“Come here,” I said hoarsely. “I’ll give you one last chance.”
She had barely taken a step when Philip suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her back behind him. This brother of mine, who had always spoken to me softly and once wore only warmth on his face, now looked at me with apparent disgust.
He stepped forward, facing me squarely, and spoke with deliberate calm. “Nathan, I’m sorry. But Celeste and I truly love each other.”
“Let go,” I said.
My fist swung before I could think.
It connected with his face, and blood immediately spilled from his nose.
Celeste screamed and slapped me hard across the cheek. The sound echoed sharply through the room. Even she froze afterward, staring at her own hand in shock.
My gaze dropped to the fresh hickey on her neck, and a bone-deep chill crept through me.
Philip wiped the blood from his face and sneered. “Nathan, is violence the only thing you’re good at? Wake up and face reality.”
He paused, then delivered the next blow, his voice colder than ever. “And she’s already pregnant. With my child.”
Something inside me snapped.
I lunged at him, and we crashed together, fists and bodies colliding in a violent struggle.
Celeste rushed forward, trying desperately to pull us apart.
In the turmoil, I pushed her away without realizing how forcefully I was pushing.
She slammed into the floor.
Almost immediately, blood began to spread beneath her.
She miscarried.
At the hospital, my mother sat wiping away her tears again and again. My father stood nearby, his face dark with anger.
Finally, he spoke, his voice heavy with reprimand. “Nathan, you were too impulsive. No matter how furious you were, you should never have laid a hand on a pregnant woman.”
I looked at them and felt only a bitter sense of absurdity. “She was carrying Philip’s child, a bastard with no blood ties to our family. And you still want it?”
“Enough!” my father roared.
His cane came down hard against my calf.
My legs gave out, and I collapsed to my knees.
His chest heaved as he pointed the cane at me. “You animal, listen carefully!”
Then, my father explained, “Philip’s father was my brother-in-arms. We exchanged our lives on the battlefield. He took a bullet for me. Before he died, he entrusted me with one thing, and it's taking care of his only son.”