Chapter 2 Mommy Will Protect You

Jerred's taunt sliced through the room like a blade. "You'd spin any excuse just to avoid donating bone marrow to Jaylynn."

Silence lingered for a beat before he added with a mocking curl of his lips, "We've been using protection for an entire year. You can't possibly be pregnant."

Thea's face froze. Then, her expression turned into a strained, bitter smile.

Her mind flitted back two months, to that day his assistant had dragged her out for the so-called check-up. That night, Jerred had shocked her by waiting for her at home with an extravagant bouquet of scarlet roses.

He had drunk a lot, and their intimacy had been wild.

She had reminded him of using protection, but Jerred, reeking of alcohol and grinning wickedly, had leaned close to her ear and murmured, "Tonight, I want to be closer to you."

Swept along in the deceptive haze, Thea had believed every gesture from him-the flowers, the sudden tenderness, even the intimate recklessness-meant he was finally softening toward her.

Only now did the truth hit like a bucket of ice water. All of it-the odd check-up, the roses, the intense passion-hadn't been for her at all. It was because Jaylynn had returned.

Only Jaylynn could unravel Jerred, the man who was usually so composed and reserved, driving him to act impulsively. He had forgotten about everything the next day because he had been too drunk.

Thea's silence only fed Jerred's conviction that her pregnancy was nothing more than an excuse to dodge the bone marrow donation.

"Thea," he called out, his brows drawing tight as his voice hardened. "I know you've never felt any real bond with Jaylynn, even though she is your cousin."

While speaking, he set a sleek black card down on the table, the gold-embossed J gleaming under the light. "There's ten million on this card. Consider it compensation."

Thea's eyes lingered on the glittering card, a self-mocking smile breaking across her face.

In their year of marriage, every allowance, every so-called gift Jerred had ever offered her had barely amounted to a single million.

Yet for the woman he truly cherished, he could toss away ten million as if it meant nothing.

"If you want something else instead," he added, his tone flat. "Just name your terms."

Jerred pressed on when Thea stayed silent. "If you agree to donate, I'll make sure you're compensated in every way I can."

Lifting her gaze, Thea studied Jarred as if he were a stranger.

His distant, businesslike tone reduced the moment to nothing more than a cold negotiation.

Their shared year-the fleeting tenderness, the fragile warmth-suddenly felt like a story she had invented for herself.

Yet the undeniable truth was that she carried his child.

Bitterness welled in her chest when she thought about that, her lashes lowering as she shut her eyes for a moment.

When she opened them again, determination steadied her expression. Her voice came firm as she said, "I don't care how you think of me because of this. I'm not donating my bone marrow."

Jerred's brows drew tight, but Thea's gaze only sharpened with a fierce resolve. "If you think I'm heartless or selfish, we can end this marriage."

The title of Jerred's wife had never truly belonged to her-and neither had his love.

The only thing she could claim without question was the fragile life growing inside her.

She would never risk her child's safety for Jaylynn, a woman who meant nothing to her.

The atmosphere in the dining room grew heavy, silence pressing down like a storm waiting to break.

A sense of unease stirred in Jerred's chest; he had a nagging fear that something precious was slipping away from him.

For a year, Thea had played the obedient wife-soft-spoken, accommodating, smiling as she accepted every request he tossed her way.

Tonight, though, she was transformed into something fierce, bristling with defiance, challenging him at every step, and even daring to throw divorce in his face.

Just then, the suffocating quiet was shattered by the abrupt ringing of Jarred's phone.

"Jaylynn." He quickly answered the call, his voice shifting at once-gentler, almost tender. "What's wrong?"

The house was so quiet that Thea, sitting rigid at the table, could hear the fragile, trembling voice on the other end of the line.

"Jerred, I'm in so much pain..." Jaylynn sobbed, her voice breaking. "When I tried to stand, I banged my hand against the metal frame of the bed. The IV came loose, and blood's spilling everywhere. Am I not going to make it through the night..."

"I'm coming over now." Jarred's reply was urgent.

He stood abruptly, chair scraping against the floor, and while murmuring words of comfort into the phone, he strode toward the door.

As he reached the doorway, he paused, turning back to glance at Thea, who was still frozen in place.

His voice stayed calm, but his words were edged in steel. "Marriage isn't some toy you toss around when you're upset. I'll pretend I didn't hear that talk about divorce. As for the bone marrow donation, I expect you to think it over seriously. I won't be back until later. Don't wait up; just get some rest on your own."

With that, he strode out, the heavy door soon slamming shut behind him.

The crash of wood meeting frame splintered Thea's chest, as if the sound itself had cracked her heart.

Her eyes drifted closed, and her trembling hand moved protectively across her belly.

"Baby," she whispered softly, voice quivering with fragile strength. "Don't be afraid. Mommy will protect you."

Given that Jerred had chosen Jaylynn over her, she decided at that moment that she would never choose him again.