Tears fell before I could stop them, hitting the floor one drop at a time.
Was the pain really only on the skin?
I took a deep breath and slid the bracelet onto Heidi’s wrist.
I even kept a gentle, dignified smile on my face.
“May the child you’re carrying stay healthy and safe.”
The moment I said this, Caleb actually gave me a look he believed was “appreciation.”
“Julia, as long as you behave, my child will be your child.”
Utterly absurd.
Before his words had even settled, the bracelet on Heidi’s wrist suddenly slipped off and hit the floor with a sharp crack.
Fragments scattered across the tiles like powdered glass.
A piece of it scraped her leg, drawing a thin line of blood.
Caleb rushed to her instantly, moving as though he were saving her life, scooping her into his arms like she was made of fragile glass.
He shouted at the butler, voice fierce with panic.
“What are you standing there for? Call the family doctor! Now!”
His urgency made everyone in the living room look at me with mocking eyes, as if I were the one who caused all of this.
To be honest, I almost laughed.
Heidi’s voice was soft as a breeze, laced with deliberate trembling.