Chapter 2

After the slap echoed, the entire hall fell silent.

Everyone from the Thorne family stared at me, their gazes filled with lingering shock and then, pity.

A husband, openly defending another woman - his sister-in-law, no less - right in front of his wife.

I stood rooted to the spot, my fingertips trembling uncontrollably, yet my eyes were drawn, in a masochistic way, to the scene before me.

I watched Daniel shield Amelia Blake, holding her securely behind him, listening to his firm, defiant words. "Marcus is gone. Blaming her won't change anything."

"But Amelia caused your brother's death! If I don't seek justice, how can I ever move past this?"

Mrs. Thorne, usually so composed, had tear-swollen eyes and looked at Amelia as if she wanted to kill her. "You protect this woman so fiercely. Where does that leave Marcus? And where does that leave Sarah?"

It was only then that Daniel seemed to remember I was there. His gaze flickered towards me, but his protective stance over Amelia remained unchanged.

I clenched my fingers, my nails digging into my palms, almost piercing the skin. Yet, that physical pain was nothing compared to the agony of watching my husband of three years openly champion another woman.

It was at that exact moment I finally understood who Daniel's never-forgotten love interest truly was.

I'd guessed many people, but I had never, not once, considered it would be his sister-in-law.

Daniel continued to speak for Amelia. "Marcus is dead, but Amelia is pregnant. Do you want to force her to her death, and let Marcus's line end?"

At his words, Mrs. Thorne stared at Amelia's flat stomach in disbelief.

Standing across from Amelia, I clearly saw a flicker of surprise cross her face too, but it quickly vanished, replaced by tears welling in her eyes.

"Mom, Marcus is gone. I wish I could go with him, but our child is still so small. How can I bear for them to die before even being born?"

This sudden turn of events was beyond anyone's expectations. Even if Mrs. Thorne was furious, she had no choice but to temporarily back down.

As people dispersed, the memorial hall was soon left with just Daniel, Amelia, and me.

He leaned down and whispered something to Amelia, his posture intimate, like a loving couple. I felt like the awkward clown disrupting their moment.

"Daniel," I said, my voice hoarse.

"You should rest. I'll come see you later." Daniel spoke to Amelia first, and only after she had walked out of the memorial hall did he turn to me.

"Sarah, I was desperate. If I hadn't protected Amelia just now, Mom's slap might have injured her."

Marcus, Daniel's older brother, had suffered from a weak heart since childhood, which was why Daniel, despite being the younger son, took over the family business.

Years of navigating the corporate world had made him mature, steady, and unyielding.

When had he ever explained his actions or words to me before?

I looked at him, forcing my voice to sound normal. "Daniel Thorne, is Amelia really pregnant?"

My palm was pierced by my nails, but Daniel didn't notice my distress. However, my words clearly annoyed him. "What are you implying?"

"Before, anything Amelia wanted, you'd give to her. Even things that belonged to me, as long as she liked them, you'd send them her way."

I looked at him, my throat feeling like a hand was squeezing it.

My voice trembled. "All these years, I could pretend your kindness to Amelia was because you're family. But now you've told this lie. How will you make that lie believable?"

"Are you planning to give her a child?"