Chapter 4

Ambrose stared at my pale face, momentarily dazed.

But Nellie spoke up just in time. "I'm fine, Ambrose. It just hurt a little when she pushed me. There's no need for her to apologize."

Her expression was thoughtful, but her every word added fuel to the fire.

In an instant, Ambrose's expression hardened again. He shoved my head down, trying to force me to apologize.

"I won't! Ambrose, don't make me hate you!" I yelled.

I fought back with all my might, yet despair and humiliation crashed over me like a tidal wave.

Then, blood trickled down my leg, pooling quickly into a red smear on the floor. The pain was so intense that I nearly blacked out.

A beat later, I collapsed to the ground. My body trembled uncontrollably.

Ambrose's eyes widened the moment he saw the blood.

Nellie, however, feigned shock. She covered her mouth and gasped. "Oh no! Talitha, are you on your period? Why didn't you wear a pad? Are you having cramps?"

With that much blood, there was no way that Ambrose—being the trained surgeon that he was—didn't know I was hemorrhaging.

And yet, he barely looked at me. Instead, his gaze drifted back to Nellie's hand resting on her stomach.

After that, he addressed me, "Tali, go lie down. I'll have someone bring you some medication. I'm taking Nellie to the hospital. She's too delicate to handle that kind of fall."

Even though I had already given up on him, his words still tore through me.

Without hesitation, he scooped Nellie into his arms. She looped hers around his neck and shot me a smug look, as if to tell me she'd already won.

As for me, I lay limp on the floor, completely drained. All I could see was Ambrose's retreating figure as he walked away without a second thought.

…

I was unconscious the entire night. By the time I came to, the blood beneath me had dried. The pain in my abdomen had also dulled into something hollow and numb.

I fumbled for my phone. The screen read 9:00 am. Yet, there were no missed calls or messages.

…

When the medics arrived, they gasped at the sight of the bloodstain.

The emergency room was packed. Since there were no beds available, they had no choice but to set me up on a folding cot in the hallway for IV fluids.

It was the dead of winter. Wind slipped in through a half-cracked window, and I pulled the thin blanket tighter. However, the cold still seeped into my bones.

Nearby, a nurse was sorting charts and whispering to her colleague.

"See the difference it makes when a patient actually has someone to care for them? Dr. Sinclair's girlfriend just said her stomach hurt, and he had her in a VIP room in minutes. He's even keeping her company."

The other nurse replied, "Yeah. He treats her like no one else matters. Not like that poor woman. She nearly bled out at home, and nobody even noticed."

Their voices weren't loud, but I heard every word.

I stared up at the white ceiling. I should've felt heartbroken. Yet, I had experienced the pain so many times that all I felt now was numbness.

At that moment, my phone buzzed. It was a text from Ambrose.

He wrote, "Sorry about yesterday. I acted out of line, but you were at fault too. Our wedding will take place the day after tomorrow. Just stay home and rest for now. I've got back-to-back surgeries, so I'll be staying at the hospital."

What a coincidence. My flight was also scheduled for the day after tomorrow.

If he was looking forward to the wedding, how could I possibly let him down?

…

On the morning of the wedding, I approached the dressing room, only to hear Ambrose's voice coming from inside.

"Don't worry. I'll make my move during the ring exchange. All you have to do is wait for me at the hospital. I'll make sure you can have children again," he said quietly.

Moments later, I handed a USB drive to the wedding planner and asked her to swap it in for the commemorative video.

I hoped that both Ambrose and Nellie would enjoy my gift.

Then, I turned and got into a cab bound for the airport.

As the scenery blurred outside the car window, my lips curled into a smile.