Chapter 3

Lugging my suitcase behind me, I walked aimlessly on the streets.

As I walked, my mind was filled with thoughts of the past.

Seven years ago, when I had just moved into Albini Manor, I was so scared that I couldn't sleep all night. Alessio was the one who stayed by my side then.

Later on, I was harassed by distant relatives of the family, accused of theft, and humiliated at banquets.

But every single time, Alessio would step in front of me and say, "Estella is under my protection. No one is allowed to hurt her."

It had never occurred to me then that he would also be the one to personally drive me out of his home.

I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my abdomen, and my face instantly turned pale.

Without the painkillers, I might not be able to survive the first onset of symptoms.

The pain grew ever stronger, and in the end, I completely blacked out.

When I came to, the smell of disinfectant invaded my nostrils.

I slowly opened my eyes to find myself lying in a hospital.

As it turned out, a passerby had found me unconscious. They called the police, who then contacted Alessio through my phone.

I was sent to a different hospital, so the doctor only diagnosed me with severe malnutrition and low blood sugar. They had no idea about my actual illness.

Noticing that I had woken up, Alessio let out a sigh of relief. He had faint circles under his eyes, and he seemed a little haggard. "You're finally awake."

I stared at him in bewilderment. For a moment, I thought I had returned to the past.

Alessio reached out and touched my face. He was frowning a little. "Did you go on a diet again? The doctor said you fainted due to low blood sugar and malnutrition. You're skinny enough as you are. Why would you do this to yourself?"

My nose stung as tears welled up in my eyes. I was about to tell him the truth when a voice rang out near us.

"Any girl would want to lose weight."

Camelia entered the ward with a plate of fruit in her hand.

Lowering her head, she touched her belly and said in a wounded tone, "But what can I do? I got pregnant and gained so much weight. I get so anxious whenever I look in the mirror these days… Did I get uglier?"

Alessio immediately comforted her in a gentle voice, "Don't say that. The doctor already said that pregnant women can't go on diets. Also, you're not ugly at all. You've never changed in my eyes."

As I watched the two talk, I slowly lowered my head.

As it turned out, the tiny bit of concern he showed was just my imagination.

"Alessio, I'm a little thirsty. Can you get some water for me?" Camelia sent Alessio away.

Then, as soon as she shut the door to the ward, the smile on her face disappeared without a trace.

She said to me, "Come on, drop the act. Estella, you're really something, aren't you? You couldn't stop our wedding, so you pretended to faint just to get attention."

I weakly shook my head to deny it, but she simply glared at me in disgust. "You think doing this will help you win Alessio back? Not a chance!"

She suddenly fell to the floor in slow motion. Then, she clutched at her belly and started screaming. "Ow! It hurts! Estella, don't do this to me…"

The door to the ward quickly swung open. Alessio rushed in and frantically picked Camelia up.

Camelia threw herself into his arms, sobbing so hard that she could barely catch her breath. "Alessio… Ms. Roberti started insulting me as soon as you left the room.

"She said I was a shameless woman who took you away from her, and she even said both the child and I should never have existed. I wanted to explain myself, but she pushed me… My belly hurts so much…"

I stared at her in disbelief. "I didn't do that! Alessio, she's lying!"

I painstakingly got out of bed to explain, but I had just taken a few steps when Alessio shoved me aside. "Enough!"

His gaze was filled with fury and disappointment. "Estella, I never thought you'd turn out like this. Camelia is pregnant, for goodness' sake. Why can't you just leave her alone?"

The back of my head slammed against the edge of the bed, and blood immediately started streaming down.

Alessio didn't even spare me a glance. Carrying Camelia in his arms, he rushed out of the ward.

The hospital was thrown into chaos. I curled up on the floor as the intense pain in my abdomen flared up again. It was even worse than last time.

Someone shouted, "Something's not right with her! Send her to the ER!"

I was barely alive when I was rushed through the emergency entrance.

In my daze, I saw Alessio passing by me with Camelia still in his arms.

Throughout the whole process, he never once looked back at me.

The doors to the emergency room slowly closed, and the urgent beeping of machines could be heard.

The doctor was frantically shouting something, but I couldn't make out what it was.

I began to lose consciousness. As I faced death, there was only one thought in my mind.

"Alessio, I can never marry you now. Will my death sadden you?"