Chapter 6

Lena methodically began sorting through financial documents after she returned home. Micah's supplementary card, jewelry, and property deeds were all laid out on the table. It was as if she were tallying up the remnants of a ridiculous dream. Micah was discharged from the hospital three days later. He appeared at the door in a crisp suit. His tie was meticulously knotted. He was not at all like someone who had narrowly escaped death. "Baby, things have been crazy at work lately. I haven't had time to be with you." He had kept his hospitalization a secret. A faint scent of disinfectant still lingered on him as he walked over and tried to hold her. Lena knew he had rushed out of the hospital because he was afraid she would be suspicious and start asking questions that he wouldn't know how to answer. However, what he didn't know was that she had seen everything. She had witnessed how he had risked his life for another woman. "How's the baby?" Micah suddenly asked as his gaze shifted to her lower abdomen. "Have you been taking the prenatal tonic? Why does your belly still look so small?" He extended his hand and intended to touch her belly, but Lena instinctively stepped back. "I'm not feeling well. Please don't touch me." Her voice was indifferent. Micah frowned and immediately called out to one of the household staff to ask about Lena's recent condition. His face darkened when he found out she hadn't been taking the prenatal tonic. Then, he went to the kitchen to prepare the tonic himself. "Baby, come on." He held a bowl, speaking to Lena in a voice soft enough to melt the coldest heart. "Drink this for your health. It'll make giving birth easier." Lena looked at the black-brown liquid in the bowl. She was just about to come up with an excuse when the doorbell rang. A few of Micah's close friends had come by. Their expressions were tense. When Micah saw them, he told her to get some rest before bringing them to the study. Lena immediately dumped the tonic into the sink once their footsteps faded completely. She was about to head back to the bedroom when she heard loud voices coming from the study. "Micah, Laris is now being forced into an arranged marriage. She refused, so her parents locked her up. They're planning to go ahead with the wedding the day after tomorrow and getting it over with before she can resist." A loud clatter came from the room like a teacup shattering. It took a long moment before Micah's cold and indifferent voice sounded, "I see." "What does that mean?" one of his friends asked. "It means," Micah slowly replied, "I won't let her marry someone she doesn't love." The study instantly erupted into chaos. "What do you mean? Are you going to crash the wedding?" "Micah, calm down. You have a family now, and your child is due in just a few months!" "Have you thought about what people will say about Lena if you do this?" "How is your child supposed to face all of this?" "Aren't you afraid she'll divorce you?" Micah's voice cut through with unwavering resolve amid the flood of objections, "I'll handle it. Lena won't find out about any of this." "What if she does?" There was a brief silence before his voice sounded again, "So what if she does? I'll sweet-talk her. The little girl loves me too much. She can't live without me." Lena stood outside the door. Her face was as pale as a sheet. She unconsciously pressed against her chest with her fingers. It still felt heavy within, but it was not the soul-wrenching pain she had used to feel. She suddenly realized that she was slowly letting go. She truly didn't love him anymore.