"You couldn’t even take care of your own husband. Archie marrying you was the biggest mistake of his life."

My hands instinctively curled into fists, but I let her continue her verbal assault. No matter what I did, I would always be the villain in her eyes. I wanted to scream that it wasn’t my fault.

That I had done everything to protect that baby.

But what was the point? To her, I was nothing but a disgrace to the Knight family.

Before I could say a word, Archie’s deep voice rang out behind me.

"Mum, that’s enough!"

I turned to see him striding towards us, his jaw tight.

"Wendy just had a miscarriage," he snapped. "Leave her alone. Don’t make it worse."

Charlotte snorted, crossing her arms. "You’re too soft, Archie. If you keep defending her, how will you explain this to the public? You’re the heir to this family, and now you have no child! The Knights need an heir."

Archie ran a frustrated hand down his face. I saw the hesitation in his eyes, the weight of it all pressing down on him, as if I were a burden he couldn’t shake.

"I’ll take care of it, Mum."

"You should be proud to carry the Knight name. Don’t disappoint me, Archie." With that, Charlotte scoffed and walked away.

I turned to enter my room when Archie’s sharp voice cut through the air.

"Where are you going? Running away from your responsibilities as Zac’s mother?"

I stopped, my hand hovering over the door handle.

"Zac’s been crying all day, and Claire’s exhausted," he continued.

I looked away. "I just needed some fresh air."

Archie scoffed, His lips twisting in mockery. "Fresh air, huh? With another man?"

I frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Before I could demand an explanation, Archie threw a stack of printed photos at me. They scattered across the floor, and my breath caught in my throat as I saw myself in them—with Leon.

Where the hell did he get these?

"You always act like I’m the bastard here," Archie seethed. "But is this what you do behind my back?"

"No, Archie, I—"

"How many men have you been sneaking around with? Is that why you lost the baby? Did you spread your legs for them so much you couldn’t even keep our child?"

A stunned silence followed his words. The world around me blurred with fury. Without thinking, I swung my hand, slapping him hard across the face. The crack echoed in the hallway.

Archie turned back to me slowly, his gaze ice-cold. So cold it could freeze hell over.