He knew those roses meant more to me than anything else in this house. They were the only thing my mother had left behind for me.
He used to help me tend to them.
Now Kathy had destroyed them, and Louis was actually taking her side.
Louis seemed to realize he'd gone too far and finally let go of me.
But the very next second, Kathy swayed and collapsed to the ground in slow motion.
Louis saw it happen. His pupils contracted.
He looked at me coldly and left me with a single sentence:
"If anything happens to Kathy or the baby she's carrying, I'll make you pay with your life."
He scooped Kathy into his arms and rushed out.
I listened to his footsteps fade into the distance, numb in body and soul.
Louis, you care so much about Kathy's safety. Have you ever once cared whether your own wife and child lived or died?
Obviously, he didn't. Otherwise, he would have known our baby was already gone.
I dragged myself up and went to the bedroom to retrieve two things.
The first was the prenuptial property agreement Louis had signed the day he was discharged from the hospital. If he ever betrayed me again, I could file for divorce at any time and claim all of our jointly owned assets. The agreement had been notarized. It was legally airtight.
The second was Louis's medical report from this month.
These two things would soon become bullets aimed straight at Louis's heart.
I was genuinely curious whether Kathy would still treat him like a prize catch once she found out.
This house had been transferred into my name after Louis was discharged.
Now I contacted a real estate agent and listed it well below market value.
I booked a flight to Northport for later that day.
Then I started packing my essentials, ready to leave.
What I didn't expect was Louis appearing at the door just as I stepped outside.
He saw the suitcase in my hand, and his face turned dark as a storm.
"You triggered Kathy's depression, and now you're trying to dodge responsibility by going on vacation? How can you be this selfish?"
He actually thought I was going on vacation.
I shot back: "Selfish? I had a miscarriage because of you two. I nearly died on the operating table. Kathy destroyed the roses my mother left me, and I'm not even allowed to hold her accountable?"
"Louis, if we're talking about selfish, the selfish one here is you."
"I donated stem cells for you. I gave up everything to take care of you until you were discharged. And this is how you repay me?"
Louis didn't show an ounce of guilt. Instead, he said with undisguised impatience:
"Miscarriage? Nearly died on the operating table? Do you actually believe your own lies now?"
"And can you stop bringing up that old crap every single day?"
Looking at the raw contempt in his eyes, I suddenly realized how ridiculous I looked arguing with him.
I nodded slowly and said, meaning every word:
"You're right. It's all in the past. Louis, we're done."
Louis laughed. He thought he had me all figured out.
"Done? This is just another one of your tricks to drive a wedge between me and Kathy."
"Your mother's gone. I'm all you have left now. You'd never actually leave me."
A chill spread through my chest.
So that was what he thought. No wonder he'd been so fearless all along.
But he was wrong.
I didn't bother arguing. I stepped around him to leave, but he grabbed my arm and held on tight.
"No. You're not going anywhere."
"Kathy is miserable right now because of you. You're going over there and apologizing to her."
"Once you've cheered her up, I'll personally drive you to the airport."
"And if I don't?" I asked calmly.
Louis was silent for a moment. Then, his voice turned ice-cold:
