Chapter 2

Yet he had ignored it.

And now, he stood over me, barking accusations that I had killed our unborn child out of spite.

I stared up at him. He seemed like an absolute stranger, and a bone-chilling cold crept up my spine.

My voice came out as a fragile, broken rasp.

"Vincent... that call was while I was trapped in the wreckage."

"I was dying... I needed you to pull me out. I needed you to save our baby. But you ignored me... because you were busy with Elena."

Vincent’s furious sneer flickered for a fraction of a second, but his expression quickly settled back into condescending irritation.

"Chloe, stop playing the victim... If you were in a real car crash, how are you lying there without a scratch on you?"

He couldn't see beneath the thick hospital blanket. He couldn't see my mangled stump trembling in agony.

*Without a scratch?*

I had lost my leg. I had lost our child!

Vincent didn't even notice the ghastly pallor of my face as he continued his self-righteous lecture:

"Elena is practically my sister. There's nothing going on between us, and you know it."

"I know you have an issue with her, but she just moved back to the city. She doesn't know anyone, and she needs my help settling in. Why can't you just show a little maturity for once?"

I cut him off, my voice barely audible.

"Vincent... if Elena is your sister, then what am I to you?"

I was his wife.

Yet whenever I needed him most, he was always by someone else's side.

Vincent scowled, clearly annoyed by my tone.

The dam broke, and tears streamed uncontrollably down my cheeks.

"Vincent, I didn't do it out of spite..."

"I really almost died... I begged you to come. But you didn't answer. You never came..."

Seeing my breakdown, his hard exterior softened slightly. He reached out with an awkward, flustered sigh, roughly wiping my cheeks.

"You're a grown woman. Why do you cry at the drop of a hat?"

"Fine, fine. It's my fault, okay? I'm sorry. I won't yell at you anymore."

"Just... don't pull stunts like this again, alright? Stop making up ridiculous lies about car crashes to manipulate me. The baby was innocent. How could you be so heartless..."

A surge of revulsion rushed through me. I grabbed the pillow from beneath my head and hurled it straight at his face.

"Get out! Get the hell away from me!"

The pillow bounced off his shoulder, and whatever patience he had feigned instantly evaporated.

"Chloe, don't push your luck! Fine, you want me gone? I'm gone!"

"You don't have parents. All you have is a crippled younger brother who drains every dollar we make. Do you honestly think anyone else would put up with your toxic attitude?"

"If you don't fix that disgusting temper of yours, even I'm going to walk away for good."

"Think about that!"

Vincent spat out the words, spun on his heel, and slammed the door behind him.

The room sank back into a suffocating silence, broken only by my muffled, broken sobs.

He still thought I was just throwing a childish fit. He still believed the crash was a manufactured lie.

He hadn't even bothered to pull back the blanket. He hadn't asked if I was hurting, or if I had been afraid...

I squeezed my eyes shut, letting the warm tears soak into the mattress.

I honestly didn't know how much longer I could hold on.