Chapter 4 Her New Crisis

• "You liar," Amber retorted. "Kenneth could never do that to me. He promised me!"
• "I figured you wouldn't accept it," Katrina sneered, tossing her phone to Amber. "But facts speak louder than words."
• Amber grabbed the phone with shaky hands to see a video playing. It was Katrina on the video with Kenneth fcking her. Amber wanted to convince herself that all this could be faked but the face in the video was so clear that she couldn't deny it was Kenneth, especially after she recognized the tattoo on his chest. She designed it for him and no one could fake it.
• Amber's mind raced back to that disastrous day. She remembered the moment she passed by Katrina's room, the strange noises that had made her pause. The woman's voice had been unmistakably Katrina's, but the man's... she hadn't wanted to believe it then, but now, the pieces fell into place with a sickening clarity.
• The memory, hazy and distorted by the effects of the sleeping pills Valentina had slipped into her juice, now came rushing back with painful vividness. The moans, the unmistakable sounds of intimacy—how had she not seen it sooner? She had been so focused on Chase, so consumed by her struggles, that she had missed the betrayal happening right under her nose.
• Amber's eyes widened as the full weight of her realization hit her. "It was Kenneth," she whispered, more to herself than to Katrina. Her voice quivered with a mix of horror and heartbreak. "I heard you that day... outside your room. I didn't want to believe it, but it was him."
• Katrina's smirk only deepened, her eyes glittering with malicious delight. "Oh, so you remember now? Good. I was wondering when you'd put it all together."
• Tears streamed down her face. She stood up, her legs shaky. "Why, Katrina? Why go to such lengths to hurt me?"
• Amber couldn't tear her eyes away from the screen, each second of the video stabbing her heart. The betrayal was complete, undeniable, and it shattered her to her core.
• "How could you?" Amber whispered, her voice breaking. Tears welled in her eyes, blurring her vision. "How could you do this to me?"
• Katrina shrugged, her expression devoid of any real remorse. "It wasn't hard. Kenneth never loved you as much as he thought. And you, always so busy with your little jobs, never had a clue."
• Amber's tears flowed freely now, her chest heaving with sobs. She had known her stepsister was capable of cruelty, but this... this was a new level of heartlessness. The man she had loved, the man she had trusted, had betrayed her in the worst possible way.
• Katrina leaned in, her voice a poisonous whisper. "Face it, Amber. You were never enough for him. And now, you'll never have him back."
• "Besides, you and Kenneth were never fit for each other. Kenneth is the heir of Fridman and the only heir of Baldwin is me. So, you see, we are meant to be together," Katrina said smugly.
• The truth of Amber's situation settled heavily on her shoulders. She wasn't the heir to the Baldwin fortune; that title belonged to Katrina. Their father, Jonathan, had made it clear. And because of that, Kenneth had chosen Katrina. It was a pragmatic decision, one that made her feel like a disposable pawn in their twisted game of wealth and power.
• She felt a wave of self-pity wash over her. What was she to them? Nothing more than an obstacle, a shadow to be cast aside in favor of Katrina’s brighter future. She had no claim to the family business, no wealth, no standing.
• "You know what," Katrina kept murmuring to her like a demon. "Every night you were busy running away from those horny men at the club, Kenneth was enjoying bed with me. That's why I was able to conceive his child so quickly," Katrina said, touching her belly.
• Before Amber could even recover, Katrina threw a pregnancy test on Amber's face. Which was shown positive.
• "I hope that would be enough to convince your stubborn head," she stood up and poked Amber's head upon saying that.
• Amber, teary-eyed and heartbroken, still couldn't comprehend all this shocking news. Did Kenneth really betray her? Did he really make Katrina pregnant? She desperately wanted an answer. She gathered all her courage and fumbled for her phone to call Kenneth.
• "The number you have dialed is not in service."
• Amber froze to hear the cold service tone, while the next moment, Katrina dialed the same number with her own phone and it was picked up at the first ring.
• "What is it, Katrina?" Kenneth asked on the other line.
• Amber was still shocked by her discovery. She couldn't call him but Katrina could. Did Kenneth blacklist her number?
• "I just called to remind you of my maternity checkup tomorrow," Katrina tried hard to make her voice sweet. "The Father needs to present, the doctor had advised."
• "I'll be there for sure. I'm going to a meeting now." With that, he hung up the phone. Katrina turned to Amber happily.
• The pain and confusion swirled within Amber, creating an emotional storm. She couldn't believe Kenneth had really betrayed their love and gotten her stepsister pregnant. Why should he do all this to her? Was their love only a game for him?
• Katrina and Valentina, celebrating in the turmoil they had ignited, watched with a sinister satisfaction as Amber grappled with the harsh reality of her shattered relationship.
• Amber, gripping tightly on her phone, jolted to a sudden ring. It was a call from the hospital.
• "Hello?" Her hands were trembling as she swiped the screen to answer, hoping it was not any bad news related to Chase. She had lost enough, she couldn't lose Chase anymore.
• "Miss Baldwin, this is from St. Andrews Medical Center. I called to remind you of the bill for Chase's treatment. He badly needed to be treated," the woman on the other line said urgently.
• Amber's heart broke for her nephew. Tears streamed down her face, "I will find a way to pay Chase's medical bill. Please continue treating him."
• "I'm afraid we cannot treat him if you don't pay his medical bills in time," she said apologetically.
• "You will get the payment soon, I promise."
• As the call ended, Amber felt a wave of despair. The weight of her decision hung heavily on her shoulders. Fate had pushed her over the edge and there was no other way for her.
• With a heavy sigh, Amber surrendered, "Okay, I'll marry Stefan Morgan."