I turned my head—and sure enough, it was Eric.
His face twisted in anger as he rushed over, then gently helped Tessa to her feet.
“Tessa, are you alright?”
He examined her carefully, his expression full of concern.
Tessa leaned weakly into his arms, her voice trembling.
“Eric, I really don’t know why Melanie did that… I just asked her why she came to the hospital and she… she choked me. If you hadn’t come when you did, I… I might have lost my child…”
She didn’t finish her sentence—because Eric abruptly covered her mouth with his hand.
He glanced back at me in alarm, clearly panicked.
Seeing my pale, stunned face, he assumed I hadn’t heard her slip of the tongue.
After giving Tessa a subtle signal to keep quiet, he turned to me and exploded.
“Melanie! What the hell are you doing?! Didn’t I already explain everything before I left the house?”
“Tessa is just a young girl. She has no one else to rely on here. I’m just taking care of an employee—why would you act like this?”
“Have you lost your mind? You're pregnant yourself. Can't you be more understanding of Tessa?”
I looked at him, my eyes filled with hurt and spoke in a hoarse voice.
“Eric… haven’t you noticed anything at all?”
He frowned, confused, clearly not following what I meant.
Even now—after everything—he still hadn’t realized the truth.
He still hadn’t noticed my belly.
I let out a bitter, humorless laugh.
“Eric… Tessa is pregnant. She’s here looking for her boyfriend or her husband—not some distant boss. Unless… are you her boyfriend?”
I looked at him with thinly veiled sarcasm.
Tears welled up in Tessa’s eyes.
“Mr. Trevor, why would Melanie say something like that? If people hear this, how am I supposed to face anyone again?”
As she clung to him, her voice shaking with false innocence, Eric’s face darkened.
And in the next instant, he slapped me.
Hard.
“Stop spreading lies! Apologize to Tessa!” he snapped.
I clutched my burning cheek in disbelief.
After ten years of marriage, Eric had never once raised a hand to me.
I thought what had happened the other day—our argument, the betrayal—that was the worst it could get.
But I was wrong.
Today, he had taken it even further.
I looked into his eyes and for a split second, I saw guilt flash across his face.
He hadn’t meant to hit me.
Maybe some part of him regretted it.
He stepped toward me, as if to explain, or maybe to comfort me.
But before he could, Tessa reached out from behind and tugged him back.
Her pitiful expression brought him back to her side.
With renewed coldness in his tone, he spoke again.
“Melanie, apologize. You were the one in the wrong.”
I looked up at them both—at his expression, his posture, his choice.
Then I sat up and laughed coldly.
“Eric, I will never apologize to Tessa. Can you stand there and swear there’s truly nothing going on between the two of you? It’s you who betrayed me.”
“I will never forgive you.”
With that, I turned and walked away without hesitation.
I was done.
I didn’t want Eric anymore.
