No way, Barrett only got back together with Jacey last week. Three months ago, he had no clue where she was.
Zoe lifted her head, her voice weary: "So, she's pregnant?"
Jacey's stopped crying started again, sounding incredibly hurt.
Her tears soaked Barrett's black shirt, piercing his heart.
He carefully sat Jacey on the bed, his eyes full of rage, then roughly grabed Zoe's shirt, lifting her up, and slaped her hard across the face.
"All just to marry into the Smith family, you kept Jacey locked up abroad for three years, even letting men do such things to her! Zoe Taylor, I'm dying to know what kind of heart you have to come up with such evil thoughts!"
While he spoke, he seemed to completely lose control, picking up a fruit knife from the nightstand and stabbing it towards Zoe's heart.
Faced with death, Zoe just froze, unable to resist.
She was adopted by Barrett's grandmother, Mrs. Smith, at twelve, always watching him and Jacey from the corner.
He loves Jacey, she always knows that. She was just an adopted orphan; marrying him was already way out of her league.
He hated her because of Jacey's manipulation, and she couldn't defend herself.
But now, he was actually going to kill her?
The knife aimed straight for Zoe's heart, but just as it was about to touch her skin, Barrett seemed to hesitate for a moment.
Then a slender, pale arm reached out, grabbing his wrist.
Jacey's gentle voice sounded: "Barrett, don't do this. It's all in the past, I really don't blame Miss Taylor."
With a crisp sound, the knife fell to the floor.
Barrett pulled Jacey into his arms, softly scolding her: "Don't you know it's dangerous?"
Jacey shook her head, tears swirling in her eyes: "I'm fine. I don't want anyone to get hurt for me, especially not you, Barrett."
The dull pain in her heart turned Zoe's lips pale, her whole being like a leaf about to fall.
She couldn't tell if her heartache was from her illness or from seeing the two tightly embracing before her.
A broken smile appeared on her lips. Maybe she should be thankful.
His beloved had just “saved” her life.
Seeing the smile on Zoe's face, Barrett's hatred grew.
How could she be so heartless!
Jacey suffered because of her, yet she felt no guilt and could even smile!
Barrett carefully laid Jacey back on the bed, then grabbed Zoe's hair and dragged her out into the hallway.
Zoe's head spun, and she fell to the ground, but he didn't look back, dragging her into the elevator, then out into the storm outside the hospital.
His voice was cold and harsh: "Kneel! Kneel until tomorrow morning in front of everyone, and apologize to Jacey!"
Zoe was struggling, but Barrett kicked her knee with his boot, forcing her to kneel.
The heavy rain soaked her thin clothes instantly, and passersby in the hospital watched in shock.
The rain washed over her, streaming down her hair and neck, covering every inch of her skin.
Her living heart felt like it was thrown into cold snow.
Zoe straightened her back, laughing, her laughter shattered by the torrential rain.
"Barrett Smith, back then, Jacey left you for another man and went abroad, and now she's carrying someone else's child. Your blind love is just a big joke!"
Seeing her weak face, Barrett's heart softens a bit, but after hearing those words, any remaining sympathy vanished.
His bodyguard came out with an umbrella. Barrett turned back, crouching down, his fingers lightly lifting Zoe's chin: "What did you say?"
Zoe met his gaze fearlessly, rain blurring her vision: "Three years ago, she left you because she despised you for being paralyzed after your accident. She called you a useless man in front of your grandma and the entire Smith family!"
"She came back just after your grandma died, not out of remorse, but because she thought no one could prove the hurtful things she said and did. Can't you see that? Don't you get it?"
He was so close, his arm resting on the back of her hand.
Through his shirt, she could almost feel the warmth of his skin. Once, this kind of touch was so warm, so comforting.
He had cared for her too. In the two years they were married, even though he treated her as a stand-in for Jacey, sometimes calling out Jacey's name in bed, he was impeccably kind to her, Zoe.
But now, all that seemed like a distant memory.
In the pouring rain, Zoe was completely disheveled, her eyes reflecting his cold face, chilling her to the core.
Barrett looked so calm, so much that she almost heard him say, "Okay, I believe you."
But then, he suddenly shoved her chin, sending her crashing into a puddle.
The dirty rainwater splashed all over her hair, face, and clothes.
Before she could even try to get up, Barrett coldly stepped on Zoe's pale hand with his black shoe, pressing down hard until blood started to come out. Then he stepped back, looking disgusted.
He stood over her, looking down arrogantly, barely moving his lips: "Kneeling for a day is too easy for you. You should kneel until you die."
It felt like a swarm of venomous bugs was biting her heart. Zoe was in so much pain she could hardly breathe, lying in the rain curled up.
She didn't even have the strength to get up.
She whispered weakly: "Barrett Smith, you blind jerk."
The man, who had started to walk away, turned back slowly, his voice low: "Kneel till morning, or I'll do something bad to your brother who's still in the hospital."
Zoe strained to lift her eyes, the rain washing over her pale face, blurring her vision.
Suddenly, she felt like she didn't recognize the man in front of her.
In her agonizing pain, her consciousness started to blur.
Almost passing out, she felt a warm sensation spreading in her lower abdomen.