsense!" Ethan blurted out.
"Aurora married Logan, remember? The factory belongs to Logan now."
Back then, when Bruce vanished, I sat on the edge of my bed, numb, not knowing what to do.
Everyone in the village heard that my husband had died on his way to bring me home as his bride.
They called me cursed, bad luck—said I brought misfortune to anyone close to me.
Their words shook me, left me terrified and unable to face them.
That was when Logan Freeman stepped up and said he'd take me as his wife.
He proved to everyone I wasn't the jinx they said I was.
Logan lifted me out of despair with his own hands.
Why wouldn't I marry him?
Bruce sneered, a mocking grin on his face.
"Please, everyone knows Logan's aiming high. Aurora Herrera? She's way out of his league—he wouldn't waste a second looking at her."
Logan was a legend in this village.
He'd once set out for the big city with just a little cash, landed a bunch of deals, and came back to run the factory.
Honestly, most of the Freeman family's fortune was thanks to him.
No one in the Freeman family dared to cross him.
To this day, I still didn't get why Logan chose me. There were tons of women out there who were better looking and way more talented than I was.
Ethan tried to reason with Bruce, his tone earnest and a bit exasperated.
"Bruce, if you don't believe me, just go ask Grandpa yourself," Ethan urged.
Bruce let out a scornful laugh.
He stepped outside, asked an old lady, then a kid, and both gave him the same answer.
His expression soured, and when he turned to me, the look in his eyes was downright hateful.
"You really have no shame, Aurora. It's only been a few years since I left," he spat.
"And now you've got the whole village wrapped around your finger, all of you scheming together just to trick me!" he shouted.
I just sat there, completely unfazed, not wasting a single word on him.
I was married to Logan, and honestly, it was the worst-kept secret around here—everyone knew.
Whether Bruce bought it or not was none of my concern.
He'd always done whatever he pleased, spoiled rotten since childhood.
Worried Bruce might mess things up even more, Ethan quickly darted off to find someone who could help.
"Go to the county and get Logan! Tell him to come back right now!" Ethan yelled, panic clear in his voice.
Logan had left early that morning to check up on the factory's sales over in the county.
Grandpa and Bruce's mom were both out too.
If they'd been home, Bruce would've never dared to throw a fit at me like this.
Just when the atmosphere in the room was tense, Edward, my son, came bursting through the door.
"Mommy, come play with me!" he shouted, bubbling with excitement.
The moment Bruce laid eyes on Edward, he snapped.
His eyes went red, flicking furiously between me and Edward.
Edward was the spitting image of me—just in boy form.
Bruce's hands trembled as he jabbed a finger at me, his voice crackling with fury and accusation.
"Unbelievable—you actually went and had an illegitimate kid!" Bruce spat, the outrage clear in his tone.
"Come on, you tell me right now—whose brat is this?" he demanded, glaring at Edward like he was a stain on the floor.
Edward didn't really get what Bruce was saying, but he could totally pick up on Bruce's bad vibes and wasn't having any of it.
He puffed out his little chest and stepped right in front of me, trying to shield me.
"Who are you calling a brat? My dad says people who talk trash are just begging to get smacked!" Edward shot back, standing tall and defiant.
Edward was just six, and he'd never seen Bruce in his whole life.
Bruce barked at him, not even thinking, "You little bastard, how dare you talk back to me!"
I felt my temper snap. I went through hell for nine months to bring this kid into the world, and no way am I letting anyone mess with him.
Okay, maybe I was not spoiling him to the skies, but Bruce had no right to stand there and shout insults right in his face.
"Bruce, watch your mouth!" I snapped, my tone harsh, completely fed up with his attitude.
"You wanna keep running your mouth? Don't blame me if I get rough with you!" I warned, locking eyes with him.
Rebecca shot me a knowing, nasty smile.
"Huh, that kid's not so little anymore. Don't tell me you got knocked up before you even married Bruce," she snickered, her tone full of sarcasm.
She was just throwing mud for no reason—talking trash with zero proof.
Bruce's face twisted with anger, and he shot me a look like he'd slice me in half if he could.
Nothing got under a guy's skin more than thinking he had been cheated on or played for a fool.
Especially since, back then, I used to worship the ground he walked on.
I glanced at Rebecca and said, "Edward's six."
Bruce scoffed, "Aurora, have you no shame? I've barely been gone—what, seven years? And now there's a kid who's six?"
It had only been seven years?
Honestly, how long did we even know each other?
How many seven-year spans do we get in a lifetime?
And anyway, he was the one who let me down first.
Ethan, panicking, rushed to clear things up. "Bruce, wait—seriously, that's Logan's kid! Not yours!"
Bruce shoved Ethan aside, his face twisted with rage.
"Shut up! Always taking someone else's side, huh?" he shot back, his anger practically spilling over.
"Just who the hell thinks they can cheat on me like that? Trying to cuckold me—you must have a death wish!" Bruce snarled, his eyes burning with rage.
But no matter how hard Bruce tried to twist things in his head, he just couldn't come up with anyone he could actually pin the blame on.
I gave a dry, indifferent chuckle.
Rebecca put on a mask of concern, her tone dripping with fake sympathy as she pretended to offer me advice.