My Parents & Friend Aided His Cheating, I Divorced

Chapter 4

But I never expected an incident to occur at the Sterling residence the next day.

Chloe's baby was missing.

When I came downstairs from the second floor, the foyer was filled with kneeling household staff.

Chloe's hair was disheveled. She clutched an empty swaddle blanket and shook as she cried.

My mother held her by the shoulders, comforting her over and over. "Chloe, don't panic. We'll find the baby. You've just given birth—you can't keep crying like this. Your body won't be able to take it."

My father stood nearby, pointing at the nanny as he berated her. "You couldn't even keep an eye on one baby! What is the Sterling family paying you for?"

Ethan stood at the foot of the stairs, his face grim.

"Who saw the baby last?"

The butler lowered his head. "Mrs. Sterling just came downstairs when the nanny realized the baby was gone."

Chloe suddenly looked up and threw herself at Ethan.

"It was Elena! She hates that the baby is named Mia. She must have hidden her elsewhere!"

Ethan looked at me.

His eyes were the same as the day he had sent me to the psychiatric facility.

There was no question in them—only a verdict.

"Elena, where is the baby?"

"I don't know."

"You just came down."

"I went to the bathroom. Someone was stationed outside the door, watching me."

My father rushed over and shoved me hard.

My lower back slammed into the corner of a table. My abdomen seized with pain, and cold sweat instantly broke out across my skin.

But my mother only pointed at me and yelled, "Elena, that's an innocent baby! How could you hurt her?"

I looked up at my mother.

"So is the one I'm carrying."

Her lips parted, and her tears fell even faster.

"We're not ignoring your baby. Your child is still safe, isn't it? Chloe's baby has only just been born. All she wants is for her child to be safe. How can you not understand even that?"

"So that's why you locked me up?"

"That was to make you calm down!" my father roared. "If you hadn't lost control, who would have sent you there?"

At that moment, Sophie walked over.

She held a metal ruler from the study at the Sterling residence.

"Elena, don't force us to do this. Hand over the baby, and Ethan will take you to the hospital. As long as you safely give birth to the child, the Sterling family will still be your home."

I stared at her.

"You went to Mia's grave with me."

Her hand trembled.

"You once said if anyone ever hurt my daughter, you would protect her at all costs."

"I don't have a choice," she said. "This time, you've gone too far."

"You don't believe me either?"

I stopped struggling.

The metal ruler slammed down on the back of my right hand.

A searing pain tore through me. I screamed and clutched my abdomen with my left hand.

Sophie squeezed her eyes shut and struck me again.

A sickening c***k echoed through the foyer.

Ethan stood there, his expression unchanged.

"Continue."

Sophie cried, "Ethan, if she won't tell us, what about the baby?"

"If she refuses to hand the baby over, we'll never find her."

Before the third blow could fall, someone rushed in through the front door.

"The baby's been found!"

One of Ethan's friends rushed inside with the baby in his arms, breathing hard. "The nanny took her to the terrace for some sun. She answered a phone call and forgot the baby was there!"

Chloe ran over and snatched the baby into her arms.

The foyer fell silent.

The metal ruler slipped from Sophie's hand.

My father stood frozen, his lips trembling.

My mother hurried to check my stomach.

"Elena, I was too anxious just now. Let's get your hand treated at the hospital first. Nothing can happen to the baby."

I pushed her away.

"You're not."

She went rigid.

"When you called Chloe's name, you were perfectly clear-headed."

At the sight of my mangled, bloodied right hand, Ethan's face finally changed.

"Get her to the hospital!"

I laughed. "Now you remember I'm pregnant?"

A heavy pain began pulling at my abdomen.

I looked down.

Blood ran down my legs and dripped onto the floor.