She sized me up, her voice dripping with mockery. "I thought you were someone important. Turns out, you're just the useless woman Dylan tossed out three years ago."
"What now? One leg isn't enough?" the woman sneered. "You want him to break the other one, too?"
Then, a few men stepped forward, blocking my escape.
I could hear their low chuckles, the kind that tried to intimidate.
"So, you're the former ballet lead?" one of them said, chuckling. "Can't dance with a broken leg, so you've turned to fighting now? Don't you get it? Everyone knows Mr. Hartman pampers Miss Ridley. If you touch her today, you're touching Mr. Hartman's lifeline."
Their insults and mockery didn't faze me. I was used to it. I wasn't afraid anymore.
I paid them no mind, instead focusing on Amara. Even as his fiancée, there were definite advantages to being Dylan's fiancée.
Publicly, the woman who once manipulated me with a false show of weakness threatened to ruin my remaining leg.
But Amara had forgotten one thing: I don't let people trample me.
In front of everyone's gaze, I took out a handkerchief and calmly wiped the spot where I had touched Amara's hand.
The corners of my mouth curled into a faint smile as my gaze drifted to her slightly rounded belly.
"Three years ago, I overestimated your skills and underestimated your shamelessness," I said slowly, letting my words sink in. "How, after faking a miscarriage to trick me into losing my leg, are you still not satisfied?"
I leaned in closer and continued, "This time, I'll make sure you really miscarry. I promise you'll never be able to conceive again in your life."
The knife hovered dangerously close to her belly. And then, just as I was about to take the next step, someone grabbed my wrist.
"Dylan!" Amara cried out in terror. "I'm so scared! Elaine's going to kill me!"
Her tearful wail rang in my ears.
It was the same way she had sounded three years ago when Dylan beat me with a bat, shattering my leg. I had ended up in a pool of blood, all because of her screams.
"Dylan, save the baby!" she cried. "She's going to kill our baby!"
Her words hit me like a ton of bricks. The memory of the pain and betrayal flooded back. But I didn't let it consume me.
'No,' I thought. 'No more pity. No more mercy.'
They would pay for everything they had done.
Elaine's POV
It felt like I was being yanked straight back into that nightmare.