The first thing I felt was pain. My whole body ached as though I had been crushed from the inside out. My head throbbed with every shallow breath I took, my lips dry, my throat parched. Somewhere above me, a faint beeping echoed in rhythm with my heartbeat.
I tried to open my eyes, but the light was too harsh. Instead, I let my ears guide me. There were voices—faint, muffled, but familiar.
“Doctor,” Paulo’s voice. Sharp. Cold. “Do it. I don’t want that child.”
My heart froze.
The doctor hesitated, his voice low but firm. “Mr. Santos, the baby survived the crash. It’s a miracle. Why would you want to end it?”
“Because I don’t want an heir coming from her.” Paulo spat the words as though I was poison. “I already have an heir—from my wife. She’s not even my wife. That marriage was fake. Just lie to her. Tell her she lost the baby. Do it.”
The doctor’s voice sharpened, incredulous. “Mr. Paulo, I will not falsify medical records. The baby survived the crash. It’s a miracle she and the child are both alive. To end this pregnancy deliberately would be murder.”
There was silence, a heavy pause—then another voice cut in. My brother. Cold, businesslike.
“Doctor, don’t argue. Just keep her alive for now. She still hasn’t signed the merger papers. We need her. After that, she’s useless.”
My heart clenched so violently I thought it might stop. So that was all I was to them. Not a sister. Not a wife. Not a mother. Just a signature on a line.
A rush of cold swept through my veins. My fingers twitched weakly, desperate to move, desperate to scream, but darkness swallowed me before I could.
When I woke up again, it was quiet. The world blurred, but I forced my eyes open. A nurse hovered beside me, adjusting the IV.
“You need to rest,” she said softly, pity in her eyes. “You lost the baby. I’m sorry.”
Her words pierced me like a blade. Lost the baby. No. No, that wasn’t true—it had to be the dream, the nightmare I had overheard before. But the way she said it, the sympathy in her tone…
It wasn’t a dream.
It was real.
A sob broke from my chest. I hadn’t even known I was pregnant, hadn’t had the chance to feel joy, to dream of life. And Paulo—he had killed it. My child. Our child. Just because Leah was carrying his, I was nothing to him.
My mind reeled back to the day he told me he loved me, that he would make Leah pay for running, that together we would build a life stronger than betrayal. I had believed him. I had built my life on his promises. And now, all I had was ashes.
The door creaked open.
Paulo walked in, his expression painted with forced worry. “Olivia… I’m so sorry I was late. How are you feeling?”
I stared at him, bile rising in my throat. There was a time when words like that would have given me butterflies, but now I saw them for what they were: empty lies. I pushed him weakly, my voice hoarse. “Where were you? I called you. Over and over. Where were you?”
He sighed, brushing imaginary dust from his sleeve. “I was busy with work.”
“Work?” My voice cracked. “I needed you. Our baby. I lost the baby because you’re not even—”
“Enough!” His mask slipped, his eyes flashing with annoyance. “You’re angry now because you lost the baby and you want to blame me? Why me? It was your fault. You were careless. You killed our baby, Olivia. You!”
I couldn’t breathe. My lips trembled as I shook my head. He said it so easily, twisting the knife deeper into wounds he had carved.
Before I could answer, the door swung open again.
“Please don’t fight!” Leah’s voice, sweet and pitiful. She entered with flowers and a cake in her hands, her belly already showing. “My sister is suffering, Paulo. Don’t make it worse.” She turned to me, her eyes gleaming. “I’m sorry, sister. I’m here now. Please, forgive me.”
She placed the flowers and cake on the table. The sight was laughable. I couldn’t hold it in—I laughed bitterly, grabbed the flowers, and hurled them back at her. The cake crashed against the wall.
“You think forgiveness is that cheap?” I hissed.
Behind her, my two brothers stormed in.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” one of them barked. “She came here to apologize and you treat her like this?”
“I don’t need her sorry,” I spat. “I don’t need any of you. Just leave me.”
My other brother’s lips curled into a sneer. “What an evil woman you are. Maybe Leah was right all along. You framed her, didn’t you? You drove her away. You ruined everything.”
I felt the blood drain from my face. Framed her? Again? Always me, the villain in their eyes. Always me, the scapegoat.
Rather than wasting my breath, I turned my face away. “Leave. All of you.”
Paulo scoffed, his voice dripping with mockery. “How dramatic. Fine. If you don’t want us, then don’t call for help. Handle everything alone. Don’t expect us to lift a finger.”
He walked out, Leah on his arm, her face half-hidden by a smirk.
My brothers lingered long enough to deliver their final blow.
“Don’t miss the merger, Olivia. You’ll sign everything to us—the inheritance, the company. It’s time. You’re useless now. At least you can do something right before you disappear.”
Then they too were gone.
Silence descended, broken only by my ragged sobs. I curled into myself, clutching the emptiness of my stomach, whispering apologies to the child I never got to meet. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
That night, I lit a small candle by my bedside. Its flame flickered, fragile, like the life taken from me. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I whispered goodbye.
But grief hardened into resolve. I reached for my phone, my hand trembling, and dialed my lawyer.
“This is Olivia,” I said, my voice raw but steady. “I’ll attend the merger as planned. Let them think I’m handing everything over.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the lawyer replied cautiously. “And in reality?”
“In reality,” I whispered, fire igniting in my chest, “prepare fake documents. The real transfer will go to Cameron Evans. Every share. Every piece of inheritance. I’d rather burn it all than let them steal it.”
