The Wedding He Stole From Me

Chapter 4 Cruel Challenge

Hector reacted exactly the same way. The instant he spotted Bianca, he stepped forward without thinking and placed himself squarely in front of Christina, shielding her completely.

His friends froze mid-conversation, all eyes turning toward the sudden tension.

For a brief moment, Christina suddenly felt as if she were the mistress caught by the wife, someone shameful who did not even deserve to stand in the open.

And the truth stung even more. Hector and Bianca were a legally married couple. She was nothing more than the woman he kept hidden on the side.

Yet Bianca did not fly into a rage like before. Instead, she put on a gracious smile and said, "Ms. Clayton, it was wrong of me to take Hector away back then. I know you've never stopped thinking about him. Don't worry, I'm not that petty. I won't hurt you. You're welcome to stay by his side tonight."

Christina forced a tight smile, but no words could leave her lips.

Hector noticed and gently led her to a quiet corner. He ordered a plate of her favorite fresh fruit and a glass of warm milk, just the way she liked it.

But the sight of the food turned her stomach. She had no appetite at all.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted on Bianca's side of the room. Hector's head snapped in that direction almost instantly.

Bianca seemed to have been provoked by something. She grabbed a bottle of strong liquor and tried to pour it straight down her throat.

Hector's friends quickly grabbed her wrist. "Bianca, you can't drink! Have you forgotten you're pregnant?"

"Back off. I'll drink if I want to. No one here gets to tell me what to do."

"Come on, Bianca, don't put us in this spot. Hector just warned us—if you touch a single drop tonight, he'll have our heads."

Bianca gave a cold snort and raised her voice so the whole room could hear. "You all know I'm Hector's wife, yet you still bring that homewrecker around. Next time I see her at any of your little parties, I swear I'll make sure Hector's child never makes it out of my belly alive!"

Christina knew the word "homewrecker" was aimed straight at her. She also caught the flicker of raw panic that crossed Hector's eyes the moment Bianca threatened their baby.

A bitter smile tugged at her lips. She signed to him, "So your wife is pregnant. Congratulations."

Hector frowned, his tone firm. "She's only saying that to upset you. Don't take it seriously."

His face stayed perfectly calm, as though the words meant nothing.

If Christina had not seen the truth with her own eyes at the clinic, she might have believed him again.

For the rest of the evening, Hector sat beside her, yet his gaze kept drifting back to Bianca. Every time another man leaned too close to his wife, a spark of jealousy flashed in his eyes.

Christina noticed every single glance. Watching the man she once loved look at someone else with that same intensity tore at her heart like fresh wounds.

She felt like nothing more than an obstacle in their marriage. Quietly, she made an excuse, slipped out of the private room, and walked to the poolside for some fresh air.

The moment she turned, Bianca stood right in front of her.

Bianca's eyes burned with pure challenge. She tilted her chin toward the dark water and asked with a mocking smile, "Ever since I got pregnant with Hector's child, he's been spoiling me rotten. If I pushed you in right now, do you think he would still care about you the way he used to?"

Before Christina could react, Bianca lunged forward and shoved her hard into the pool.