Alea POV:
The early morning light filtered through the hospital room window, a pale, anemic glow that did little to dispel the gloom. My head still throbbed, and the scratches on my face felt raw. I reached for my phone, my fingers shaking as I typed a message to my lawyer. Execute the prenup. Now.
A knock startled me. It was a kind-faced social worker who had been assigned to Leo' s case. "Mrs. Merritt, how are you feeling this morning? And Leo? Dr. Evans said he had a restless night."
"He's in pain," I mumbled, my voice thick with unshed tears. "And I'm worried about him. Can I see him?"
"Of course. He's just down the hall. But there's something else." She hesitated, wringing her hands. "Mr. William just received a formal notice regarding the divorce proceedings. He's... very upset. He's demanding to see you and Leo."
My heart hammered. "He can demand all he wants. I'm leaving. Today. With Leo."
I moved, a fierce, protective energy coursing through me. Ignoring the pain, I practically ran down the hall to Leo's room. He was pale, his arm heavily bandaged and in a sling. He looked so small, so vulnerable. He managed a weak smile when he saw me.
"Mommy," he whispered, his eyes still a little red rimmed.
I scooped him up gently, careful of his arm. "My sweet boy. We're going home. We're going far away."
Just as I reached the hospital exit, Calvin appeared, blocking our path. His eyes were wild, his face unshaven, a stark contrast to his usual pristine appearance. He looked like a man who hadn't slept in days.
"Alea! Stop!" His voice was rough, unhinged. He reached for us, his hand clamping onto my good arm. "You're not leaving! Not like this!"
"Let go of me, Calvin!" I hissed, clutching Leo tighter.
"You can't just take him!" He tried to wrench Leo from my arms. "He belongs here! This is his home!"
"This is not his home!" I yelled back, tears stinging my eyes. "Not anymore! Not after what you did to him!"
He released me, then pointed a trembling finger at Leo. "He's a thief! He stole Aiden's favorite toy! The one Georgia cherishes!"
My brain reeled. He was still clinging to Georgia's lies. "What are you talking about? Leo didn't steal anything!"
He lunged again, grabbing my arm, his grip bruising. "Give me back Aiden's lucky charm! You both are just... just trying to erase him! You' re trying to erase Georgia' s memories!" He started dragging us, pulling us back into the hospital, towards Georgia's wing. Leo cried out, his injured arm jostling. My head slammed against the wall as Calvin pulled me through another doorway.
We burst into Georgia's room. She was sitting up in bed, looking surprisingly refreshed, a delicate hand pressed to her chest. A small, tarnished silver locket lay on her nightstand.
"My locket!" Georgia gasped, pointing at Leo with a dramatic flourish. "He stole it! The one Aiden gave me! He tried to take it! He's always been so jealous of Aiden, Calvin!"
Leo whimpered, burying his face in my shoulder. "I didn't... I didn't take it, Papa."
Calvin ignored him. He pushed us roughly towards Georgia's bed. "Look at him, Georgia! He knows he's guilty! He's trying to hide it!"
Georgia looked at Leo with feigned sadness. "Oh, Leo, darling, why would you do something like this? It was Aiden's special gift to me. It's all I have left of him. Don't you care about my feelings at all?" She put on her most pitiful expression, her eyes welling up.
"I didn't take it!" Leo sobbed, his voice muffled against my hair. "It was on the floor! I just picked it up, and then you broke Aiden's stuff, and Papa hurt my arm!"
Calvin's face darkened. "He's lying! He's always been a difficult child! And you, Alea, you encourage his bad behavior!" He raised his hand.
My heart leaped into my throat. He was going to hit Leo again.
Without thinking, I pulled Leo behind me, shielding him with my body. My eyes scanned the room frantically, searching for anything, a weapon, a shield. My gaze landed on a heavy, metal IV stand. I lunged for it, grabbing the cold pole, my knuckles white.
"Don't you dare touch him, Calvin!" I screamed, my voice raw with desperation. "He didn't steal anything! Look at the locket, Georgia! It's right there! On your nightstand! It was never missing!"
Calvin paused, his hand still raised, his eyes flickering to the nightstand. There it was. The locket. Lying in plain sight.
For a split second, a flicker of doubt crossed his face. He looked confused, his anger momentarily deflated.
But Georgia, quick as a viper, seized the opportunity. "Oh, Calvin, darling, it's my fault! I must have put it there myself and forgotten! My amnesia, you know. It makes me so confused. I'm so sorry, Leo. Mommy must have planted the idea in your head, didn't she? To make me look bad? You're such a good boy, Leo, you always listen to your mommy." She began to cry, her body shaking. "Oh, this is all my fault! I'm such a burden to everyone!"
Calvin's doubt vanished immediately. He turned back to Leo, his face hardening. "You heard her, Leo. You tried to make Georgia look bad. You tried to upset her." He grabbed Leo by his good arm, pulling him out from behind me, his grip painfully tight. "You need to learn respect. You need to learn how to behave!" He raised his hand again.
My breath hitched. "No! Calvin, please! He's sick! He's hurt! He has a broken arm!"
He ignored me, his gaze fixed on Leo. He brought his hand down, hard. A sickening thud. Leo screamed, a high-pitched, agonizing sound. He collapsed, clutching his arm again, tears streaming down his face.
I let out a primal scream, dropping the IV stand. "Stop it! You're going to kill him!" I threw myself at Calvin, trying to push him away.
He backhanded me, sending me sprawling. My head hit the hard tile floor with a sickening crack. Darkness swirled at the edges of my vision. I struggled to breathe, pain exploding behind my eyes.
Through the haze, I saw Leo, crumpled on the floor, barely moving. His cries had dwindled to ragged gasps. He looked up at Calvin, his eyes wide with terror and something else-a profound, devastating disappointment.
"Papa," Leo whispered, his voice barely audible, "I... I just wanted you to be proud of me."
Calvin paused, his hand still raised, frozen in mid-air. A flicker of something-regret? guilt?-crossed his face.
But Georgia, ever the puppeteer, seized the moment. "He's just saying that to manipulate you, Calvin," she simpered, her voice a poisonous whisper. "He always does. He's so much like his mother. Always playing the victim."
Calvin's face hardened again. He brought his hand down once more, a brutal, deliberate slap across Leo's face. Leo cried out, a weak, defeated sound, then went still.
"No!" I shrieked, though no sound seemed to escape my throat. My body was numb, broken. My vision tunneled. I crawled towards Leo, trying to reach him, but my limbs wouldn't cooperate.
"Calvin," I sobbed, my voice raw, broken. "He's sick! He has a fever! He's hurt! Don't you see? You're killing him!"
He looked at me, then at Leo, then back at Georgia, who was now smiling, a chilling, triumphant smile.
"We're leaving," I choked out, pushing myself up, every muscle screaming in protest. Blood dripped from my nose, my scalp, and my cheek. "We're leaving, and you will never, ever see us again."
He seemed to finally register my words, his eyes wide with a mixture of shock and disbelief. But it was too late. Far too late.
