He returned home at 10 p.m. and found his wife, eight months pregnant, washing dishes alone, while her family laughed in the...

Diane was the first to stand up.

"You don't talk to your family like that."

Ethan pointed towards the kitchen.

"Who left my pregnant wife to clean all this up by herself?"

Vanessa raised her eyes emphatically to the sky.

"Oh my God, Ethan. They're plates."

“No,” he retorted sharply. “What’s serious is that a woman eight months pregnant is crying in front of a sink at ten o’clock at night, while the rest of you are sitting here eating what I paid for.”

Courtney crossed her arms.

"Olivia always looks exhausted."

Madison immediately agreed.

"She's staying home anyway."

Ethan looked at them in disbelief.

"She is carrying my child."

Diane's expression instantly hardened.

"And she lives with me."

That sentence destroyed what little patience he had left.

Ethan inhaled slowly.

"No," he said softly. "This is my house. I bought it. I pay all the bills here. And tonight, it's over."

Silence fell in the room.

Vanessa frowned.

"What does that mean?"

"This means that all cards linked to my accounts are cancelled."

Courtney laughed nervously.

"You're bluffing."

Ethan took out his phone.

"I've already turned them off."

Madison immediately grabbed her wallet and checked her banking app.

A second later, his face turned white.

"My card was refused."

Diane approached, horrified.

"Would you do that to your own mother?"

Ethan looked her straight in the eyes.

"My wife is upstairs, trying not to collapse from exhaustion."

Then Vanessa muttered something under her breath.

Something that cooled the room.

"Well, if Olivia stopped acting like a fragile pregnant princess, none of this would happen."

Ethan narrowed his eyes.

"What does that mean?"

Vanessa froze.

Courtney looked terrified.

Madison suddenly refused to look at him.

A horrible sensation twisted in Ethan's stomach.

"What did you do?"

Vanessa crossed her arms in a gesture of defense.

"It was just a test."

"A test?"

"She kept talking about swelling and dizziness," Vanessa murmured. "Mom said that pregnant women sometimes exaggerate to get attention."

Ethan could feel his pulse beating strongly in his ears.

Then Vanessa uttered the phrase that changed everything.

"So I threw away her prescription vitamins and supplements."

The world stopped.

Ethan stared at her.

" What ? "

"She could have bought more," Diane interrupted quickly. "It's not like they've disappeared forever."

Ethan exploded.

"They had been prescribed to him by his doctor!"

His voice echoed through the house with such force that everyone jumped.

"She's anemic! Her blood pressure is already high! These supplements protect her and the baby!"

Vanessa finally appeared frightened.

"It was just iron..."

"It was medicine for my pregnant wife!"

Ethan ran both hands over his face, desperately trying not to completely lose control.

"You threw away her medication because you thought she wasn't suffering enough?"

No one responded.

Because there was no excuse.

Nothing but cruelty.

Ethan turned around and ran up the stairs.

Olivia was curled up on the bed, weakly clutching her stomach, when he entered.

She immediately appeared nervous.

"What happened?"

He collapsed next to the bed.

"They threw away your medication."

His face instantly tightened.

"I was planning to replace it tomorrow," she murmured, her voice trembling. "But your mother said I've already spent too much this month..."

Ethan felt physically ill.

"Were you afraid to tell me?"

"I didn't want to seem ungrateful."

This response completely devastated him.

Ashamed.

His wife had been ashamed to ask for pregnancy medication in the house he had paid for.

Ethan gently pressed his forehead against hers.

"You'll never apologize again for taking care of yourself."

He then immediately called the doctor.

The obstetrician did not hesitate.

"Take her to the hospital immediately."

Fear pierced Ethan's chest.

He took Olivia's bag, the insurance papers and a blanket before gently lifting her into his arms.

As he carried her downstairs, the four women remained frozen in the living room.

Ethan stopped in front of the front door.

"When I return," he said coldly, "I want this house to be empty."

Diane looked horrified.

"Are you kicking your own mother out?"

Ethan gently adjusted Olivia against his chest.

"No," he replied softly.

"I'm finally protecting my real family."