Chapter 2

2

"Mr. Collins, Jade is about to marry into the Evans family, so serving me is her duty! Besides, I got pregnant purely for her sake! If your daughter hadn't refused to carry a child, would I have risked my life having another one at my age?"

"I refuse to let my brother end up with no heirs just because he married your daughter!"

Every single word coming out of her mouth was venomous.

She clearly thought she had me trapped and had no need to hide her arrogant behavior anymore.

Before the engagement, the Evans family acted sweet and polite toward my dad, but now they showed zero respect.

I wasn't an unreasonable person.

If she had come to me respectfully to discuss things, I might have offered some help.

Now, this was pure emotional blackmail and bullying.

Looking at her smug face, I scoffed inwardly.

Zach and I had been together for four years since college, and getting married seemed like the natural next step.

Six months ago, our parents met and happily fixed the wedding date.

Everything went smoothly back then, yet right before the finish line, she pulled this stunt.

My dad had a short temper, and Sharon's brazen insolence made his blood pressure skyrocket.

Before I could grab him, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed straight to the floor.

"Dad! Dad!"

My hands trembled violently as I knelt beside him.

Sharon didn't offer a hand; instead, she grabbed my arm and tried to drag me toward the door.

"Walk me down the stairs first! I don't want your dad's bad luck rubbing off on me!"

"I'm pregnant, you know! If anything happens to my baby, your family will pay―"

"Shut the hell up!"

I reached for my phone to dial 911, but she slapped it out of my hand.

Staring at my unconscious father on the floor, an overwhelming wave of hatred for this pregnant woman surged inside me.

"You barged into my house uninvited, so find your own damn way out!"

"If anything happens to my father today, I swear I'll make you regret ever being born!"

No one in the Collins family was a pushover.

I rushed my dad to the emergency room, and my mom arrived shortly after.

Both of my parents worked in public administration.

My dad was supposed to have the day off to accompany me to my bridal fitting, only for Sharon to ruin everything.

"What happened?" my mom asked in a panicked voice.

I didn't even know where to begin before the doctor emerged from the exam room.

His blood pressure was stabilized, but an ultrasound detected an abnormal shadow in his abdomen that required further testing.

"Further testing? Why? Is it that serious?"

My chest tightened so hard I could barely breathe.

The doctor quickly reassured us: "It's too early to jump to conclusions. The worst-case scenario is a malignant tumor, but it could be benign. Let's run the tests first."

The word "tumor" hit my mom like a sledgehammer, making her stumble backward.

All our focus was on my dad's health; Zach and his family were the last things on my mind.