Chapter Three: The Betrayal Unveiled

Ophelia POV

"Help! Somebody help us! There's been an accident!"

The voices seemed to come from far away, muffled and distorted like I was underwater. My head throbbed with each word, and when I tried to open my eyes, everything was blurry and spinning. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth, and sharp pain shot through my ribs with every breath.

"We need paramedics here now! Multiple casualties!"

Through the haze of pain and confusion, I could hear the chaos around the wreckage. Car doors slamming, people shouting instructions, sirens wailing in the distance. The acrid smell of smoke and gasoline burned my nostrils as I tried to make sense of what had happened.

"Get the woman in the front seat first! She's unconscious and bleeding badly!"

That voice... it was Landon. My husband was alive and giving orders to the emergency responders. Relief flooded through me despite the pain, until his next words made my blood run cold.

"Rose! Can you hear me? Stay with me, Rose!"

Rose? He was calling for Rose Miller, not me. Through my blurred vision, I could see him crouched beside the front passenger door, cradling her bloodied head in his hands while paramedics worked to extract her from the twisted metal.

"Sir, you need to step back and let us work," one of the paramedics said firmly.

"No, you don't understand," Landon protested, his voice breaking with emotion. "This woman saved my life. She's the reason I can still play hockey. Please, you have to help her first."

I tried to call out to him, to let him know I was conscious and needed help too, but only a weak groan escaped my lips. My vision kept fading in and out, and I could feel something warm and sticky running down my forehead.

"We've got another victim in the back seat!" finally called out one of the rescue workers. "Female, conscious but disoriented. Possible head trauma."

Even then, Landon didn't turn around. He stayed focused entirely on Rose as they carefully lifted her onto a stretcher, his hand never leaving hers.

"I'm riding with her to the hospital," he announced to the paramedics.

"Sir, we can only allow family members—"

"She doesn't have any family," Landon said desperately. "Please, I can't leave her alone."

As they wheeled Rose toward the first ambulance, I watched my husband follow her without even glancing back at me. The man who had promised to love and protect me was walking away while I lay trapped and bleeding in the back seat.

"This isn't happening," I whispered to myself, tears mixing with the blood on my face. "This can't be real. Why is he choosing her over me? What's wrong with him?"

The ride to Sacramento General Hospital was a blur of pain and confusion. By the time they wheeled me into the emergency room, I was barely conscious. The last thing I remembered was being lifted onto a hospital bed before everything went black.

When I woke up several hours later, bright fluorescent lights made my head pound even worse. A young nurse was checking my IV drip and taking my vitals when she noticed my eyes were open.

"Oh good, you're awake," she said cheerfully. "How are you feeling?"

"How's my baby?" I asked weakly, my hand instinctively moving to my stomach.

The nurse paused, looking confused. "Baby? Are you pregnant?"

My heart stopped. "Yes, I'm pregnant. Please tell me my baby is okay."

"I... let me get the doctor right away," the nurse said uncertainly, hurrying out of the room.

Panic flooded through me as I waited. Within minutes, Dr. Martinez, a kind-faced man in his fifties, entered my room with a concerned expression.

"Mrs. Hayes, how are you feeling?" he asked gently, sitting down beside my bed.

"My baby," I said desperately. "Please tell me about my baby."

Dr. Martinez checked his clipboard and then looked at me with serious eyes. "We ran some tests, and your baby is still there, but there are complications. The trauma from the accident has put you at high risk for miscarriage. The baby is... well, it's hanging on by a thread."

My world tilted. "What does that mean?"

"It means you need complete bed rest. No stress, no physical activity, no emotional upheaval. Any kind of strain could cause you to lose the pregnancy. I'm going to need you to stay calm and avoid anything that might upset you."

Tears streamed down my face. "Can I see my husband? I need him here with me."

"Of course. Let me go get him for you right now," Dr. Martinez said, patting my hand gently before leaving the room.

I immediately reached for my phone and dialed Landon's number with shaking fingers. The call went straight to voicemail. I tried again, but got the same result.

"What's wrong with him?" I whispered, staring at the phone in disbelief.

