Don’t think you’ll get away with it! You, and your mother, will get what’s coming!”
“Scarlett, you mad woman! What nonsense is that?” Rebecca dropped her façade entirely following my threat.
My anger contained, I clenched both my fists tight. “Mad? When your mother did what she did, she should have considered how a madwoman such as I would retaliate against you!”
I took note of the chair next to me. Without warning, I lifted it and aimed it at Rebecca. She let out a scream.
“That’s enough!” Ashton, being the strong man that he was, snatched the chair from me and glared at me in disbelief. “Scarlett, what’s the matter with you? How did you become like this? We might have lost one baby, but we could always have another one.”
“Ho!” I scoffed. I lifted my chin and gave him an icy stare before flashing my palm in his face. Very slowly, I said, “Ashton, you’re one to talk. It’s easy for you, isn’t it? Giving birth. All you need to do is fire several shots. You don’t have to go through ten months of hard labor!”
His eyes fell on the scar on my palm, and frowned, “How did this happen?”
I laughed, but it was much more painful than crying. Glancing at Rebecca, I resisted my tears. “How did this happen? You should ask your most precious Rebecca over there how I got this scar.”
I looked back at Ashton, a lot calmer this time, and continued, “Ashton, do you know how our baby died? That night, he tried so desperately to get out of me, but he was not able to.”
Seeing the tormented expression on his face, I suddenly realized, why do I have to suffer alone? Why is it only my burden to bear? ”Ashton, do you know? When I was abducted, I tried calling you over and over again, hoping that you would come and save us. But no matter how many times I called, your phone was always turned off. Ashton, do you know how desperate I was?”
He wanted to say something, but I interrupted him with a snort. “You don’t know. I believe, at that time, you should be admiring your dear princess, celebrating her birthday. At that time, you must have prepared a wonderful gift for her.”
“Scarlett!” He yelled, his voice hoarse. “I left my phone in the company. I really didn’t know.”
“Exactly. You didn’t know!” I sneered. “You have no idea that I was locked up in a warehouse, with my arms and legs tied up. You don’t know how I felt when my baby tried so hard to come out, but I couldn’t help him. You don’t know how I felt when he slowly stopped breathing inside of me…”
I began to choke. I could not go on. But as Ashton’s face got paler and more frightful, all of a sudden, I felt better because I was not the only one in pain anymore.
I cracked a smile. “Ashton, do you know what it feels like to have a baby die inside you? Do you know what the baby looked like when it was taken out? Do you know how it felt like to be suffocated to death?”
“That’s enough!” On the verge of breaking down, he covered his face with his hands as his tall body gradually crouched down to the floor. In front of me now kneeled a helpless and fragile man, visibly in pain.
I felt better seeing him like this. Then, I turned to Rebecca, whose face had gone pale, and sneered, “How is it, Rebecca? Do you feel more at ease after listening to my story? The money you and your mother spent had been worth it!”
“Scarlett, what are you babbling about?” Rebecca raised her voice, fuming. “What makes you think my mother and I were behind it?”
I cackled. “Why are you so eager to deny it? You have caused such a huge uproar. Do you really think I won’t be able to find anything about the culprit? Does the Moore family really think they are so invincible that they can bury the truth?”
Rebecca was so terrified that she backed away, her mouth hanging open as though in a trance. “I didn’t do it!”
Ashton turned to look at her with an extremely icy glare, “So your family’s behind it?”
Rebecca shook her head, her body trembling non-stop, “No! That’s not what I meant!”
I did not want to see how she would put on airs, so I exited the ward. Ashton wanted to run after me, but Rebecca stopped him. In tears, she pleaded, “Ashton, you have to believe me. I have absolutely nothing to do with this. I don’t know anything…”
I was not familiar with K City, so after I got out of the hospital, I did not know how to get home.
Looking at the crowds, I had no clue where I should go from here. I had neither phone nor cash on me, and I was afraid that Ashton would catch up.
Along the way, I kept asking the passers-by for directions. By the time I reached Central Park residence, my feet were worn out.
When I got home and took off my shoes, I had already bled a fair amount.
Bang! The door slammed open. Marcus was still panting when he saw me. My appearance stunned him, if only for an instant, for he soon pulled me up and into his arms.
“It’s been a day and a night. Where have you been? Why didn’t you give me a call?”
I was stunned by his reaction. My heart leaped when I only realized his feelings for me in hindsight. I seemed to be in trouble.
After what seemed like an eternity, he released me. Next, he composed himself, gazed at me, and said, “Where did you go? Why didn’t you come back after one night?”
“I don’t know why, but I ran out. Then, when I came to, I was already in the hospital.” I mumbled, omitting the part about Ashton.