Chapter 3

Isabella's POV

"You filthy homewrecker! How dare you destroy someone else's family!"

Someone shouted the first insult.

Then, as if a match had been thrown into gasoline, the wives of unfaithful men rushed toward me.

Slap after slap landed across my face.

The corners of my mouth split open almost immediately.

Sebastian's expression tightened. He was about to step forward when Vivian suddenly clutched her chest and collapsed to the floor.

"There... there are too many people here. I can't breathe."

One sentence was enough to divert everyone's attention.

My parents panicked.

"Sweetheart, don't scare us! You two, hurry and help Vivian outside!"

Damian looked at me, then at Vivian, whose body was trembling with tears.

His Adam's apple bobbed.

"Isabella, these women have all been hurt by mistresses. They're just taking out their anger on you. You'll be fine."

With that, he rushed toward Vivian.

Sebastian hesitated for a moment before bending down and carrying her away.

The next second, the fists and kicks raining down on me became even heavier.

"You bitch! Did you seduce my husband, too? I'll scratch that disgusting face of yours!"

"Beat her to death! The world would be a better place without another homewrecker!"

I curled into a ball, drenched in cold sweat.

A terrible pain twisted through my abdomen, as though something inside me were being torn apart.

Blood spread beneath my body.

Perhaps even my unborn child knew that this was no place she should ever come into the world.

I suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Every organ in my body seemed to be screaming.

When I finally returned home, my parents were surrounding Vivian, fussing over her.

But the moment they saw me, their expressions darkened.

"Who are you trying to impress with that filthy appearance?"

Damian looked thoroughly irritated.

"Stop acting like a victim. If you hadn't deliberately humiliated Vivian, she wouldn't have had to show everyone our marriage certificate."

"Vivian has always been thinking about your feelings. Just listen to me and apologize to her."

I had just suffered a miscarriage.

Every step felt like walking on broken glass. Even breathing made my body tremble.

I no longer had the strength to argue.

Vivian grabbed my hand, preventing me from pulling away.

"Isabella, how did you get so badly hurt?"

She leaned closer, lowering her voice so only I could hear.

"I've gotten bored with that stupid son of yours. Give me another daughter. I'll have something new to play with."

"If I'm in a good mood, perhaps I'll even let you have her back before I get tired of her."

Something inside me snapped.

I raised my hand and swung at her face.

But before my palm could land—

Slap!

Half my face went numb.

The metallic taste of blood spread through my mouth.

Sebastian stared at me, his eyes colder than ice.

"Have you had enough? You dare bully Vivian in front of all of us? How long are you going to keep behaving like this?"

"Don't bully my mommy!"

My son, Leo, suddenly appeared with a fork in his hand.

Before I could react, he drove it straight into my lower abdomen.

He clearly hadn't expected it to actually pierce my flesh. His face turned pale, but he stubbornly glared at me.

Pain blurred my vision.

Yet the wound hurt less than the realization that my own son had just stabbed me.

"You protect her because you think she's your mother. But what if I told you that I'm your real mother?"

"Shut up!"

My father panicked and hurled the glass in his hand at me.

It shattered against my forehead.

"What nonsense are you talking about?!"

Leo scoffed without the slightest hesitation.

"A killer like you could never be my mother! If you really were, I'd rather die!"

Sebastian coldly took out his phone.

The screen displayed the footage of my assault.

"Isabella, apologize to Vivian for what happened today. Then record a clarification video and post it online. Otherwise..."

I laughed.

Tears streamed down my face.

"There's no need to threaten me anymore. I'll do it."

I reached for the phone, tapped the screen, and pressed send.

Sebastian froze.

Before he could understand what I had done, I turned and climbed onto the windowsill.

Behind me, my parents finally panicked.

"Isabella! What are you doing? This is the sixteenth floor! Stop being ridiculous!"

Damian's expression changed.

"We won't send the daughter away anymore! We'll raise her ourselves, okay? Just don't scare us!"

I shook my head.

There would be no daughter.

Sebastian, however, still refused to believe me.

"How many times have you fooled us already? You're just threatening us with suicide because you know we care about you!"

"Isabella, don't think you can scare me! You wouldn't dare jump. Get down here!"

"No matter what you do today, you're still going to apologize to Vivian!"

Cold wind rushed through the open window, making my dress flutter.

Just then, the system's voice sounded in my head.

[Host, your time is up. You may leave now.]

I looked at them with empty eyes and smiled faintly.

"If sacrificing my two children and six years of my life still isn't enough to atone for my supposed sins, then I'll give her my life, too."

The moment their faces turned deathly pale and they rushed toward me, I let go.

And fell backward into the darkness.