Tension filled the house like a thick fog. The air was heavy with unspoken words and bitter resentment. Grace, still shaken from her encounter with Tania, stayed close to Ethan, clinging to the safety he provided. The house, once a home, now felt like a battlefield.
Later that evening, Ethan could no longer contain his rage. As soon as Grace was safely tucked in bed, he stormed into the living room where Tania sat sipping a glass of wine, her eyes cold and distant.
“What the hell were you thinking?” Ethan’s voice was low but simmering with anger. “Grace is just a child. How could you do that to her?”
Tania’s expression didn’t falter. “She’s not just a child, Ethan. She’s the reason our marriage is falling apart. You spend all your time with her, and none with me. If I had just gotten rid of her back then, maybe..”
Ethan cut her off with a shout, his voice echoing through the room. “Don’t you dare say that again! If you had aborted her, you would’ve taken away the only good thing left in this mess of a life we’ve built. You’ve manipulated me, lied to me, and destroyed everything! You orchestrated an affair to drive Ella away, for what? For this? A loveless marriage built on deceit?”
Tania stood up, her eyes flashing with anger. “And what if I did? What if I did all of that for us? To keep us together? ”
“Don’t flatter yourself,” Ethan spat. “I stayed with you because I trusted you. I believed every twisted lie and love you portrayed to me you manipulated me. And for what? For this nightmare? You still can’t even tell me the truth about who Grace’s father is!”
Tania’s eyes narrowed as she glared at him. “Why does it matter, Ethan? Grace is nothing but a mistake I made. A constant obstacle between us.”
Ethan’s face darkened, his gaze hard and unyielding. “You really are heartless. I look at you, and all I feel is disgust. You want to know why we’re here? We’re here because of you. Your lies. Your manipulation. Your selfishness.”
He took a step closer to her, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “If I ever catch you, or even suspect you of harming Grace again, I will kill you, Tania. And I won’t feel a damn bit of remorse.”
For the first time in their marriage, Tania felt a flicker of fear. Ethan’s cold, emotionless eyes bore into her, and she knew he meant every word.
Without another word, Ethan turned and left the room, leaving Tania standing alone in the silence, her wine glass trembling in her hand.