Chapter 188

Evelyn's anger grew with each passing moment, fueling her determination to confront them. She pursued them, a behavior entirely out of character. Normally, she would disdain such desperate clinging, but her fury had consumed her.

“Sharp-tongued and arrogant—no wonder they say birds of a feather flock together. Not one of you has any class!”

Winter erupted in laughter. Insulting her was one thing, but dragging Miranda into it was unacceptable.

“Shut your mouth, you old witch!”

“What? Am I wrong? She’s been with my son for six years with nothing to show for it. Isn’t it obvious she’s barren? It’s hilarious how defensive you’re being—feeling guilty, much?”

“Ha!” Winter scoffed. “Six years without getting pregnant, you say? How do you know it’s not your son who has a problem? He’s in and out of the hospital constantly, always drinking and smoking. You’d better have your precious son checked out. If there’s a problem, that’ll be a big deal…”

Winter’s eyes shifted to Ingrid’s stomach. Ingrid’s face paled, and she quickly defended herself. “I’ve only ever dated one boyfriend, Hans. I would never betray him…”

Evelyn, enraged by the mention of her son, retorted, “How dare you spout nonsense! I’ll tear that mouth of yours—”

Winter, unfazed, rolled up her sleeves. “Come on then, let’s see who tears whose mouth!”

Seeing the imminent physical altercation, Miranda intervened to calm Winter. Ingrid, bewildered by the sudden escalation, stood aside. As Miranda approached, Ingrid cried out, “Ow!” She clutched her stomach and slid to the ground.

“My stomach! It hurts!”

Evelyn’s anxiety overwhelmed her anger. Terrified for the baby, she rushed to Ingrid’s side. “Ingy, are you okay? Does your stomach hurt a lot?”

Ingrid shook her head, looking aggrieved. “I’m okay. I instinctively protected my stomach. I just don’t understand… why Ms. Sutton would push me?”

Evelyn’s venomous gaze fixed on Miranda. “You can’t have a child of your own, so you can’t stand to see others have one? How could you be so vicious?”

Miranda was speechless. Were these two insane? She had clearly seen Ingrid’s actions: one hand protecting her stomach, the other braced against the floor to absorb the impact—a pathetic, unconvincing performance. Her forced tears and stiff expression of pain were excruciating to watch.

Looking down at Ingrid, Miranda calmly said, “Since you’re accusing me of pushing you, it would be a shame if I didn’t live up to that claim, wouldn’t it?”

Miranda reached toward Ingrid, who immediately recoiled, realizing Miranda wasn't joking. She quickly recanted.

“It was my own clumsiness; it has nothing to do with Ms. Sutton. I’m fine now…”

Evelyn asked, “Are you sure? Maybe we should get you checked, just to be safe?” The child was the Johnson family's first grandchild.

Ingrid softly shook her head. “I’m really fine, Mrs. Johnson. We already got the results; let’s just go home.” The baby was her ticket into the Johnson family; she wouldn't risk it, but she couldn't resist trying to upset Miranda.

Evelyn relented. “For the sake of my grandson, I’ll let this go this time! Ingy, let’s go.”