Chapter 2

• Marie's tears flowed down her cheeks as she watched Max walk away, and she made no attempt to stop them. He wasn't always that cold and ruthless. Their love had shone brightly, infusing her with warmth and pleasure that she believed would endure a lifetime. But now all that remained was a burning agony that had overtaken her whole soul, thanks to Lena, the Browns' adoptive daughter who would do everything to have Max all to herself.
• Marie collapsed to the floor, crying violently. Max's remarks had triggered a flood of emotions that she had frantically struggled to contain. How could he talk to her with such hatred, to the woman who had supported him through thick and thin? Who had abandoned her family for him? Fine. He knows nothing about her family, but isn't he human? How could he treat her in this manner?
• Marie was startled out of her reverie by the sound of approaching footsteps. She turned toward the footsteps, trying to make out the tiny lady dressed in a sleek green gown and black shoes. The lady had an umbrella, which partly hid her face.
• "Hey, long time no see," the woman's voice said.
• The voice seemed familiar, so Marie raised her eyes to examine the source. Her heart skips a beat. It was Lena.
• The same Lena her husband had bought the present for was now a continuous source of contention in her marriage. It was as if time had frozen, and Marie was brought back to a better period when Lena had been a close friend until she was adopted into the Browns family, and Max's mother had chosen Lena over her.
• "Why have you become like a homeless dog, kneeling out here pitifully?" Lena inquired, a cheeky grin forming at the corners of her lips.
• Marie's jaw hardened at Lena's crude statement. Despite her tears and the pain in her heart, she lifted her chin with all the dignity she could summon.
• "Our family matters are none of your concern," she said firmly, holding back the rage and anguish that threatened to boil forth.
• "Lena, leave us. This is not the place for an outsider."
• Lena scoffed, mischievously. "Really? 'Outsider?' She wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Marie, you truly are something. Who is the true outsider among the two of us?"
• Marie looked at Lena, her face darkening. 'What do you mean,' she questioned.
• Lena averted her eyes, as if Marie's inquiry was unimportant. "Anyway, I've got some fantastic news for you. I am pregnant," Lena replied, rubbing her stomach. "I'm carrying Max's first child."
• Marie was astonished. Her whole body blew up, like a person who was being electrocuted. She couldn't think clearly because her heart was hammering in her chest. Did she mishear? Elena? Pregnant? No way.
• Marie's hands clinched at her sides as she sprang up, her eyes flashing with rage. "What did you say?" she demanded, her voice low and threatening. "What did you just say?"
• She approached Lena, her hands yearning to seize the other woman's shoulders and shake her until she realized the gravity of her remarks. "Are you pregnant?" "That cannot be!"
• Lena, caught aback by Marie's sudden rage, took a step back. "Marie. I said I was pregnant; it's Max's baby," Lena remarked, smiling smugly.
• The words seemed like a physical blow to Marie's chest, with each syllable digging further into her heart. Her legs shook and she lurched back, her hand reaching out to the wall for support. She attempted to talk, to construct a cohesive idea, but all she got out was a choked gasp, the agony and shock making her unable to breathe. The room started to swirl, and Marie's eyesight became blurry, tears mixed with fury and bewilderment.
• "No," The words eventually came out. "It's impossible."
• Lena's grin simply grew wider. "What's impossible?" she said, her fingers carelessly caressing her tummy. "In Max's heart, the person who saved him back then was me."
• "The truth of what happened back then you know perfectly well!," she said. "So what?"
• Lena inquired, her cheeks flushing with eagerness. "Max believes in me." She said as she continued to smile mischievously. "Marie, the baby in my tummy is a member of the Brown family. How would Max react if you killed this kid yourself? And... what will he do?
• Lena's eyes widened as a grin curled her lips into a nasty pout. Marie clenched her teeth, causing her jaw to hurt as she gazed at Lena. The lady before her was a snake, spewing venom with every syllable.
• "What are you aiming to accomplish? Frame me? Even if it means losing your unborn child?" Marie glanced away, not wanting to stare at Lena's face any longer. The woman's remarks sickened her, leaving a nasty taste on her mouth.
• "You make me sick," she said, pushing her fingers into the fabric of her garment. "How could I possibly bear to use my own child like that?"
• Lena's eyes twinkled with mischief. "But none of this matters, because this child will soon be killed by you, right in front of Max's eyes," she said, her lips twisting into a devious grin as she regarded Marie with a gaze that promised both difficulty and joy.
• "You have obviously lost it, Lena." "Oh, really?" "Let us see who has it."
• Holding Marie's eyes, she adjusted the fabric of her garment to show a blood bag neatly positioned between her laps. The alleged 'pregnant' tummy was a forgery, meticulously designed to trick Max.
• "What?! Are you this low?" Marie inquired with contempt and astonishment.
• As Max's footsteps neared, Lena stretched out and grabbed Marie's hands, her hold firm. Marie attempted to get free, but Lena's grip remained firm, driven by desperation and a warped desire of revenge. They battled, knocking over a neighboring table as Marie's power dwindled with each passing second.
• Max suddenly entered the room, his face wrinkled with apprehension. Lena, seeing an opportunity, surged toward Marie, purposefully losing her balance and fell to the ground as if Marie had pushed her. A piercing scream of anguish from her lips as her hands raced to her belly.
• Max was at her side in an instant, his face a mask of fear. "What have you done?" He yelled, his voice like a whip. "Marie, how could you?"
• "No, Max, it's not what it seems," Marie implored, her eyes wide with terror. "She set me up, she's not pregnant!"
• But Max's expression didcn't change, his eyes still blazing with anger. "You've gone too far, Marie," he growled, his voice trembling. "You'll pay for this."