Chapter 3

Melanie's smile deepened. "You think he'll believe you, or me? Want to find out?"

And with that, she snatched up the kettle of boiling water beside her and threw it at me.

I never thought the woman would lose her mind like that. I couldn't get out of the way in time, and the scalding water poured across my leg.

The burn was so violent I could barely stay on my feet, and blisters rose along my skin almost at once.

That was when Cyril walked in through the door.

"Melanie, what happened?!"

"I don't know what happened—she grabbed the kettle and poured it over herself."

Melanie's eyes reddened, her voice trembling.

I was in too much pain to speak. But I watched the panic in Cyril's eyes turn cold, bit by bit.

"Haven't you played the martyr enough?" His voice dropped low. "Don't tell me you're going to say Melanie threw it on you again?"

"If you don't believe me, go check the cameras."

I forced the words out with everything I had.

Melanie suddenly began to sob. "My finger got scalded. It hurts so much."

She raised her hand. There was only a faint little red dot on her fingertip.

But Cyril pulled her hard against him, and when he turned back to me, his eyes nearly spat fire.

"Are you insane? Were you trying to kill her?!"

"If I could, I wouldn't hesitate." My voice shook, but it held. I threw it back at him.

He froze. Seven years together, five years married, and he had never once heard me talk back. Every time we fought, I was the one who apologized first. Not anymore.

The disgust in his eyes grew thicker. "Julie, when did you turn this vicious? Look at yourself. That jealous face of yours is hideous."

"Forget it, Cyril." Melanie's eyes brimmed with tears, her expression innocent and fragile. "Maybe she didn't mean it. Don't fight over me..."

Cyril lowered his head and kissed her finger, as though kissing something precious that might shatter, his eyes red with how much he ached for her.

"Silly girl. It's because you're too kind that she keeps hurting you."

My heart slammed. The fury in my chest was about to detonate.

"Kind? You think I don't know how I lost my womb? Cyril, this is all your doing!"

Something panicked and guilty flickered in Cyril's eyes. His mouth opened as if to say something, then shut tight.

After a long moment, he said quietly,

"If I'd asked you, you'd never have agreed. I had no choice."

My breath felt like an unseen hand had closed around my throat.

"So you admit it. You got her pregnant, and for her sake, you made sure I could never be a mother again!"

He looked away. "Melanie agreed to give you the baby after it's born. You can still be a mother."

I screamed, hysterical. "Keep dreaming. I will never raise that woman's child!"

Melanie's tears fell in streams. She broke down crying in Cyril's arms.

"It's all my fault. On my birthday I got drunk, and I accidentally confessed to him, and Cyril and I... Please don't fight anymore. I'll just get rid of the baby."

But Cyril held her tighter, glaring at me with disappointment.

"Melanie only wanted one birthday wish. What did she do wrong? You've already taken everything from her, and now you want to force her to die too? If you ask me, that miscarriage was what you deserved!"

I couldn't believe he would say something so vicious to me.

The blood in my body froze. The room spun, and I caught the bar counter behind me just to stay upright.

Footsteps came from the doorway.

My mother rushed in and threw her arms around Melanie. "Did that ungrateful wretch bully you again? Sweetheart, is your belly all right?"

My father's gaze fell on me, hard and severe.

"Julie, you won't even spare an unborn child? I truly regret bringing you home."

In that moment something inside me shattered, and my lips trembled out of control.

"So all of you knew... you knew they were having an affair, that there was a baby, and you all hid it from me?!"