Wendy swung back with a slap of her own. "You hit me? You think I'm a pushover? Those three slaps, I'll pay you back double!"
She was about to strike again when footsteps sounded outside the door.
Wendy froze. In one swift motion, she pulled back her hand, scooped the baby out of the bassinet, dropped him onto the floor from a low height, then threw herself down beside him, wailing as if her heart had been ripped out.
The baby's cries tangled with hers, filling the room.
Joy clutched her sinking belly, unable to believe what she'd just seen. The baby had only just been born, and Wendy had the heart to throw him on the ground?
"I'm sorry, Joy, I was wrong! I won't dare dream of marrying Ceddy anymore. I'll take my baby and leave, far, far away. Please, just stop hurting us!"
"What are
