Chapter 4
The room suddenly fell silent.
I climbed the steps, step by step.
Whispers broke out among the crowd.
“There’s no way she’s Preston’s wife, looking that shabby. She’s probably here to cause a scene,” Someone whispered.
“Who does this lunatic think she is? Has she looked at Gabrielle, then looked at herself? Does she think she belongs here?” another person scoffed.
I dug my nails into my palms, struggling to keep my voice from shaking as I demanded, “Preston, the 150 thousand you spent on those earrings for Gabrielle was that the same 150 thousand that could’ve saved My adoptive Mother’s life, wasn’t it?”
Preston frowned, and Gabrielle sidled up to him, all sweetness and innocence.
She said softly, “Meredith, don’t blame Preston.
“Your adoptive Mother called me a homewrecker and got me so worked up that I almost lost the baby. Preston was teaching her a little lesson.”
I gave her a hard slap across the face, my voice trembling.
“The doctor said she missed her window for surgery. She won’t make it through the Month. Do you even know that?” I shouted.
Preston grabbed me and shoved me off the stage.
I crashed hard onto the floor, and he didn’t look my way. All he cared about was pulling Gabrielle into his arms, shielding her like she was the only one who
Mattered.
“Someone, get this crazy woman out of here,” Preston
barked.
I was shaking with rage, wanting nothing more than to tear them apart with my bare hands.
I screamed, “Preston, if you and Gabrielle got married five years ago, then why did you lie to me?
“Why did you trick me into marrying you? Why did you Make me have your kids?
“What horrible thing did I do to deserve this? Why do you keep destroying my life over and over again?”
His expression turned icy.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Preston said, his voice flat.
“Meredith, this is your last warning. Get out of here,
now!”
Gabrielle’s eyes brimmed with tears, but there was a wicked satisfaction flickering beneath them.
She said, “Meredith, I know you hate me for stealing your life. All these years, you took my boyfriend, and then stooped so low as to seduce my husband.
“But Preston doesn’t want you, so why would he want that child whose father is a Mystery?”
I opened my mouth, but no sound came out.
After a long Moment, My words came out so shaky that they barely made sense, falling to the floor. broken and scattered.
“The kids… The blood type on the medical report Matches Preston’s. You can do a paternity test,” I said, My voice trembling.
Preston let out a cold laugh, snatched the Medical report from my hands, tore it to pieces, and threw the shreds in my face.
He snapped, “Gabrielle is the only woman I’ll ever call My wife. The only child I’ll acknowledge will be from her. As for your so–called kids…”
He paused, and then, in front of everyone, delivered his judgment with chilling indifference. “Who knows who fathered those two bastards?”
Gabrielle wiped away her tears, a Mocking smirk curling at her lips.
“Meredith, you’ve played the Mistress so much. You probably can’t remember who the father of your kids
is,” she sneered.
Every word was like a nail, driven straight through my
heart.
With a scream, I hurled myself at her. “Gabrielle!”
The bodyguards immediately swarmed me, kicking and punching me without mercy.
Preston watched, unmoved, his gaze icy and distant.
My C–section scar ripped open, blood soaking through My skirt. The pain was so overwhelming that I couldn’t utter a sound.
The crowd started Mocking me.
“Look at her, dressed like a pauper and trying to act like Preston’s homewrecker. She must be out of her Mind for Money,” someone sneered.
“Preston’s famous for protecting his wife. The last woman who tried to pull this kind of stunt was erased from the family, like she never existed. This one’s got a death wish,” another person scoffed.
Preston finally broke his silence.
“Security, get this woman out of here,” he ordered coldly.
The security guards clamped a hand over my mouth and dragged me out, not caring how much it hurt.
I was thrown hard onto the ground, the wet concrete quickly turning red as my blood seeped into it.
I lay there for what felt like forever, until the rain and My blood soaked through my clothes, staining them a pale pink.
I fumbled for the business card and dialed the number on it.
“I agree to the marriage,” I said.
Frederick’s voice was cool and distant. “Alright. Three o’clock at the city hall. I’ll pick you up.”
After we registered our Marriage, Frederick took me to the hospital to get my wounds treated.
He even called in the hospital director to personally stitch me up.
Even though the bodyguards had smashed my phone, it still lit up with Message after Message from
Preston.
[Meredith, are you home yet?
[You really disappointed me today. Think about what you’ve done. I’ve transferred 1.5 thousand dollars to
you.
[Go to the hospital and get your wounds treated first.
(Once you admit you were wrong, I’ll come get you and the baby from the hospital.]
He probably had no idea.
The babies had been forced out of the hospital because I couldn’t afford the bills.
With a blank face, I pulled out My SIM card, snapped it
in half, and tossed it out the car window.
Seeing me do that, Frederick smiled at me.
He played with the twins in his arms, relaxed, and casually dropped a bombshell.
“Preston’s infertile now. He still has no idea,” he said.
I stared at him in disbelief, My Mind reeling as if I’d been punched in the face.
“Then my babies…” I stammered.
“They are his. He became infertile after you got pregnant,” Frederick said.
So Preston knew the twins were his, but he still called them bastards in front of everyone.
I clenched my fists so hard that it felt like I was
swallowing shards of glass.
Frederick suddenly smirked, a look of gloating
satisfaction on his face.