Chapter 31 Tabitha’s Announcement

Chapter 31 Tabitha’s Announcement
Chapter 31 — Susan’s POV:
Tabitha’s Announcement

The room was quiet, almost unnervingly so. I sat on the couch, cradling my baby in my arms, trying to focus on the soft rhythm of his breathing. His tiny fingers curled around mine, delicate and innocent, completely unaware of the cruelty that seemed to orbit the walls of this house. I whispered softly to him, “It’s okay, my love. You’re safe with me.”
But peace was always temporary here.
I sensed her before I even saw her. A presence I had learned to fear, a calculated energy that made my stomach tighten. The kind of presence that could suffocate a person without touching them.
Tabitha.
“Hello, baby mother,” she said, stepping into the room with that forced sweetness that made my skin crawl. Her voice was soft, carefully measured, the kind of politeness that hid teeth behind a smile. “How… are you?”
I didn’t look at her. I kept my eyes on the baby, cradling him closer. “I’m fine,” I said quietly, the words flat, neutral, a shield between us.
She laughed softly, and it grated on my nerves. “Oh, I see. That’s good,” she said, moving closer. Every step she took made the room feel smaller, more suffocating. “I came to share something important… news, really. I thought you should know first, considering… everything.”
I braced myself, instinctively pressing the baby closer to my chest.
“I’m pregnant,” she said, her words smooth and cruel, letting them hang in the air like a knife.
I didn’t react. I didn’t flinch. I continued rocking my baby gently. Let her words wash over me. Let them reveal her intentions without giving her satisfaction.
“I know,” she continued, stepping even closer, “you’re probably wondering… how this affects you. Well, let me clarify.” Her smile widened, cold and sharp. “Once you leave this house… once you’re gone… my son will inherit everything. And your little one?” Her eyes glittered with wicked amusement. “…Well, I’ll have to remove obstacles to make sure my child comes first. That’s just how it has to be.”
I felt a pang in my chest, but I refused to react outwardly. My hands tightened around the baby as a silent plan formed in my mind. Every word she spoke, every intention, every threat… I recorded it all. Slowly, carefully, discreetly. She didn’t know. She never suspected.
“Tabitha,” I said softly, my voice calm, steady, neutral. “Please… I know I may have offended you in one way or another. But I ask… do not harm my child. Please. When I leave, please… just take care of him.”
Her laughter echoed through the room, light and musical, but venomous. “Oh, baby mother. Now you beg? Now you realize just how powerless you are?” She paused, leaning closer as if inspecting me. “No one ever challenges me and wins. No one. Not you. Not anyone. You… amuse me.”
I stayed calm. I didn’t flinch. I didn’t cry. I held my baby and let her speak, every word recorded secretly in my phone. She didn’t know. And that would be my strength.
“I’ll cherish him as long as I have to,” she continued, her tone mockingly gentle. “But when my child is born… your little one… will have to step aside. Only my bloodline matters here. Only my child will inherit everything.”
I nodded slowly, letting her speak, letting her underestimate me. “I understand,” I said softly. Every word I uttered was deliberate, calm, disarming.
Her eyes flickered, sensing that something was different. “What’s that in your hand, baby mother?” she asked suspiciously.
I smiled faintly to myself. “Just memories,” I said, my voice barely a whisper. “I like to remember… everything. Especially promises.”
Tabitha’s smile faltered slightly, but she recovered quickly. “Promises?” she mocked. “Ha! You forget who truly controls this house. You forget who owns the child. You forget… you can’t win.”
I didn’t respond. Calmly, quietly, I kept recording, every threat, every manipulation, every malicious word.
Then we heard it. Footsteps. Deliberate, sharp, commanding.
Lucien.
Tabitha’s eyes gleamed. I could see the mischief, the satisfaction, the cruel anticipation in her expression. She wanted him to walk in at the perfect moment, to witness the drama she had created. She wanted chaos.
I stayed calm. I held my baby tighter, rocking him gently, breathing slowly. Let her fall into her trap. Let her reveal her intentions fully.
As Lucien appeared in the doorway, his presence filling the room, his sharp eyes scanning everything, he called out. “Susan,” his voice low and dangerous, “what have you done?”
I didn’t look up. I didn’t speak. I let Tabitha do the talking, let her manipulate, let her try. But secretly, I knew I had the advantage. Every word, every threat, every lie she had spoken, I had recorded.
Tabitha faltered for a brief second, but she recovered quickly, pretending to stumble as if the chaos was Susan’s doing. My heart raced, but I kept my composure. Calm. Patient. Invisible—but aware.
I whispered under my breath, holding my baby closer:
Let her try. Let them all try. I am not afraid. Not anymore.