Chapter 4

My vision went black, and I instantly fell to my knees.

Sweat pouring down my face, I braced myself on the floor and looked up. Just a yard away, Liam had scooped Zara into his arms, his posture tender and doting.

Zara's face was flushed, well-cared for by Liam; there was no sign of pain.

Hearing the thud as I fell, Liam frowned. "Are you trying to fake an injury to frame Zara, planning to blame her first?"

Mrs. Hayes let out a snicker.

I wanted to laugh too.

I, a young lady cherished by my father, how did I let this marriage degrade me so?

I bit my lip, bracing myself against the door frame, slowly rising to my feet.

Mrs. Hayes watched with cold eyes.

"Zara has a gentle nature. She suits Liam well."

"Indeed," I nodded, gasping, "A family that relies on my Kingston family's money to recover but shows no gratitude, only deserves a cheap trick you could buy for a few bucks, someone only fit to be *your* kind of daughter-in-law."

"Silence!"

Liam took two steps forward, his voice sharp. Zara hooked her foot, using the forward momentum to kick me hard.

I swayed, stumbling several times, clutching the door frame to avoid falling again.

My lower abdomen ached fiercely, and the footprint on my chest hurt just as much.

I stared blankly at the gray mark; it was like a brand of humiliation, completely shattering this marriage.

Liam had lost his composure, a rare sight.

Unfortunately, it was all for a woman who worked in a shady massage parlor.

I had investigated. It was this low-class woman who made Liam anxious, worried, and impulsive.

And now, she was even riding high, using his influence to walk all over me.

I slowly raised my gaze, cold sweat running into my eyes, blurring Liam's face. He looked nothing like the man who once made my heart pound.

Perhaps, both of them were now unrecognizable.

"Go clean yourself up before you come down. I married a lady, not a lunatic." Liam said flatly.

"Liam Hayes," I tilted my head and smiled, "Why didn't you just die?"

I lunged forward, plunging the utility knife in my hand into his chest.

This was the second time he'd been stabbed, and it took Liam a long time to react.

His parents wrestled me away, but he just stared blankly into my eyes, his voice unsteady:

"You… you really want me dead?"

My eyes were bloodshot. The "yes" caught in my throat was cut off by Mrs. Hayes's shriek.

"She's bleeding so much!"

Everyone looked in the direction I was pointing—a large patch of crimson had spread across my dress, darkest at my upper thigh.

"Aria!"

Liam, oblivious to his own wound, shot up and rushed over, embracing me. His voice held a panic I'd never heard before.

"What's wrong with you? You… get the car! Get the car!"

My eyes had lost focus, but my hand gripped the hallway railing tightly, refusing to let go. My voice was barely a whisper: "Bodyguard… take me, take me to the hospital… bodyguard… housekeeper…"

"I'll take you! You'll be fine, you'll be fine…"

Liam fumbled to pry my hand off, but couldn't.

"I don't believe you!" I suddenly shrieked, "You wouldn't be that kind! You've never cared about me… you wouldn't… Bodyguard! Bodyguard! Help me!"

Only when I clasped Chloe's hand did I finally faint.

Liam carried me, running all the way to the car, his hand gently cradling my head.

Over the years, he was used to me glaring at him, always ready for a fight.

He had never seen me so frail.

Sweat and blood soaked me through. My once taut bowstring had withered into a thin piece of wood, ready to snap with a slight squeeze.

Liam pressed his face against my cold one, repeating "You'll be fine," "You'll be fine"…

I didn't know if he was saying it to me, or to himself.

I woke up when it was dark.

"Miss Kingston, how do you feel? Should I call the doctor?" Chloe rushed forward to ask.

Only Mason and she were in the room.

"Where's Liam?" My voice was faint.

"Zara Miller… was hospitalized. Mr. Hayes went to the room next door an hour ago."

She paused, then continued, "Your father called. I told him you were out with friends."

"Good job."

I took out my phone, found a video I always kept in my album, and sent it to my father—a clip of me drinking at a bar, to reassure him.

Exiting the chat, I saw a new friend request.

As soon as I accepted it, "Zara" sent a flurry of pictures.

'The day I miscarried, Liam stayed by my bedside the whole time, just like this, sleeping slumped over.'

'That night, I called him, heartbroken about losing the baby. He came right away to comfort me, still in his hospital gown.'

'Just now, I said my stomach felt uncomfortable, and he fed me porridge and peeled fruit. Miss Kingston, do you know how skilled your husband is at peeling fruit with a knife?'

I looked at the photo of the perfectly peeled apple skin, thin and even, showing his excellent knife work.

*No, I don't,* I thought.

'It's fine if you look down on me, Miss Kingston. Liam looking up to me is enough. Seeing you almost die from a hemorrhage is pretty pitiful, so I told Liam to come check on you.'

A minute later, Liam indeed came into the room.

He looked at me, his deep eyes holding an emotion I couldn't decipher.

Just then, the attending physician came in. Liam asked, "Why did Aria… hemorrhage so badly?"

The doctor looked at him in surprise.

Just as he was about to say, "After her miscarriage, she didn't recover properly,"

I spoke, cutting him off.

"I know my own body, no need to ask."