"I've never been one to do as I'm told."
"But my appearance has only exacerbated these disputes. They are determined to pull me away from you by any means necessary so that you'll come to your senses." Monica sighed gently and shook her head as she looked down at her stomach, "This approach, however, is rather unseemly… even if it's like hurting the enemy at the expense of oneself, I alone fancy it."
After a lengthy silence, Monica finally spoke again, "Amelia treating me this way is understandable with our entwined interests, but your parents… wouldn't the conflicts they've created and the extremes they'll go to break us apart count as biting off their nose to spite their face?"
"How could they besmirch their own daughter-in-law and their grandson no matter how much they dislike me?"
"I'm sorry." Victor pulled Monica closer, "You've already been burdened with too much because of the Baldwin family."