But the blood on that belt was nothing compared to what I'd shed over three years.
I said nothing.
My silence seemed to enrage him more than any words could have. His jaw tightened, and his eyes went hard.
"Marina, don't tell me you were playing the spoiled princess in that village too. Using this belt like a whip to hit people."
"I knew it. You're arrogant and out of control. Three years in the countryside, and you didn't learn a damn thing!"
He snatched the belt up and drew his arm back to lash it across me.
I didn't flinch. Didn't move. I just closed my eyes.
And in that moment, the belt never fell.
Instead, my legs buckled. The world went black, and I collapsed.
"Marina, cut the act. Stop pretending to faint."
"Get up."
But when he crouched down and brushed the hair from my face, when he saw how hollow and gray my skin was, the anger vanished. Panic flooded in.
"Marina. Marina, wake up. What's wrong with you?"
His face twisted. He scooped me up, stumbling toward the hallway, shouting at the top of his lungs.
"Doctor! Someone collapsed!"
"Now!"
When I opened my eyes again, I heard voices arguing in the corridor outside.
"Doctor, what happened? She was fine a minute ago. Why did she faint?"
The doctor in the white coat finished his examination and let out a long, heavy sigh.
"She was in the early stages of pregnancy. She just miscarried." He fixed Jacob with a hard look. "No matter what your quarrel was about, you should have considered the condition of a pregnant woman."
The color drained from Jacob's face.
"Pregnant? Miscarriage? What the hell are you talking about?"
