Chapter 2

When I returned to the estate, Edward's mother, Eleanor, was waiting for me.

The moment she saw me, she hurried over. "Sarah, you're back!"

"How was the hospital? Did you get the results?"

"I noticed you’ve had a poor appetite lately, and you looked bloated. Is it... are you pregnant?"

I lowered my eyes, keeping my voice calm as I lied. "No, Eleanor."

"The doctor said it’s just some minor indigestion and stomach flu. I’m not pregnant."

Eleanor had always been good to me.

Since I had already decided to divorce her son, there was no need to give her false hope.

Disappointment flashed across her face, but her tone remained incredibly gentle.

"Oh... I see. That's alright. Your health comes first."

"I’ll have Maria make you some soothing herbal tea later."

"Thank you."

Eleanor opened her mouth to say more, but the front door swung open.

Was it Edward? Didn't he say he wasn't coming home tonight?

A woman in high heels stepped in right behind him, her bright, arrogant face coming into view.

It was Chloe.

"Eleanor, Sarah," Chloe chirped.

"Edward brought me over for dinner. You don't mind, do you?"

The smile on Eleanor’s face froze instantly. She glared at her son.

She could turn a blind eye to his affairs outside, but bringing his mistress into our family home was a direct slap to my face.

"Edward, how dare you—"

I quickly stepped forward, gently rubbing Eleanor's back to calm her.

"Eleanor, please. Your doctor said you must avoid getting stressed. It’s just dinner."

Then, I turned around to face Edward and Chloe.

I forced a polite smile. "Of course we don't mind."

"Mary, please set two more plates."

"Dinner is ready anyway. You two can wash up and join us."

Perhaps my reaction was too calm.

Edward raised an eyebrow in surprise, trying to figure out what game I was playing.

At the dining table, Chloe was beaming. She kept using her fork to feed Edward his favorite dishes, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness.

"Edward, try this. You've been working so hard lately. You need to eat more."

Edward didn't reject her.

Instead, he smirked, picked up a piece of steak, and fed it to her himself.

"You too, baby."

Chloe giggled, accepting the bite.

She cast a smug, provocative glance in my direction.

Eleanor's face was pale with rage. Unable to take it anymore, she slammed her fork down on the table with a sharp clatter.

"I’m full," she snapped, before storming upstairs.

I didn't look up. I just kept eating my food slowly.

My doctor had warned me that my body was severely weakened from all the hormone shots. If I didn't eat well, I might not even survive the abortion surgery next week.

Edward seemed bored by my lifeless reaction.

Seeing his mother leave, he wrapped his arm around Chloe's waist and looked at me coldly.

"Oh, by the way, don't sleep in the master bedroom tonight."

"Chloe and I are using it."

"Go sleep in the guest room on the third floor."

Chloe gasped softly, playfully hitting his chest.

Her cheeks flushed pink as she whined, "Oh, Edward... don't say such things out loud. It's embarrassing..."

I finally looked up. "Sure."

I stood up. "I'm done eating."

The master bedroom or the guest room—it made no difference to me. I just needed sleep. As a pregnant woman, getting rest was my priority.

But my compliance seemed to ignite a sudden, inexplicable fury in Edward. He shoved Chloe aside.

In three strides, he blocked my path.

He grabbed my wrist tightly, his voice rising in anger. "Stop right there!"

"Sarah, who the hell are you rolling your eyes at?"