Chapter 2 - The Unthinkable Strike
The tension in the room snapped without warning. Clara was in the middle of opening a delicate, hand-knitted cashmere blanket gifted by her grandmother when Ethan suddenly pushed his way through the circle of seated guests. His face was pale, his jaw set like granite, and his breathing came in shallow, rapid gasps. Before anyone could process his movement, Ethan closed the distance between himself and Clara’s velvet armchair. With terrifying speed and absolute fury, he drew back his right fist and punched Clara full force straight in the stomach.
The impact sounded like a muffled drumbeat against a leather sack. The entire room plunged into a stunned, breathless silence for a fraction of a second, followed immediately by a chorus of blood-curdling screams. Clara folded completely in half, the air rushing out of her lungs in a harsh, agonizing gasp, before she crashed backward into the towering gift table. Wrapping paper tore, delicate porcelain keepsakes shattered on the hardwood floor, and gift boxes cascaded down around her like an avalanche.
May you like
Chaos erupted instantly. Maya shrieked, shoving Ethan backward with all her might while screaming, "What is wrong with you?!" Elena dropped her glass of cider, shattering it into a thousand glittering shards, and immediately grabbed her phone, sobbing hysterically as she dialed 911 to report an assault on a pregnant woman. Clara’s father, Richard, and her two burly brothers, Leo and Julian, lunged forward like enraged animals. They grabbed Ethan, slamming him back against the living room wall with enough force to rattle the family portraits. Maya flew at her husband, hitting his chest with her fists, tears streaming down her face as she screamed that he was a psychopath.
On the floor, Clara lay curled in a fetal position, clutching her stomach and sobbing that something was terribly wrong. Marcus dropped to his knees beside her, frantically checking her hands for blood, his face draining of all color. Guests scattered in panic; aunts grabbed their crying children and sprinted toward the front door, while the elderly grandmother clutched her chest, collapsing onto a sofa as a wave of acute shock hit her heart. Maya dropped to her knees beside her sister, desperate to comfort her, trying to feel for a reassuring kick from the baby. But Clara violently pushed Maya’s hands away, her voice piercing the chaos with a desperate shriek, "Don't touch it! Hurts too much!"
