Chapter 48
I opened my mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Everything went dark and then–1 was out.
When I came to, I was back in the bedroom, lying under a thick, heavy comforter. The heat in the room was suffocating, but I still couldn’t stop shivering. N
“You’re awake?“N
Christoph sat on the edge of the bed, holding a steaming cup of water.
“Take your meds,” he said, as if nothing had happened. “Why didn’t you say anything if you were feeling sick? Instead, you chose to throw a tantrum and cause a scene.“N
I turned my face away, refusing to look at him.N
“Don’t be so stubborn,” he said sharply. “Your fever’s hit 104. Are you trying to die?“N
“Wouldn’t that be convenient for you?“N
My voice was raw and raspy, barely more than a whisper. Christoph’s expression shifted–guilt and something like concern flickered across his face. For a moment, he didn’t look like the same man who’d shoved me into the snow.
He took advantage of my hesitation, grabbed my chin and forced the pills into my mouth, then tipped the cup of water after them.
Ichoked, coughing hard, water spilling down my chin and soaking my neck. I must’ve looked completely pathetic.
Right then, the door swung open.N
Natalie walked in, her eyes glinting with triumph. “Chris, your mom’s here!“N
A moment later, my mother–in–law appeared in the doorway, taking one look at me and gasping in shock.N
“What on earth–Gina, what happened to you?“N
Christoph let go of me, wiping the spilled water off his hand like it was nothing. “She’s just being dramatic. Got sick, threw a princess fit and now refuses to take her medicine.“N
Jill immediately scolded her son for not taking better care of me. Then, smiling sweetly, she pulled out a beautifully wrapped gift box and held it out.N
“Gina, this is something I picked out just for you.“N
She gave me a subtle wink–her way of saying this is your reward for cooperating. Her eyes told me what she wanted: it was time I brought up the subject of letting Christoph officially “share” both women in the family.N
I didn’t take the gift. My throat burned too much to speak and honestly, I didn’t want to say a single word. So I shut my eyes and turned away.
But she couldn’t wait.N
Jill clutched Christoph’s hand eagerly. “Chris, I’ve been meaning to talk to you. Gina mentioned something yesterday–she was thinking, since Nata’s been so loyal after your brother passed, maybe it’s time she had a child. It would give her someone to rely on, you know, for the future.“N
The room fell silent.W
Christoph’s face shifted–shock, then rage, like he’d just been slapped. “What the hell are you talking about, Mom?!”
Completely oblivious, she kept going, excited now, “It’s not just me, Gina brought it up. And honestly, I think it makes sense. What do you think?“W
“Gina!” He spun toward me, fury written across his face.N
“All this because I haven’t been intimate with you? Did you come up with something this insane to humiliate me? What happened to the love between us? And what the hell does that make Natalie–just a convenient womb to pass around?“N
I opened my eyes, finally meeting the gaze of the man putting on a show like he hadn’t been sneaking around with her behind. my back for God knows how long.N
So I said calmly, “I brought it up. What–are you saying you’re not interested?“N
My question caught Christoph mid–rant, his angry words dying in his throat.N
He didn’t dare deny it–not really. But he also didn’t want to look too eager, didn’t want the truth in his eyes to betray the thrill he was trying to hide.N
Before he could respond, Natalie suddenly burst into tears.N
“Chris, I don’t know what I did to upset your wife so much… to make her humiliate me like this,” she sobbed, voice trembling just enough to sound believable. “I’m your sister–in–law. I’m a widow. People already talk enough about me… and now this…” Christoph gently patted her shoulder, eyes full of pity. You could see the tension in him–how badly he wanted to wrap her up
in bis arms and play the hero. But instead, he turned to me. face hardening N
apte
2/12 33.3%
12:29
“Gina, I can’t believe how twisted you’ve become.”
Finally, Jill seemed to pick up on the shift in the room. Awkwardly, she tried to smooth things over.
“Chris, come on, can’t you just… do this one thing for your brother’s sake?” she said, her voice hopeful, a little desperate. “I know you want to protect your love with Gina, but the Raders can’t just… end with you. Can’t you think of it as helping your mother finally have a grandchild?”
Applogy from My Husband after Marrying Another Wornan
