Chapter 2

"Oh, by the way, Vivian, I brought you a Christmas gift!"

Amber stood up gracefully and walked over to her open suitcase, rummaging through it.

I stared at the luggage in shock, then turned to Logan, demanding an explanation.

He gave a careless shrug.

"Amber is staying for good this time. She hasn't found an apartment yet, and I wasn't comfortable letting a young woman stay alone in a hotel. So she’s crashing with us for a while."

He said it so casually, as if he were discussing something as trivial as the weather.

I stared at him in sheer disbelief.

"Did you even think to talk to me about this?"

He pressed his lips together, his jaw tightening.

"I didn't have time! Besides, it's just temporary. It's not a big deal. Do you really have to overreact to every single thing?"

Amber held up a garment, looking at me with wide, pitiful eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Vivian. I had no idea Logan hadn't told you. Please blame me if you must! Please don't fight because of me. I'll go book a hotel right now. I don't want to cause any trouble."

Biting her lip, she held the dress out toward me.

"Here's your Christmas gift. Please accept it as my apology for being thoughtless."

With that, she grabbed the handle of her suitcase and made a show of heading toward the door.

Logan blew up instantly. He lunged forward, grabbed her suitcase, and turned to glare at me with a thunderous expression.

"Amber, stop! I already told you, you're staying right here. You don't have to listen to her—she's just being completely irrational."

His voice dripped with irritation, and he shot me a murderous glare.

"Amber went out of her way to bring you a designer gift from overseas. Instead of being grateful, you're kicking her out into the cold!"

Crushed under the weight of utter despair, my stomach suddenly seized with a sharp, dragging cramp. Taking a deep breath, I snatched the gift and shook it open.

A tiny, skintight size-XS bodycon dress unfolded before my eyes. The waist was narrower than my current thigh. It was completely impossible for a woman seven months pregnant to wear.

Calling it a gift was a joke—it was an outright slap in the face, mocking how swollen and huge I had become compared to her slender figure.

With a cold, mocking laugh, I threw the dress onto the floor right at their feet.

"Amber, is this the Christmas gift you 'thoughtfully' picked out for me? Thank you so much."

Logan blinked, his mouth parting slightly, momentarily at a loss for words.

I didn't want to waste another breath on them. I turned around, walked into the bedroom, and shut the door.

Through the thin wood, Amber’s fragile sobs drifted in clearly.

"I didn't know Vivian would gain so much weight during pregnancy... I picked the size based on how she used to look. I really didn't mean anything bad. I never thought she’d get so angry. It's all my fault... waah..."

Logan immediately lowered his voice, comforting her with tender warmth.

"Don't cry. It's not your fault at all. You had good intentions. Who knew she’d become so unhinged and sensitive, throwing a tantrum over nothing?"

"She's completely let herself go. Her belly is covered in those hideous stretch marks, cracked open like a burst watermelon—it's repulsive. That's why she's so petty and insecure. Don't take it to heart."

Though he kept his voice down, every cruel, vicious word cut through the air and reached my ears loud and clear.