The room went still.
“What did you just say?” her voice dropped, dangerous.
“I won’t take it,” I repeated, lifting my head slightly. “He doesn’t want a child right now. I’m respecting that.” That was the truth. Every time we were together, he made sure there were precautions, and if something slipped, he’d make me take pills right after. I used to think that maybe he just wasn’t ready yet. Now I knew. He just didn’t want one with me. And if I was leaving, why would I tie myself to him forever?
“You’ve got some nerve?!" she said slowly, eyes narrowing. “Say that again.”
“I won’t take it.”
Her expression twisted. “You’ve gone too far!” she shouted. “As his wife, you can’t even do your duty? You can’t even give him a child? And you let him waste himself on that woman. All that effort, all that time, all for her and her damn family. You didn’t stop him once.”
My chest tightened. Stop him? When had I ever had that power?
She turned her head slightly. “Bring it.”
A servant stepped forward and handed her a thick leather strap. Dark. Heavy. The kind they used for punishment. My body tensed.
“I’ll ask you one last time,” she said, gripping it tightly. “Are you going to take the medicine or not?”