Chapter 386: Just divorce.

Christo Rocland arrived at the medical room in a rush, his face pale and his steps uneven. The news had already reached his ears long before he arrived. His brothers and their wives were outside the room, having lunch. The Veythar elders were also there, sipping their afternoon tea with along with simple meals.

Everyone went silent as they watched him walk into the room without acknowledging them. He was met with the sight of his wife Numia, sedate, and lying on the bed.

He froze for a moment, then stumbled forward, gripping the edge of the bed as though he might collapse. Jorik stepped in quickly, explaining what had happened--the accusations, the demands for a vacation, the attempt to attack Sienna, the bleeding and the doctor’s verdict.

Grandma Byra, grim faced handed him the footage that Mrs. Miller had recorded. He watched in silence, his shoulders trembling, and when the image faded, he buried his face in his hands.

Tears streamed down his cheeks. All things aside, he had been looking forward to the birth of this child. He had even gone to the falcon god temple and the priest said he would have a daughter. A doctor had further confirmed it. He had already imagined the laughter, the tiny hands, the future that now would never come. His grief was raw, unguarded, and for a moment, the room was filled with only the sound of his muffled sobs.

Jorik embraced him. Grandpa Corven and grandma Byra stood nearby, waiting, giving him space to grieve. But eventually, after an hour had passed, grandpa Corven raised the question on everyone’s mind.

"What do you intend to do?" the old man asked. His tone carried the weight of authority, the kind that demanded a clear answer. "Sienna has made it clear, she wants Numia gone within a week. I begged her to let Numia stay until the baby was born. Now, I can’t help but wonder if I made the wrong decision. If Numia had left, maybe this argument would not have happened, and the pregnancy would have been saved. I don’t want to burden Sienna with our problems any longer.

Your mother and I will be moving to another cottage and all your siblings and their families are moving out too. We will all be in the same area, but not in Sienna’s home. I think we have imposed on her enough. Before we move, you need to make a decision, because I don’t think Lady Jess plans to let Numia live within walking distance of Sienna, and I agree. Elias might throw her out of the city, altogether. Will you move to the city with your wife, or will you consider divorcing her?"

Christo lifted his head, eyes red and swollen, disbelief etched across his face. "Divorce? When she is in this condition? How can you even suggest such a thing?"

Grandpa Corven’s expression hardened. "Your wife’s confusion has already driven your only son away. How long do you plan to keep making excuses for her? Since you can’t decide, then I will decide for you. Leave. Tomorrow." The words were final, like a sentence passed down in a courtroom. "We will help send Numia to a hospital. You can be with her there while you ponder your future. But you must understand--your wife threatened Sienna and her children. The fox lord and his family will not allow her to live an easy, carefree life from now on. She is going to be put on a watch list like a wanted fugitive."

Christo’s breath caught. He looked from his father to his mother, searching for some sign of understanding, but found only grim resolve.

Grandpa Corven continued, voice low but sharp as a blade. "Do not be surprised if she is arrested. Do not be surprised of she disappears. Actions have consequences, and she has crossed too many lines."

Christo staggered back, his grief now tangled with fear. He wanted to protect his wife, but the reality was undeniable. Her jealousy and ambitions had made enemies of the Veythar’s She had even offended the queen!

It just so happened that Linera raised that point right then. "She offended the queen and the princess. More than one princess at that! Do you even realize how close she came to ruining Junior’s future? How close she came to destroying this family with her dreams of sending Junior to the king’s bed? Sooner or later, she is going to do something that is beyond redemption, and it will ruin her and those close to her."

Grandma Byra nodded. "We have tried, Christo. We have been good in-laws. We have treated her like our own daughter over the years. Whenever she offended someone, we went out and made apologies in person. Whatever we buy our children, we give her."

"But she is never satisfied." Selra pitched in from the doorway. "She fought our daughters for the jewelry Sienna and Lady Jess gave them! She calls herself an elder, but never acts like one."

"What?" Lady Jess screeched from outside.

Cadelaria muttered, "And I thought I had made the worst mistakes in this family."

"You are no better." Marius muttered back to her.

She shut her mouth, but huffed softly and rolled her eyes. In her mind she screamed that she had never fought any child for jewelry.

While everyone else chose to be silent for a while, and see where things would head, Cadelaria did not. She leaned forward with her sharp unrelenting voice. "I am curious, what do you even see in her?" she demanded. "Her reputation as a gold tail has spread through every noble circle. No respectable family will let their daughter marry your son, knowing the character of his mother. Nobody wants to hire you for position near power if she remains tied to you."

The words cut like knives, and Christo’s ears flushed red. Before he could answer, Lord Marius pulled Cadelaria aside, whispering firmly, "Stay out of this. You are only making it worse."

At that moment, Numia stirred. Her eyes fluttered open, and when she saw Christo, she wailed with a piercing cry that echoed through the room. "Christo, she killed our child!" she shrieked. "She struck me--she hit me! She caused this miscarriage!"

Christo froze, his hands trembling, His parents gasped in disbelief, while everyone else exchanged horrified glances.

"That’s a lie," Linera said sharply, trying to intervene.

But Numia’s hysteria only grew. Suddenly, she reached out and snatched a fork from Jorik’s hand and pressed it against her own neck. "Choose who you believe Christo, me or them?"

"There is footage of the moment you leaped and caused your own miscarriage!" Jess exclaimed. "He has already seen it."

But Numia did not care. "Swear it!" she screamed at Christo. "Swear you will take revenge for our child’s death, or I will end it here and now!"

The room erupted into chaos. Relatives shouted, some condemning, others insulting.

"You have lost your senses!" Uncle Daren cried.

"This madness will destroy us all!" Linera tried to reason with Numia. "What is wrong with you? What did Sienna ever do to you that you keep targeting her all the time?"

"Now that you can’t threaten us with the pregnancy you have resorted to using your life!" Jorik huffed. "Get your head on straight Numia. Think of your son, do you want him to grow up with a mother who threatens her own life?"

But Numia’s eyes were wild, her grip on the fork unyielding. "Her father ruined my life. And she is starting from where he stopped. That heartless wretch is the reason why my son is not here today. So what if I attacked her first? Elders can hit young ones when they are unreasonable. I lost my child because she dodged!"

"She really is crazy." Jess gasped.

The doctor appeared in the crowded doorway, took one look at the scene, and simply walked away, shaking his head. He refused to be part of the madness.

Arguments raged on, with everyone trying to talk reason into Numia.

Grandma Byra finally snapped. "She’s beyond reason. Christo, divorce her before she drags you into ruin, taking all of us with her."

Grandpa Corven nodded. "She threatened Sienna and our grandchildren. She is urging you to take some kind of twisted revenge at the cost of her life! If you dare to give in to her, then your mother and I will no longer consider you our son."

Christo trembled, torn apart, but finally whispered, "I will divorce her. She has lost all reason."

Numia’s scream tore through the room. "No! Christo, if you leave me, I will kill myself on livestream! I will bring your whole family down with me!" Her threat was venomous, her eyes, her eyes gleaming with a dangerous resolve.

The guards exchanged grim looks. One raised his weapon, and with a sharp hiss, a dart flew. Numia collapsed instantly, the fork clattering to the floor as the anesthetic took hold.

Silence fell, broken only by Christo’s fresh sobs.

Cadelaria straightened, and made a call. Her voice was cold and decisive. "Hello, Director Penn, I have a patient who requires life-time lock-up. She is a danger to herself and those around her."

The words hung in the air like a death sentence. The rest of the family stared at her, stunned, as she gestured to the guards to carry away the unconscious Numia.