Chapter 3

Charles quickly ended the call when he saw me. He looked flustered and said, "Rosie, I was just checking on Avery's dog."

I tilted my head slightly and replied, "There's nothing to misunderstand."

"You don't mind?" Charles asked.

"There's nothing to mind," I replied.

After a pause, Charles said, "You're coming with me to a birthday party tonight."

Since I was not feeling well, I wanted to decline. "I'm not sure I can make it."

"I already told Quinton you'd be there. He wants to make up for not inviting you to his wedding last time," Charles responded.

When he said it that way, I had no choice but to agree.

Charles arranged for the driver to pick us up. When I opened the car door, I was surprised to find Avery already seated in the back. She greeted me with a slight smile.

"Rosie, it's rare to see you in the mood to go to a party," Avery remarked.

In the past six months, for every event I heard that Avery was attending, I would always find an excuse to avoid going. She constantly sought opportunities to provoke me because I was Charles' lawful wife. Therefore, she never hesitated to show her true colors whenever she could.

Charles guiltily told me, "Avery's car broke down, so I asked Mr. Chester to pick her up. You can sit in the back when we go home later."

I ignored him and got into the front passenger seat.

Once we arrived at the private room, Quinton Young came over to talk to me, but Avery quickly intercepted him. She said, "Quinton, did Charles ask you to wait for us at the door? I'm so sorry. There was a traffic jam, and we had to take a detour to pick up Rosie. So it took a while..."

I went straight to the back and sat down. Charles and Avery sat in the center, surrounded by everyone. If it were before, I would have been so uncomfortable that I would have confronted Charles. However, with my lower abdomen hurting, I did not pay much attention to it.

After a while, Avery signaled to the restaurant manager to bring out the wine she and Charles had left there earlier. Seeing Charles' uncomfortable expression, I kindly excused myself and went to the restroom.

When I came back, I saw Charles assisting Avery with her drink. The first time Charles and I went to gatherings with his friends after our marriage, they also pressured me to drink.

I said I was allergic, but Charles took a glass of wine without a word, grabbed me by the wrist, and forced me to drink it.

That night, I ended up with a high fever.

However, Charles only indifferently said that drinking more would make me a better drinker, and I was only being overly dramatic.

Clearly intoxicated, Charles asked Avery if there was any wish he could fulfill during the birthday celebration, his words slurred.

Blushing, Avery glanced around the private room before suddenly pointing at me and saying shyly, "I want to see you smear cake on her face."

Without a second thought, Charles snatched the cake and smashed it onto me before I could respond. The cream covered my face, and the metal plate caused me pain. Charles just chuckled with Avery, saying, "How about that? Doesn't she look fantastic?"

Avery threw herself into his arm while the rest of the group laughed and teased.

My vision became hazy as I staggered backward. Suddenly, someone pushed me, causing me to collide with the sharp edge of the table. Pain shot through my body instantly. I cried out in agony, clutching my stomach as I fell to the floor.

I caught Charles' eye. He scowled, appearing annoyed that I had disrupted the festivities. He seemed inclined to approach me and help me up. "Rosie, why are you pretending? I just smeared cake on you…"

In the next moment, a voice exclaimed in horror, "There's blood! Her lower body is covered in blood!"