I put on my sunglasses, grabbed my documents, and walked out the door without a shred of hesitation.
I had barely made it downstairs when Caleb appeared, heading straight toward me.
His brow furrowed. "Where do you think you're going? Come back with me."
I didn't respond. I kept walking toward the exit.
He seized my wrist. "Faye is pregnant. You're coming back to take care of her."
I let out a cold laugh. "Her pregnancy is your problem. Why should I take care of her?"
His grip tightened.
"Your body isn't suited for childbirth. I found someone to carry the baby for you. Once it's born, the child will call you its mother. That baby will be your security for the future. Don't you think you should take care of her?"
I wrenched my hand free. "I don't need that. And I'm not going back. Let go of me!"
He flicked his wrist.
Two bodyguards stepped forward and pinned me in place.
I fought with everything I had, but they dragged me back to the Gilbert residence anyway.
Faye watched me come through the door, a smile stretched across her face that never reached her eyes. "Sophie, thank you so much for coming back to take care of me. Caleb says the herbal foot soak you make is the best for warming the body."
Caleb grabbed his coat. "I'm going out to buy things for the baby. Go make a herbal foot soak for Faye."
He shot a look at the bodyguards before leaving.
I refused to move. The bodyguards grabbed my hands and forced me to do it.
Then they glued my hands to the basin and carried it over to Faye for her foot soak.
Faye reached for the basin, leaning close to my ear. "Thank you, Sophie."
The instant her fingers touched the rim, she suddenly thrust her stomach forward into the basin.
The basin was still glued to my hands. Scalding water splashed across the floor. Faye toppled backward, hitting the ground with a shriek.
The front door swung open at that exact moment. Caleb walked in carrying shopping bags.
He saw Faye on the floor, saw the blood, and dropped everything. He rushed to her side. "Faye!"
He spun toward the bodyguards, roaring, "Call 911!"
Faye clutched her stomach, her voice thin and fragile. "Caleb... I only wanted to carry a baby for Sophie out of kindness. How could she..."
I shook my head. "I didn't do it. She threw herself into the basin."
"Enough!"
Caleb's eyes were bloodshot, every vein in his neck straining.
"Who else could it have been? How can you be this vicious? You won't even spare a child? That was your baby too!"
Sirens wailed in the distance. Caleb scooped Faye into his arms and rushed out.
The door locked behind him, trapping me inside.
I used the hot water to soften the glue until my hands separated from the basin.
I tried to escape, but every window had been sealed shut. I had no phone. Bodyguards stood watch outside.
Before long, the door opened.
Caleb walked in.
His shoulders sagged, his face hollowed out with grief. "The baby's gone."
I took a step back until my spine pressed flat against the wall.
Caleb closed the distance in two strides and gripped my shoulders with both hands.
"Sophie, how long are you going to keep this up? Do you need to destroy everything before you're satisfied?"
I met his gaze, unflinching. "I told you it wasn't me."
He exhaled long and heavy, as if making some enormous concession.
"You're going to the hospital to take care of Faye. You'll stay until she recovers. Until she's carrying our next child."
I lowered my eyes. "Fine."
