Chapter 2

After that day, Joyce never saw Nathan again. It was not until she was discharged from the hospital and had just returned home that she walked into the living room and saw a brazier burning. Bianca was tossing things into the flame one after another. When Joyce stepped closer, she finally saw what the items were—photographs of her and Nathan travelling the world, taken by a renowned overseas photographer they had personally hired. Other than that, there were countless sets of the couple's matching outfits—black for him, red for her, and green because both Joyce and Nathan liked it. Next to them were stacks upon stacks of love letters that Nathan had placed into a custom safe himself back then. He said it was their most precious memory. Now, all of them were being thrown carelessly into the fire. Joyce's vision blurred as she watched. And Nathan stood quietly by, letting Bianca do as she pleased. If he did not care, why should she keep defending it? She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. Just when she was about to walk away, Bianca pulled out a baby's onesie and held it up. "Babe, what about this for our baby? Would the design seem outdated?" Joyce's fingers tightened. On their first anniversary, she had been devastated over not being able to conceive. Nathan had taken months of sick leave just to be with her, buying medicine and trying every method they could think of. During that time, her entire body was covered in love bites. They had exhausted themselves day and night, but she still had not gotten pregnant. In the end, to comfort her, he had this onesie custom-made, saying it was for their future baby. Now, the baby had finally come, yet she had failed to keep it. Her nose stung, and she unconsciously took a step forward. Bianca was startled, stumbling onto the ground. "Joyce! You scared me half to death!" Seeing Joyce staring at the clothes in the fire without saying anything, Bianca explained, "I'm still pregnant, and Miranda said these things are bad luck. That's why…" Joyce said nothing. She reached into the flames and pulled the clothes out. Bianca panicked and darted behind Nathan. "Joyce, I'm only thinking about the baby in my belly. Please, can't you understand? Nathan's already gone now. Keeping these things would only bring you grief. And they might even be a bad omen for my baby!" Joyce turned to Nathan and asked, " Is this what you think, too?" Nathan frowned slightly. After a few seconds, he said, "Joyce, I know this hurts, but Nathan is dead. How can a dead man's belongings compare to Bianca and her baby? Please, for my sake, burn them." Joyce's mind felt oddly blank. For some reason, she thought of how Nathan had once spun her around the whole Gray residence after she said yes to his proposal. He even bragged to stray dogs about her, saying she was finally his. Maybe it was time to let go. "Okay." Joyce nodded, tossing the clothes back into the fire. "The Gray family and you—I don't want either anymore." Nathan furrowed his brows, as though he had not heard her clearly. But just as he was about to ask, Bianca collapsed into his arms. "Babe, I think my stomach hurts again because of that scare earlier…" This was when Edward Gray walked in. He grabbed Joyce by the head and unleashed a storm of curses, even raising his hand against her. "You jinx! You already caused my grandson to die. Now, you want to harm my great-grandchild? If you don't apologize to Bianca today, I'm not letting you go!" Shoved to the floor, Joyce steadied herself against the wall and helped herself up. "I did nothing wrong. Why should I apologize?" The words barely left her mouth when she was hit again with a ruler, knocking her down again. "Fine. You've got backbone. Then I'll beat you until you change your mind!" Strike after strike, blood welled on her back. Nathan watched coldly, his frown deepening. Just as he wanted to intervene, Bianca moved first. She stepped forward and said softly, "Grandpa, Joyce didn't do it on purpose. Why not have her turn her marital bedroom into a nursery instead? I can take that as an apology." The words were light, but Joyce's face was drained of color. She felt as if her heart had been shredded into pieces. She had just lost her baby, and now, they wanted her to turn her marital bedroom into a nursery for Bianca. She let out a laugh before collapsing to the floor. Nathan could not stand the sight anymore and came over to help her up, but Joyce pushed his hand away. "Joyce, I'm sorry. I know you've been wronged. The C-section is scheduled for next week. Once the baby is born, I'll be back to your side," he whispered. So, he knew she had been wronged, after all. Joyce laughed bitterly. Once, she had been foolish enough to believe whatever he said. Now, she refused to be that gullible again. … After they left, Joyce went back to her marital bedroom. She gathered everything Bianca had not cleared out yet—the stuffed toy they had fought over when they met, the rose garland Nathan had given her in the heat of their love, and the little figurines they had bought after their marriage. She watched every trace of their past turn to ash before picking up a brush and painting over the walls. Outside the room, Nathan was playing with a rattle, teasing the belly in Bianca's belly. Laughter filled the air. Joyce listened, and her heart remained cold without the slightest ripple.