Chapter 3

"Arthur, I made it crystal clear back in the car—your job was to protect Hannah. What kind of sloppy work is this?" Connor bellowed. "One more slip-up, and you're going right back to whatever town you came from. Useless fool!" His acting was nothing short of flawless. At the hospital, a team of specialists was already on standby. They whisked me through a battery of tests the second I walked in. Hours later, after the doctor pulled Connor into a private room, I hovered near the doorway while Arthur sorted out the medical paperwork. The doctor's voice filtered through the crack in the door. "Mrs. Searle's uterus is completely necrotic. She was already pregnant. Sadly, she'll never be able to conceive again. The psychiatric specialist also pointed out that her mental state has declined. She now talks to herself occasionally and is terrified of being around strangers. "These symptoms go far beyond PTSD. Once she's back home, be sure to handle the public narrative with care to prevent further harm. Given the Searle family's influence, this shouldn't be too difficult…" The rest of their conversation faded into a dull hum. I'd been carrying a life when it all happened. My hand drifted to my stomach, resting flat and empty. Connor hadn't just ruined me. He'd taken the life of a child I hadn't even known was there. I staggered down the hospital hallway, my legs giving out until I crumpled in the stairwell. A few minutes later, Arthur's voice echoed through the stairwell. "Mrs. Searle can't have children anymore, just like you wanted, Mr. Searle, though we didn't know that she was already pregnant. We've added another life to the count. This is a sin we'll have to carry with us." Connor remained silent. The quiet stretched on until Arthur hesitantly asked, his voice faltering, "Mr. Searle… given what the doctor said… s-should we still let the reporters run the story?" "Go ahead." With that, they were gone. Once I'd pulled myself together, I took out my phone. I scrolled to the job offer from an overseas animation studio that had come in six months earlier and tapped the button to accept it. Their reply came through in minutes. Following the timeline in the email, I booked a flight for two days later. A relationship without love was nothing but a cage. There was no point in staying. I'd just finished booking the flight when Connor's call flashed across my screen. Connor's voice crackled with urgency over the phone. "Darling, where are you? I've been looking all over for you." "I'm right outside the hospital, getting some fresh air. I can see you." The second I slid into the car, Connor pulled me into a tight hug. "Promise me you'll never scare me like that again." I nodded, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill over. Without saying another word, Connor directed Arthur to drive us home. As soon as we pulled up to the house, I spotted my mother-in-law, Ingrid Downer, in the garden, meticulously arranging some flowers. Sienna lingered close by, offering assistance. "Mom insisted on coming as soon as she heard what happened to you, darling," Connor explained. "And you know that Sienna has a master's in psychology, right? I asked her to come by to help you work through everything." If anyone had asked Ingrid to name the person she despised the most, there was no question that she would've named me. Her being here felt more like some calculated move. I had barely stepped out of the car when Ingrid started walking toward me, her arm linked with Sienna's. "Well, look at you," she said, her voice thick with disdain, her eyes narrowing as they swept over me. "Crawling back after letting some man wreck you. You should've done Sienna a favor and stayed gone for good!" Connor stepped in and gently pulled me into his arms. "Mom, do you always have to twist kindness into something ugly? If you actually care about Hannah, just say it." "Care?" Ingrid scoffed, flicking her sleeves as if brushing off something distasteful. "Don't be absurd. I'm here to see how long it'll take before the two of you finally divorce. Sienna's the one who deserves to be my daughter-in-law!"