Hope Crawls Through Ruins by Kain Rowan Vale 43

Chapter 43 

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Briana thought, ‘Am I crazy? Why am I even expecting anything?‘ She pressed a hand to her chest, her heart pounding so hard it just wouldn’t calm down. 

Meanwhile, the culprit, Shepard, was leisurely sipping his coffee and starting on his breakfast, 

Briana kept taking deep breaths, trying to steady herself. She told herself, ‘It’s fine. I can totally act like nothing’s wrong and just sit here at the table.‘ She even made sure to sit directly across from Shepard to keep distance from him. 

Tiffany came over with a steaming pot of soup, and even before it reached the table, the rich, mouthwatering aroma was already wafting through the air. 

“Here you go, Mrs. Carter. This soup will keep you strong and healthy. Let me get you a bowl,” Tiffany said with a cheerful grin. 

Briana accepted the bowl and took a sip. Her whole face relaxed in delight. She said, “Wow, this is amazing. Tiffany, I never knew you could cook like this.” 

Briana could handle basic cooking, but she was nowhere close to Tiffany’s level. 

Soup was tricky. One needed the right ingredients and perfect timing, or it just turned out greasy. But Tiffany’s soup was light, sweet, and so comforting, it warmed Briana’s stomach right up. 

Tiffany replied, “That’s right. If I wasn’t good, why would Mrs. Evelyn Carter trust me to take care of you? And remember to take your herbal medicine after breakfast.” 

Briana’s hand paused mid–air, gripping her spoon. 

Tiffany continued, “From now on, you won’t need the medicine sent over from the Carter residence. I’ll handle it all myself.” 

“Okay, sure,” Briana answered, a bit uncertain. Suddenly, the soup in her bowl just lost all its appeal. She thought, ‘What should I do?‘ 

Briana quickly looked up at Shepard across the table. He acted deaf, completely detached from the situation. Briana kicked him under the table in annoyance. 

Shepard finally looked up, slow as ever. He asked, “What?” 

Briana groaned. “The herbal medicine… It’s so bitter, babe.” 

Shepard thought, ‘Here she goes again. She really deserves an Oscar for her act. 

Shepard knew exactly what she was up to; she just wanted him to figure something out for her. He replied, “It’s bitter, but there’s no way around it. Just hang in there. It’s all for having a baby.” 

Briana blinked at him, a mischievous glint in her eyes. She said, “What if I finish this whole round of herbal medicine and still don’t get pregnant? Maybe it’s you who’s not working?” 

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Shepard’s gaze instantly sharpened. “Say that again,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. He looked like he was about to haul Briana off to the bedroom and prove his point the hard way. 

Briana instantly chickened out. 

When Tiffany brought over the herbal medicine, Briana caught a whiff of its pungent smell and saw the inky- black liquid. Her stomach churned. 

Tiffany said, “Mrs. Carter, just pinch your nose and down it in one go. I’ve got some candy here for you. They’ll help take the edge off the bitterness.” 

Briana kept shooting Shepard desperate looks. 

Shepard shot her a look, eyebrow raised. He said, “Just drink it.” 

He thought, ‘It’s not poison or anything. It’s harmless, has no side effects, and is actually good for her. Just tastes nasty, that’s all.‘ 

Whenever the herbal medicine got sent over from the Carter residence before, Shepard would just have Daniel dump it down the toilet. But now that Tiffany was keeping a close eye on her, Briana had no choice but to drink it. 

Shepard leaned back in his chair, coffee in hand, totally relaxed, just enjoying the show as he watched her. 

Briana braced herself and picked up the bowl of medicine. The closer she got, the stronger that nasty herbal smell became. She slowly brought it up to her lips. 

She thought, ‘Maybe I should just drink it, then sneak off to the bathroom and make myself throw up. I can just fake it that way and get through today!’ 

Before she could even take a sip, Briana’s stomach was already churning, a wave of nausea hitting her hard. She set the bowl down, slapped a hand over her mouth, and started dry heaving. 

She jumped up and bolted for the bathroom. She cranked the faucet on, water roaring, and collapsed over the sink, retching over and over. She just couldn’t stop. 

Her face was burning red, her eyes brimming with tears, her whole body weak as jelly, clinging to the sink just to stay upright. 

Tiffany called from outside the door, “Mrs. Carter, are you alright? Should I call the doctor?” 

Briana replied weakly, “I’m fine. Just feeling a bit queasy.” 

Tiffany muttered, “That’s odd. You’ve been drinking this herbal medicine for days. Why are you feeling nauseous all of a sudden?” 

Briana couldn’t answer. She felt so awful that she could barely stand. 

Outside the bathroom, Tiffany was about to keep talking when Shepard walked over. 

“Let me check on her. You go tidy up the dining room,” he said. After Tiffany left, he quickly stepped into the 

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bathroom and closed the door behind him. 

Briana stared at herself in the mirror. Her face was pale, her eyes red and puffy. 

And there was Shepard, with a cool, detached expression. 

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Shepard said, “Is this your latest trick to get out of drinking the medicine? That was way too fake, and honestly, pretty clumsy.” 

Briana forced a weak smile and shot back, “You think this looks like I’m acting? Am I really that good of an actress?” 

Shepard frowned and asked, “So, you actually threw up?” 

Briana didn’t answer. She couldn’t figure out why she was suddenly dry heaving out of nowhere. The herbal medicine smelled nasty, but she hadn’t even touched it yet. 

She thought, ‘Could it be morning sickness?‘ The thought flashed through her mind, and Briana’s complexion turned ghostly pale. 

She thought, ‘Wait, am I actually getting morning sickness? I can probably play it off once or twice, but if I start puking every day and it gets worse, I will be totally screwed.’ 

Shepard pressed, “Then why are you suddenly…” 

“It’s just the smell of the medicine, seriously,” Briana blurted out, cutting him off. She added, “Nothing else, I 

swear.” 

She tried to stand up straight, but the moment she lifted her hands, her whole body went limp, and she collapsed like a rag doll. 

Shepard was quick to catch her, pulling her securely into his arms before she could hit the floor. 

This time, Briana didn’t push him away. Instead, she buried her face in his chest. She felt like she was about to fall apart: weak and helpless. 

Shepard looked down at the top of her head, his eyes darkening with emotion. 

Briana muttered, “All I want is a divorce. Why is it so hard? I don’t want anything else. I just want a life I can control. That’s all I want. 

“I was young and stupid back then; I was thinking love could fix everything. But I’ve wasted five years, paid for it with my life. Can you just let me go? 

“I’m really done with days like this.” As she spoke, she closed her eyes, and her voice grew softer and more distant. 

Right now, she wasn’t bristling or acting tough anymore. Instead, she looked so fragile that Shepard suddenly wanted nothing more than to protect her. 

Shepard reached out, wanting to comfort her by stroking her hair. But before his hand could touch her, 

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Briana had already slipped out of his embrace. 

She closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them again, her gaze was steady and clear. She said, “I’m heading to the gallery. You handle Tiffany.” 

It was as if the woman who’d just broken down in his arms was someone else entirely. 

Briana walked out of the bathroom without looking back. 

Shepard’s hand hovered in the air, his fingers curling slightly before dropping to his side. He thought, ‘Why am I even feeling sorry for her? She brought this on herself. 

Briana slid into the driver’s seat and tossed her bag onto the passenger side, ready to get out of there. 

The little electric car was old and bare–bones, but it was her haven. 

She glanced down at her belly, still flat as ever. She murmured, “I will keep you safe. I promise.” 

AD