~Isla~
"Isla, you fucking whore!" Cara barked as she stormed into the dining room, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor. She held up a red pantie... my red pantie... waving it like damning evidence.
Marcus's fork froze halfway to his mouth. He set it down gently, his deep blue eyes pinning Cara with a cold, deadly gaze. For the first time in five years, he actually showed some reaction when his family insulted me. My heart gave a small, foolish flutter of hope before reality crashed back in.
I was used to this. Five years of constant humiliation and ridicule from Aunt Linda and Cara had given me a thick skin. But tonight was different. I hadn't even crossed paths with them today. What could I possibly have done wrong?
"Marcus, you will snap her head off when you find out what she's done!" Cara sneered, her voice dripping with hatred.
"Cara, what have I done?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady even as my chest tightened with dread.
"Don't you dare speak to me, you whore!" she shouted, wagging her finger aggressively in my face.
"Hey!" Marcus snapped, slamming his palm on the table. The sound echoed through the room. Cara's eyes widened in surprise, she wasn't used to him defending me either.
Your so-called wife is sleeping with the gardener!" she spat, pointing an accusing finger directly at me.
My heart sank like a stone. She must be mad. This couldn't be happening. Not tonight. Not when I had just shared the news about our baby.
"What?" Marcus hissed, his eyes widening slightly as he turned his sharp gaze on me.
"Yes, Marcus," Aunt Linda agreed as she stormed into the dining room behind her daughter, several household staff members trailing nervously behind her. "This classless bitch has been having a secret affair with the gardener!"
I jumped to my feet, my eyes wide with shock. "What are you talking about?" I demanded, my voice tight with disbelief. "How could you say such a thing?"
"Oh shut up!" Cara snarled, glaring at me with pure malice. "You thought we wouldn't find out?" She pulled out her iPad from her designer bag, scrolling quickly before shoving it toward Marcus.
"Marcus, I always told you this woman is a whore but you never listened!" Aunt Linda sneered. "The cook caught them last week in the act. She didn't say anything at first, but we got evidence."
Marcus's jaw locked tightly, his fingers clenching into fists on the table. I could see the storm building behind his eyes, that familiar cold rage I had learned to fear.
"It's true!" Cara said triumphantly, playing the video on the iPad. "We caught her this time! You can see clearly how she kisses the gardener passionately!"
"Oh my God!" I gasped, dread washing over me like ice water. "That's not true... That isn't me in the video!" My lips trembled as I shook my head desperately. "I would never do such a thing! You're lying!"
"Quiet!" Marcus barked, his cold gaze freezing me in place. "How dare you, Isla! How dare you have an affair with a common gardener!"
"No!" I shouted, tears stinging my eyes. "It's a lie! I would never do that!"
"How can you still deny it, Isla?!" Aunt Linda snapped, shaking her head dramatically. "What a despicable woman!"
The staff stepped forward one by one, their heads lowered but their words cutting like knives.
"It... it's true, sir," the housekeeper confirmed quietly. "Mrs. Calloway visits the servant quarters every night to see Johnson."
"It's not true!" I yelled, my voice cracking with desperation. "Why are you all turning against me?"
The butler narrowed his eyes. "Johnson is her lover. I saw them myself."
"I warned you, Mrs. Calloway..." the cleaner added, fake tears in her eyes. "I told you someone would find out!"
The chef joined in, his voice trembling. "She was on top of him... I couldn't believe it!"
I stared at them in horror. These were the same people I had treated kindly; the ones I secretly gave extra money to, the ones I defended when Linda and Cara mistreated them. And now they had all turned on me.
Marcus's face darkened further. "Where is that gardener!" He slammed his palm on the table so hard the plates rattled and food scattered onto the floor.
I clutched my stomach instinctively, tears streaming down my face. "I didn't do it," I whispered brokenly. "Marcus, please... I'm carrying your child. I would never betray you like this."
The guards soon dragged Johnson in. The gardener kept his gaze downcast, looking guilty and ashamed.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Calloway," Johnson muttered. "I cannot keep this secret anymore."
My breath hitched. "Johnson! What are you talking about? What sort of joke is this?!"
"We can't continue to lie!" he said, his voice shaking. "That baby is mine."
Fresh tears burned my eyes. How did he know I was pregnant? I had only told Marcus today. This was all planned. All of it.
Before I could defend myself, Marcus rose from his chair like a predator. He grabbed Johnson by the collar and punched him hard across the face. The gardener stumbled backward with a cry of pain.
"How dare you!" Marcus roared, his voice filled with controlled fury. He landed several more powerful blows, each one making me flinch. Johnson begged for mercy, curling on the floor.
Aunt Linda and Cara stood back with satisfied smirks, arms folded as they watched the chaos they had created.
I watched in horror, my heart breaking into pieces. How much had they paid these people to betray me like this? The same staff I had cared for like family had sold me out.
"Marcus, please!" I cried, stepping forward. "This is all a setup! I swear on my life I never touched him. I love you... I've only ever been loyal to you!"
Marcus turned his icy gaze on me. The man I loved, the father of my unborn child, looked at me with pure disgust. "You disgust me, Isla. After everything..."
He pulled out his gun, and my blood ran cold. But instead of shooting wildly, he pressed it against Johnson's leg and fired once. The gardener screamed in agony.
"Marcus, stop!" Aunt Linda shouted, though there was no real fear in her voice. "You are not a killer, my boy!"
The guards quickly dragged the bleeding Johnson away, leaving a trail of blood on the expensive floor.
Marcus turned back to me, breathing heavily, his massive frame towering over me. "Pack your bags and leave my house before I return. I don't want to see your face here again."
"Marcus, no..." I sobbed, reaching out for him. "Please believe me. This baby is yours. Give me a chance to prove it, we can do a DNA test right now!"
But he didn't listen. He stormed out of the dining room without another word, leaving me standing there surrounded by my accusers.
Aunt Linda stepped closer, her lips curled in triumph. "You heard him, Isla. Get out. And take that bastard with you."
My world shattered completely in that moment. The hope I had carried all day, the beautiful dream that this baby would finally bring us together, lay in ruins at my feet.
