Chapter 3 · Voices in the Womb

Charles was on his feet before I could blink.

He came around the desk, took Olivia's hand in his, and studied the wound with a kind of urgency I hadn't heard in his voice for years. "Does it hurt?"

Olivia answered quietly, "It's nothing. Emily didn't mean to. She's pregnant. Her emotions are running high."

Charles turned to me. "Apologize."

I laughed, just a little. "She reached for me, and I pulled away. What is it you want me to say sorry for?"

"She got hurt."

"So am I." I held his gaze. "Charles, are you even looking at me?"

He said nothing.

Olivia quickly pulled at his sleeve. "Charles, please, stop. Emily must have caught part of our conversation about delivery methods, and she's gotten the wrong idea."

I locked my eyes on her. "Wrong idea? Wrong about what? The fact that you don't have a child in your own belly, so you put yours in mine?"

The room went utterly silent.

A man's glass tapped against the table's edge, the faint clink barely audible in the stillness.

Charles' expression hardened. "Emily, what the hell are you talking about?"

Olivia's tears began to fall. "Emily, how could you say something like that to me? I know you've never been happy about me staying with the Grants, but I swear I have never once tried to take anything away from you."

The babies inside me were furious.

'That horrible woman is bullying Mommy.'

'Daddy, yell at her!'

'Make her apologize to Mommy!'

I clutched my stomach, the pain so intense that I couldn't straighten my back no matter how I tried.

Charles saw me doubled over, but his first instinct wasn't to steady me. He turned to the butler and instructed, "Call the family doctor. I need to know if the babies are all right."

All he ever cared about were the children.

I, the living, breathing woman standing right in front of him, was nothing more than the stomach that housed them.

The doctor arrived promptly.

As he examined me, Charles hovered nearby, while Olivia sat on the sofa wrapped in his jacket, a bandage on the back of her hand, looking every bit the aggrieved party.

The doctor delivered his verdict. "Mrs. Grant's emotions are too unstable. There's a risk of preterm labor. She needs to be on strict bed rest."

Charles' brow furrowed. "And the babies?"

The doctor paused. "All three fetuses are still showing movement for now, but they cannot tolerate any further stress."

Charles let out a breath, a long, slow exhale of relief.

And the sound of it made me want to laugh.

I turned to the doctor and asked, "What happens if I end the pregnancy now?"

Charles' head snapped toward me. "Emily."

The doctor looked taken aback as well. "Mrs. Grant, at seven months, the risks are considerable."

Olivia pressed a hand to her mouth, her tears flowing harder than before. "Emily, I know you can't stand me, but please don't take it out on the babies. They're three living beings."

All three babies in my womb erupted at once.

'She really does want to get rid of us!'

'Kill her. Just kill her.'

'Daddy, lock her up. Don't let her go anywhere near the hospital.'

Charles closed the distance between us until he stood right in front of me. "Say that one more time."

I looked up at him. "Charles, if those children aren't mine, then why should I give birth to them?"

He held my gaze for what felt like an eternity and then let out a dry laugh. "Who told you such nonsense?"

I said, "You did. In the study. Just now."

Charles didn't even blink. "You've been imagining things ever since you got pregnant. The doctor warned us about that. Emily, don't mistake your dreams for reality."

Olivia got to her feet as well. "Emily, I'll move out if you want me to. Just don't hurt the babies."

She wept so pitifully, yet every word out of her mouth was a knife twisting deeper into my chest.

The men in the room began to chime in. "Emily, you've seriously misunderstood."

"Charles has been nothing but good to you. What more are you looking for?"

"You're pregnant. Stop overthinking. Those are the Grant family's heirs you're carrying."

I looked at all of them.

Every last one knew the truth, and yet they all stood on the other side, staring me straight in the eye and telling me I was out of my mind.

I stopped arguing.

I lowered myself slowly onto the sofa and said to the doctor, "Prescribe me something to keep the pregnancy stable."

Charles' face relaxed slightly. "That's better."

Olivia dabbed at her tears. "Emily, don't blame Charles. He's just thinking about the babies."

I dropped my gaze and rested my hand on my belly.

Inside, the three children were cheering as though they had just claimed a victory.

'She's scared.'

'I knew she wouldn't dare do anything.'

'Once we're out, I'm going to make Daddy throw her out of this house.'

I pressed my palm flat against my stomach and said softly, "Don't worry."

They thought I was comforting them.

