Caitlin's POV
Despite the world outside turning upside down, I desperately tried to maintain a pathetic sense of dignity inside the apartment. The wedding was fast approaching, and my wedding dress was still waiting for my final fitting.
I clung desperately to these anchors of the future, constantly brainwashing myself: Hudson is just acting out of survivor's guilt. He won't abandon me. As long as he helps Bella stabilize her emotions, we can get back on track.
Late that night, Hudson finally returned to the apartment. I pretended to be asleep, listening to him tiptoe into bed, my body stiff and my breathing heavy.
The next morning at the breakfast table, I decided to break the ice. "So, Bella moved in next door to us."
Hudson's hand trembled, and he nearly spilled his coffee. He didn't dare look at me, his face full of guilt. "Yeah, it's... it's complicated, Caitlin."
"Indeed. She cried terribly yesterday, and you were busy comforting her next door." My tone was sharp.
Hudson ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "She had an emotional breakdown yesterday, it was really serious! Her therapist suggested she move somewhere she feels safe. She had no idea we lived here."
"Her therapist suggested she move next door to the ex-boyfriend whose life her father saved?" I raised an eyebrow, the skepticism in my tone barely concealed.
Hudson finally looked at me, his eyes full of pleading. "Caitlin, please. She's not doing well, her mental state is very fragile. We can't just abandon her. Her father... he sacrificed himself to save me. I owe her."
"You do owe her." I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to maintain that "understanding" facade he had praised. "But what about our wedding? The final fitting for the wedding dress is next Tuesday. Are you still going?"
He hesitated for a long second, a second so long it made my skin crawl. "Of course," he finally promised. "Everything goes according to plan. Bella will get better, we just need to take care of her feelings a little bit."
I nodded, but my heart shattered piece by piece. That night, Hudson tossed and turned in his sleep, muttering a name under his breath. I couldn't hear it clearly, but I knew for a fact it wasn't "Caitlin."
Next Tuesday, I arrived at the bridal boutique with anxious anticipation. It was an ivory silk wedding dress designed specifically for me, with hand-sewn pearls and lace perfectly matched.
The moment I put it on, I felt as if I saw the reflection of happiness once again.
The boutique owner, Mrs. Albright, looked at me with absolute awe. "It's too beautiful, Caitlin! Hudson is going to be head over heels for you."
Just as I was handing the dress back, my phone buzzed. A text from Hudson came in: "Going to be late. Bella had another episode, I have to rush over to her now."
My heart plunged into an ice cellar. Bella again. Always Bella.
Then, Bella stood in the middle of the store. Her eyes were bloodshot, her gaze frantic, and in her hand, she tightly gripped a pair of sharp, heavy tailor's scissors. Mannequins around her were knocked over, and high-end fabrics were scattered all over the floor.
"She wants to destroy everything!" Bella screamed, her eyes locked onto the wedding dress hanging on the rack.
The next second, her eyes ignited with the mad fire of jealousy. "What right do you have to have him! What right do you have to steal our life!"
Before I could react, she lunged forward like a lunatic. The owner screamed and dodged out of the way, while I froze in place.
The cold steel of the scissors flashed.
Riiip—
The silk was slashed, the lace was torn, and pearls bounced all over the floor. Bella frantically wielded the scissors, shredding the wedding dress of my dreams into pieces, cut by cut.
"Stop!" I finally screamed at the top of my lungs, but it was too late.
After the destruction was complete, the scissors clattered to the floor. She fell to her knees amidst the shredded fabric, trembling all over as she began to sob delicately.
Bang! The door burst open, and Hudson rushed in, looking panicked. He surveyed the chaotic store, me standing with the shredded dress, and Bella kneeling on the floor.
His gaze briefly met mine, revealing a fleeting trace of helpless apology.
But that look vanished in an instant. His eyes immediately darted to Bella. "Bella! Are you okay?" He knelt beside her, pulled her into his arms, and comforted her.
"We have to call the police," the owner said, trembling.
"No need." I was surprisingly calm, my cold gaze locked on Hudson and Bella. He was still holding her, and Bella had buried her face in his shoulder, crying pitifully. He was heartbroken, but his heartbreak existed only for her.
Customers around us gathered and whispered, and some even took out their phones to record. I had become the most pathetic clown in this farce.
"Caitlin, I can rush to make you a new dress, or try my best to repair this one..." the owner suggested cautiously.
"No need." I cut her off decisively. What was destroyed wasn't the dress, it was this damn marriage. "I will pay for all the damages, settle the bill for me."
Without any lingering attachment, I turned and walked out of the bridal boutique. The cold wind hit my face, and not only did it fail to blow away the pain in my chest, but it also made me completely sober.
I didn't return to that so-called home. I didn't want to hear any of Hudson's hypocritical apologies and excuses.
I took a taxi straight to an unfamiliar private hospital.
A nameless fear haunted my heart, making me instinctively place my hand over my still-flat lower abdomen.
I had to confirm whether my child was still safe and sound.
