Chapter 6 I called Iris. To my surprise, she'd unblocked me. I guess she still valued our years of friendship after all. I told her I wanted to terminate the pregnancy. She was the only person I knew in this city, and I hoped she could come with me. When we met up after all those days, Iris didn't look well. She'd lost weight and seemed troubled by something. She nodded without saying anything and came with me to the clinic. I knew-she'd been tormented by my situation. After I dealt with this ill-timed pregnancy, she helped me find a rental place. 'Alright, call me if you need anything." she wore a baseball cap and mask, like she was afraid of being recognized. Seeing that I had nothing to say, she left in a hurry. My health had been poor ever since I got married-constantly beaten by my mother-in-law, emotionally distressed, and now I'd just gone through an abortion. It took a full two months of recovery before I felt strong enough to leave the house again. During that entire time, not one person from the Vaughn family reached out to me. But I needed to see Callum about getting divorced. The moment I walked through the door, I heard my father-in-law's crude, angry cursing. You stupid old bitch, you killed my grandson, you know that?!" Your worthless life isn't worth enough to make up for it!" Then came dull thumping sounds-the sound of someone being beaten. inda screamed, followed by the sound of something shattering on the ground: He deserved to die! The Vaughn family doesn't deserve to have children!" I couldn't help but cover my stomach, thinking of the child I'd aborted. The door wasn't closed. A neighbor passing by heard the commotion and clicked their tongue: 'Are you a relative of this family? It's quite the mess, I tell you. The previous daughter-in-law got beaten away by that monster of a mother-in-law. Then the son immediately brought home some pregnant woman-rumor has it she was his mistress who got knocked up." "A couple days ago, the old lady was at it again. She deliberately put cold medicine-the kind pregnant women can't have-in the woman's food. The baby had to be aborted..." Chapter The neighbor sighed a few times and went upstairs. I'd heard about it too. Shortly after I left the Vaughn house, Callum had brought home a woman who was already three months pregnant. The Vaughn family doted on this new pregnant woman just like they used to with me-except for Linda, who remained as cold as ever. She treated this woman even worse than she'd treated me. I strongly suspected that if it weren't for the fact that the woman was pregnant and Linda was afraid of killing her, she would've beaten her out of the house on day one. In my memory, my in-laws' relationship had always been harmonious. My father-in-law had been a teacher for twenty years before moving into the education administration. Gentle with family, courteous to outsiders-I'd never seen him act like this toward Linda before. "Bullshit!" SLAP! My father-in-law slapped Linda hard across the face. His face was twisted with rage, all traces of his usual refined demeanor gone: 'I married you because you seemed honest, obedient, and easy to control. But you keep screwing things up for me again and again. That girl Sienna-I saw she was obedient and from out of town. I paid 200 grand to bring her home for my son to marry and have kids with, and you beat her away!" Thank God my son was smart enough to knock up another one. But you? You deliberately tried to kill the Vaughn family heir! You vile woman-if it weren't for the fact that you gave me a son, I would've beaten you to death years ago!" Hearing this, Linda acted like she'd gone insane, throwing everything within reach at my father-in-law. She cried hysterically: 'You lied and tricked me into marrying you-that was bad enough! Now you want to trick more young girls? Your whole family is going to hell!" My father-in-law's face darkened: 'Say one more word and I'll knock your teeth out! Don't forget what I have on you." 'Go ahead and show everyone! Show them all! I've put up with this for so many years-I can't take it anymore! I'm not even afraid of lying, so what else is there to fear?!" Linda cried and cried, then suddenly broke into hysterical laughter. Footsteps thundered. Callum burst into the room from next door, furious. "Dad, beat her to death! You know how much medication I had to take to get that disgusting woman pregnant? How much mental preparation it took? And now my own mother killed my kid!" "What kind of mother is this cold-blooded and heartless?!" Chapter 6 Hearing her own son-the child she'd raised with such difficulty-say these things, Linda's eyes turned bloodshot. Her teeth chattered uncontrollably. "That's right-a demon's spawn will always be a demon's spawn! Gerald Vaughn, I never should have suffered in silence all these years for this cursed child!" "I should've known-the son I carried for ten months has the same filthy blood running through him as you do! He's a demon, a liar!" Linda spat out bloody phlegm, her voice trembling even more: "Your father never told you, did he? Back then he was a respected teacher throughout the region." "And the same man who drugged my water. While I was unconscious, he had another man rape me and took photos to blackmail me with!" "All these years I've kept quiet to save face. I couldn't tell anyone-not even my own siblings think your father is anything but a good man!" "Poor Sienna, that sweet girl-she never did anything wrong, but had to endure my beatings every day. I just wanted her to divorce you quickly and get away from you monsters!" My legs went weak. I nearly collapsed on the floor. Ever since I'd seen what was on Linda's phone that day, I'd guessed at the truth. But I could never understand why Linda never told me directly-why even Callum's uncle and aunt didn't know. Now I understood... she'd had her reasons. ...Dad, she got rid of my son! She beat away the wife we paid 200 grand for! Beat this old hag to death! Otherwise she'll keep sabotaging us!" Callum showed no anger over what had happened to his own mother. Instead, he completely dropped his mask and screamed as he grabbed Linda's throat. 's face turned bright red. She stared helplessly and painfully, as if she couldn't believe the son she'd raised could actually try to his own hands. 11 -.- from the bed and moved to smother it over Linda's face.