But only I knew that I was saying it to myself, telling myself not to break, not to lose my grip on reality. I would stay clear-eyed and take back, piece by piece, everything Charles owed me.

Chapter 3

Charles was on his feet before I could blink.

He came around the desk, took Olivia's hand in his, and studied the wound with a kind of urgency I hadn't heard in his voice for years. "Does it hurt?"

Olivia answered quietly, "It's nothing. Emily didn't mean to. She's pregnant. Her emotions are running high."

Charles turned to me. "Apologize."

I laughed, just a little. "She reached for me, and I pulled away. What is it you want me to say sorry for?"

"She got hurt."

"So am I." I held his gaze. "Charles, are you even looking at me?"

He said nothing.

Olivia quickly pulled at his sleeve. "Charles, please, stop. Emily must have caught part of our conversation about delivery methods, and she's gotten the wrong idea."

I locked my eyes on her. "Wrong idea? Wrong about what? The fact that you don't have a child in your own belly, so you put yours in mine?"

The room went utterly silent.

A man's glass tapped against the table's edge, the faint clink barely audible in the stillness.

Charles' expression hardened. "Emily, what the hell are you talking about?"

The babies inside me were furious.

'That horrible woman is bullying Mommy.'

'Daddy, yell at her!'

'Make her apologize to Mommy!'

I clutched my stomach, the pain so intense that I couldn't straighten my back no matter how I tried.

Charles saw me doubled over, but his first instinct wasn't to steady me. He turned to the butler and instructed, "Call the family doctor. I need to know if the babies are all right."

All he ever cared about were the children.

I, the living, breathing woman standing right in front of him, was nothing more than the stomach that housed them.

The doctor arrived promptly.

As he examined me, Charles hovered nearby, while Olivia sat on the sofa wrapped in his jacket, a bandage on the back of her hand, looking every bit the aggrieved party.

The doctor delivered his verdict. "Mrs. Grant's emotions are too unstable. There's a risk of preterm labor. She needs to be on strict bed rest."

Charles' brow furrowed. "And the babies?"

The doctor paused. "All three fetuses are still showing movement for now, but they cannot tolerate any further stress."

Charles let out a breath, a long, slow exhale of relief.

And the sound of it made me want to laugh.

I turned to the doctor and asked, "What happens if I end the pregnancy now?"

Charles' head snapped toward me. "Emily."

The doctor looked taken aback as well. "Mrs. Grant, at seven months, the risks are considerable."

Olivia pressed a hand to her mouth, her tears flowing harder than before. "Emily, I know you can't stand me, but please don't take it out on the babies. They're three living beings."

All three babies in my womb erupted at once.

'She really does want to get rid of us!'

'Kill her. Just kill her.'

'Daddy, lock her up. Don't let her go anywhere near the hospital.'

Charles closed the distance between us until he stood right in front of me. "Say that one more time."

I looked up at him. "Charles, if those children aren't mine, then why should I give birth to them?"

He held my gaze for what felt like an eternity and then let out a dry laugh. "Who told you such nonsense?"

I said, "You did. In the study. Just now."

Charles didn't even blink. "You've been imagining things ever since you got pregnant. The doctor warned us about that. Emily, don't mistake your dreams for reality."

Olivia got to her feet as well. "Emily, I'll move out if you want me to. Just don't hurt the babies."

She wept so pitifully, yet every word out of her mouth was a knife twisting deeper into my chest.

The men in the room began to chime in. "Emily, you've seriously misunderstood."

"Charles has been nothing but good to you. What more are you looking for?"

"You're pregnant. Stop overthinking. Those are the Grant family's heirs you're carrying."

I looked at all of them.

Every last one knew the truth, and yet they all stood on the other side, staring me straight in the eye and telling me I was out of my mind.

I stopped arguing.

I lowered myself slowly onto the sofa and said to the doctor, "Prescribe me something to keep the pregnancy stable."

Charles' face relaxed slightly. "That's better."

Olivia dabbed at her tears. "Emily, don't blame Charles. He's just thinking about the babies."

I dropped my gaze and rested my hand on my belly.

Inside, the three children were cheering as though they had just claimed a victory.

'She's scared.'

'I knew she wouldn't dare do anything.'

'Once we're out, I'm going to make Daddy throw her out of this house.'

I pressed my palm flat against my stomach and said softly, "Don't worry."

They thought I was comforting them.

But only I knew that I was saying it to myself, telling myself not to break, not to lose my grip on reality. I would stay clear-eyed and take back, piece by piece, everything Charles owed me.