Chapter 4

Early the next morning, the living room had been decorated for a birthday party.

I had just stepped out of the master bedroom.

"Julia, try the cake the three of us made ourselves!"

Sienna came toward me holding a plate.

"I'm not eating that."

"Oh, Julia, don't be so polite with us!"

She took a step forward, and the cake suddenly tipped.

Sickly-sweet frosting mixed with peanut butter smeared all over my face.

Allergic to peanuts, I instinctively wiped at my face.

Sienna let out a scream.

Her whole body tipped backward, and she toppled down the stairs.

"Julia, why did you push me?"

I froze where I stood, my nose so clogged with peanut butter I couldn't breathe.

"Julia!"

"Why did you push Sienna?!"

Violet shoved me aside, rushed down the stairs, and crouched to help Sienna up.

Sebastian swept Sienna into his arms and asked urgently,

"Are you hurt? It's my fault for not protecting you."

The scene was all too familiar.

Years ago, after my first accidental miscarriage,

he had held me just like that, covered in blood, his voice breaking with every word:

"Are you hurt? It's all my fault for not protecting you!"

The same words, the same man.

Only now, the person Sebastian loved was no longer me.

Sebastian looked at the cake on the floor, and his face darkened.

"I can't just stand by and watch you keep doing such vicious things!"

Again.

Once again, he hadn't listened to my explanation before deciding I had set them up on purpose.

My eyes stung red.

"It wasn't me..."

A flicker of hesitation crossed Sebastian's eyes.

The next second, Sienna looked at the smashed cake, tears welling in her eyes.

"It's not Julia's fault. I didn't hold the cake steady. What a waste..."

Something vicious flashed in Ivy's eyes.

"Sienna got up early to make that cake with her own hands. We can't let it go to waste!"

"Why don't we have Julia eat what's on the floor?"

My voice shook.

"Are you all insane?!"

I instinctively looked at Sebastian and said quickly,

"Sebastian, I'm allergic to peanuts!"

Sebastian strode over and grabbed my chin.

"Julia, it's just a little peanut butter. You're not that fragile."

He picked up the dusty peanut cake from the floor and forced it into my mouth.

"Today is Sienna's birthday. She made this cake especially as a surprise for us."

"You can't throw her kindness back in her face."

Cake mixed with peanut butter was shoved down my throat.

I struggled with everything I had, but I couldn't break his grip.

A crushing sense of suffocation rose up, and my throat began to swell.

Breathing grew hard, and red hives broke out all over my body.

"You bastard, let go of me!"

With every ounce of strength I had, I crawled to the drawer and pulled it open.

It was full of Sienna's makeup.

"Where's... my allergy medicine?"

Sebastian was about to step forward.

Violet and Ivy covered their mouths and laughed:

"Aren't you being a little dramatic?"

"That's not how you fake a peanut allergy. I was allergic to mangoes as a kid and nothing ever happened to me."

I was in so much pain my voice had changed, my hand pressed to my chest.

"Sebastian, I can't breathe."

The pity in Sebastian's eyes gave way to anger.

Then he looked down at me in my wretched state and said with disgust:

"Why is it that you can't breathe right now, of all times? How did I never notice before how much you love to put on a show?"

The anger and suspicion in his eyes jolted me.

Back when I had accidentally eaten a peanut cake Sebastian gave me and almost died from the allergy,

he had been so panicked he cried, his eyes full of heartache.

"Why are you suffering like this? Julia, what do I do?"

But now, he probably wished he could watch me suffocate to death with his own eyes.

I collapsed on the floor, my throat burning as if it were on fire.

Just then, Violet and Ivy cried out.

"Sebastian, Sienna's bleeding!"

Sebastian frantically swept her up into his arms and left without even stopping to close the door.

I watched their backs as they went.

The last trace of warmth in my heart turned to hatred.

The terrified housekeeper rummaged through my bag before she finally found my backup allergy medicine.

That night, holding on with the last of my strength, I sold the marital home at the lowest price.

Then I dragged my suitcase onto the plane without looking back.