Chapter 2A Promise Paid in His Sin

The ambulance sirens wailed as they took Vivian and my mother to the hospital.

Sitting in the emergency vehicle, I felt like I was falling into a bottomless abyss.

At the hospital, after emergency treatment, the doctor informed me that my mother had suffered an acute myocardial infarction and needed to be hospitalized for observation.

Vivian had a threatened miscarriage and needed bed rest.

I'd barely caught my breath when Ethan rushed in.

He didn't even glance at me, heading straight to Vivian's bedside. "Vivian, how are you? Are you okay?"

Vivian opened her eyes. Seeing him, tears fell again.

"Ethan, I'm fine. Don't blame Mia. This is all my fault."

Ethan turned to look at me, his eyes frighteningly cold. "This has nothing to do with her. If anyone's to blame, it's certain people for being so petty."

I couldn't hold back anymore. "Ethan, can you be reasonable? She ran into the coffee table herself. It has nothing to do with me."

He laughed coldly. "If you hadn't come home and mocked her, would she be like this? Mia, I never thought you were such a vicious woman. You can't even tolerate your own sister."

"I didn't!"

I protested loudly, but my voice sounded so weak and powerless.

Nurses and patients around us turned to look curiously.

Those stares pierced me like needles, making me wish I could disappear.

Ethan stepped forward and grabbed my wrist. "I don't care whether you did or not. Right now, you need to apologize."

I struggled to shake off his hand.

"Why should I apologize?"

This was absurd — he was the one sleeping with Vivian behind my back.

Yet I was supposed to apologize to Vivian because their child got hurt.

Vivian's tears fell again as she begged us to stop.

Seeing Ethan and I continue to argue, she suddenly grabbed a fruit knife from the table and slashed it toward her wrist without hesitation.

3

"Vivian!"

Ethan and I both cried out at once.

Blood immediately seeped from her wrist, staining the white sheets red.

A nurse rushed over, quickly taking the knife from her hand and administering first aid.

"Stop forcing Mia, Ethan," Vivian said weakly.

The fury in Ethan's eyes intensified. "Mia, are you satisfied now?"

Watching this scene unfold, I felt dizzy and disoriented.

Swallowing my humiliation, I pulled out my phone to contact the divorce lawyer I'd just hired.

But the moment I unlocked the screen, Ethan snatched it from me.

He glanced at the screen and laughed coldly.

"Mia, you think you're still in a position to talk about divorce?"

He grabbed my wrist and dragged me to the far end of the hospital corridor.

"That old house your father left behind, plus the company shares — transfer them to Vivian's name immediately."

I froze, staring at him in disbelief. "Ethan, those are the assets my father left me. They have nothing to do with you or Vivian."

"Why should I?"

He scoffed, pulling out his phone and opening a video. He held it in front of my face. "Because of this."

The video was blurry, the lighting dim, but my face was clearly recognizable.

In the footage, my clothes were disheveled, my face filled with terror and despair.

This was from the assault eight years ago.

Suffocating dread washed over me instantly.

I never imagined he'd been keeping something like this all along.

He toyed with the phone, his tone casual.

"Back then, I could find the key evidence to get your father acquitted. Now I can anonymously upload this video online."

"Then I'll get some people to add their own spin — saying you were willing, that you even seduced them. What do you think people will say about you then?"

I felt frozen to my core, tears streaming uncontrollably.

He continued pressing. "Mia, just be good and hand over the inheritance as compensation for Vivian.

Then we'll pretend none of this ever happened. I can have Vivian give you the baby after she gives birth, and she'll go back to college."

He paused, mockery filling his eyes. "Otherwise, you know what happens."

I looked at him, my vision blurred with tears.

"Ethan, if you hate me this much, why did you marry me in the first place?"

He smiled slightly, reaching out to gently caress my cheek.

"I don't hate you, Mia. But you know, what happened back then — any man would care about that. There's always been a thorn in my heart."

His fingertips lightly traced my jawline, his tone coaxing.

"Once this baby is born, we'll go back to how things were. I'll never have any contact with Vivian again. We'll have a good life together, okay?"

"I'm giving you three days to think about it."

Looking at this familiar face, all I felt was endless disgust and despair.

4

After leaving the corridor, I returned to the hospital room.

My mother was still unconscious. Vivian lay in bed with her eyes closed, her face still pale.

Ethan sat by Vivian's bedside, speaking softly to comfort her.

I stood in the doorway, the last thread of hope in my heart finally severed completely.

I knew that Ethan and I could never go back to what we were.

But instead of making any decision, I went to the hospital for a routine checkup the next day. I didn't tell anyone.

Sitting outside the examination room, my emotions were in turmoil.

This was my child. I'd been so excited about his arrival.

But now everything had changed.

Just as the nurse called my name, the door burst open.

Ethan rushed in and yanked me up from the chair.

His eyes were bloodshot as he dragged me outside.

I struggled. "Ethan, let go of me! I want a divorce!"

He ignored my struggles, dragging me all the way out of the hospital and shoving me into the car.

"Mia, I warned you not to try leaving me. You didn't listen, so now you'll pay the price."

With that, he started the car and drove toward the hospital where my mother was staying.

The moment he pushed open the hospital room door, I saw Vivian sitting by my mother's bed, peeling an apple.

Seeing us enter, Vivian froze, then gave a gentle smile.

"Ethan, you're back."

Ethan didn't speak. He simply pulled Vivian to him and kissed her fiercely.

Vivian's eyes widened in shock, her face filled with surprise.

Then she closed her eyes and wrapped her arms tightly around Ethan's neck.

"Mmm..."

My mother's pupils dilated suddenly on the hospital bed. Her mouth twitched continuously, her face filled with shock and disbelief.

Ethan kissed Vivian for a long time before releasing her.

He turned to look at me. "Mia, you wanted to cut ties? I'll let you cut them completely."

His gaze shifted to my mother on the bed, his voice clear and venomous.

"Mom, let me tell you a secret. Vivian isn't the child Mia brought back from the orphanage.

She's Mia's father's illegitimate daughter from an affair. The foster daughter you've been caring for all these years is actually proof of your husband's betrayal."

"No... that's impossible..."

My mother trembled all over, her lips quivering as she spoke weakly.

Vivian suddenly spoke up, her tone no longer weak or remorseful.

"It's true, Mom. Before my mother died, she told me about it and told me to find my father. He wouldn't acknowledge me, so Mia kindly took me into the family and gave me a place to stay."

I stood frozen, my mind going completely blank.

My mother opened her mouth to speak but could only let out a piercing scream.

The next second, her body stiffened and she lost consciousness completely.

"Mom!"

I screamed and rushed to her.

Doctors and nurses came running at the commotion and began emergency resuscitation.

Over half an hour later, the doctor emerged from the emergency room.

He shook his head, his tone heavy.

"The patient suffered severe brain hemorrhaging from extreme stress. She's now in a vegetative state."

I murmured to myself, wanting to cry but unable to shed a single tear...

Looking at my mother lying lifeless on the hospital bed, thinking of the child growing inside me.

In that moment, all my emotions collapsed.

I numbly stood up and ran like a madwoman toward the fifth-floor window.

Under everyone's horrified gaze, I threw myself out and jumped.

Ethan's face went deathly pale. "Mia!"