"I knew it! My gut feeling was right! You're pregnant, you shameless woman!" Victor's hands tightened around her throat, forcing her back against the cold wall with a jarring impact.
Julia struggled to breathe. A sharp pain shot through her, and she feared new bruises would form. Days had slipped by since her conversation with her mother. The idea of ending her pregnancy vanished with her mother's desperate pleas. Guilt gnawed at her heart, and pity swelled inside. She understood her child wasn't to blame for her suffering.
Though that procedure was allowed in their country, both she and her mother held traditional views. Without Victor's influence, she never wanted to consider such a fate for her innocent baby.
But the thought of telling Victor paralyzed her with fear. Daily, she whispered prayers for the strength to speak up, yet each attempt left her feeling more frightened and defeated.
Then it happened—her biggest fear came true. Victor discovered her hunched over the toilet, retching violently. Anyone could see she was behaving like a pregnant woman. Her face had lost all color, and she felt sick to her core. Once, she had never experienced such nausea, but vomiting had become her daily routine. She now turned away from foods she once loved, whispers from the housemaids likely reaching Victor's ears.
In that moment, she realized there was no escape. The truth was painfully clear—her husband knew she carried another man's child within her.
"V-Victor… p-please stop! I can't breathe…!" She grasped his hand tightly, praying he would show mercy.
His eyes blazed with fury, wild and unrestrained. "I'll take away your chance to breathe! You disgusting woman, you whore! And you really let another man get you pregnant?!" His face was bright red, pulsing with raw emotion.
She recognized the source of Victor's rage. Yet, pity seeped into her own heart, for herself and her unborn child. They were all trapped in this web of despair.
"V-Victor, deep down, you know that's not true. I've never betrayed you. There is no other man; I never cheated on you. You know what that syndicate did to me. With your wealth, you could uncover the truth… but why can't you do it? Why… won't you seek justice for me…?" she pleaded, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Victor's fingers slowly slipped from her throat, and she quickly stumbled back, clutching her neck. The memory of his grip lingered, making her feel as if his hands were still wrapped around her.
"I'm not stupid, Julia. I know that syndicate hurt you. What I can't accept is why you let yourself ruined. Why didn't you just choose to die?" His tone was eerily calm, a sharp contrast to his previous rage.
Fresh tears streamed down her face. Why couldn't Victor see her side? "I've told you million times, I don't want to die! Is that so hard for you to understand? I get why others might choose that, but I'm different. I want to be with my loved ones, especially you. I still want to be in your side. I want to be your wife. Please, Victor, I need you to understand," her voice trembled, heavy with fatigue and desperation.
He nodded slowly. "It's hard, but I'll make an effort to understand."
A spark of hope lit up her features. "But there's one condition," he stated, his expression suddenly serious.
A flutter of anxiety twisted in her stomach, but she needed to know. "W-What is it?"
"I don't want that child inside you. If you truly want us to reconcile, if you want my forgiveness, you cannot keep that baby!" he shouted, his voice booming in the large room, bouncing off the walls.
She silently thanked her luck for the soundproof walls; otherwise, the housemaids would have overheard their explosive argument.
Confusion washed over her. Deep down, she knew her fears were justified; Victor would never accept her child. Her mother's warnings echoed in her mind. Yet she didn't want to be a bad mother.
"I can't kill the baby inside me, Victor. Please think! It's not the child's fault. This baby is innocent," she pleaded, wrapping her arms around her stomach as if shielding it from his anger.
Smoke seemed to curl from his nostrils in his fury. She noticed the pulsing veins in his neck, a clear sign of his rising rage. "If you can't do that, don't expect my forgiveness. Don't think our relationship can ever be repaired. I will make your lives a nightmare," he declared, calm but menacing, and she felt the weight of his threat hanging in the air.
She sensed he was about to walk out, to leave her behind. Ignoring the pain radiating from her body, she hurried to him and grabbed his arm, desperate to stop him.
"V-Victor, please! Don't do this! I can't end my child's life. B-But… the baby… won't stay with us. Just let me carry my baby and give birth. My mother will help find a family to adopt him. P-Please, try to understand," her voice trembled emotionally.
Fear gripped her heart at the thought of losing Victor. She loved him deeply, and the idea of being without him felt unbearable. They hadn't even had a chance to enjoy their life as a married couple.
He scoffed, shaking his head. "Tsk! Your mother is such a meddler. She even backed you up. I'm sure she twisted your mind into keeping that pregnancy," his words spilled out without a pause.
Displeasure filled her at his words about her mother. Despite her fear of his reaction, she shot him a fierce glare. "I let you insult me because I get your feelings. But don't insult my mother. You don't know her at all. She doesn't poison my thoughts. She has a point. No matter what you think, it's wrong to take an innocent life! Aren't you glad that, even though this is hard, I'm ready to let my child be adopted just so you have nothing to complain about?"
"Should I be grateful to you? Just think about how unlucky I am. I'm the one expected to raise a kid that's not mine! Just seeing you pregnant with another man makes my blood boil!"
She tightened her fist in frustration. Irritation bubbled inside her. "You think so narrowly. I am the one hurting from this, yet you feel no sympathy. I'm not asking you to love my child. I just want you to understand. I need to carry and give birth to my baby. Honestly, I can't get you. With all your wealth, just one interview at a station could help find the people behind this. But you've done nothing. You're ashamed of me,"
He raised his eyes to her. Her words seemed to just go in and out of his ears. "Isn't that obvious? Fine, I'll give you what you want. I don't want to be called a murderer if I force you to kill your bastard child. But you'd also understand why I don't want to come home and see you, right? You may have my last name, but that's as far as it goes. Our marriage is a big joke. But I won't let you get away," he grinned wickedly and then left her.
After he left the master bedroom, she sat on the edge of the bed. She felt like a candle burning out. The silence in this room deepened her sadness.
Tears streamed down her cheeks non-stop. It felt like crying was all she did. Why was happiness so hard to grasp? Why did joy slip through her fingers? What wrongdoing in her past life brought this punishment to her?
Her hand instinctively rested on her still-flat belly. A wave of pity washed over her for the child inside. Yet, deep down, she felt this was the best choice for all. The pain of the situation weighed heavily on her. The trauma haunted her even in her dreams. She feared she wouldn't be a good mother.
No child should ever have to settle for incomplete love. If she could place her child with a family who would love it unconditionally, that would be the greatest gift she could offer.
"My poor child… please forgive me. Forgive me for not fighting hard enough for you. Forgive me for everything," she whispered, the empty room echoing her grief and sorrow.
Would there still be a bright tomorrow waiting for her?