'If I tell her now that the baby was not mine, would she still be willing to have sex with me?' Matthew wondered.
Erica's thought processes were different from that of normal people. Just in case she refused to have a baby with him, Matthew chose not to correct her assumptions about Phoebe's baby.
But... He couldn't give himself away either. So, he pulled her arms off his neck and asked calmly, "You thought that I would gladly accept your compensation, didn't you? Get some rest first. I'll think about it."
'Huh? He needs to think about it?' Erica grumbled to herself.
Matthew had always said that she didn't love him, but right now, it was he who didn't love her at all! She was blatantly open about her intentions, almost blurting out, "Please sleep with me!" But he had to think about it?
But she calmed down quickly when she remembered that he had just lost his unborn child. This was not the time to argue or fight with him.
Matthew went into the bathroom. Erica was feeling sleepy and dozed off before he came out.
The next day, instead of going to school, Erica went to the hospital to see Phoebe.
Before she arrived at the hospital, she was mentally prepared to see Matthew and Phoebe together in the ward. However, when she opened the door, she was slightly surprised to see that only Phoebe and her father were inside.
They weren't expecting her visit either, so they were obviously stunned.
Phoebe was visibly upset at the sight of Erica. She glared at the girl and yelled, "What are you doing here? You killed my child! How dare you show your face here?"
Lyman was a little embarrassed by his daughter's resentful attitude. "Mrs. Huo, I'm sorry. Phoebe hasn't recovered yet. Could you come back later?"
Erica smiled and said politely, "Mr. Su, I'm sorry. I have to talk privately with Phoebe. Could you please...?"
Lyman understood. He couldn't afford to offend Matthew's wife. So, he took out a cigarette from his pocket and told them, "I'm going out for a smoke. You girls talk."
"Thank you, Mr. Su."
He nodded with a smile and left the ward.
Phoebe had no need to pretend anymore since they were left alone now. She stared at Erica indifferently.
Sitting in the chair next to the bed, Erica supported her chin with one hand and asked in a low voice, "Do you think I can't prove my innocence without the surveillance video? Or are you dreaming that I would lose my title as Mrs. Huo because you lost this child? You are too naive, Phoebe."
"What do you mean?" 'Does she have a witness for the accident?' Phoebe thought grimly.
Erica scoffed. The smile at the corners of her mouth became wider. "Even if I really had pushed you down and caused your miscarriage, Matthew won't leave me. Last night, he told me that the loss of your baby had nothing to do with us. We can just have another baby anytime."
Yes, Erica had deliberately come here to provoke Phoebe.
This wicked woman had been so bold in framing her. Erica would have asked the hospital staff to throw her out of the ward if it weren't for Matthew.
As expected, Phoebe was pissed; her face turned pale. Her lips trembled, but she couldn't say a word.
After a while, she retorted angrily, "I don't believe it! Matthew loved our child very much!" He did value the unborn child. It was the only child of Nathan. Matthew had been very considerate and he always sent someone to accompany her to the regular examinations.
She had assumed that the loss of the baby would make Matthew mad with Erica and that he might even divorce her. It seemed that she had underestimated his love for Erica.
Erica stood up, straightened her clothes and declared arrogantly, "I don't care whether you believe it or not. I'm only here to tell you, Phoebe Su, that I'm declaring war on you. The position of Mrs. Huo will forever be mine! I know that you want it so badly, but you will never have it!"
"Erica Li, you bitch..."
Pak! Erica gave one slap across Phoebe's pale cheek.
Phoebe covered her aching face and stared at the girl blankly. "You!" she screamed amid the shock. "How dare you hit me!"
Erica snorted at the woman's abashed face. "Did you really think that I would just stand here and let you swear at me? Others may not know the truth, but I know that you were the one who killed your own child. You're a monster! How dare you frame me for your heinous crime! You are only still lying in this hospital bed because I wanted you to get some rest after the miscarriage. I hope you recover to your best shape soon, so that I can send you to the slum where you belong!"
Erica had shown no mercy towards Tessie in the end. Phoebe was ten thousand times worse than Tessie. She would do anything in her power to make sure that Matthew sent Phoebe to the slum, even if she had to beg him for it.
She wanted to far more than just slap this woman. She was determined to become Erica Niugulu to teach this vicious woman a hard lesson!
"Damn you, Erica! You just wait and see!" Phoebe snarled. The slap mark on her face was quite obvious. It was the best evidence to present to Matthew.
"Oh, I will wait. You think I'm afraid of you? You can tell on me to Matthew, I don't care. I'm on my way to visit my parents-in-law now to keep them company for a while. Let's see if Matthew would dare mention divorce in front of his parents."
Phoebe was going crazy listening to her every back lash. She was so close to pulling out the needle on her wrist to slap the arrogant girl in front of her.
But Erica had no plans to give her that satisfaction. She turned around and left the room with her head held high. Her straight, unflinching back looked like that of a noble princess.
As soon as she walked out of the in-patient department, the arrogant expression on Erica's face faded. She immediately dialed Matthew's number on her phone. "Hello, are you busy?"
Matthew silently stopped the department manager, who was in the middle of giving his report. He stood up and walked to the window before replying, "No."
"So, here's the thing. I came to the hospital for a visit and ended up slapping Mistress Su. Half her face is swollen like an apple. I'm going to your parents' house now. If you want a divorce, I won't object. But you have to come to the manor and talk to them yourself." Erica had to tell him the truth. She was afraid that Phoebe would complain to him and that she would exaggerate and slander her. So, it was best that Erica informed him first.
'Mistress Su?' Matthew was amused by her words. He adjusted his emotions and asked in a low voice, "Why are you so damn arrogant after slapping her?"
"She deserves it! If she ever got pregnant with your baby again, I would gladly push her and make her have a miscarriage again!" 'That bitch accused me of killing her baby! I might as well just do it!' she thought angrily.
"You wouldn't dare."
"Yes, I would!"
'Very good, ' Matthew thought with a smile. He gave her a thumbs up in his mind.
There was a hint of coldness in the man's voice when he spoke again. "You don't have to go see Dad and Mom. I don't have time to care about silly trifles between women."
Erica breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, good for you! I don't want to disturb you. Bye, Mr. Huo."
Matthew sighed inwardly. Wasn't there anything else she wanted to talk to him about other than Phoebe?
But before he could ask, the woman hung up on him.
Looking at his phone helplessly, Matthew went back to his desk and asked the department manager to continue with his report.
A few minutes later, his phone vibrated again. It was Phoebe.
He frowned and put the phone aside, letting it vibrate on his desk.
Phoebe called him twice. She figured he was busy since he didn't pick her call. She sent him a message instead.
"Matthew, Erica has gone too far! I'm at the hospital to recuperate. She came here, and instead of apologizing, she slapped me in the face! My face is swollen because of her!"