Chapter 4

Just a second before Julian turned to leave, I forced myself through the agonizing pain and grabbed his sleeve.

"Julian..."

"What did you call me?"

Julian froze. His eyes locked onto my face.

Then, his pupils shrunk.

"Your eyes..."

Suddenly, his gaze turned ice-cold, and he violently shook my hand off.

"Your eyes do look like Chloe's, and they look like my late sister Seraphina's. But not everyone with those eyes is allowed to call me Julian."

He pushed my hand away so hard that my wounds ripped. I shook violently from the pain, helplessly watching him lead Chloe out of the room without looking back.

The massive room fell dead silent, leaving only me and Ethan.

Ethan looked down at me as I writhed in pain, condescendingly reaching out to press the call button.

"People move up, Mia. Don't blame me for being heartless."

"But that baby in your womb... you really can't keep it."

My heart stopped. I looked at Ethan in absolute disbelief.

I thought he didn't know I was pregnant. I thought that was why he let Chloe run me over.

Ethan looked down, slowly adjusting his cuffs, avoiding my eyes.

"I found the ultrasound report in your drawer weeks ago. You wanted to surprise me, didn't you?"

"If it weren't for Chloe, maybe I would have been happy."

"But a man has to prioritize his career. Chloe can give me everything I've ever dreamed of."

"You and that unborn kid can't give me anything!"

It felt like my chest was being ripped open. A suffocating pain engulfed me.

The sweet, loving boy from college—when did he become this monster?

Or maybe he was always this selfish and cold. I was just too blind to see it.

Vaguely, I heard a nurse's furious voice.

"The patient has broken ribs and is going through a miscarriage! Any movement causes agonizing pain! Are you her family? Do you even know how to look after her?"

"I have nothing to do with her. I just saw the accident and brought her in out of pity. I'm leaving now."

My heart was sliced open again.

Seven years of love, and to him, I was just a stranger he helped out of pity.

Tears fell silently.

He abandoned me and our child for Chloe to climb the social ladder, right?

Fine. I'd wait for him to reach the top.

And when he's at his proudest, I will stand before him.

I'll show him that the one standing at the very top—the one who can crush him and Chloe like bugs—is the "orphan" they threw away and humiliated.