Chapter 3

She was more desperate than anyone to latch onto Elias as her lifeline, but she kept pretending to be all innocent.

Elias totally bought it, and he looked even more guilty.

He was losing patience with me, too.

She was the girl he'd liked when he was younger, and now she was bending over backwards for him. Of course, that made him happy.

But when I stood my ground, it just made me look like I was making trouble.

I looked at them and only found them ridiculous.

"I'm not backing down. I want a divorce," I said, keeping my voice steady.

Elias's face darkened. "No way. I'm not letting you."

I turned and went back to my room, shut the door, and locked it tight.

Elias rushed over, but when he realized the door wouldn't budge, he knew I was seriously pissed. He started trying to reason with me from the other side, hoping I'd calm down.

He kept telling me to stop being so rigid, to be the bigger person, to think about what's best for everyone.

He wanted me to be understanding, to try to see things from his perspective.

I didn't want to hear a single word. I put on my headphones and went to sleep. Tomorrow I would go find a lawyer to file for divorce.

Tears silently soaked my pillow.

I couldn't even tell if I was just feeling wronged or actually angry, whether I was mad at myself for being so blind and falling for the wrong guy, or at Elias for not being able to resist his first love.

I never liked bottling things up. If crying made the pain in my chest ease up, I'd just cry it out.

But in the end, I was always the one patching myself up, healing my own wounds.

When Elias saw I wasn't giving in, he started cursing in anger, and then I heard Lydia's gentle voice trying to calm him down.

For the next few days, I kept a cold face and completely ignored Elias. He thought I'd cool off and let it go after a while.

After all, I loved him so much, I gave him everything I had.

He knew that all too well.

Next to my so-called 'drama,' Lydia looked like the perfect angel—so caring and understanding.

She was already acting like she ran the place. Worried I might change my mind, she cornered me on the upstairs landing while Elias was busy on the phone.

"Mira, you'd better get a clue and get out of here," she snapped, her voice icy and full of warning.

Before I could even react, she suddenly shoved me, then slipped herself, shrieking as she went tumbling down the stairs.

Elias had just hung up the phone when he saw Lydia tumble down the stairs. He rushed over and scooped her up, then turned to me, his gaze icy cold.

"Mira, why did you push her?" he accused, his voice harsh.

I was so startled, still a bit out of it. "I didn't! She fell on her own—"

Smack!

A sharp slap stung my cheek.

The sting on my cheek was fiery, my ears ringing as I stumbled and slammed into the cold wall.

A metallic taste spread in my mouth.

I stared at the man I'd once slept beside. Now his face was twisted, looking like a demon.

Elias stared at his own hand, stunned, as if he instantly regretted it.

"Mira, I can't believe you'd be so cruel! Lydia was standing up for you just last night, and now you try to hurt her? She's pregnant with my child!" he shouted, his voice full of accusation.

After he said that, he was sure he was in the right. Clearly, I was the one being unreasonable.

At the same time, he also remembered what Lydia had said: if you truly loved someone, you would wish him well, you would be considerate of him, and you would not put him in a difficult position.

"Yeah, so why can't you just cut me some slack?" he said.

"I'm already overwhelmed. None of this was on purpose, and I'm doing my best to fix it," he fumed.

"Why can't you just see where I'm coming from?" he added.

"Mira, do you even love me?" His voice echoed in my mind, desperate and accusing.

"You did something wrong, and you still won't admit it!" he shouted, clutching Lydia as she shook in his arms. "I'm telling you, if anything happens to her baby, I'll make your whole family pay the price!"

My stomach twisted with pain, and I clung to the railing for support.

I had no family left. My parents were gone, and if I walked out of here, I'd be completely alone in this world.

No one ever stood up for me, no one ever truly cared until Elias showed up.

Three years of living side by side, sharing everything. I actually believed in us.

He whipped out his phone and, right in front of me, froze all my bank cards and even my black card.

"I'm done indulging you," he said coldly.

"Get on your knees and apologize to Lydia. Right now!" he barked, his tone leaving no room for argument.

I held my face, staring at the woman in his arms. Her lips curled in a victorious smirk. Any last shred of love I had for him died right then and there.

My hand instinctively rested on my belly. If I hadn't gripped that railing so tightly, I would've been the one who fell down those stairs.

The next moment, I raised my hand and, with all my strength, slapped him hard across the face.

"Elias, this slap is payback," I said coldly.

He held his cheek, staring at me in utter shock, as if he couldn't believe I'd actually hit him back.