Chapter 3

I checked it over and over. Most of the herbs were drugs that could cause a miscarriage.

My hand trembled, and the herbs scattered across the floor. The strong, medicinal smell filled the room. I quickly covered my nose and ran to the living room.

Sitting on the couch, I touched my belly, terrified. I was drenched in sweat, like I'd just been pulled out of water.

I immediately grabbed my phone and called Connor. Thank goodness he'd been wandering around the hallway. He came back quickly.

I told him everything. His face went pale. "Why would Mom do this? At this stage, forcing a miscarriage could kill both of you."

I was confused, too. My mom's daily care and concern weren't fake. But I always had a vague feeling that her love was somehow veiled. Did she... hate me? The sudden thought scared me.

Connor saw me frowning and quickly helped me up. "Is your stomach hurting again? Let's go, I'm taking you to the hospital."

As we passed the kitchen, I quickly told Connor to use a paper towel to soak up some of the soup residue from the sink. He was hesitant, but when he saw I was insistent, he did it.

The hospital check-up showed the baby and I were fine, thankfully. Connor and I both breathed a sigh of relief.

At the same time, the other test results came back. The chicken soup really did contain abortion drugs.

I stared at the report, my teeth grinding.

Connor's eyes were blazing. "If Mom hates me, she can beat me up. Why would she go to such lengths to hurt our baby?"

"Jenna, are you feeling unwell again?" My mom poked her head in, wearing her white coat. "Connor, how are you taking care of her? How many trips to the hospital is this now?"

Connor was furious. He clenched his fists, the veins on his forehead bulging.

"Mom, first you tricked Jenna into taking an abortion pill, and now you're giving her poison. What is wrong with you? If you try to hurt her again, I don't care if you're her mother. I won't let you get away with it."

My mom glanced at the test results in my hand, and her face fell. She grabbed my hand, trying to explain. "Jenna, no. That herb packet was for your cousin. I got them mixed up."

I closed my eyes. "Mom, this is the test report for the soup."

Her face went rigid, and then she let out a broken sob. "You don't believe me? Maybe there was residue in the bowl from before. I'm your mother. I almost died giving birth to you. I would never hurt you."

I held the report that showed a 100% positive result and pressed my lips together.

Maybe my mom was just too tired. The in-laws didn't treat her well, and Dad had divorced her. She focused all her attention on me and was afraid I'd neglect her once I had my own child.

My voice was hoarse. I reached out and tugged at her sleeve. "Mom, let's just forget the past. Can we just live a good life from now on, okay? I really love this baby. You're about to be a grandmother."

My mom stopped crying. She suddenly stood up and started screaming hysterically, "You won't believe me, but you'll believe this scumbag? Fine. I'll make you see his true colors."

Before I could process her words, my mom waved her hand. A curvy, seductive woman sauntered in and pressed herself intimately against Connor.

"Honey, I was supposed to have my prenatal checkup, but I couldn't find you. Good thing I tracked your location here."