Boom!
It felt like a bolt of lightning struck her.
Liora’s body shook uncontrollably.
The woman the doctor mentioned,the one with the same name,was clearly her.
Liora suddenly remembered how,during her pregnancy,Edward would wake in the middle of the night,frowning,muttering about how the baby was giving her stretch marks and how she was no longer fit to be the wife of an artist.
He would not even touch her belly.
At the time,Liora had simply assumed he was just adjusting to impending fatherhood.
But now,knowing that Edward had essentially killed their baby just because of her stretch marks,everything seemed like a sick joke.
How blind had she been to believe this man ever loved her?
Soon,the anesthesia kicked in fully and Liora’s consciousness slipped into darkness.
When she woke again,a familiar face appeared before her.
Liora snapped fully awake,grabbed whatever was within reach and hurled it at him with all her strength.
"Get out!"
She shot up in bed and screamed from the pit of her stomach,her fury so fierce that her nerves felt like they were tearing apart.
Her sharp nails slashed across Edward’s arm without hesitation as if she wanted to claw him open.
This time,Edward did not retaliate.
"Liora,I’m sorry,I’m so sorry…I didn’t know you were pregnant…"
He did not seem to care how crazed she looked.He pulled her tightly into his arms,his voice low and shaking with panic.
"Liora,don’t worry.I promise you,we’ll have kids together in the future.No,you’ll have kids with my brother."
"I just got word that he didn’t die in that mudslide.I’ll bring him back soon."
No.
He could not come back.
Edward Gravemont’s accounts were being erased.In a week,everything between them would be over.
Liora stared blankly at nothing,thinking silently.
Still,she said nothing.
In the days that followed,Edward stayed by her side,doing everything he could to act responsibly and caring.
However,Liora did not respond to any of it.
She ignored the cheerful gifts he brought and refused every kind of nourishing meal he tried to give her.
"If you really want me to recover quickly,then start by sending Callista Ravenshade,the real culprit,to jail,"Liora said coldly,curling her lips with disdain.
But Edward,as always,deflected with the same tired excuse."I already told you that the driver who hit you was an old drunk.He’s been arrested.He’s the one truly responsible."
If Liora had not been absolutely sure she saw Callista behind the wheel,she might have believed him.
But since he insisted on protecting Callista,she said nothing more.She simply turned her back to him and refused to engage.
Still,Edward remained by her side every day,taking care of her personally.He only relaxed once she was out of critical condition and finally arranged for bodyguards to watch over her instead.
Liora welcomed the change.She no longer had to look at the face that now made her sick to her stomach.
She could not tell anymore if the happiness of the past five years had ever been real or just a series of carefully crafted lies and betrayals.
Just as Liora thought the days would drag on like this until she was discharged,Callista suddenly showed up,still as arrogant as ever.
"Liora Wrenford,you see?God’s on my side.So what if you were pregnant?You couldn’t even keep it."
"Even after Ed found out I hit you,he still found a scapegoat to take the blame for me."
"Now the only heir he’ll ever have is the baby growing in my belly."
Callista smugly stroked her stomach,parading it in front of Liora like a trophy.
"Every night,Ed spends time with me.He talks to the baby,rubs oil on my belly and showers me with gifts.He is terrified I’ll get upset and harm the baby."
"Guards!Throw her out,"Liora said calmly,not even looking up.She addressed the bodyguards stationed at the door.
Callista’s face turned ghostly pale at that.With a sharp glare,she slammed the food container she was carrying down onto the table.
"Who dares touch me?"
The guards hesitated,exchanged uncertain glances and then stepped quietly out of the room.
Callista smirked,triumphant again.But beneath that smugness was something darker,malice and cruelty.
She opened the food container and,with a calculated flick of her wrist,aimed the scalding-hot porridge at Liora.
"Oops…Ouch!"
The feigned gasp of surprise cut off instantly,replaced by a real,piercing scream.
Liora had seen it coming.She dodged just in time,grabbed Callista’s wrist mid-motion and redirected the splash.
The boiling porridge landed squarely on Callista’s arm.
"Callista!"
Hearing her scream,Edward burst through the door.
