Chapter 2

Maya was the one at fault. So, naturally, she began to endure endless torment and humiliation. Arthur deliberately made sure that the noises he made in bed grew louder each night. In the beginning, he would still confine himself to the bedroom. However, that soon changed as he started having sex with Isla in the living room and the hallways. Arthur became a machine with an endless appetite for bedsports. Isla couldn't handle it at all. Sure enough, her moans and cries of ecstasy would escape her no matter how hard she tried to silence herself. Maya retreated to her own room, trying desperately to silence the noises by covering her ears. Alas, he refused to allow her even this bit of refuge. Instead, he would barge in with Isla in his arms, tilting his chiseled jaw as a cruel smirk played on his lips. "Servants should remember their place." He wanted her to serve them by preparing their bedroom beforehand, handing them water when they got thirsty mid-battle, and cleaning up after them. Maya's silence grew longer and longer. Still, she never once protested against his mistreatment. Instead, she continued to lower her head and flawlessly played the role of a servant. It was as if she was willing to give up on him for the Selwyns' sake, didn't care that he was sleeping with a woman who wasn't her, and that he would fall in love with someone else. That realization made Arthur's vein throb in fury. As Maya willingly gave up her bedroom once more, he suddenly cornered her against the wall and demanded, "Why are you doing this? Why are you willing to go this far for the Selwyns? Or… should I say that you're willing to go this far for your deceased brother, George? Did you even love me?" Maya had nowhere else to go. Her breathing came in short pants as her mind went foggy. She couldn't understand why Arthur kept dragging George into this mess. Still, she didn't have time to think of a proper response because all she knew was that Adam could only ever be a Selwyn. So, any siblings that would come out of Arthur and Isla's coupling could only be Selwyns. They could only ever be George's children. Meanwhile, Arthur had misinterpreted Maya's silence. So, he released his grip on her and stepped away from her as bitter laughter fell from his lips. "Maya, if this is your wish, if you're going to choose the Selwyns till the end of time… Well, I'll grant your wish." Then, he lunged for her and threw her into the car. … On their way to wherever they were supposed to go, Arthur's phone started ringing. It was a call urging him to attend a little get-together. He answered the call curtly and hung up. Once he did, he sneered at her and said sardonically, "My dear Mrs. Holland, you'll be drinking in my stead, yes? After all, I heard alcohol isn't good for the baby. Who knows what might happen if I drink?" Maya didn't respond as her heart twisted into knots. She was terrible with alcohol. Back then, she'd been sick for hours despite the fact that she barely had three drinks at that dinner. Arthur had been worried sick, and he vowed that she would never have to drink ever again. Yet, now… it had all changed. Her mind whirred with broken thoughts and turmoil as the car's engine roared, driving them to their destination. Arthur made good on his promise as he would push all the drinks to Maya's way when an acquaintance came by for a chat. "Drink up. Don't you forget. I have duties later tonight." Maya's breath hitched. After a while, she raised her head and started chugging down all the drinks. Everyone could tell that Arthur was doing this on purpose. So, they deliberately offered more drinks to her to get in good with him. Maya couldn't help but turn to look at Arthur. Yet, she saw him smiling at her, waiting for her to drink. She curled her lips into a bitter smile and knew that he wouldn't help her. So, she accepted all the drinks that came her way. Soon, her stomach began to scream in protest. Thus, she hastily excused herself as she staggered away from the private room. She couldn't even make it to the washroom, so she searched for the nearest trash can and threw up in it. By the time she was done, she felt as though all her strength had left her bones. Suddenly, a shadow fell over him. She weakly raised her pallid face and saw Arthur dispassionately looking down at her. He said, "This is the best you could do? The event is far from over." When she heard his words, she wrapped an arm around her stomach, squeezing it in an attempt to stay awake. Then, she shakily rose to her feet and stumbled back to the private room. Arthur's face turned gloomy as he reached out to grab Maya's wrist, his eyes glaring daggers at her. "I was right. You would sacrifice your own life for George and for the Selwyns." This was the second time Arthur had brought George into the conversation. Although Maya had no idea why this was happening, she sadly didn't have the strength to argue. The pain twisting her insides was getting worse with each passing minute. It was so awful that she felt that she was a hair's breadth away from fainting. Arthur's lips were still tightly pursed, but he abruptly carried her in his arms and stuffed her into his car. Then, he angrily helped her put on her seat belt before hissing into her ear, "You'd better not die before the Selwyns' spare is born." The car engine roared to life as he sped toward the hospital. Alas, they had just gotten to the highway when Isla called him.