Chapter 12
Keith couldn’t bear to think any further. Grabbing his keys, he rushed out the door.
He went straight to Mildred’s house, where she was packing her things to leave. She bumped into him as she was about to head out.
845 AM
<
“Where do you think you’re going with that suitcase?” he asked, his voice cold as ice.
Mildred smiled faintly. “I know you’re angry right now, Keith. I just wanted to go home for a while. I’ll come back after you’ve cooled off.”
Keith sneered, grabbing her chin with such force that soon her face was bruised.
“I told you before. You’re not allowed to show your face in front of Cynthia. I never thought you would ignore me and even dare to provoke her! You hurt Cynthia, and you think you can just walk away? Do you really believe I’ll let you off that easily?”
Mildred had never seen Keith so ruthless before, and fear took over her. She covered her pregnant belly and trembled as she spoke.
“Keith, I’m sorry. I really know I was wrong. Please, for the sake of the baby, forgive me. I love you so much, and that’s why I did all of this.”
Keith didn’t even look at her. He shoved her away harshly. “I’m not letting you keep this child. If you insist on having him, I’ll make you wish you were never born. This is the price you pay for hurting Cynthia.”
Mildred clutched her belly and stepped back in despair. She knew Keith’s temper. There was no way she could keep this child.
“I’ll give up the baby, but you need to give me some money as compensation. I’ve been with you for so long, I can’t just let you take advantage of me.”
Keith scoffed. “As long as you get rid of the child, I’ll give you whatever you want.”
After that, Keith’s men took her away, and once she had the abortion, they sent her to a horrible place. Only then did Keith finally feel a bit
relieved.
But a heavy stone still weighed on his chest, a constant source of torment.
In the days that followed, he spent a lot of money online posting missing person notices, promising a large reward for anyone with information on Cynthia.
But all he encountered were scammers, people feeding him fake leads just to claim the reward.
Keith pursued every lead, true or false, but each time he came back empty–handed.
The long travels, combined with the mounting pressure, finally took their toll. He coughed up blood and collapsed from exhaustion.
