"Alex, I… I know I hurt you. It's my fault. But I promise—from now on, I'll never make you suffer again, okay?"
I shook my head.
Her expression turned cold instantly.
Before she could speak, Kyle came upstairs first.
"Alex, please don't argue with Ms. Gilbert. If you want to blame someone, blame me. I didn't know what was good for me. You paid for my education, and I…"
"I swear to you—once the baby's born, I'll disappear. She can have the child call you Dad."
"Please! Please don't kick me out!"
He dropped to his knees right in front of me with a thud, eyes brimming with tears, as if he were the one who'd been wronged.
Serena immediately bent down to help him up. When she turned back to me, only ice remained in her gaze.
"Alex! I'm about to give birth—don't you know that!"
"If you have a problem, take it up with me. Why are you making things hard for him? He's just a kid!"
Watching her hold Kyle protectively in her arms, eyes full of wariness toward me, my heart sank to rock bottom.
My voice came out flat.
"Relax. Once I grab my things, I'm gone. I won't disturb you two."
I went into the room, grabbed my ID and passport, and headed downstairs. Just as I was about to walk out the front door, Kyle stopped me.
"Alex, there are three days left until the due date. I made a strawberry cake to celebrate. Will you try some?"
Looking at that lump of red sludge on top, my stomach heaved. I stepped back instinctively.
But Kyle grabbed my arm and stuffed that sludge straight into my mouth.
The instant it touched my tongue, my mind snapped back five years—to save Serena, I'd been strapped to a drop tower for three days and three nights. By the time it ended, the baby inside her had become nothing but red pulp.
After that, I couldn't stand the sight of anything like it...
Now this sticky texture made every hair on my body stand on end. I shook my head violently and flung his arm away.
Kyle used the momentum to stumble backward.
"Ah—Serena, help!"
Serena rushed in and went pale. She shoved me hard to the side.
My wound slammed into the corner of the coffee table. Pain shot through me, and I doubled over, trembling.
But Serena didn't care. She was already helping Kyle up.
"Kyle, are you okay? Does anything hurt?"
His eyes reddened. He curled into her arms, swaying like he might faint any second.