He Was Ready To Die Until I Told Him I Was Pregnant Chapter 05

He Was Ready To Die Until I Told Him I Was Pregnant Chapter 05

Martha’s lips curled into a smug little smile.

‘Smart girl…”

I cut her off.

“Actually, you didn’t have to come all this way.”

“You could’ve just called. I would’ve sent flowers and a headstone. Saved everyone the trouble.”

Martha’s face went rigid.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

I held her glare without flinching.

“You know exactly what you did to him.”

“He never pressed charges. That’s more mercy than you deserve. And you show up here asking for money?”

“What do you think would happen if the truth about how you treated him came out?”

“How many years do you think you’d get?”

I watched it hit her. The memory of what she’d done caught up with her in real time.

The color started bleeding out of her face.

“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“There was nothing wrong with how I raised him! You have no proof!”

“His body’s covered in scars you gave him…”

“And I’m sure the old neighbors saw plenty, didn’t they?”

I looked at her with a half-smile.

“You know he’s got money. You think he can’t afford to bring a few of those neighbors into court?”

“Oh, and one more thing. His parents left him an inheritance. That money went through your hands, didn’t it?”

“Where did it go? Because taking a child’s inheritance and spending it on yourself is called embezzlement

and fraud.”

“Stack that on top of the abuse charges, and you’re looking at serious time.”

Martha was shaking now.

“He never came after you because he’s a better person than you deserve.”

“But I’m not him. Show your face here again, and the next conversation you have will be with a lawyer.”

I didn’t blink. I called the nurse over, and we walked Martha out.

Martha didn’t fight it. She stumbled out of the estate without a word, looking like she’d aged ten years in ten minutes.

The living room went quiet. Just Arthur and me.

I glanced over at him. He was still standing there, stunned. I swatted his arm.

“What are you looking at?”

“Your money is for this baby. I’m not letting some random grifter walk off with it.”

“Kids need to grow up knowing what they’re worth. Otherwise they’ll let people take advantage of them.”

Arthur’s gaze drifted to my belly. Something dark flickered in his eyes, old memories, probably. He nodded.

Then he frowned.

“Wait… how did you know all that? About my childhood?”

“I was bluffing.” I shrugged, straight-faced.

“She had ‘terrible person’ written all over her. And you’ve got the scars to prove it. Didn’t take a genius.”

“I just threw out enough to make her sweat.”

Arthur stared at me for a long moment. I couldn’t tell if he bought it, but he let it go.

Things settled down after that.

That peace lasted until month nine, when the contractions started and I was rushed to the hospital.

The delivery went smoothly. As far as childbirth goes, I got off easy.

Thanks to the epidural, I barely felt a thing.

A girl.

Arthur had been pacing outside the entire time.

The second the doctor let him in, he was at my bedside. His eyes swept over my pale, washed-out face, and

something complicated moved behind them.

Like it hurt him to look at me.

“You did amazing.”

I might have been imagining it, but his eyes looked rimmed with red.

I shook my head and started to tell him to go see the baby.

But before I could get the words out, his phone rang.

Eleanor. Julian Vance’s wife.

Arthur hesitated, then picked up.

Her voice came through the speaker, thick with tears.

“Arthur… my husband’s company is in trouble!”

“He needs a massive cash injection to keep it afloat!”

“The only option left is for you to liquidate half your shares to bail him out. That’s the only way to save it.”

“Please, Arthur. I’m begging you.”