Chapter 4
"It was my father-in-law who committed the crime and went to prison, not my wife. Eve was overwhelmed by heartbreak and made mistakes, but no matter what, I will always forgive her.
"We had good times, and now that she's expecting, I could never let her suffer," Michael said.
He walked right up to me, just like he'd done so many times before.
The scratch I left on his jaw was still there—clear and glaring, impossible to miss.
Every time I saw it, I remembered everything that happened last night.
It brought back the moment when I was carrying my mom's urn out the door, and Michael said from behind me, "We'll meet again soon."
He closed in on me, and I instinctively took a step back.
All the camera flashes swung toward me, and a reporter immediately called out, "Look, she's got something to hide!"
Reporters started playing Sherlock, digging for clues. "The divorce agreement says she volunteered to leave with nothing.
"Doesn't that basically mean she's got a new lover already?"
"That kid's not Mr. Foster's, is it? Why else would she be so desperate to get divorced, even if it means walking away with nothing?"
"Even after her dad tried to frame him, Mr. Foster never held a grudge. He's still so devoted, cherishing all the memories and affection he shared with her.
"Yet here she is, carrying her mother's urn and running off to be with another man. That's just shameless and ungrateful—absolutely disgusting!"
Michael faced the media with a gentle smile, his lips parting just slightly as he said, "I'm not holding any grudges. As long as Eve is willing to come back to me."
That one sentence was like pouring water into a pot of boiling oil.
I could barely make out anything anymore; everything in front of me was blurring into chaos.
Then, a voice cut through the chaos and reached my ears.
"Her dad's out there stealing art, and she's busy hooking up with guys—no shame at all. Guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, huh?"
My eyes burned with sudden tears as I shot a glare at the loudmouth reporter up front. "What did you just say?"
Michael was obviously loving that line.
What he enjoyed most was hearing them drag my dad through the mud.
He looked totally pleased with himself, but then, in the blink of an eye, he froze.
He watched as I suddenly snapped, charging at the reporter at the front and landing a hard slap right across his face.
Ever since my dad got arrested, my whole life has been thrown into chaos.
I had to deal with my family's bankruptcy and debts, then out of nowhere my mom got seriously ill, and after that, I had to arrange her funeral.
It wasn't until right then that I finally snapped, my voice trembling with conviction. "My dad never stole anything. He would never steal—never!"
The crowd erupted in mocking laughter.
"The whole country knows about it. He's already behind bars, and you still claim he didn't steal?"
"Gentlemen prefer bonds, don't they?"
Everyone burst out laughing.
I was so angry my head was pounding, and I clenched my fists so hard my nails nearly broke the skin of my palms.
My dad would never do something like that—no way, not ever.
He had more integrity than anyone I knew, and he truly honored art.
He'd never sell out for some cheap fame.
But now, he was sitting in prison, all because the paintings he sold had been switched out by Michael.
No matter what I said, no one would believe me—or my dad.
I opened my mouth, but not a single word came out.
After all these days of holding it together, the tears I'd been fighting finally broke free—right in front of everyone, at the worst possible moment, when I should've been strong.
I couldn't stand letting everyone see me like this, so I turned my back to the cameras.
All of a sudden, a flood of hurt and frustration crashed over me, and my shoulders started shaking uncontrollably.
Michael looked thoroughly satisfied, and finally deigned to address the reporters, his tone dismissive, "This is a family matter. We'll handle it ourselves—no need for your concern."
The media had already gotten all the photos they wanted.
Everything that needed to go online was already posted, causing a huge stir.
They left, looking smug and pleased with themselves.
The landlord, still pissed about his son getting hurt, kept throwing around wild accusations and just wouldn't let it go.
He claimed Charlie had wrecked stuff in the apartment, had security come over, and dragged Charlie off to argue about the damages.
It was just me and Michael left in the room.
Once everything finally settled down, a wave of discomfort hit me.
Thinking back, I realized it had been quite a while since I took my meds this morning.
A sudden warmth spread through me, and when I glanced down, I saw blood on my dress.
Michael didn't even notice—he was still lost in the satisfaction of tormenting me and my family.
I never really understood where all that hatred for the James family came from.
He looked at me, the smile vanished from his eyes—finally letting the mask drop and showing his true colors, no more pretending to be the loving, decent guy.
He spoke with a smug, satisfied tone. "Evelyn, does this make you sick?
"No matter how disgusting I am, I'm still not even one percent as rotten as the James family."
He looked me over, and it finally hit him that something was wrong. "Why are you shaking like that?"
I suddenly felt a chill run through me.
I wasn't losing much blood, but it felt like all the warmth in my body just vanished in a flash.
I'd bought the meds at a little clinic last night, and the clerk said I had to take them for a few days. He told me the first day wouldn't be too bad.
But maybe it was because I kept quiet about my anemia—my reaction was way worse than anyone else's.
The pain hit me so hard, I couldn't stand it for even a second.
I was so weak I couldn't even clench my teeth, and cold sweat broke out, trickling down my forehead and into my eyes.
I tried to make it to my room for some painkillers, but my vision was so blurry I couldn't even find my way.
Michael stared at me, his voice still full of mockery, but there was a shaky edge to it now—like he was barely keeping it together.
"This is just the beginning, Evelyn. You really can't take anything, huh?"
Maybe I just looked really awful.
Through the haze, I thought I caught a glimpse of pity in Michael's eyes—a kind of pity so sickening it made my skin crawl.
I staggered back, barely keeping my balance, just wanting to make it to my bedroom and grab my painkiller.
That was the moment Michael's eyes darkened, his whole expression shifting in an instant.
He glanced at my dress, noticed the blood, and his hand shot out, gripping my shoulder before I could react.
"You're bleeding," he said.
I suddenly felt completely exposed and furious, a mess in every sense of the word.
It was like a dam bursting inside me—emotions flooding in, wild and unstoppable.
My eyes were blazing red as I reached out, trying to push him off me.
My stomach hurt so bad—I just needed to get to my room and find something for the pain.
Michael suddenly reached out to block me, panic flashing in his voice as he blurted, "Forget the meds; let's get you to the hospital, now!"
Through the haze, I whispered, "I took the abortion pills. The baby's gone—there's no way it can survive now."
I knew Michael wanted this baby.
Madeline was all about her career right now; it was her moment to climb the ladder.
She didn't want kids, didn't want to waste her time or her figure on that.
Michael grabbed my hand, but then suddenly went rigid.
Suddenly, I could feel Michael shaking all over, his voice barely steady as he snapped, "Is this some kind of sick joke?"
Joke?
I forced a bitter smile.
Michael grabbed me in his arms, his face pale with panic, and bolted for the door.
His voice was shaking so badly, it was like he was genuinely terrified of losing someone he loved.
He was right in my ear, panic all over his voice—and honestly, I just found it laughable.
"You're seriously anemic—taking those pills could actually kill you!
"Evelyn, are you insane? Have you completely lost your mind?"
Am I insane?
Maybe I am.
All my strength drained away.
As my hand dropped, my consciousness finally faded away completely.