[BL] A Marriage Ruled by Family, Saved by Desire-Chapter 38: Facing the Consequences

~Alistair’s POV~

I couldn’t help it. Despite my anger, despite the distance I had kept, I reached out and laced my fingers with his, squeezing firmly. I turned to him for a split second, a silent command for him to stay grounded, to stay calm.

Alex’s mother noticed the movement, her eyes flickering down to our joined hands with a flash of irritation before she smoothed her features.

"Alistair," she began, gesturing gracefully toward Sarah, as if this were a perfectly ordinary introduction. "I’m not sure whether you’ve properly met before, but this is Sarah."

Sarah leaned forward with a soft, carefully rehearsed "Hi," but I didn’t indulge her. My gaze slid past her without acknowledgment, settling back on my mother-in-law.

"Alright, Mom," I said coolly. "Get to the point."

She cleared her throat, completely unbothered. "Your husband recently traveled to Singapore, didn’t he?"

"Yes, Mom," I answered, my voice a flat line. "He did."

"Well, it was Sarah’s birthday. Some friends and family arranged a surprise celebration for her there," she explained, her voice lowering as if sharing something confidential. "And during that trip... it appears Alex and Sarah grew rather close. Closer than anyone expected."

Alex’s head snapped up, his eyes wide with shock. "That’s a lie, Mom!" he choked out, his voice cracking with desperation. "I never... we didn’t ’get along.’ I barely spoke to her!"

He started to lean forward, his whole body trembling with the urge to defend himself, but I tightened my grip on his hand, pulling him back. I didn’t look at him, but my message was clear: Stay down. Not yet.

"Babe, please," Alex murmured, his eyes searching mine, frantic and glassy with unshed tears. "It’s a lie. You have to believe me."

I turned my head slowly and met his eyes. The naked fear in his expression twisted something in my chest, but I held my ground. After a brief pause, he sank back into the sofa, a fractured "Okay" slipping from his lips before he fell quiet, choosing to trust me despite the fear consuming him.

"Don’t mind him, Alistair," his mother went on, flicking her hand in a casual dismissal. "He’s only behaving this way because he doesn’t want to upset you. He’s always been too soft-hearted for his own good."

I said nothing. I sat there like a statue, watching her spin the web.

"That night, at the birthday party..." she went on, her eyes gleaming. "They were celebrating. They drank quite a bit together. You know how... these things go. Emotions were high, the alcohol was flowing, and they found themselves... compatible. They ended up in the room together, Alis. Completely willingly. No one forced a thing."

I felt Alex’s pulse racing through his palm. He was vibrating with a silent scream, his face pale with horror at hearing his own mother fabricate his betrayal.

"In the morning," she sighed, her tone deliberately heavy, "it was clear things had... escalated. They spent the night together. I understand they were both drunk, and maybe it wasn’t planned, but adults must take responsibility for their choices."

I met her gaze, irritation simmering just beneath the surface, threatening to shatter my calm. Every word she spoke felt like a stain on the life I had built with Alex, but I held my expression steady, a cold mask concealing everything.

She leaned in, her voice sharpening to a cold, cutting edge that filled the room. "Alex can’t keep hiding the truth or pretending it didn’t happen. He needs to take responsibility for Sarah. It’s his duty to her."

I couldn’t stay silent anymore. My voice came out low, dangerously steady. "What responsibility, Mom? And what duty, exactly?"

His mother leaned back, her eyes pitying. "Alistair, son... I understand how you are feeling right now. It’s a shock. But you have to understand that Sarah has confirmed they didn’t use protection, which—"

"Which what?" Alex snapped, his voice trembling with a mix of anger and fear. He spun toward me, eyes wide, desperate, searching mine like I held the truth in my hands. "Babe, it’s a lie! I did nothing. I swear, I did nothing! You have to trust me, Alis. I would never touch her!"

"Will you be quiet, Alex!" his mother shouted, her voice booming in the quiet lounge. "Stop denying it already! You’re only making it harder for everyone!"

"I didn’t touch her, Mom!" Alex screamed back, his chest heaving. "It’s a lie! I never touched her!"

