The hall fell into chaos as gasps and screams erupted.
Summer's mind went blank. Horror and disbelief washed over her. She had barely touched Danica.
'How did this happen?' she thought numbly. 'I didn't do anything…'
Before she could make any sense of what was happening, Gideon burst in. The moment his eyes fell on Danica writhing in pain on the floor, his face drained color.
"Danica!" He rushed to her side.
"Gideon, save my baby," Danica whimpered, stretching her trembling hand toward him.
Gideon clasped her hand but glared at Summer. "What did you do to her?" he thundered.
"Don't scold her," Danica said before Summer could reply. "She didn't push me intentionally."
"What?" Summer was taken aback at Danica's pretension. "I didn't push you. Stop lying."
"You…" Gideon raised his hand to slap her, rage blazing in his eyes. But his hand paused in the air.
Summer's heart leaped to her throat. It was the first time Gideon had ever raised a hand to her. The ache in her heart intensified. Tears threatened to spill over, but she held them back stubbornly.
A hint of guilt flashed in his eyes momentarily, but he masked it quickly before anyone could notice it. "She is pregnant, damn it," he hissed. "How could you have the heart to push her?"
"Gideon, I can't lose this baby," Danica chimed in, grabbing his attention. "It's the only thing I have that connects me to Adrian. Please save my baby."
"I'll take you to the hospital." Gideon picked her up into his arms. But he paused and shot a murderous glare at Summer.
"Pray that the baby survives. Or I don't know what I'll do with you."
Summer reached out to him. "I didn't push her. She fell on her own…"
"Shut up," he roared, cutting her short.
Summer flinched at his loud voice and stepped back instantly.
"Guards," Gideon called out. "Lock her in the basement until I'm back."
With that, he strode out.
Two guards came forward and started hauling her away.
"Leave me alone," Summer cried, struggling against their grip. "You can't do this to me. Gideon…"
Her cries fell on deaf ears. No one stepped up and helped her. The hall full of people watched the guards drag Summer away.
Summer was pushed into a cold, dark room. She fell on the rough floor, her knees and palms scraping against it. She could barely have time to recover from the shock and pain from the fall when the door was slammed shut with a thud.
"Wait," she shouted, springing to her feet and rushing to the door. She desperately twisted the knob, but it wouldn't budge.
"Open the door," she cried, pounding on it with her fist. "Let me out. My daughter might be crying. Let me see her…"
There was no response. All she could hear was the echo of her own voice. Slowly, she sank onto the floor, curling up and hugging her knees. Tears silently slipped down her cheeks.
She couldn't believe Gideon had locked her away like a criminal. He hadn't trusted her, not even given her a chance to explain.
"You don't trust me anymore. You have changed."
She sobbed, and at the same time, she laughed bitterly. She had given seven years of her youth to this man, sacrificed her dream to be a jewelry designer, and worked for him in his office just to be with him. In the end, she had been labelled as a cheater.
"If you are not Hope's father, then who?" she exclaimed in frustration. "Why don't I know anything?"
She had never seen that much hatred in his eyes before. "You believed some fake reports. You couldn't see through Danica's lies. She just acted pitiful and pretended to be a victim, but you blamed me for pushing her, not listening to my side of the story."
The fact that he had chosen to trust Danica over his wife shattered something deep inside Summer. And those humiliating words and scornful looks of the guests added to the pain in her heart.
In just one night, everything had changed. Her dream, her love, her trust – all lay in ruins.
"Why can't you believe me? Can't you give me a chance to explain?"
She put her forehead on her knees, her shoulders shaking with each sob.
The door creaked open.
Summer's head shot up to see Georgea stepping in. "Mom," she cried, rising to her feet. "Please believe me…" She tried to explain, but Georgea didn't give her a chance to speak.
"Leave my son immediately," she said, shoving the divorce agreement onto her.
"Mom, please." Summer grew desperate. "Something is wrong in those reports. Trust me. I didn't cheat on him. Hope is Gideon's daughter."
There was no change in Georgea's expression, not even a flicker of hesitation. With the same stoic face, she said with a chilling tone, "Don't make me force you. If you don't leave peacefully, I'll have to call the guards. And I tell you – you won't like it. Pack your bags and leave."
Summer's gaze hardened. She wouldn't leave until she talked to Gideon. Wiping her tears away, she said defiantly, "I'm not signing any documents until I talk to him."
There was still a faint hope in her heart. She believed Gideon wouldn't let her go. He was angry due to some misunderstandings. Once she explained properly, he would understand and change his mind.
"Tell him to come," she demanded.
"He is not coming back," Georgea said coldly. "He doesn't want to see your face. Stop bothering him."
"I'm his wife," Summer countered, with growing determination. "He loves me. He may be angry with me, but he will never let me go. Once he calms down, he will come back to me. I'll wait for him."
Georgea snorted disdainfully. "Love? Don't flatter yourself. What he felt for you was nothing but infatuation. But that illusion is gone now. Thanks to you. You bewitched him and married him for his money. But once you got everything, you deceived him. You are not worthy of being his wife."
She lifted her chin arrogantly. "Two years ago, he fought me to marry you. But he realized his mistakes now. He no longer wants you. He is getting married next month to the daughter of a wealthy family. You have no comparison with her. Just take that girl of yours and leave this place immediately."
"He is getting married?" Summer refused to believe that Gideon could marry someone else. "No, that can't be true. He won't forget the love between us. It's impossible he will choose someone else."
"Whether you believe it or not, it doesn't matter," Georgea said coldly. "This is his decision. The sooner you accept it, the better."
She held out a black card. "Here. Ten million. This will be enough for you to live comfortably. Take it and leave. Don't appear in front of him."
Summer curled her lips into a smug smile. 'So she wants to get rid of me with ten million. How generous?' she thought, but didn't say out loud.
"And a piece of advice," Georgea continued firmly. "Stay away from him if you want to live. Or you will lose everything."
"Are you threatening me?" Summer asked, narrowing her eyes with disbelief.
Georgea had disliked her at the beginning. But her attitude toward her had changed over time, and she had started treating her well, even loved Hope a lot. That equation had changed all of a sudden. She was now treating her like trash, ready to throw her out.
"You are wise," Georgia said coldly. "You should know what is best for you."
But Summer was also adamant. Her marriage was filled with happiness and love. A few words on the papers couldn't erase the years of devotion. As long as she could explain to him and prove that Hope was his child, he wouldn't break up with her.
"I married him because I loved him, not for his wealth. I don't need this."
"You wench," Georgea snapped, losing her patience. "I offered you an easy way out, but you wouldn't listen. Since you chose to be stubborn, stay locked here. You won't see your daughter's face again."
She stormed out, slamming the door shut behind her.
"Mom, please don't do this. Let me see Hope. Please…" Summer pounded the door harder, her fist aching. But her desperate pleas went unanswered. She broke into sobs, sliding down.
"Hope must be hungry," she murmured between the sobs. "Please bring her to me."