Chapter 2 Violence in Cubicle

A hand clamped tightly over my mouth, stifling the words "Anthony" into a muffled cry.

"Rosa?" Anthony called out again.

I struggled, trying desperately to make a sound to catch his attention, but I was trapped in the last cubicle of the bathroom. Several people held me down with such force that my voice was entirely lost behind the door.

After a few moments, I heard his footsteps retreating, fading away into the distance.

"Lara, you can't really blame her for wanting to cling to Mr. Reey. He's only thirty, and he has already made his company the fifth largest in the nation. Handsome, successful—of course, women would be lining up for a man like him."

"But don't worry, Lara. You've been married for five years, and his heart belongs to you," one of the women tried to reassure Lara.

Lara snorted coldly. "Of course."

She grabbed my chin. "Sure, I might have set Anthony up by getting pregnant, which is why he married me, but that doesn't mean you can pull the same stunt!

"My son is everything to me! I won't let anyone threaten his place!

"No one can steal my husband. Today, I'm going to show you exactly what happens to a mistress' child!"

Her eyes were burning with such pure fury, and despair settled over me like a heavy shroud.

Anthony had never told me about the circumstances of his marriage to Lara. He had only said that he was married, had a child, and that life was blissful. I never knew they had tied the knot because of a child.

The sight of my swollen belly pushed her over the edge, causing her jealousy and fear to consume her.

Danny, her child, was lying on a hospital bed, and Lara was terrified of losing my brother. To her, I was a threat she needed to eliminate to secure her son's position!

But I couldn't let anything happen to my baby. Tears filled my eyes as I looked at her pleadingly, hoping she would give me a chance to explain.

But she snorted coldly again. "Who do you think you're fooling with that pitiful look? It might work on men, but not on me."

One of the women kicked me twice. "You dare to carry Mr. Reey's child? Let's see if you even live long enough to deliver it."

Just then, my phone rang, the screen lighting up with a contact: "My Rock."

It was Anthony calling. He must have realized something was wrong when he couldn't find me.

Lara snatched my phone and answered the call. Anthony's voice came through. "Rosa, where are you?"

In an instant, her expression darkened, and she hung up without saying a word.

"My child is lying on a hospital bed, fighting for his life, and he's out there, desperately looking for you?" she seethed, her rage boiling over.

The small glimmer of hope in my eyes faded. Her fury intensified as she stared at me. "Why is my husband your rock?"

Her voice was like ice as she looked at me and said through gritted teeth. "Tear off her clothes, take pictures and upload them to the Internet. I want the whole world to know how she seduced my husband!"

I shook my head frantically, but the utility knife in her hand stabbed me without hesitation. The sound of fabric tearing echoed through the cubicle, and soon, my clothes, which were torn into pieces, hung loosely on me, barely covering me.

A wave of shame washed over me, but the terror for my unborn child overwhelmed me as my pregnant belly was exposed before their eyes.

Tears of despair streamed down my face, and suddenly, the hand over my mouth released.

I seized the moment to speak. "I'm Anthony's sister!"

But my words were met with mocking laughter.

"I came back to save your child!" I pleaded, my voice cracking with desperation.