Chapter 2

"Zach, you think I'm not attractive enough for you? Why didn't you say so before?"

The marble instantly shattered into a fragmented pattern.

Blood dripped down my hand, one drop at a time.

Seraphina had perhaps never seen me this furious before. She let out a startled yelp and plopped down on the floor.

Her hand instinctively covered her lower abdomen.

I glared at her hand protecting her belly and let out a cold laugh.

"Seraphina, how could you? How dare you humiliate me like this?"

Just as Seraphina was about to explain, a gust of wind blew in as someone burst through the doorway.

A fist connected with my face.

"You bastard, how dare you touch my darling. You're asking for death."

With that, a kick sent me sprawling to the ground. The attacker straddled me, raining down punches like a storm.

A metallic taste filled my mouth as warm blood trickled into my eyes, blurring my vision.

Seraphina's anxious voice rang out,

"Langdon, stop! Please stop! You'll kill him!"

After a moment, Langdon halted his assault. He spat in my face,

"Han, you're nothing but a dog the Shaw family kept. They fed you a few good meals and you forgot what you really are."You little good-for-nothing, gutless freak. How dare you give Seraphina attitude? If the Shaw family wasn't supporting your sorry ass, you'd be out there begging like a stray dog."

Seraphina quickly intervened, "Alright, alright, that's enough."

"Langdon, my stomach doesn't feel right. Let's go to the hospital to check it out."

Langdon immediately tensed up, "Sis, where does it hurt? Is the baby okay, sweetheart?"

"I'll take you to the hospital right away. Don't worry."

Langdon scooped Seraphina up in his arms, and they swiftly vanished from the living room. Not a single glance was spared in my direction.

I lay gasping on the floor for what seemed like ages before crawling to the coffee table and reaching for my phone to dial 911.

At the hospital, after a series of examinations, it was determined that two of my ribs were broken, my left eye was severely bleeding, and I'd lost a tooth.

Lying on the hospital bed, staring at the stark white ceiling, I pondered for a long while before dialing the police.

Within ten minutes, Seraphina burst in, her face flushed with anger, Langdon hot on her heels.

"Sis, please calm down. Think of the baby," Langdon pleaded.

"Stop begging him. So what if he goes to jail? If he dares to bully you again, I'll beat him within an inch of his life."Seraphina glared at me furiously.

"Rylan, how can you be so despicable? Do you really need to ruin Langdon to be happy?"

"It was just a few hits, wasn't it? He was just worried and cared too much about me. How could you call the police?"

"Take back that police report right now. I'm warning you, if this gets out and affects Langdon's reputation, I won't let you off the hook."

I stared coldly at the enraged Seraphina. From the moment she entered, she hadn't asked a single question about my injuries. My head was wrapped in thick bandages, but she didn't show an ounce of concern. All she cared about was how this might impact her boy toy's reputation.

So, she truly doesn't love me. In that moment, a wave of desolation washed over me.

Ten years of devotion, all wasted. I might as well have been blind, feeding it all to the dogs.

"Seraphina, what right do you have to demand I withdraw the police report? Who are you to me? Why should I listen to you?"

I fixed my icy gaze on Seraphina. Betraying her husband, teaming up with her lover to put her own spouse in the hospital - how could she have the audacity to point at me and make demands?

Seraphina was taken aback for a moment. Then, flushed with embarrassment and anger, she burst out,

"Rylan, are you even speaking like a human being? We've been married for ten years, and you dare ask who I am to you? Do you have any conscience left?"I smiled coldly. So she did remember we'd been married for ten years.

"Then tell me, what are you to me? My darling?"

Seraphina paused, then said irritably,

"I've already explained to you. I just wanted to have an exceptional child. Why can't you understand that? Why do you have to be so petty and nitpicky?"

"Then explain to me, what's the deal with our marriage certificate?"

Seraphina's face darkened,