“What are you talking about? Dean never had a vasectomy. He never mentioned that to me.”
I couldn’t help but let out a laugh, sharp and humorless. “Of course he didn’t. He didn’t want to risk passing on his condition to a child, did he?”
Her face drained of color, the reality of my words crashing down on her. “What do you mean Dean is sick?”
I crossed my arms tightly over my chest, fixing Chloe with a glare sharp enough to cut glass. “Why don’t you just ask your virile fiancé?” I sneered, letting each word drip with disdain, relishing the way it stung.
The hit landed with the force of a slap. Her eyes widened in shock for a fleeting moment before narrowing into slits, her lips compressing into a thin, furious line. She sensed the mockery woven into my words.
“You’re insane,” she shot back, venom lacing her voice. “Am I really supposed to stand here and listen to a bitter ex spew lies?”
A low, humorless laugh escaped my lips, echoing in the tense air between us. “Oh, Chloe. You know, denial looks particularly ugly on you. But we both know the truth, deep down.”
“Yeah, we both know you’re desperate. And delusional,” she retorted, her voice climbing in pitch, the anger radiating off her like heat waves. “Dean never got a vasectomy. That might just be another lie he told you to keep you from clinging to him. I wouldn’t put it past him. You’ve always been a pest.”
With a sharp turn on her heel, she attempted to dismiss me, just like she always did. But the words tumbled out of me before she could escape.
“It’s Zane’s, isn’t it?”
She froze mid-step, her shoulders tensing up like a coiled spring. The silence stretched between us, thick and heavy, before I continued, my tone soft yet sharp enough to cut.
“I kept wondering why Zane was at the mall that night. It didn’t make sense… until last night. You’ve been sleeping with him behind Dean’s back, haven’t you? And let me guess…” I inhaled sharply, the weight of my words pressing down on us both. “That night was when you told him you were pregnant.”
Her throat bobbed as she swallowed hard, glancing around like a guilty child caught with her hand in the cookie jar. It was almost pathetic.
“But here’s the part that really puzzles me,” I went on, tapping my chin in mock contemplation. “You’ve been drinking wine all week, Chlo. Either you’re dumber than I thought, or you’re lying through your teeth.”
For a brief moment, her composure faltered. She stumbled back, her face paling as if I had physically struck her.
“What are you talking about?”
Her voice cracked, brittle and fragile. “Can’t I drink wine if I’m pregnant? Is there a law that prohibits me from doing that?”
I felt my jaw slacken in disbelief. Was she really this dense? Or was she just playing dumb to save herself?
My tone dropped dangerously low. “Are you really this stupid, or are you just trying to rile me up?”
“You can’t be serious.”
Her face betrayed her, the tiny flicker of panic in her eyes confirming what I suspected. A hollow, humorless laugh escaped me.
“You really didn’t know, did you? God, Chloe, you’re so unbelievably clueless it’s almost funny. Guess you don’t need brain cells to teach yoga.”
Her hands balled into fists at her sides, trembling with barely contained rage. “Where the hell is Dean?!” Her voice rose into a shrill scream, desperation lacing her words. “What did you tell him? Where is he?!”
I tilted my head, amusement flickering at her unraveling. “Dean doesn’t need me to say a word. He knows. That’s why he’s not answering your calls. That’s why he’s gone. If I were you, I’d start shopping for a substitute groom, because Dean’s not coming back for your cheating.”
I turned away, letting my words hang in the air like a death sentence. But before I could walk away, her hand shot out, fingers wrapping around my arm. Her nails dug deep into my skin, sharp as claws.
“You come back here!” she shrieked, yanking hard. The pain made me hiss.
“Let go, Chloe!” I snarled, twisting against her grip, desperate to break free.
“Give me back my fiancé!” she screeched, her nails gouging crescents into my flesh. The fire of pain burned where she dug in.
“Chloe-let go of me!” I shouted, yanking my arm free with a violent twist.
She hadn’t braced for the sudden force. Her body lurched backward, her feet slipping on the garden floor. She hit the ground with a graceless thud, a short scream escaping her lips as she landed hard on her backside.
“Savannah!”
The voice snapped my head up. My father stood there, fury blazing in his eyes, the heat of his anger palpable.
Chloe’s tears sprang forth instantly, as if someone had flipped a switch. She pointed a trembling finger at me. “She pushed me!”
“That’s a lie!” I barked, my chest heaving with indignation. “She dug her nails into me. I only pulled away!”
“That’s not true!” Chloe’s sobs shook her shoulders, her voice quivering just enough to sound convincing. Aunt Janice rushed to her side, helping her up as Chloe leaned dramatically against her.
“You liar!” I shot back, rage searing my throat, my heart racing.
“Enough!” Dad roared, his strides long and purposeful as he advanced. His face was flushed with anger, his hand already raised, ready to deliver a reprimand.
The air felt heavy, suffocating, as I braced myself for the inevitable blow. My heart raced, thudding painfully against my ribcage, and my stomach twisted in knots. I shut my eyes tightly, anticipating the sharp sting of his slap-the all-too-familiar punishment I had endured countless times whenever Chloe decided to play her innocent little game.
But this time, the slap never came.
Tentatively, I cracked one eye open, my breath hitching in my throat. To my astonishment, Roman stood there, a formidable barrier between my father and me. His body was taut, muscles coiled like a spring, and his jaw was set in a hard line as he held my dad’s hand in place, preventing the strike.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Roman’s voice was deceptively calm, yet it carried an undercurrent of steel that sent a shiver down my spine.
My father’s face twisted in fury as he yanked his hand free, the anger radiating off him like heat from a fire. “I’m teaching that girl some manners! Chloe is pregnant, and Savannah shoves her to the floor? Are you trying to make her lose the baby?!” His glare cut through me like a knife, leaving a chill in its wake.
My lips parted, but no words came out; they were lodged in my throat like stones. I didn’t need to respond; Roman had already taken the words right out of my mouth.
“And you’re so quick to believe her… why?” he asked, his tone dripping with cold skepticism.
“Didn’t you see her on the ground?” Chloe interjected, her voice quavering as she leaned into Aunt Janice for support, desperation etched on her face.
Roman turned his head slowly, his gaze locking onto hers with an intensity that felt almost tangible. “I did,” he replied, his voice steady. Then he lifted my wrist for everyone to see, revealing the angry red crescent marks that marred my skin, a testament to Chloe’s viciousness. “But I also saw this. So tell me, blondie, who’s really at fault here?”
The term “blondie” hung in the air, sharp and jarring. I glanced between them, a sense of unease settling in my stomach. Roman’s stare was unwavering, fierce. Chloe’s reaction was even more pronounced; she flinched as though the word carried a weight only she and Roman understood.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.