Despite feeling weak and nauseous, I forced myself to get out of bed. I had to find Landon and tell him about the baby. Maybe if he knew how serious the situation was, he would remember that I was his wife, not Rose Miller.

I slowly made my way out of my hospital room, using the wall for support. The hallway was busy with medical staff and visitors, and as I walked toward the main waiting area, I overheard a conversation that made me stop in my tracks.

In the waiting room, several people were sitting with their family members, talking quietly while they waited to see their loved ones. An elderly woman was speaking to a middle-aged man beside her.

"Have you been here long?" she asked.

"About three hours now," the man replied. "My dad had surgery this morning. What about you?"

"I'm waiting for news about my grandson. But I have to say, I've been watching this one hockey player who came in earlier. That young man with the dark hair - he's been here all night with his wife."

"Really?"

"Oh yes, it's the most romantic thing I've ever seen. His wife was in a car accident, and he hasn't left her side for even a minute. He keeps telling the nurses how much he loves her and how she saved his life. You can just see the devotion in his eyes."

"That's rare these days," another woman chimed in. "Most men would have gone home by now, but not him. He's been pacing the halls, holding her hand. True love, if you ask me."

My legs nearly gave out beneath me. These strangers thought Rose was Landon's wife, and they were praising him for being such a devoted husband while his real wife stood forgotten in the hallway.

I forced myself to keep walking, my heart breaking with every step. I needed to find Landon, but the combination of my injuries and emotional shock was making me dizzy. I had to steady myself against the wall as waves of nausea washed over me.

"Don't worry, you don't know what I'm up to. Just watch me take your husband."

I spun around to find Rose Miller standing behind me in the hallway. She was wearing a hospital gown and looked weak, but her eyes were sharp and malicious when she spotted me.

I stared at her in shock. "What are you talking about? What do you mean, take my husband?"

Rose smiled coldly. "Exactly what I said. You have no idea what's coming for you."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Are you threatening me? What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing's wrong with me," Rose said with a shrug. "I just know what I want, and I'm going to get it."

I was so angry that I reached out toward her, wanting to grab her and demand answers, but Rose had other plans. The moment she saw my hand coming near her, she intentionally threw herself backward, falling dramatically to the floor.

"LANDON!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. "HELP ME! PLEASE HELP ME!"

Before I could react, Rose grabbed my arm and pulled me down with her. In the chaos of our fall, I was pushed hard against the wall, and my stomach hit the corner of a metal cart with devastating force.

The pain was immediate and excruciating. I doubled over, gasping for breath as sharp agony tore through my abdomen. I could feel something warm and wet between my legs, and I knew with horrible certainty what was happening.

"No," I whispered, clutching my stomach. "No, please, not my baby."

But Rose was still screaming for Landon, and within seconds, he came running down the hallway with several nurses and doctors behind him. When he saw Rose on the floor, he immediately dropped to his knees beside her, completely ignoring me as I crumpled against the wall in agony.

"What happened?" he demanded, helping Rose sit up. "Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?"

"Landon, I'm so sorry this happened," Rose said, tears streaming down her face. "I was just trying to apologize to Ophelia for any misunderstanding that happened in the car earlier. I told her I was sorry for coming between your marriage and that I promise to stay away from now on. I even told her how much I admire your relationship and how well you take care of her. But when I tried to apologize, she just pushed me away so violently."

"She what?" Landon's voice was filled with disbelief and anger as he looked from Rose to me.

"I just wanted to make things right between us," Rose continued, sobbing. "I didn't want there to be any bad feelings. But she seemed so angry, like she wanted to hurt me."

The pain in my stomach was getting worse, and I could feel myself losing consciousness. "Landon," I whispered weakly, trying to reach for him. "The baby... our baby..."

But he wasn't listening. He was completely focused on Rose, helping her to her feet while medical staff rushed to assist her. The last thing I saw before darkness claimed me was my husband cradling Rose in his arms, believing her lies while I lost the child I had dreamed of surprising him with.

Everything I had worked for, everything I had sacrificed, was slipping away because of one woman's evil manipulation and my husband's willingness to believe her innocent act over the truth of his own wife.