Stumbling, I left that blood-soaked room behind.
For a while, we lived apart in uneasy silence.
He still protected the girl so carefully that I couldn't uncover a single trace.
But youth was impatient. Penelope eventually came to me herself.
"Have you been looking for him lately? Let me save you the trouble—he's with me."
She was dressed in haute couture, her expression smug. "You thought getting rid of my child solved everything?"
She leaned closer, a smirk curling her lips. "As long as his love belongs to me, it doesn't matter how many children I lose. He'll only love me more because of it. In fact, he's been trying even harder lately. I should thank you, sister, for helping me."
Her plunging blouse revealed a flawless neck and the swell of her chest—marred by countless kiss marks, flaunting how completely Derek had adored her.
She pressed a hand to her still-flat belly, pride radiating from her. "Too bad. I'm pregnant again."
I calmly sipped my coffee as she made herself comfortable on my custom-made sofa, resting her chin in her hands.
"They say you've been married for three years and still haven't given him a child. The one time you did..." She chuckled.