Chapter 2

Chapter 2: A New Reality

Waking up to the blinding white of a ceiling tile and the rhythmic beep of a machine, Aria groaned. The antiseptic scent, usually a mild background note at the penthouse, was overwhelming here. Her head throbbed, and a heavy, sudden weight pressed on her chest. She tried to move, but a dull ache shot up her abdomen.

"Ahhh... My gosh," she groaned, squeezing her eyes shut, as if absorbing the pain.

"Ms. Thorne? You're awake. Thank God." A soft voice pulled her from her attempts to get up. A man stood over her, not Julian, but a kind-faced doctor with reassuring brown eyes and a gentle smile.

"Where... where am I?" Her voice, dry, barely above a whisper.

"You were rushed to St. Jude's Hospital, you collapsed shortly after leaving the Hiranthon gala three weeks ago. You had a severe panic attack caused by exhaustion and dehydration."

Three weeks? Three weeks of her life were put on pause. The memory of the gala, the photos, Julian's dismissive face, and the final, crushing walkout flooded back with vivid clarity. The tears came then, streaming down her pale face and resting on her dry lips.

The doctor waited patiently, offering her a wet wipe. "I'm your doctor, James, and I've been overseeing your case. You're stable now, but we need to talk about what really caused the collapse."

Aria wiped her eyes, struggling to regain control of her emotions. "It was stress. My... my husband and I are getting a divorce."

"I understand that it must be difficult," Doctor James said gently. He sat on the edge of the bed, while gently patting her shoulder, "Ms. Thorne, during the initial tests, we discovered something we need to discuss. It's important."

A knot of worry tightened in Aria's stomach. Did the betrayal do something to her? Was she sick with some kind of incurable disease?

Thomas took a breath, his gaze fixated on her curious eyes. "Aria, you are pregnant."

The words landed like a physical blow. The beep on the monitor, the rush of the air conditioning system, the entire hospital room seemed to tilt and spin and wobble. Julian's child? A secret life taking shape inside the body that his betrayal had destroyed.

"No," she whispered, shaking her head in disbelief. "That can't be right. You have the wrong patient. The test results must have been switched."

"I assure you, we've run the tests multiple times. You're about seven weeks along. The fainting sessions, the exhaustion—it was your body signaling you to take deep, immediate rest." He replied, proceeding to take a seat beside her, "You have to calm down, Aria."

Aria lay back, numb, staring at the ceiling. She had planned to rebuild her life, to become independent, to be free. But now, she was imprisoned again, not by her marriage but by freaking biology.

It seemed like everything was against her, even her own life. She was an orphan, with no family to turn to. She had no home. She had just initiated a divorce from a ruthless billionaire and had nothing to her name.

"My accounts," she murmured, her voice filled with terror, her lips and legs quivered. "I need my phone. I need to pay the hospital. I need to get out of here, before I lose my mind."

Dr. Corton shook his head slowly in pity. "About that, Ms. Thorne. Your hospital stay is covered for now. But... we did have to check your emergency contact and financial details."

He hesitated. "Your bank accounts are... inaccessible. It appears they have been frozen, and you've been blocked from accessing joint accounts."

Aria clenched her jaw and balled her fist. Her slender wrist gripped onto the sheets. Julian Vance had not just betrayed her heart; he was using his power to control her, to cripple her, even after she served him divorce papers and set him free.

"That arrogant bastard," she hissed, pushing herself upright despite the pain and aches she felt. "He thinks he can control me even now. He thinks I'll crawl back to him? I would much rather die."

James gently pressed her back down to rest on the bed. "Please, you need to remain calm. Your health, and the baby's, is a priority now. You really shouldn't put too much pressure on yourself."

Aria ignored him, the panic increasing even more. "I have nothing. I can't stay here. I can't go back to the penthouse. I have nowhere to go and no money to pay for anything!"

"Aria, please. I know you're in shock, but you need to prioritize your baby's health. Life is literally forming inside of you now."

He spent the next hour trying to calm her down, which managed to calm her down for a while. "You can stay at the extended care wing of the hospital till you're healthy enough to be discharged."

"But what am I going to do with my life, Doc? How would I raise this baby all alone? Who would I run to for help?" She said, holding his wrist, her eyes glistening with tears, "I literally slumped and stayed in this hospital for three weeks, and no one f*cking came to my rescue."

"I was an orphan too, Aria," he confessed quietly, pulling off his spectacles. "I know what it's like to feel utterly alone in the world. But you have a new life inside you now. You have a reason to fight. Don't let him win by giving up."

Aria looked down at her flat stomach, her hand trembling as her fingers trailed down her abdomen, "It's okay, baby," she whispered, rubbing her stomach.

It was a reason to be strong, not weak. She had lost everything in the blink of an eye, her husband, her home, her financial security, and now, she's with a child. She could not stay in Vancouver, where Julian's long reach could crush her. She had to disappear completely.

"Dr. Corton," Aria said, her voice now steady with hope. "I need your help. I need to completely disappear from this town. Completely. I need a place where he will never think to look."

"A small town," Thomas suggested, already anticipating her plan. "Off the grid. A place far away from the corporate world or the city."

"Yes. And I need to sell the only valuable thing I have left that he doesn't control or value enough to take away." She thought of the small, antique gold locket her grandmother had left her, something Julian had always dismissed as cheap costume jewelry. It wouldn't fetch much, but it would be a start. She would pawn it off.

"Okay, Doc, but I would need your help on something..."