"Gideon, how heartless can you be? You separated me from my child.
Summer could hardly believe the man who once loved her so much had been treating her cruelly. She still remembered the day Hope was born.
Gideon had been so happy and emotional that tears had spilled out of his eyes. 'You gave me the most precious gift in the world.' Those were his words.
Hope had been the apple of his eye, the light of his life.
What on earth had happened that he had refused to accept his own child?
Summer was accustomed to seeing love and warmth in his eyes. But tonight, all she had witnessed was despair, resentment, and disgust.
"I don't believe he wants us out of his life. He can't marry someone else out of spite. I have to talk to him. And I'll never sign the divorce agreement."
She curled into the corner of the room, clutching to the faint hope that Gideon would come and take her out.
The door opened again when she almost dozed off from exhaustion. She bolted upright, her eyes falling on Gideon's tall frame.
The man's eyes were bloodshot, his hair messy, and fury etched all over his face. Something in his expression made her heart clench in dread.
"You," he muttered hoarsely, scrunching up his face in rage. "Are you satisfied now?" He stepped toward her. "She was five months pregnant. And the baby is gone now. It's all because of you."
Summer's blood turned cold. 'Danica miscarried?' her mind screamed in shock.
She had never imagined in her wildest dream that Danica could go so far. To frame her and make her look bad in front of Gideon's eyes, that woman hadn't even hesitated to harm her own child.
"Gideon," she started cautiously. "She is lying. I barely touched her, let alone pushed her. Please believe me."
"It's you who are lying," he thundered. "You pushed her down. Everyone saw it. But you still refused to accept your mistake. You are such a disappointment."
Summer opened her mouth, trying to explain.
"I thought you were a kind woman," he added fiercely. "But I never imagined you'd turn into such a deceitful person. When did you become like this?"
"I didn't…"
"You pushed her," he barked even louder and interrupted her, "She was only trying to help you, defend you, and stop those who were judging you. But you…"
He reached out and grabbed her throat. "You repaid her by hurting her. You are heartless to push down a pregnant woman."
Summer clawed at his hand as she struggled for air. "It's not me," she said desperately. "She hurt herself. I don't know why, but she did that. Please believe me."
Her words only irked him. She had clearly made an unforgivable mistake. Shouldn't she be begging for forgiveness? Instead, she was still lying, pretending to be innocent.
He tightened his grip.
"My brother is like that, lying in a coma," he thundered, his patience snapping. "And his baby is gone now. Danica is drowning in grief. She couldn't stop crying. Now tell me, how are you going to repay her?"
Summer's chest heaved. She had hoped he would listen to her as long as she explained. But he didn't trust her at all.
"I am your wife, yet you chose to trust that vile woman over me." Summer wondered whether it was the same man she had fallen in love with. She stopped struggling. "You've already believed I'm guilty. What is the point of explaining? If you think my life can repay her loss, take it away. I won't fight you."
His fury only intensified. He had expected her to say sorry and beg for mercy, but instead, she kept acting adamantly. If she had admitted her mistakes, he might have talked to Danica and found a way to make things right.
But Summer wouldn't say sorry. She would rather accept the punishment.
He pushed her down, his frustration boiling over.
"Dead will be easy for you," he grunted. "You'll live and suffer until you realize the weight of your sin." He turned away, his back stiff. "From now on, you will be locked here. You are not allowed to see your daughter."
With that, he left.
"No, Gideon. Don't do this. Hope is just a baby. She needs me. Please."
But Gideon locked the door and left without listening to her pleas.
~~~~~~~~~
Seven days had slipped by. Summer was still locked inside the cold and dark room. Gideon hadn't appeared since that night. Georgea didn't show up either. Only the middle-aged butler appeared twice a day to bring her food.
Every time he came, Summer pleaded with him to let her meet her daughter, but he stayed silent, unmoved. She finally realized no one was going to help her. She had to find a way to escape.
That day, when the butler appeared with her meal, she suddenly flung the plate across the room, shattering it into pieces and scattering the food all over.
"I won't eat until I see my daughter," she said. "Bring her to me. I need to check if she is okay."
The man looked at her coldly. "Stop throwing tantrums. You are no longer Mrs. Woods."
Summer sneered. "As long as I don't sign the divorce papers, I'm still Gideon's legal wife, the hostess of the house."
As she spoke, she took a step toward him and carefully stood right beside a broken piece of porcelain, hiding it under her long gown.
"It doesn't matter," the butler said. "The divorce will go through anyway. The whole city knows about your betrayal. It's just a matter of time before you will be finally kicked out for good. Right now, everyone in the family is busy preparing for Mr. Woods' marriage. Once the date is finalized, your chapter will be closed."
He bent down and started picking up the shards of porcelain.
Summer no longer cared about who Gideon was getting married to. All she wanted was to take Hope and run away forever. When she saw he was distracted, she picked up the broken piece she had hidden under her dress and swung her arm toward the man, slashing his face.
"Ugh," the butler winced, clutching his bleeding cheek.
Summer shoved him hard before he could recover, sending him stumbling backward. Without looking behind, she bolted out of the room and slammed the door shut, securing the latch from outside before hurrying down the hallway.
"Open the door, you witch." The butler's furious voice echoed behind her, but she didn't stop.
She ran straight toward her room with one intention – pick up Hope and leave this place. But things were not as smooth as she thought.
Hope wasn't there. Panic seized her heart.
"Where is my baby?"
She dashed out, frantically searching every corner of the house. But the house was empty. There was no sign of her daughter. Desperate and terrified, she started crying loudly as she rushed from room to room.
"Stop shouting." A familiar voice made her freeze.
Summer pivoted and saw Danica.
"Oh!" Danica made a face, covering her nose. "You smell like sewage."
"You?" Summer's eyes burned with fury. "You framed me, lied to Gideon. Tell me, is it you who faked those paternity reports?"
Danica snorted, standing smugly in front of her. "You cheated on Gideon and killed my child. Everyone knows about it. Don't shift your blame onto me."
Summer clenched her fists. "There is no one in the house. Drop the act and admit what you did."
"Hah," Danica chuckled, folding her arms. "Yes, you didn't push me. I fell on my own."
She didn't lie this time, nor did she try to act pitiful. She finally showed her vile nature openly.
"But can you prove it? Will he believe you?" Danica gave her a challenging look. "He believes whatever I say. To him, you are the murderer of his brother's child. He has nothing but hatred for you in his heart."