T W O

Annabel's POV

My belly churned and squeezed inside of me as I sucked in air, unable to believe what I just heard. All of this has to be some kind of dream, I need me to wake up.

Disconnecting the IV needle from my hand with so much force, sent blood rushing uncontrollably out of my hand.

"Annabel!" Scott was beside me in a jiffy but the pain was nothing compared to the one I felt in my heart.

I stepped out of bed.

"No.." I cried, "It can't be..no, we didn't lose her Scott! She was...she was right here," I held my belly while I sobbed, "She was okay..waiting to be born in a month's time."

Scott moved a step towards me, fearing that I might do something crazy.

"Annabel please..please calm down. We..we have to be strong. We have-"

I shook my head vehemently as my gaze fell on the surgical instruments I'd seen the night before. I pushed everything to the ground while screaming my lungs out.

"Noooooo!! My poor child!!! Oh God..please no!!" hot tears streamed down my cheeks, "It's not true!"

I grabbed Scott's collar, "Tell me this is a joke! Please tell me it's a joke!!"

"Annabel..listen to me-" Scott tried to calm me down including Nathan but at this point I had no idea where my strength came from.

I easily freed myself from their grip and grabbed Mr Davis' collar.

"What did you do to my baby?!" I screamed into his face. I could pass for an insane woman right now but I cared less.

"Answer me, you bastard!" I yelled while I tightened my grip on his collar, "Where is my child?!"

Before I could get an answer, a strong hand grabbed my shoulder and pushed me back. I looked up to see Scott, his calm face set in anger.

"Stop it, Annabel!" he shouted, his voice deep and angry, "I know you're in pains but you're not the only one! Are you forgetting that she is my child too?! Pull yourself together!"

I stepped up to him, tears still falling from my eyes, "Scott, please listen to me. There's something y'all don't know."

Nathan held my arms, "You need to rest Annabel, the doctor said-"

I pulled out of his hold, "Scott, your father and stepmother are responsible for our daughter's death!"

The sharp look in his eyes made me tremble. Scott had never looked at me with so much hatred and contempt. His glare held a warning about smothering his father's name.

"That's enough!" he raised his voice at me again, "We're going home and you will remain quiet as from now on, Annabel!"

"No! I need you to listen to me, Scott please!" I begged.

"No, you need to listen to yourself!" he retorted, "Can you hear your own words? You're blaming my father for the death of his grandchild? C'mon Annabel!"

"I know..I know it seems hard to believe but I promise you Scott. I wouldn't lie to you! What would I gain from this?!"

Vivian stepped forward, her exquisite yellow gown flowing behind her.

She said, "You have every reason to implicate my husband, Annabel. After all, he never liked you for his son. Michelle was and still is his choice for Scott."

"Don't you dare change the narrative!" I cried, "Scott chose me in the end, I hold no grudges against Mr Davis!"

"You're a daughter to me, Annabel." Mr Davis chirped in and I watched how manipulatively these people turned everything upside down, I cried even harder.

He continued, "It hurts that you would accuse me of something so vile. I would never kill an innocent human say less of my own grandchild, my flesh and blood!"

I shook my head, "You're such a great liar! You are deceiving both of your sons and-"

"Enough, Annabel!"

I turned back and found Scott glaring at me with so much anger in his eyes. Those alluring greenish gold eyes that used to fill my belly with butterflies now broke my heart. It broke me even more that while I was fighting for the death of our child, he is standing against me instead of with me.

"We will go home this instant!" he declared as he grabbed my wrist and pulled me out of the hospital and into the car.

On the drive home, Scott apologized to his father, "I'm sorry for the words Annabel said to you earlier. She does not mean any of it. It's just that..this sad news is a shock to every one."

Mr Davis nodded and pretended to understand, "It's alright son. I'm glad that you know what is right and you're not led by your emotions. I'm sorry for our loss but with time, we'll get over it."

He turned to me at the backseat, "I'm sorry, Annabel." and then winked at me with a grin on the side of his lips.

My chest squeezed in pain. How would I get Scott to believe me that his father is not who he thinks he is? After a thirty minutes drive, we stopped at a stately mansion.

Mr Davis is the Governor of New York so you can imagine the life of luxury and affluence we lived in but I never cared over these things.

In fact all I wanted now is to crash into my mother's arms and weep. I rushed into the mansion and ran up to her room but she wasn't there. I checked mine as well but could not find her there.

Confusion and fear set in.

As I descended from the stairs I asked one of the maids, "Where is my mother?"

She merely gave a sad sigh and did not answer. The family walked in from the garage, all looking sullen and heartbroken.

Again, I could not help but notice Michelle around my husband. Why is she even here? Why is Scott even holding her?!

"Where's my mother?" I asked, directing the question to no one.

"I need an answer!" I screamed, my voice echoing.

"Annabel," called Michelle, "You need to rest. You lost a lot of blood, you know."

I could feel the sarcastic texture of her tone and so I replied, "Don't you dare fuck with me, Mich."

"I need an answer, where is my mother?!"

Nathan stepped forward to hold me but I had no idea why.

"She..she slumped yesterday, Annabel. She was rushed to the hospital but.. but it was too late."

"What?" I whispered and stepped back. Everything began to whiz around me as Nathan's words replayed constantly in my ears.

I collapsed.