The room erupted into chaos. Alex and his mother began to argue, their voices clashing in a mess of accusations and denials. Sarah sat there, watching the destruction she had caused with a small, satisfied smirk.

"ENOUGH!" I shouted.

The room went instantly silent. Alex snapped his mouth shut, flinching at the sharpness in my tone. He sat back, his shoulders slumped, looking like a child who had been slapped. I leaned closer to him, my voice a cold, lethal whisper that only he could hear.

"It’s better you get yourself together right now," I warned, my eyes boring into his. "If you can’t control yourself, I will walk out of this house and let you handle this entire mess alone. Do you understand me?"

Alex’s breath hitched. He reached out, his fingers trembling as he tangled them back with mine, holding on as if I were his last breath of air. He nodded slowly, his face pale. "Okay. Okay, babe."

I turned back to his mother, my face calm but unreadable. "Alright, Mom. You were talking about Sarah and protection. Finish your thought, what exactly is this ’responsibility’ you think Alex owes her?"

Alex’s mother adjusted her pearls, leaning forward with carefully measured concern.

"Thank you for remaining calm, Alis," she said. "Ever since that night, Sarah hasn’t been feeling like herself. Her cycle was due shortly after... but it never came. It’s only been a little while, so we’re waiting to confirm it properly. Still, the signs are difficult to ignore."

She sighed softly, as if burdened by the truth.

"It’s becoming increasingly clear that she may be pregnant."

"I see," I replied, my voice lowering into something calm but edged with steel. "So what you’re implying is that my husband didn’t just sleep with her... he may have gotten her pregnant."

"Exactly, Alis," she sighed. "That is the gravity of the situation."

I let out a soft, dry chuckle that made both of them flinch. "And what," I asked, tilting my head, "does that have to do with me and my husband, Mom?" 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

The room went dead silent. Alex’s mother gaped at me, her composure finally cracking. "Alis? You don’t understand... the child—"

"Actually, I have a few questions first," I cut in, my tone as sharp as a scalpel.

"Go on," she said, her voice faltering.

"Did Sarah know Alex was married?"

She looked at Sarah, then back at me, stammering. "Well, she knew, but it was—"

"So," I interrupted again, my gaze sliding over to Sarah with pure, unadulterated disgust. "Sarah knew Alex was a married man, and she still chose to let her guard down? She still chose to spread her legs for someone else’s husband? I’m confused, how could a woman be so incredibly cheap? Do you simply have no dignity, Sarah?"

Sarah’s mouth hung open, her face turning a blotchy red as she tried to find her voice. "Now, wait a minute—"

"I’m not done," I snapped, silencing her with a flick of my hand. "Sarah, dear, you really should have planned your life better. Being a mistress or a struggling single mother is a pathetic look for someone your age. Even if we assume this fairy tale is true, my husband doesn’t need you. If a woman throws herself at a man while he’s drunk, that’s not a romance, it’s a desperate grab for attention."

I stood up slowly, looming over them both. "If the test comes back positive, consider yourself a single mother. You won’t be getting a dime from Alex; you’ll be taking an allowance from me. You are truly shameless, to be this beautiful and yet so hollow that you’d crawl into a married man’s bed and then have the audacity to sit in his family home and claim a pregnancy."

I turned back to my mother-in-law, who was staring at me in stunned silence. "Anyway, Mom, since you’ve decided to accept her so readily, she can stay here with you. You can take care of her. Since you’ve always wanted more grandchildren, this is your duty now, not Alex’s."

I looked down at Sarah one last time, my lip curling. "Congratulations on your new houseguest, Mom. And to you, single mother, congratulations on your ’achievement.’"

I raised my left hand, the diamonds of my wedding ring catching the light and flashing in their faces. "I married my husband legally. We are a union recognized by law and by God. A cheap, dirty distraction like Sarah is not, and will never be, the reason I leave my husband. I made a vow. As for Alex, I will deal with him in private."

I turned to Alex, my voice like a whip. "You. Follow me."

Alex didn’t hesitate. He scrambled to his feet, keeping his head down and his eyes on my back as he followed me...