All because, in our past lives, I had refused to divorce her.
Even now—after all my compromises—Cherity still saw me through that same twisted lens.
She yanked me down to the first floor, where the nanny stood clutching the crying infant, her expression frantic.
Still trying to make sense of it all, I watched as Cherity pulled back the swaddle and lifted the baby’s sleeve.
I froze.
The child had just turned one month old, yet her delicate skin was covered in red rashes.
Cherity looked like she was about to lose her mind.
“Do you have any idea how dangerous this is for an infant? One wrong move and she could die!” she screamed.
I stared at her, unable to process. “If she has a rash, why didn’t you take her to the hospital?” I asked, stunned.
“You make it sound so easy, sir!” The nanny, still cradling the baby, shot me a glare full of resentment.
“If it wasn’t for that swaddle you gave Cady, would she even be in this condition? And you seriously want us to believe this wasn’t intentional?” she hissed.
“Sir Barrett has always been kind and gentle to you, sir. He never wanted to fight you. In fact, when he found out about the pregnancy, he begged Miss Cherity to abort the baby just to avoid making things difficult for you,” she continued bitterly.
“But what about you, sir? With all due respect, sir, you’re a man too. Sir Barrett never once tried to take your place in the family. But why do you keep targeting him? And now, are you trying to kill his child too?” she accused, her eyes burning with hatred.
Garland’s POV
I was shaking with fury, rendered speechless by the nanny’s relentless accusations.
“Cherity,” Barrett choked out, stepping in, “don’t listen to Euphemia! I believe this isn’t something Garland would ever do…”
He must’ve heard the commotion and rushed in, tears streaming down his face.
He looked like his heart was breaking at the sight of his daughter crying.
Yet even then, he stood firm in defending me.
Cherity cast him a pained glance. “Someone take him back to his room to rest,” she said quietly.
The moment the housekeeper led Barrett away, Cherity pulled out a pistol and leveled it directly at my right arm.
With a deafening bang, she pulled the trigger.
A searing pain tore through me as I let out a bloodcurdling scream. Everyone around us was startled by the gunshot and immediately backed away, afraid of getting caught in the crossfire.