Imprisoned While Pregnant, She's Back for Payback novel Chapter 6

The car moved slowly down the road.

As if to confirm whether the woman pushing the cart was really Tess, Alan deliberately trailed behind her for quite a while.

That woman was pushing a heavy street-cleaning cart along the road, one arm cradling a baby bundled in a blanket.

The bitter wind howled as the woman trudged forward, slow and unsteady. She was wrapped in an old, puffy coat, with a thin, neon-yellow safety vest thrown over it. But it was completely useless against the cold. Her body trembled with every gust.

The cart she was pushing was heavy. She had no choice but to hunch over, straining with all her might just to keep it moving.

Just then, the cart bumped over a rock, jostling it violently. It tipped.

She instinctively tightened her grip on the baby and reached out with one hand to steady the cart, but it was too late.

The whole thing collapsed, dragging her down with it.

Her knees slammed into the pavement with a painful thud. Her brows furrowed in pain, and for a long time, she didn't get up.

Only the baby in her arms remained unhurt. She squirmed slightly and pressed her tiny head against her mother's chest, clearly searching for food.

Her little lips began to pucker; she was famished and about to burst into tears.

The woman tried to soothe her, rocking her gently and whispering, but it was no use.

Realizing she wasn't being fed, the baby's hunger mixed with the shock of the fall, and she started wailing.

"Waaah! Waaah!"

Nothing broke a heart faster than a hungry baby's cries.

Tess gritted her teeth. Sweat covered her forehead, but she had to muster every ounce of strength to haul the cart upright again.

"I'm sorry, Layla," she whispered.

"Just a little longer.

"Mommy's almost done. We'll get food soon."

The car had been tailing her for a while now, and it was only now that Tess noticed.

She glanced back, alert and cautious.

Who is it? Is someone passing by?

Alan scoffed. He didn't believe it for a second.

As if!

How could such a pitiful, haggard woman be Ms. Ember?

He had no interest in wasting any more time on a street cleaner. He pressed down on the gas and sped off.

In the backseat, Max had no idea what Alan had been up to. His Bluetooth earpiece blinked with a soft blue light as he spoke fluently in a foreign language. He was clearly in the middle of an international business call. His suit was flawless, and his elegant manner was on full display. Obviously, he was a man born to lead.

As the car rolled over a large puddle, dirty water splashed high into the air and drenched Tess.

Of course, people who drove luxury cars rarely stopped to consider how much trouble their actions could cause others.

Tess turned her back just in time, shielding Layla from the icy spray.

Layla was all that mattered to her.

"Layla, did I see wrong?" she whispered.

"That car looked so familiar.

"No." Tess's voice trembled with confusion. "It can't be."

It couldn't be him.

She had once confided in Max, treating him like her big brother. He was the only one she told everything to, even her secret crush on Finn.

Even though Max was Finn's sworn rival, she had never once doubted him.

But Max had used a classified document to win a lawsuit against Finn. It earned him instant fame and the recognition of his family.

He rose from an illegitimate son to the rightful heir of his family.

Max rose to his prime.

While she fell into the mud.

Why me?

Why use me and step on me to climb higher?

He was the same man who had once promised her to be patient; he said he'd represent her in court and defend her innocence.

The same man who, when it came time for the verdict, switched sides and became a witness for the prosecution.

Max was the Hunts' third son.

He gave a false testimony and sent her to prison. She was sure he had long forgotten the woman who ended up behind bars because of him.

Tess's heart didn't even ache when she thought of him. It was numb.

She tightened her grip on Layla and pushed forward into the wind, walking faster.

Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the dorms for sanitation workers.

Tess had used part of her advance paycheck to buy a new baby bottle. She sterilized it with boiling water and prepared Layla's milk.

Tess pulled Layla closer and sniffled a little. "We've never been apart. Not since the day she was born."

Bessie silently sighed. Poor thing!

"What about your man? He doesn't help out? No support, nothing?"

Tess hesitated. That question again.

"He's with someone else now, isn't he?" Bessie ventured, watching the uncertain expression flicker across Tess's face.

She slapped her thigh knowingly. "Thought so."

Bessie lamented, "You've got it rough, Tess. Raising a baby on your own. Take this."

She reached into her cart and pulled out a baby rattle she'd picked up during her shift.

It was still sealed in plastic. Someone must've dropped it.

"I found this earlier, and it looks brand new. I figured Layla could use it, so I brought it back for you."

Then, she added, "I'll check if I've got any old baby clothes at home. My boy wore them when he was little. They might be a bit worn, but they're clean. I hope you can accept them."

The kindness of strangers always struck Tess the deepest. Her voice caught as she thanked Bessie with gratitude, "Hand-me-downs are good luck. Layla and I are grateful. Really."

Bessie nodded. "That's what they say—babies who wear hand-me-downs stay healthy and safe."

Bessie looked down at little Layla, gently shaking the rattle in front of her. Layla reached out with both hands, babbling happily as she tried to grab it. Bessie couldn't help but praise, "Layla's such a sweet baby and so well-behaved, but her dad just walked away like it meant nothing. Layla, sweetheart, when you grow up, you be good to your mama, okay?"

Then, she looked up again, suddenly looking thoughtful. "Tess, do you still talk to your husband?"

Tess froze, then shook her head. "No."

Bessie blinked in surprise. "Wait—you're planning to get a divorce?"

Divorce?

The word hit Tess like a jolt of electricity.

Yes. Divorce.

I'm Mrs. Lock, but it's all on paper—a hollow title.

As long as her marriage to Finn remained legally intact, she would still be his wife. And every single day she held that title, she would feel restless—like she was in someone else's shoes.

That identity, once the happiness she had dreamed of, had become a prison.

But to file for divorce, she needed him to sign the papers.

A sudden thought took root in her mind.