Chapter 4

Martha looked surprised at my response. Seeing no trace of anger on my face, she relaxed slightly. "I'm glad you understand. After all, the Bennett family needs heirs. Thankfully, Ethan is so loyal. Otherwise, I wouldn't be getting a healthy grandson soon."

She patted Chloe's belly, her face full of joy. All I felt was bitter irony. Loyal? If Nathan knew from his grave that Ethan's way of 'looking after' his wife involved getting her pregnant with his own child, I think he'd be turning over in his coffin.

When I remained silent, Chloe glanced at me timidly. "Luna," she asked in a small voice, "are you still angry with me and Eth? I just wanted a child of my own... being alone at home is so scary." As she spoke, she dropped her head and started crying softly, as if she'd been deeply wronged.

Martha rushed to hand her tissues. Then, she shot me a disapproving look. "Luna, a barren woman like you has no right to complain. The baby Chloe is carrying has Bennett blood. That child must be born."

Looking coldly at the pair performing their little act, I replied, "Fine. I'll step aside. That way, once the baby's born, he can openly call Chloe 'Mom' and Ethan 'Dad.' And you won't have to worry about me, the legal wife."

I was about to say more when Chloe suddenly dropped to her knees in front of me. She clutched my pant leg, bursting into noisy sobs. "Luna, I know you're angry! But the baby is innocent! You can't make us kill an innocent life!" Her words seemed deliberately misconstrued.

I didn't know if Chloe was deliberately misunderstanding or just stupid. Frowning, I tried to pull her up. Before I could, a furious roar echoed through the room. "STOP!"

Ethan had just walked in. He saw Chloe kneeling and crying, heard her cry about the baby being innocent, and instantly assumed I must be demanding she terminate the pregnancy. Without thinking, Ethan stepped forward and lashed out, kicking me squarely in the abdomen. I crashed backwards, landing hard on the floor alongside the chair.

My uterus, still fragile after the recent loss, simply couldn't withstand the blow. A bone-deep chill washed over me, like plunging into icy water. My vision blurred and darkened. Pain, sharp and deep, erupted in my lower belly.

Ethan's furious shout reached me through the haze. "Luna! You actually tried to force Chloe to abort?! Didn't get your way at the hospital, so you couldn't let it go? You vicious snake!"

Gritting my teeth, I forced myself upright. I pulled the divorce papers from my bag and flung them straight into Ethan's face. "Ethan," I said, my voice surprisingly steady despite the pain, "We're getting a divorce!"

Ignoring his stunned disbelief, I stumbled towards the main door. I only made it a few steps before the darkness swallowed me completely. I felt my legs give way. The last conscious thing I heard were overlapping shouts of alarm.

"There's so much blood! Madam is bleeding! Someone call an ambulance!"

"Luna!"