Chapter 3

Cecelia took the fever medicine, but it didn't seem to help. The fever lasted all night. When Eliza found Cecilia the next day, she was barely conscious. Eliza didn't waste a second and rushed her to the hospital. Seeing how weak and sickly Cecelia looked in bed, Eliza couldn't help but comment, "You're burning up this bad. Why didn't Shaun bring you here?" After a long silence, Cecilia replied with a raspy voice, "I'm divorcing him. I'm going abroad in ten days." Then, she told the whole story to Eliza. After hearing Cecilia out, Eliza felt a pang in her chest. She gently squeezed Cecilia's hand and comforted, "A man like that isn't worth keeping. You deserve better, Cece." … At noon, Eliza went out to grab lunch. Holding onto her IV stand, Cecilia slowly made her way to the restroom. Walking by the fire exit with its door left ajar, she heard a familiar voice coming from inside. Alice's eyes were rimmed with red, and tears welled up in them. "Larry keeps getting picked on at kindergarten. The kids there keep saying he doesn't have a dad. "This time, they even went as far as breaking his arm. Could you still tolerate this?" Shaun's expression darkened, his knuckles turning white as he clenched his fists. "No one can walk away from hurting Larry. I'll transfer Larry to a better kindergarten, too." Tears rolled down her cheeks, her voice trembling hard. "How is transferring him to another kindergarten going to solve anything? As long as you don't acknowledge him publicly, he'll always have people pointing fingers, calling him an illegitimate child. He'll live in that shadow forever." Looking at Alice's tear-streaked face, Shaun felt a pang of pity. His throat tightened as he ruffled her hair and leaned down to kiss her. Meanwhile, his fingers pressed firmly over her earlobe. Cecilia's heart skipped a beat at the sight of it. That was the sight of Shaun about to lose control. As expected, he spun Alice around in the next moment, pinning her hard against the wall. Then, he used his other hand to yank up her skirt. Her breathing grew even more uneven. "Stop! I'm pregnant." Shaun froze in place. "When did this happen?" Alice dodged the question. "Don't worry. I'll have an abortion. Larry's birth has already caused you enough trouble. I won't put you in a difficult spot again." He bit out, exclaiming, "No need. Have the baby. I'll make sure they have a proper place in the family soon." The hand Shaun rested on Alice's waist was trembling, showing just how close he was to snapping. He squeezed his eyes shut, the veins at his temple throbbing. She was sure he was about to give in to his lust right there, but he somehow pulled out a dagger and sliced his arm without a second thought. She shrieked in panic. "What are you doing, Shaun?" As the blood spurted out, he seemed to regain a bit of sanity. His voice was rough as he explained, "I can't hurt you or the baby." Just outside the wall, Cecelia saw the blood streaming down Shaun's arm, and it shattered her heart into pieces. She thought he only hurt himself in those extreme ways because he loved her too much. Feeling she owed it to his deep, passionate love, she even willingly turned a blind eye to his affairs. It never occurred to her that this so-called "restraint" was given to Alice as well. Cecelia's chest ached so badly that she could barely breathe. Before Shaun and Alice could notice her, she hurried away on shaky legs. … Cecilia stayed in the hospital for two days, telling Shaun she was at Eliza's place so he wouldn't suspect anything. Three days later, she went home with the divorce papers her lawyers had prepared. The moment she walked in, she heard the sound of children playing in the living room. Her brows furrowed as she quickened her pace, then froze at the sight before her. On the couch, Delilah sat with Larry nestled in her arms. In his hand, he was carelessly waving the bracelet that had belonged to Melissa Gallagher, Cecilia's mother.