Chapter 4

Pain.

It felt like someone was dragging a rusty saw back and forth inside my abdomen.

The agony was so intense I was on the verge of blacking out, my vision fading to gray.

"Ethan... save my baby..."

With the last of my strength, I reached my hand out to the man whose back was turned to me.

"Chloe, it's a shame you aren't in Hollywood with acting skills like that."

Ethan looked back at me, his eyes devoid of any warmth.

"Using fake blood packets just to force me to compromise?"

"Let me tell you, if you don't apologize to Lily today, don't even dream of me taking you back!"

The crowd of onlookers grew larger. Finally, a pedestrian couldn't stand it anymore.

"Hey, buddy! Your wife is actually bleeding! Look at the ground!"

"There are two lives at stake here! Call 911!"

Ethan followed the pedestrian's pointing finger.

When his eyes landed on the pooling crimson on the concrete, panic finally flashed across his face.

But Lily immediately grabbed his arm, letting out a weak whimper.

"Ethan... my ankle hurts so bad. I think I sprained it..."

Ethan's attention was instantly pulled back.

He gritted his teeth and scooped Lily into his arms.

"Chloe, I'll call an ambulance for you. Go to the hospital first, and I'll be there soon."

With that, he carried Lily away, never once looking back.

A kind stranger called 911 for me.

My consciousness began to slip away.

Memories flashed in my mind like a broken reel.

Our first wedding anniversary.

To accommodate my illness, he had rented out an entire amusement park.

He set off a silent light show of quiet fireworks just for me.

He kissed me under the brilliant, silent lights.

He had whispered that I was his one and only muse for the rest of his life.

The bubble of memory burst.

The image of him covering Lily's ears replayed in my head, like a sharp dagger twisting in my heart.

It brought an unbearable, suffocating pain.

At the hospital, the doctors rushed me into the emergency room.

"Severe hemorrhage! The patient is in critical condition!"

"Prepare for emergency surgery immediately! Get the consent form!"

The nurse tried to call my emergency contact—Ethan.

"The number you have dialed is currently switched off..."

The doctor walked to my bedside with a grave expression.

"Mrs. Miller, we can't reach your family."

"But we must operate immediately, or we won't be able to save either you or the baby."

Fighting for my very last breath, I grabbed the pen.

With trembling fingers, I scribbled my signature on the consent form.

"Doctor," I choked out, grabbing his sleeve as my tears finally spilled over.

"If... if you can't save both..."

"Just save me. I want to live."

I couldn't die.

After a grueling surgery, I was wheeled into the ICU.

As the anesthesia wore off, I reached for my phone on the bedside table.

The screen lit up with an Instagram notification—a post from Lily.

In the photo, Ethan was kneeling, gently applying ice to her ankle.

The caption read:

*No matter what, Ethan will always put me first. ❤️*

Staring at the photo, my heart went completely cold.

I dialed Hazel's number.

"Hazel, help me get out of the country."

"Take me away. I never want to see him again."