Hailey's POV
When I finally woke up, the first thing I saw was Caden's tired face. His eyes were hollow, his skin stretched tight, and that scruffy stubble he'd let grow for days made him look even more worn out than usual.
His gaze shifted when he realized I was awake, like a flicker of guilt washed over him. "You're awake? The doctor said your uterus couldn’t be saved. It’s already been removed."
I just stared at him, my head still fuzzy, trying to make sense of the words he’d just thrown at me.
He hesitated, and his voice softened, but there was still tension hanging in the air. "Your medical record says you were rushed to the hospital yesterday. You didn’t run away from home, so... what happened?"
I reached for my phone instinctively, trying to ignore him, but his hand shot out, grabbing mine before I could unlock it.
"I'm calling the police," I said flatly, my voice a whisper of resolve, "Veronica pushed me down the stairs. She caused all of this. Doesn't she deserve to face the consequences?"
Caden's grip tightened for a moment, but he didn't seem surprised.
"I've already punished her," he snarled.
Then, his lips pressed together in a thin line as if his words were a secret.
"Punished her?" I blinked, the confusion clear on my face. "How? How did you punish her?"
He hesitated, then muttered, like it was something shameful, "I told her... she's not allowed to eat today's cake."
My laugh was dry, the bitterness almost slipping from my lips.
"Is that so?" I scoffed.
The absurdity of the situation hit me all at once.
His brows furrowed, frustration overtaking him.
"Can you stop being so sarcastic?" he snapped. "Look, you've lost your uterus. You can't have children anymore. Instead of being angry about that, shouldn't you be hoping that Veronica can give me a child? What else do you want, Hailey, to just hurt her more?"
I didn't respond. I couldn't.
His words kept ringing in my ears, but I was too tired, too hollow to fight back.
Then his tone softened like he was trying to placate me, to smooth things over. "This time, it's my fault. Didn't you want a child? I couldn't give you one before. When you're better, I'll ask Veronica to let you be the godmother so you can still be a mother, just not the way you imagined."
I felt numb. His words didn't touch me. They couldn't.
Caden's patience seemed to wear thin.
His face twisted in anger, and he raised his voice louder than I had expected. "What's the meaning of your silence? What's wrong now?"
"Don't think I don't know," Caden continued, his voice rising, "You married me because Killian wanted you because he slept with you and got you pregnant. You were scared your mother, who finally climbed the social ladder, would get dragged into it, so you chose me as your backup."
I felt my chest tighten as he stepped closer, his anger boiling over. "You made me wear the cuckold's hat, and I made sure you couldn't have my child as punishment. But you went behind my back, sending all those flirtatious messages to Killian, selling my company's secrets to him! If Veronica hadn't told me, I would've been a fool, believing you."
The words hit me hard. They left me gasping for air. I couldn't hold it in anymore.
"I didn't!" I yelled, my voice shaking with frustration. "I didn't do that!"
Without warning, he stormed over, grabbed me by the hair, and yanked something from between the sheets.
My heart sank as I saw him suddenly turn red in the face, grabbing my hair and slapping me hard.
Then, in one quick move, Caden slapped me hard.
"You're still denying it? The boarding pass is for private jets! A private plane named after you by Killian! What the hell do you think he gave you that ticket for? To run away with him? And you have the nerve to say there's no affair between you two?"
Then, he shouted, "You've dragged me into your secret affair with Killian. And now? Now, you'll be the unwanted mistress. I'll never let you go, never let you find happiness with him. Even if you die, you'll still be mine."
His words stung, carving deep into me, but before I could even gather my thoughts, his foot came down hard on my chest, sending me tumbling off the bed.
The IV stand crashed beside me, glass shards digging into my skin.
Blood pooled beneath me, warm and sticky, as my vision swirled.
I weakly lifted my head, everything spinning around me.
My body felt distant as if I wasn't even in it anymore.
"Caden," I whispered, barely able to get the words out. "Are you really that insecure? Do you honestly think you don't deserve love?"
His eyes were red with frustration.
"Hailey…" Before he could finish, the housekeeper rushed in, her voice frantic.
"Sir Caden," she said urgently, "Miss Steele is emotionally unstable, and she's just had a miscarriage. You should come check on her right away."
Caden's expression immediately shifted.
The anger was gone, replaced by panic. Quickly, Caden grabbed me by the arm without thinking, dragging me out of the room.
"If it weren't for you," he snapped, "Veronica wouldn't have felt guilty and had a miscarriage. You need to come with me and calm her down."
His grip was iron-tight as he dragged me down the hallway. When we reached the VIP ward, Veronica's blotchy and swollen face rushed into Caden's arms without a second's hesitation.
