They Fought Over Everything, but They Agreed on One Thing—Not Me Chapter 04

They Fought Over Everything, but They Agreed on One Thing—Not Me Chapter 04

In an instant, countless thoughts flooded my mind, nearly drowning me.

[Natalie Bennett is insane! Is she really going to kill someone right here?]

[Oh my God. She tried to kill the woman he treasures most. She’s as good as dead.]

…

The noise made my head pound. I was about to look up to see Grant’s reaction when a tremendous force slammed into my abdomen.

Agonizing pain tore through my entire body. My stomach clenched, and when I looked up again, Grant was gripping the rope holding Vivian, visibly shaken.

“Natalie, if you hadn’t gone so far, you wouldn’t have forced me to do that.”

I had gone too far?

I lay facedown on the floor as my abdomen cramped again and again.

Grant, when you kicked me, did you think for even one second about the time the men you owed money to were beating you? I was pregnant, but I still stepped in front of a blow that could have killed you.

I hadn’t even known I was carrying her.

With what little strength I had left, I laughed.

“Grant, we’re done.”

Grant jolted. Before he could answer, a scream rang out from above.

Startled, Vivian lost her footing and dropped until the rope caught her.

Blood began staining the mat below.

Grant went white with panic, lowered her as quickly as he could, and gathered her into his arms. His thoughts poured into my mind.

[Vivian, please. Don’t close your eyes. I can’t lose you.]

Fighting through the pain, I tried to turn over. The moment I moved, something in my lower back shifted with a sickening crack.

Pain ripped through me, and I screamed.

Grant never even looked at me. He carried Vivian away.

After that, I couldn’t remember how I made it back to the hospital. All I remembered were Vivian’s thoughts.

[Natalie, why do you always make trouble for us?]

[You already get to be his official girlfriend. Isn’t that enough?]

I wouldn’t be a problem anymore.

This time, for good, I would step aside and let them have each other.

When I woke, I overheard the doctor telling Grant that my lower-back injury had left me permanently disabled.

My career as an attorney might be over.

The news hit me like a bolt of lightning, leaving me frozen.

Grant couldn’t bring himself to meet my eyes.

“I’m sorry, Natalie. I didn’t realize your back still hadn’t healed.”

“This is my fault. Hate me if you need to.”

I looked at him numbly.

After my back injury six months earlier, Grant had made me soup and brought me medication every day. On rainy nights, the pain became so unbearable that I thought I would die, yet he always cried harder than I did.

“Natalie, bite me if you have to!”

Even when he kicked me, part of me still wanted to believe that his love for me was real.

“I don’t want to see you.”

Grant froze. He looked as though he wanted to say something, but no words came.

Just before he left, I heard his thoughts.

[The truth is, six months ago, I let you fall on purpose.]

I jerked my head up, sending a sharp spasm through my lower back.

[Vivian was pregnant. She was afraid you’d find out, so she had an abortion.]

[I hated you for killing my child. That day, I only wanted to punish you. I never thought it would be this serious…]

Then he left.

I stared blankly at his retreating back, my heart twisting with pain.

Grant, you could go that far for Vivian’s child.

What about the child you had with me? What about me?

Holding back my tears, I called Alexandra Pierce.

“Alexandra, help me.”

Over the next few days, I stopped making scenes about Grant’s affair. I no longer obsessively searched his phone.

I became more and more agreeable. I stopped causing problems for everyone.

Then, on Grant’s birthday, Vivian looked at me with red-rimmed eyes.

“Come on, Natalie. Put up a fight.”

“If you’re not going, then I’m not going anywhere either.”

Grant looked annoyed, but his thoughts said something else.

[Natalie, hurry up and refuse. I’m proposing to Vivian today.]

A proposal on his birthday. How romantic.

I calmly pulled Vivian’s hand away.

“You two should go. I’m tired.”

Grant clearly hadn’t expected me to agree so easily, but he still pretended to be disgusted.

“Like I want to spend my birthday with an idiot.”

Vivian gave a dismissive scoff.

“You think I want to go?”

I smoothed things over between them, just like I always had.

Before leaving, Grant leaned down to kiss my forehead. I turned my head away.

Confusion flickered in his eyes.

“Vivian’s watching.”

Grant stroked my hair with helpless affection.

“Still so shy.”

“Wait for me, Natalie.”

As soon as they were gone, I got out of bed and picked up the discharge papers I had arranged in advance.

I called a cab to the airport, checked in for my flight, boarded the plane, and left.

Grant, I would never burden you again.

…

After his birthday celebration ended, Grant returned to the hospital carrying the ring he had bought in the wrong size.

“Natalie, I’m back. I brought you a gift. You’re going to love it.”

He knocked several times, but no one answered.

Panic set in. As he turned to call for a nurse, one came over and opened the door.

Grant eagerly pulled out the ring, but the moment he looked into the room, the color drained from his face.