Chapter 5

Giana's POV

I didn't answer him.

Peyton stared at me. Finally, without saying anything more, he left the ward with an unclear expression.

Over the following days, Peyton came to visit me in the ward almost every day, but each time he stayed less than twenty minutes before being called away by phone.

I knew some of those calls were work-related, and some were from Summer.

And I didn't make a fuss or care anymore.

The second day after I was discharged, it happened to be Peyton's mother's birthday. In the evening, Peyton drove me to the Lancaster family estate.

The estate was filled with guests. Almost every notable figure in the area had come.

But for some reason, when I stepped into the hall, everyone started looking at me strangely.

Not understanding, I walked toward Peyton's mother. "Happy..."

"Shut up!"

Peyton's mother's angry voice suddenly rang out.

"Giana, how dare you step through the Lancaster family's door?"

Before I could react, Peyton's mother had already rushed in front of me and slapped me across the face.

The crisp sound made the entire banquet hall completely silent.

"You vicious woman!"

Peyton's mother's eyes were bloodshot, her voice trembling.

"You terminated a five-month pregnancy just like that? That was my bloodline! Peyton's first child! I've been hoping and waiting for so many years after you and Peyton married. I finally got this grandson, and you were cruel enough to abort him?!"

My face burned with pain, my ears rang, my mind went blank. I covered my face in confusion.

"Mom, what are you saying? I didn't..."

"Still trying to deny it!"

Peyton's mother grabbed my hair, her other hand viciously slapping my other cheek.

"All these years, how has the Lancaster family wronged you? You knew how much I wanted to hold this grandchild, yet you were so cruel and vicious. Because you had some conflict with Peyton, you terminated the pregnancy in a fit of anger!"

"No, I didn't..."

I tried to defend myself and explain, but Peyton's mother wouldn't listen at all. She cried heartbrokenly.

"The child was five months along, and you could bear to abort him... How can there be such a venomous woman in this world?!"

The surrounding gossip washed over me like a tide.

"My God, five months... the baby must have been formed, right? How is this different from a murderer?"

"I heard it was a boy too. Peyton's mother waited so many years..."

"So heartless. The Lancaster family treated her well. How could she do something like this?"

In the struggle, I stumbled and fell, my back hitting the corner of a table. The pain made my vision go black.

I struggled to lift my head, trying to find Peyton's figure in the chaotic crowd.

Our child had clearly died in the womb because of Summer, and I had no choice but to abort it.

But now, Peyton's mother was saying I aborted the child?

Instinct told me this matter must be related to Peyton.

Sure enough, Peyton looked away, too guilty to meet my eyes.

In an instant, I understood everything.

Peyton's mother grew more and more furious, ordering through tears,

"Someone! Beat her! I'm going to beat this vicious woman to death to pay for the child's life!"

The Lancaster family servants swarmed forward, taking sticks and beating me in a chaotic frenzy.

"Beat her to death! Beat her to death!"

People in the crowd were shouting, cursing viciously, "Don't hold back! Beat this vicious woman to death!"

The sticks came down. I was instantly beaten bloody. I fell to the ground, blood flowing into my eyes. My entire world turned blood red.