Married to My Baby's Killer - Chapter 5: Chapter 5

"Stop with the pathetic look. You're just looking for someone to blame, aren't you? Well, if you need a target, blame yourself for being worthless! Of course your children were destined to be my nourishment—what else could you expect from a mother as weak as you?"
I couldn't take it anymore. My hand shot out, aiming for Estelle's face.
Smack!
But the slap never connected. Vincent moved like lightning, pulling Estelle behind him and taking the blow himself.
He shoved me hard, sending me crashing to the ground, his voice seething with fury. "Judith Blair, have you lost your mind?!"
Estelle burst into tears, clinging to him. "Vince, I was just trying to comfort Jude! I told her not to grieve over losing her baby, but she—she got so jealous that I'm pregnant instead! She accused me of stealing her future as Mrs. CEO and tried to take it all out on me! I only pushed her to defend myself—it wasn't on purpose! I apologized, but she screamed that I should lose my baby and then went to hit me!"
Before I could even open my mouth, Vincent's disgusted glare cut me off. "Judith, I never took you for such a petty woman. If you couldn't carry your child, that's on your own body. Don't take it out on Elle after all she's done for you. Stop coveting what was never yours—apologize to her."
Incapable?
A bitter laugh rose in my throat. The longer I stared at him, the more he felt like a stranger. "Vincent, tell me—what did you do with the remains of my babies?"
His brow furrowed. "I buried them properly, of course. Didn't I tell you that?"
The man deserved an Oscar.
"You're right, Vincent. I shouldn't envy what was never mine." My voice was eerily calm. "Don't worry—I won't fight Estelle anymore."
Without another glance at either of them, I turned and walked away.
Behind me, I heard Vincent's sharp inhale—like he wanted to call me back—but Estelle's whimper cut him off.
"Vince, I feel sick… It must be from the leftovers she dumped on me earlier. Can you take me home?"
A beat of hesitation. Then silence.
He didn't follow me.
Back at home, I gathered every single thing Vincent had ever given me and fed it to the flames. When I pulled out our marriage certificate, my phone buzzed—a WeTalk notification.
[Judith, the moment I told Vince I felt nauseous, he summoned the top obstetricians in the country. If any of them were overseas? He said he'd fly them back on a private jet. Aren't you dying of jealousy?]
I didn't reply. Instead, I watched as the marriage certificate curled black in the fire, crumbling to ash.
It didn't matter if Vincent saw. I already knew—he wasn't coming home tonight.
Right on cue, my phone rang.
"Jude, Elle's having pregnancy complications. Ken's not around, and as her brother-in-law, I have to step in. Don't be upset."
I thought of the photo Estelle had sent earlier—her smug smile as she bit into fruit Vincent had hand-cut for her. Not a trace of illness in sight.
"Of course," I said smoothly. "A pregnant woman's health comes first. Take good care of her."
A pause. Then, softer: "Jude… I didn't mean to be harsh earlier. I know you're hurting after losing our baby. But Elle's carrying the Long family's bloodline—something we couldn't do. If anything happens to her, Mom and Dad would never recover."
I almost laughed. The excuses just kept coming.
"Get some rest," he added, tone shifting. "Tomorrow's your birthday. I booked the best hotel, and I've got a surprise for you. I'll pick you up in the morning."
By noon the next day, Vincent still hadn't shown.