The nurse’s eyes glistened with sympathy as she clutched the clipboard to her chest. Her lips trembled when she finally spoke, soft but heavy as a funeral bell.
“I’m sorry, ma’am. The baby didn’t make it.”
The words tore through me like a blade. My chest constricted, my throat burned, but no sound came out. My hands clutched my stomach instinctively, searching for life that was no longer there. My child—my only anchor of hope—was gone.
Not because of fate, but because of them. Because of Brendon. Because of the cruelty of the man I once called my husband.
I didn’t want this. I never wanted to lose my baby. I had endured the humiliation, the endless gaslighting, the insults, because I thought I could at least protect the child inside me. But now? All gone.
Even if I hated Brendon, even if he was the worst mistake of my life, the child wasn’t him. The child was mine. A piece of me. A life. And no matter how broken I was, I never wanted to lose that life.
My hands trembled as they pressed against my stomach, empty now. My lips shook as words tumbled out in a whisper only I could hear.
“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry, baby. I should have protected you. I should have fought harder. Please forgive me.”
Tears burned my cheeks as guilt swallowed me whole. It wasn’t fair. The baby had done nothing wrong, yet paid the price for the cruelty of the people around me.
The door creaked open. Brendon walked in, his expression unreadable, as though nothing had happened. His gaze flickered briefly to me, then to the nurse, before settling coldly back on me.
“You need to prepare yourself,” he said, his voice like ice. “There will be a press conference. You’re going to make a public apology.”
I stared at him in disbelief. My lips trembled. “Why would I apologize when I didn’t do anything wrong?”
“You did.” His tone sharpened. “You prepared the food.”
“No, I didn’t!” My voice cracked. “It was the maid. I only helped serve. I would never harm anyone—never!”
Brendon’s jaw clenched, his eyes dark with fury. “Really? I don’t care. The guests are already filing a case against us. If you don’t fix this, they’ll send you to jail.”
My whole body shook. “I lost my baby because of you,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “I was pregnant, Brendon. Pregnant. And now—”
He cut me off with a scoff. “So what? It’s just a baby. Don’t use that as an excuse.” His words were like poison, each syllable killing whatever was left of my heart. He leaned closer, his breath chilling against my ear. “If you refuse me again, I won’t have a choice but to kill your mother. Or your brother. Do you want that?”
My body went numb. He knew exactly where to strike—my weakest points, the people I still fought to protect.
A sigh escaped my lips, heavy with defeat. “Fine.”
Moments later, a maid entered the room, carrying a plain dress and some powder. She didn’t look at me with kindness—only duty. They made me stand before the mirror, combing my hair harshly, powdering over the bruises.
Yet no matter how they tried, my reflection looked more like a ghost than a wife. My clothes were dull, my eyes swollen, my figure ragged. I wasn’t a woman anymore—I was a shadow.
When I stood at the press conference podium, dozens of cameras flashed like daggers. Reporters whispered, waiting for me to crumble. In my trembling hands was a paper Brendon had prepared. My throat felt raw, my voice barely mine as I read aloud.
“I… I am sorry for the incident at our dinner party. It was my fault. I should have been more careful. I never meant harm to anyone. I take full responsibility. But please, don’t send me to jail. I beg you.”
The room erupted with questions, mocking laughter, judgmental stares. I bowed my head, biting my lip until I tasted blood. Tears blurred the letters in front of me, but I forced myself to finish. Because if I didn’t, my mother would die. My brother would die.
By the time I stepped off the stage, the damage was done. The crowd’s whispers trailed after me like knives. She’s the villain. She tried to poison them. She’s lucky Kyline forgave her.
When I returned home that evening, I walked into the living room only to find Kyline sitting comfortably on the sofa, sipping tea as though she owned the place. Her smile was warm, her voice dripping with false kindness.
“Stephanie,” she said, rising to meet me. “Thank you for what you did today. I know it must have been hard, but that is for the better. Don’t worry, I’ll do everything I can to make sure your mother is taken care of.”
Her words stabbed deeper than any blade. I should have screamed, should have clawed the smile off her face, but all strength had left me. Instead, I reached for my finger.
The wedding band—Brendon’s ring. The ring I had once worn with pride, convincing myself it meant something. Slowly, I slid it off and pressed it into her palm.
“Don’t worry,” I said, my voice steady despite the tears threatening to fall. “You won’t need to worry about me anymore. Because you’ll never see me again.”
Kyline blinked, stunned.
I forced a bitter smile. “Have fun being the wife.”
And with that, I turned and walked away, leaving behind the last piece of myself I had given to Brendon.
