When You Turned Your Back On Me, We Became Strangers [EN]: Chapter 11

“If only that child hadn’t existed, I could have been your wife! If you hadn’t had that child, that position would have been mine!”

Reilly clutched her stomach and spoke in a chilling voice to Anna.

“Shut your mouth, Anna. I can tolerate anything else, but not when it comes to my child.”

She struggled to swallow the harsh words that threatened to burst from her lips.

“Ha!”

Anna, unable to control her trembling body, glared at Reilly with bloodshot eyes. Her gaze flickered towards Reilly’s slightly protruding belly.

“If you try to harm my child again like you did before, I won’t stand for it.”

“Do you really think you can stay here even after giving birth, Madam?”

Anna curled her lips into a smile and spoke softly to Reilly. Reilly’s brow furrowed, and she walked past Anna.

* * *

Will I have to leave this place with the child after giving birth? Where should I go? I have some savings, but….

Reilly’s head throbbed. Anna, watching Reilly walk away, cackled behind her.

“Taking care of a child doesn’t necessarily require the mother, does it?”

As if she would be the one to take on that role, Anna was full of confidence.

“How amusing. There’s no guarantee it will be you.”

Even if Theo tried to prevent her from taking the child away, it seemed unlikely that Anna would raise Theo’s offspring as her own.

“You’re just a figurehead of a Duchess, yet you still want to hold onto that position? Do you have no pride? If you weren’t here, Theo, I, and the child to be born would all be happy.”

Even if Reilly were to leave the Duke’s residence, he would bring in a woman from a powerful family to take her place. It was clear that Anna could never have this position.

“So, Anna, no matter what happens, it will never be you.”

Anna seemed unable to understand Reilly’s words, her face contorting in frustration. Her hands, clutching the hem of her skirt, remained clenched.

“The first time is hard, but the second time is easy, they say.”

“What does that mean?”

“Do I really need to explain something you can’t even understand?”

‘I’m going to leave this place.’

No one can take away my child’s happiness.

Reilly was even considering abandoning Theo before he could try to steal her happiness again.

‘……!’

It was the quickening [the first time a pregnant woman feels the movements of the fetus].

Her heart swelled with the first sensation of her child’s movement. It felt as if the baby was comforting her, telling her it was okay, and Reilly felt tears welling up.

‘It’s okay, baby. I’m eagerly awaiting your birth. I can endure and persevere for you.’

She was certain that Theo would love the child. He checked on Reilly’s health every day and asked about the baby.

‘I’m sorry. For making you hear things you shouldn’t have to hear in a place like this.’

Reilly swallowed the words she couldn’t bring herself to say.

‘……I was foolish.’

She was so sure that Theo would never change and would always love her. But it was all just a false pretense.

At first, he checked on Reilly’s health every day, taking great care of her to ensure she could conceive quickly. Once she realized she was just a means for him to have a child, all his actions towards her suddenly made sense.

* * *

Reilly headed upstairs. She went to the study to write in the diary she had been keeping since she became pregnant, to record this moment.

“Ugh.”

She could feel the unstable flow of mana.

‘As Ren said, the time is approaching. I might not be able to delay the contract any longer…….’

In the study, she had always recorded her physical changes along with thoughts about the baby. She couldn’t hide her abilities forever.

Carefully gripping the railing, she slowly climbed the stairs. The stairs leading to the upper floor were quite steep. Afraid of missing a step, she held onto the railing and moved forward one step at a time.

Her legs trembled, unable to support her weight properly.

“Stop right there! I’m not finished talking!”

When she was more than halfway up the stairs, she heard Anna’s enraged voice from behind. Soon after, she felt a rough force grabbing her and turning her around.

“What are you doing, acting so dangerously on the stairs!”

Reilly shouted, barely regaining her balance. Ignoring Reilly’s words, Anna questioned her.

“He’s completely infatuated with me, so he won’t look at any other woman!”

“Yes, think so. Then.”

What did it matter now? Reilly had no expectations of him anyway.

Reilly had truly loved Theo. That’s why she still couldn’t completely let go.

Even if his actions towards her were false, it was Theo who had saved her from her hellish home.

She couldn’t help but wonder if he might come back, if he had truly loved her.

She knew it was foolish, but being abandoned and resigned was always painful. One could never get used to it. Just because one became numb didn’t mean they weren’t hurt.

