And almost at that moment, Zion rushed back.
He pushed me aside without holding back, pulling Maeve straight into his arms.
“What happened? Maeve, who bullied you?”
Curled in his arms, she cried hard, “Brother Zion… I only wanted to explain to Sister…”
“But she called me cheap and suddenly hit me…”
Twisting the truth completely, her words flowed smoothly.
I had been shoved by Zion so hard I stumbled, my back hitting a nearby camera, the metal edge sending a sharp sting through me.
My stomach tightened.
But Zion was already staring at me coldly.
“Natalie, have you made enough trouble?”
“Look at yourself now, what part of you still looks like Mrs. Payne? You look just like a jealous, loud woman!”
“What decent woman in our circle acts like this, bullying normal people?”
“How did you become so harsh? We’ve only been married five years, how did you turn into this? Where did the gentle you from before go?”
I held my stomach, my fingers cold, fighting the pain in my nose.
“So what?”
“Is kindness only when I swallow everything, hide and cry, stay quiet, fight for nothing? Is that what you call kind?”
“Like before, staying home feeling miserable, pretending not to notice anything, only then do you see me as a good wife?”
I lifted my head to look at him, my voice shaking.
“I’m not the same as five years ago.”
“And you? Zion…”
“You brought your mistress home, getting more bold every day, are you still the Zion who once said he only loved me?!”
Zion’s face tightened for a moment.
But he didn’t notice my reddened eyes, nor did he hear how close my voice was to breaking.
He only saw that I questioned him in front of others, with no sign of holding back.
The next moment, his whole expression turned dark.
Zion, burning with anger, lifted Maeve and walked away.
He left behind only one cold, hard line. “You better not regret this.”
The pain in my back made my chest race. I didn’t even have time to ask where Zion was heading. He clearly still had a pile of things waiting for him. I could only go to the hospital by myself first.
Only when the results came out, and the doctor said the baby was safe, did I finally let out a breath.
The fear that lingered rushed through me again. I sat on the bench in the hallway, covering my face, crying until I could barely breathe.
I didn’t dare think about what I would do if something truly happened to the baby.