I crouched next to her legs, my hand gently caressing her belly. The baby’s heartbeat was just beginning. Can you really bear to let it go?

Having experienced so many strange and unbelievable things myself, I couldn’t help but believe that some things in this world were beyond reason. Zoë, is that you, coming back? In your past life, you were most reluctant to leave your mother behind. Are you coming back to protect her? I’ve lost a child, so I can’t support the idea of terminating a pregnancy. Deep down, I could tell that Philippa didn’t really want to end the pregnancy—she was just torn.

“Mom, you don’t want this baby, or you just don’t want Bill’s baby?”

Philippa’s emotions began to unravel. “Back then, Bill thought I’d drugged him. After we married, I purposely stayed away from home every night. We were young and didn’t understand what marriage meant. We thought we had all the time in the world. He went to places of vice to take revenge on me. After he found out my father had drugged me, he and I reconciled for a while.

He thought he owed me and tried to win me back in every way, but my heart was no longer with him. I fulfilled my duties as his wife, but my heart was buried elsewhere. It wasn’t until he found out I still loved Nicholas that he exploded with anger. Then, Monica came along at just the right time. He got drunk and had a child with her. But Zoë, Nicholas and I loved each other for three years. We had planned to marry right after university, but…”

Philippa’s voice cracked as she pressed her hands to her face, tears slipping through her fingers. “I never expected your grandpa to force me into marriage. In just one month, I was married and pregnant. I was still in my first year of university at the time. Your father told me I had to love him, but how could I force my heart? Even if he wanted me to forget my past relationship, it would take time. But he couldn’t wait and brought his mistress into our home.

Everyone thought I was pitiful, but I was actually relieved. With her around, he wouldn’t force me to fulfill my duties as a wife. I really thought one day he’d tire of me and we’d divorce. But no, Bill wouldn’t let go. He tortured me while also controlling me. Even though he had to send a lot of money to the Wilchers every year, he still wouldn’t let me go. You think I never asked for a divorce? But he always used my family to threaten me. You know how sick your grandma was, and the Wilchers were struggling financially. I had no choice.

I understood now—Bill had issues.

He clearly loved Mom, but his chauvinism made him unable to win her heart. Instead, he tried to force her, and when that didn’t work, he tortured her in other ways. No wonder he didn’t love Zoë—this selfish man only loved Philippa. When my mom made him unhappy, he tormented Zoë to get back at her. Perhaps, in his mind, it was a way to force Philippa to beg him and satisfy his ego.

“For years, your grandpa has blamed me for being worthless and that I couldn’t control his heart. If I didn’t give him a son, the Gardners’ inheritance would go to that mother-daughter pair. So, your grandpa is trying the same trick again.”

My heart ached for her at this point. What exactly do these men take women for? Twenty years ago, he sold his daughter once. Twenty years later, for his own benefit, he was selling her out again.

Philippa, unwilling to bring it up further, just cried quietly. “I took the pills, so why is this happening? Zoë, can you help me get an abortion? I can’t keep this baby.”

Philippa’s emotions were running high when her phone rang. She hadn’t saved the number in her contacts. I roughly guessed who it was. Philippa only softened when looking at her phone.

“I’m home safely. Don’t worry about me. That night…” Philippa glanced at me and quickly hung up the phone. “Zoë is with me. I’m fine.”

I sensed there was more she wanted to say, but she swallowed her words, knowing I was there. That night, I stayed with Mom. She talked to me about many things.