She simply lived as if nothing was wrong.

A relationship she couldn’t let go of, this too was just pain, but Reilly tried to hide it and bury it.

Anyway, she was planning to get away from him once the baby was born.

‘You know it’s not true. A relationship that’s already twisted can’t be restored…….’

Reilly shook off Anna’s hand and tried to go upstairs.

“Where are you going? Now? Are you going to see the Duke?”

“Anna, don’t you know where he is better than I do?”

Reilly didn’t know Theo’s schedule well. He didn’t tell her, and he didn’t allow her to get involved in any of the Duke’s affairs, telling her to rest in her room.

Anna’s head dropped, and she whispered softly.

“……If only that child wasn’t there, right?”

“What are you……”

In an instant, Anna grabbed Reilly’s hand as she turned around. As Reilly fell down the stairs, Anna covered her face with both hands, her eyes widening in feigned shock.

But soon after, a smile appeared between her covered hands. It was joy revealed in the midst of feigned dismay.

‘Ah…… No!’

Reilly desperately reached out, but there was nothing to grab.

She tumbled down the stairs without even screaming.

“Aaaaaah! Please, help me!”

Along with Anna’s scream, Reilly, who had fallen to the floor, felt a warm liquid flowing from below. Her whole body ached.

‘Ah…… Th, my…… Ch…….’

Red blood and fluid spread around Reilly as she lost consciousness. Through her fading vision, she saw Theo rushing towards her.

* * *

She opened her eyes. Reilly knew something was wrong. When she touched her stomach with her hand, she shook her head.

“……No. My, my baby……. The baby……. It can’t be, it can’t be true.”

She hit her chest hard with her fist. The choked voice soon turned into sobs.

“Sob, sob. H, huh-uh. Ah…… Aah! No!”

Her heart was clenching so painfully that she kept hitting her chest, feeling suffocated.

The baby……. The baby was gone. When she opened her eyes, she felt only emptiness in her stomach. The bones that had not yet healed ached as if they were collapsing.

Perhaps because of the noise from the room, a startled Theo opened the door and came in. Reilly struggled to get out of bed and approached Theo.

“It’s not true, is it……? Where’s my baby? I’m asking you, where is my baby!”

“Madam, you haven’t recovered yet.”

Theo grabbed Reilly’s shoulders and stroked her back. It was a somewhat cautious gesture, as if trying to calm Reilly down.

Through the slightly open door, Anna’s figure could be seen.

Reilly pushed Theo away, broke free from his embrace, opened the door, and approached Anna.

Before he could stop her, Reilly’s hand gripped Anna’s neck.

“Aah!”

“You killed my baby. Bring her back, bring her back! I told you, if you touch my baby, I won’t let it go!”

“Cu, cuhk.”

Theo hurriedly pulled Reilly away from Anna. Anna, with a pale face, groped at her neck and breathed roughly.

“You! You! Aaaaaah!”

Reilly pushed Theo away, grabbed Anna’s body, shook her, and screamed like a madwoman. Anna, helplessly shaken by Reilly’s hands, shook her head and burst into tears.

“M, Madam. It’s not true. It was a mistake. Sob……. I’m in so much pain too.”

“……Pain? You? More than me, who lost her child? Hahaha!”

Reilly looked at Anna, who was sobbing in front of her, covering her reddened cheeks, and laughed hysterically. Tears streamed down her face.

“Stop it! Anna hasn’t been sleeping because she’s been tormented by what happened back then and you……!”

Slap-

“It’s all your fault. If it weren’t for you, my baby wouldn’t have died.”

“……Ha. Madam, I too am heartbroken that the child turned out that way……. So please, calm down.”

“Calm……. Did you say calm down? How can any parent be so indifferent when their child dies?”

Seeing Theo’s indifferent expression, she lost strength. Perhaps he hadn’t even loved his own child that much.

Even though it was her and his child, she was the only one who felt as if the world was collapsing, the only one who was in so much pain and sorrow. She pulled her hand away from Theo’s grasp and slumped to the floor.

“Baby……. Just give me back my baby. Bring her back……. Please, tell me this is a dream.”

Hugging her stomach, Reilly screamed.

“Aah! Aaaaaaaaaah!”

It’s sickening. It’s horrible. She hated even breathing in this place now.

As the reason Reilly had been enduring disappeared, the world, everything surrounding her, collapsed.