###Chapter 5
Suddenly, Cedric's sharp gaze swept over and his expression shifted in an instant. He abruptly pushed Sandra aside and strode toward me, snatching the phone from my hand.
"Password!" that man demanded, his voice low and thick with suppressed rage.
Ever since the day we started our relationship, the password to every device I owned had been the date he proposed to me.
However, I remained silent, my lips pressed firmly together.
He tried several combinations, but after they all failed, his face grew increasingly grim. "Tell me! What is the password?"
"It is the day you first told me 'I love you,'" I replied.
Cedric was stunned. The anger on his face froze, then twisted into a mixture of confusion and a desperate attempt to remember.
It was clear that he had long forgotten it completely.
Strangely, I didn't feel the disappointment I expected. I simply reached out, took my phone back and tapped the screen to unlock it.
Cedric's lips parted slightly, as if he wanted to say something. Still, in the end, he grabbed the phone back and roughly deleted the video.
I looked up and stared at him, asking, "Is there nothing you need to explain to me about what you and my adoptive sister were doing in there?"
Cedric's expression shifted, from guilt to anger, finally settling into a harsh tone. "It was just a joke between friends, is it worth making such a fuss about?"
A joke? Was it a joke when she sat on his lap? Was it a joke that he cheated and betrayed me over and over again?
Staring at the man I'd loved for half my life, a bitter sadness welled up inside me. Just then, my brother, William, walked in, unaware that I was behind the door.
He exclaimed, "Congratulations, my dear sister! You're finally going to have a child! I've already prepared the best gift for my future nephew, a castle. He's going to love it."
Of course, his "nephew" wasn't the one in my belly.
William draped an arm around Sandra's shoulders, looking radiant. "After all these years, that woman is finally useful for something. At least her belly … "
My heart tightened again and again.
So, it turned out that my own blood-related brother had known everything all along. Not only did he tacitly allow it, but he even cheered for them.
Noticing the strange atmosphere, William finally sensed something was wrong. He turned his head and saw me standing there. His smile instantly vanished, replaced by undisguised disgust.
"Macie, why aren't you at home resting during your pregnancy? What are you doing here, causing trouble?" he sneered.
Sandra pointed a trembling finger at me, her voice breaking. "I didn't know Macie hated me this much. She was hiding outside the door, secretly filming me. Is she trying to do something to me again?"
William's eyes turned colder. "I have never seen a woman as wicked as you. Apologize to Sandra now!"
At some point, a crowd of employees had gathered at the door, their whispers surging like a tide.
"Can't she keep a little dignity at her age? Back then, she was the one who used dirty tricks to force Sandra away," someone mocked quietly.
"Yeah, I heard it was on the very day Mr. Larkin was supposed to propose to her. Sandra was tormented by two men for a whole day and night. I don't know how she survived," another added.
"You just can't stand seeing Sandra doing well, can you?" another sharp voice interrupted, Cedric's eyes burning with rage. "Twenty-five years! Why won't you let her go?"
Those harsh accusations and contemptuous glances pinned me to the spot, leaving me nowhere to escape. I could barely breathe.
"I didn't. She was the one who orchestrated all of that." I tried to defend myself, but the surging murmurs drowned out my voice.
Cedric's face darkened even more. "Macie, do you think everyone is as shameless as you? You have no dignity, but Sandra does!"
Sandra curled up against my brother's shoulder, looking utterly pitiful as a victim. Meanwhile, I became the only clown and sinner in this whirlpool.
Then, she let out a terrified gasp, though a glint of triumph flashed in her eyes. "I'll get on my knees and beg you, okay? Please don't hurt me anymore! I'll give William and Cedric back to you, Macie."
Her knees buckled as she made a show of kneeling before me.
"Sandra!" Cedric cried out.
As he rushed to catch her, his arm slammed violently into my stomach. Caught off guard, I fell heavily to the ground, yet they did not spare me a single glance.
Cedric quickly scooped up the terrified Sandra and rushed to the hospital with her.
Suddenly, a stabbing pain shot through my lower abdomen and I felt a sudden dampness between my legs.
No, my baby!
I reached out toward Cedric in a desperate plea. "Cedric, my stomach hurts so much."
But he continued carrying the person in his arms, his figure quickly vanishing at the end of the hallway without a single backward glance.
