Chapter 149: James Knows the Child Was Stillborn
James didn't sleep at all last night. He was exhausted, both physically and mentally.
With a cold expression, he walked past Wilhelmina and strode toward the closet.
Wilhelmina stood there. She had just blurted that out. Normally, it was just a guess - she would never dare to be so bold in front of James.
Seeing he ignored her, Wilhelmina knew she had overstepped and didn't dare say more. She prepared to leave.
Just as Wilhelmina stepped out of the room, James rushed out from the closet and stopped her. "Wait."
Wilhelmina thought she had angered James. She immediately lowered her head and was about to apologize when she heard him ask above her, "Why did you say that?"
At his words, Wilhelmina's head shot up and she glanced at James.
Meeting his unfathomable eyes, Wilhelmina nervously swallowed.
Just one look, then she quickly lowered her head again, not daring to look anymore.
She couldn't figure out what James meant by this question, but since he asked, she poured out all her guesses.
"Last night at the door, I heard you ask Mrs. Mia Smith why she would get rid of the baby if she loved it so much."
"Mrs. Smith had no choice! The baby had already died in her womb. No matter how much Mrs. Smith couldn't bear it or didn't want to, she had to get rid of it."
Hearing "died in the womb," James was struck like lightning.
He grabbed Wilhelmina's arm, his eyes full of disbelief.
"What did you say? The baby died in the womb? It wasn't Mia who heartlessly got rid of it to divorce me?"
"How could that be, Mr. Smith!"
Wilhelmina's voice rose involuntarily. Too emotional, she momentarily forgot her fear of James.
Her tone was absolutely certain: "Mrs. Smith loved the baby so much. How could she possibly get rid of it just to divorce you?"
These two sentences from Wilhelmina hit James like two heavy punches to the face, waking him up.
He looked at this woman in her forties, his eyes full of pain.
Though she got along well with Mia, she was just a housekeeper after all.
A housekeeper, when faced with the question of Mia getting rid of the baby, could say with absolute certainty - Mia loved the baby so much, how could she?
And him?
He and Mia were intimate, he was her most trusted partner.
But when faced with Mia getting rid of the baby, what did he do? He rushed to the hospital, saw the baby was gone, and his first reaction was that Mia got rid of it herself!
Why had he never considered that Mia loved the baby so much, even if she admitted it herself, there might be other reasons?
"Mr. James Smith, the baby really died in the womb. Mrs. Mia Smith told me herself at the hospital entrance. You really misunderstood Mrs. Mia Smith!"
"Thank you!"
James's eyes were red. He sincerely thanked Wilhelmina and rushed out the door.
Mia had to get rid of the baby because it died in her womb.
When he went to find Gabriella that night, why did she say that Mia wanted to abort it herself?
...
James looked coldly at Gabriella, who was kneeling on the ground crying, and handed her over to Louis to deal with.
With his position in the medical field, one word from him and Gabriella's reputation would be ruined.
Someone like that didn't deserve to be a doctor.
He got up and left the hospital, got in his car, and went directly to find the real culprit.
Amelia was discussing work with a client when James kicked open her office door.
The hostile energy around him was so strong that the client didn't need James to say anything - they jumped up in fright and rushed out.
Seeing James, Amelia didn't take his anger seriously.
He wouldn't do anything to her anyway!
It was just an act!
James's gaze fell on Amelia's face. He felt like he had never really known her.
When she set up Mia's father before, he always thought she was just unwilling to give up, wanting him so badly that she would use any means to destroy his relationship with Mia.
But he never expected she would be vicious enough to accidentally learn that Mia's pregnancy was unstable, then think of giving Gabriella money to deceive Mia, telling her the baby died in the womb so Mia would abort it.
When Gabriella, who still had a shred of conscience, refused, she turned to set up Mia's father instead.
Using every possible means to harm a small life.
Even if their baby hadn't died in the womb, she would have stopped at nothing to kill his child.
How evil must her heart be to think of aborting a formed baby, and keep trying to do it?
Even though his child wasn't killed by her, her evil intentions were unforgivable!
James's eyes grew colder. In a few steps, he closed the distance with Amelia.
Amelia lost all composure. Up close, looking at James's increasingly murderous eyes, fear grew in her heart.
She couldn't help swallowing. "James, what are you doing?"
As she spoke, she supported herself on the armrest of the sofa, trying to get up and avoid him.
Just as she moved, James suddenly closed in, grabbed her by the throat, and pressed her back into the chair.
His grip was too strong. Amelia immediately felt she couldn't breathe.
Her face turned red. She raised her hands to pry James's hand away.
But his grip was too strong. No matter how hard she pulled, it was useless!
"James, let go. What are you crazy about now?"
She'd been busy with the studio lately and hadn't even had time to cause them trouble.
James ignored Amelia. His grip tightened more and more.
Amelia felt the air in her lungs getting thinner and thinner. Fear grew in her eyes.
James watched her suffering coldly, only releasing his hand just before she suffocated.
The feeling of oxygen deprivation was too uncomfortable. As soon as Amelia got fresh air, she immediately breathed in greedily.
Air rushed into her lungs. She inhaled too quickly and started coughing violently.
Tears and snot came out from coughing. She looked extremely miserable.
She painfully clutched her chest. It took her a while to recover.
Amelia was furious, so angry she lost her head. After recovering a bit, she yelled at James, "You're crazy! You almost strangled me!"
She never thought James would actually get physical with her!
"Amelia, I won't strangle you. I'll just make you wish you were dead!"
From the moment she dared to have evil intentions toward his child, he would never show her any mercy again.
He was utterly disgusted by her!
James coldly pulled out a tissue and wiped the hand that had just choked her. After wiping, he threw it on the table with disgust and turned to stride away.
...
Luxe Haven
James held his head in his hands, looking dejected, sitting at the entrance waiting for Mia, full of self-blame.
He didn't go to the company today. After coming back from Amelia's in the afternoon, he had been sitting here.
He watched the sky gradually darken, meaning Mia's return was getting closer.
He looked forward to her coming back. He wanted to confess to her.
But he was also afraid of her coming back. He didn't know how to face her!
This was the second time he didn't know how to face Mia!
The first time was when he realized who he truly loved, but he had already made an irreversible mistake.
This time was even worse!
While he was torn and conflicted, there was finally sound at the door.
James immediately stood up, watching Mia open the door and come in.
Thin and frail, lifeless - his eyes grew even redder.
What had he done?
Torturing Mia into this state - such a bright and sunny girl, now without any vitality!
Endless regret surged in his heart. Looking at Mia, his throat felt like someone was choking it. The words he'd been preparing all afternoon, he couldn't say anything now.
Mia's eyes no longer held James. She didn't care or pay attention to him standing at the entrance.
She glanced at him coldly, sat down to change her shoes, walked past him, and like before, treating him as if he didn't exist, went straight upstairs.
James's emotions surged violently. Watching Mia's departing back, he couldn't help but stride forward, spread his arms, and hug her from behind.