Chapter 62

Angela POV

For a moment, no one moved.

Then everything erupted at once. Christina's friends rushed to her side, their voices rising in panic as they saw blood beginning to trickle from a cut on her forehead.

Jennifer released my arm, stumbling backward as if she'd been burned.

"Christina!" The cry came from the direction of the house. Sean's voice, filled with alarm.

He appeared on the garden path, Christopher close behind him. Sean's eyes found me first, taking in my disheveled appearance with growing concern. "Angela," he said, moving toward me. "Did someone-"

"Mr. Shaw!" One of Christina's friends called out. "Christina's bleeding!"

Sean's head whipped around, his expression changing as he saw Christina on the ground.

"She's hurt," he said to me, already moving toward her. "I need to check on her. Wait here."

I watched as he knelt beside Christina, his hands gentle as he examined her injury. The sight sent a sharp pain through my chest that had nothing to do with my recent struggle with Jennifer. I should be used to this by now, shouldn't I?

After so many years of watching him put Christina first, after countless moments just like this one, why did it still hurt?

"She pushed her!" Jennifer's voice cut through the night air. "Christina just wanted to talk, and Angela pushed her into the statue! I saw it with my own eyes!"

"That's right!" Another voice joined in. "We all saw it!"

Sean's head snapped up, his eyes finding mine again. The question in them felt like a physical blow.

"I didn't-" I started to say, but Christina's dramatic groan cut me off.

"Sean," she whimpered, reaching for him. "It hurts..."

Without hesitation, Sean gathered her in his arms. "We need to get you to the hospital," he said, his voice soft with concern. "You might have a concussion."

As he carried her past me, Christina's head resting against his chest, I caught the flash of a smile on her face. It was gone in an instant, replaced by a grimace of pain, but I knew what I'd seen.

"She did this on purpose!" Jennifer's shrill voice pierced through the tense atmosphere. "Angela pushed Christina because she was jealous. Everyone knows Christina is the woman Sean truly loves!"

"That's right!" Another voice chimed in. "She couldn't stand seeing them together. She's always been nothing but a gold-digger trying to hold onto the Shaw family fortune!"

The whispers and accusations swirled around me like poison. I could feel the weight of judgmental stares, some hostile, others filled with a particularly crushing form of pity.

Their expressions said it all:

Poor thing, her husband just carried another woman away in his arms. What did she expect? Everyone knows she's just the temporary Mrs. Shaw.

"That's enough." Christopher's voice cut through the chaos, sharp and authoritative. "I won't tolerate baseless accusations at my home. If anyone has a problem with Mrs. Shaw, they can leave immediately."

The garden fell silent, but the damage was done. The image was already set in their minds:

Christina, the innocent victim in Sean's arms, and me, the jealous wife who'd resorted to violence.

"Angela." Christopher stepped closer, his amber eyes filled with concern. "Angela, are you alright?" His voice was gentle, almost tender, as he reached out as if to comfort me.

I shook my head, already moving toward the house. "I need to be alone."

In the grand foyer, Evan caught up with me as I retrieved my wrap. "Angela," he said softly, "you should know that Sean was looking for you first. When we heard the commotion, you were his first concern."

I gave him a sad smile. "Was I? Then why is he in his car right now, rushing Christina to the hospital?"

"Angela-"

"It's fine, Evan." I cut him off gently. "I've known for a long time where I stand. Tonight just made it clearer."

I walked out of Christopher's townhouse into the cool night air. Sean had driven us here together, but now I was left to find my own way home.

With slightly trembling fingers, I opened the Uber app on my phone. Just as I was confirming my ride, Sophie's call came through.

"I heard what happened," she said without preamble. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." The words felt hollow even as I spoke them. "Christina's the one in the hospital."

"Please," Sophie scoffed. "That fall was about as accidental as my last designer bag. Think about it, Ang. The secluded garden, the convenient witnesses, the dramatic injury... It's all too perfect."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that Christina Jordan doesn't do anything without a plan. She wanted to be alone with you in that garden. She wanted those witnesses there. And most of all, she wanted Sean to see her vulnerable and hurt, with you as the villain."

The truth of Sophie's words settled over me like a heavy blanket. "She's good," I admitted quietly. "I'll give her that."

"She's desperate," Sophie corrected. "The pregnancy rumors are starting to circulate, and she knows her time is running out. A woman like that is capable of anything."

I placed a protective hand over my stomach, thinking of the tiny life growing inside me. "I need to be more careful."

"You need to be ready," Sophie said firmly. "This is just the beginning. Christina won't stop until she gets what she wants."