Chapter 3

After that, I focused on my pregnancy while patiently waiting for news from Linda.

Every night, she continued drugging my mother-in-law as usual, then meeting secretly with my father-in-law. The two of them got increasingly bold.

A couple of times they almost got caught by Ryan, but fortunately I reacted quickly and covered for them.

Before long, Linda told me—it worked!

Looking at the clear two lines on the pregnancy test, my feelings were complicated. She got pregnant so quickly, and my father-in-law was fifty-one!

When Ryan and I got married, we tried for three years without success. I drank Chinese medicine like water.

When I finally got pregnant, my morning sickness was severe. I couldn't keep anything down.

Partly because this child came so hard-won, even though I knew aborting him would make the divorce easier, I couldn't bear to let him go.

Thinking of this, I asked Linda, "Have you thought this through?"

"What if things blow up and he doesn't acknowledge the child, or takes it out on you?"

Linda touched her belly, saying nonchalantly, "If he acknowledges it, this is his son."

"If he doesn't, then this is evidence that he forced me."

I began to feel grateful that Linda and I were on the same side now. Otherwise, someone like Linda—not just my mother-in-law, but even Ryan and I together couldn't match her!

I looked at her and said softly, "Let's do it tonight."

Any longer, and I was afraid Linda might get rid of me too.

Besides, today was my mother-in-law's birthday. What better day to give her a big present on this special occasion?

My mother-in-law was very happy today. She did her makeup, got her hair done, sprayed perfume, and even though her leg was still in a cast, she changed into a custom-made dress.

She ordered a huge spread from a five-star hotel—lobster, king crab, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall... basically whatever was most expensive.

The whole family ate and chatted. The atmosphere was lively.

My mother-in-law was delighted and even opened a bottle of wine my father-in-law had brought back from abroad. Smiling, she told Ryan to drink more. "Once the bottle's open, you can't keep it. No sense wasting it."

"Besides, you're at home. If you get drunk, you can just go rest."

Ryan had been eyeing this bottle that cost hundreds of thousands for a long time. Hearing my mother-in-law's words, he drank freely, finishing almost the entire bottle himself.

His eyes lost their clarity, and his speech became slurred. "You *#% I have ¥# separately have &..."

My father-in-law had also drunk quite a bit. Probably tired, he said, "Let's call it a night. Everyone go rest."

Linda pushed my mother-in-law's wheelchair to take her to her room, with my father-in-law following behind.

My mother-in-law instructed Linda, "Ryan drank a lot. Grace is pregnant and it's inconvenient for her, so help take care of him."

My father-in-law said impatiently, "If he's drunk, he'll just sleep. What's there to take care of?"

Linda gave my father-in-law a grateful smile. Their gazes were so suggestive you could practically see sparks flying. My father-in-law, probably drunk and forgetting Ryan and I were still in the living room, put his hand on Linda's waist, with clear intentions to move lower.

My mother-in-law sat in the wheelchair, oblivious.

I poured a glass of honey water for Ryan. "Drink this, you'll feel better."

He took it and drank more than half, then wobbled into the bedroom.

I poured the remaining half down the kitchen sink and washed the glass clean before returning to the bedroom.

Ryan was already asleep.

I turned off the light and got into bed.

Ryan slept restlessly, first tossing and turning constantly, then mumbling about being hot.

After a while, he got up, opened the door, and went out.

I heard the sound of flushing water. He must have drunk too much and gone to the bathroom.

But he didn't come back.

In the darkness, I opened my eyes and listened carefully to the sounds outside.

"Ahh!"

A shrill scream suddenly rang out, shattering the peaceful night.