Chapter 4
Ethan and Kimberly stood together on stage, giving their speech. They looked perfect together.
Every year before this, I'd stood beside Ethan. He used to say he'd get nervous without me by his side.
This year, he used my hospital discharge and poor health as an excuse to let Kimberly replace me. It all seemed so natural.
I sat in a corner of the banquet hall, watching a crowd gather around them with compliments. I didn't understand why Ethan had even bothered bringing me here.
Suddenly, the group fawning over Kimberly turned to look at me, then turned back to whisper among themselves.
"That's Mr. Shaw's wife? Shaw Group is such a massive enterprise. How did he end up marrying some country bumpkin?"
"That dress she's wearing is from last year's collection, isn't it? Don't you have the same one? Is she wearing secondhand?"
"Kimmy and Mr. Shaw are so much better matched. Even his tie matches the color of Kimmy's gown!"
…
Listening to them made me feel sick, so I fled into the bathroom. I'd just washed my hands and started to calm down when Kimberly walked in with her entourage.
She washed her hands leisurely, applied hand cream, then lifted her eyes to look at me. "Cindy, you've held Ethan back for ten years. You can't give him anything. I'm going to make you pay for that.
"I'm going to be Mrs. Shaw. The legitimate one."
Then suddenly, as if she couldn't breathe, she ran outside screaming for help. I stood there stunned, unable to move.
Soon, people rushed in and shoved me outside. I saw Kimberly half-collapsed in Ethan's arms, gasping for air like she'd nearly died.
Ethan's eyes were red, like a rabid animal. "Cindy, have you lost your mind? Kimmy told you she's allergic to figs, and you still forced her to use your hand cream!
"If she hadn't been carrying allergy medication, you would have killed her!"
My head exploded. I could barely force words from my throat. "I... I didn't..."
Someone snatched my purse and dumped everything onto the floor. To my horror, there really was a fig-scented hand cream among my things.
"Still denying it? You actually hurt Kimmy. You're just jealous she's better than you at everything!"
The woman speaking was the same one who'd pushed me out. She must have planted the hand cream in my bag.
I had no way to defend myself. I looked at Ethan desperately. "Don't you believe me either? Based on everything you know about me, do you really think I'd do something like this?"
Ethan's expression finally softened slightly. Then Kimberly coughed and stood up, walking toward me. "Ms. Sutton, I already forgave you for pushing me on the stairs. I even told Ethan it was my fault, not yours. Why do you still have it out for me?
"Just now, I explained over and over that I'm allergic to your hand cream, but you insisted on rubbing it on my hands. Do you really hate me that much..."
She sounded so wronged. The veins in Ethan's forehead bulged, and his fury had reached its peak.
"Cindy! You've humiliated the entire Shaw family! You owe Ms. Jones an explanation right now!"
My own anger flared up. Just as I was about to rush forward and explain, someone stuck out their foot and tripped me. I lost my balance and fell toward Kimberly.
Ethan caught Kimberly quickly, but shoved me away hard.
I'd never felt violent cramping like this before. Pain ripped through my lower abdomen before something warm gushed from between my legs.
Someone cried out, "She's bleeding!"
Ethan looked like he'd been struck by lightning. He dropped to his knees and asked frantically, "You... You're pregnant?"
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