Chapter 6

Time seemed to lose all meaning.

The smell of blood lingering in my nostrils slowly gave way to the stench of rotting flesh.

No one came into the room again. Tormented by thirst, hunger, and blood loss, I clung to life by sheer force of will.

I counted each time the sky grew light outside my window.

I knew that by the third dawn, Nicholas would take me to the hospital for an abortion. That would be my only chance to escape.

I could barely sleep. Every passing second, my thoughts were consumed by pain.

At last, the third dawn arrived.

My vision was blurred by a haze of red. All I could make out was a figure untying the restraints around my wrists and ankles before placing a bowl of hot soup in my hands.

Instinct took over. I threw my head back and gulped down the hot soup without a second thought. The scalding liquid blistered my mouth and throat, but compared with the torment I'd endured over the past few days, that pain was nothing.

The faint feeling of fullness helped clear my head a little. I blinked, and at last, I could make out the face of the person standing before me.

Zelda stood with her arms crossed, watching me with undisguised amusement. A mocking smile played on her lips as she asked, "Lauren, do you know what you just drank?"

I swallowed, my stomach still crying out for more.

It didn't matter what kind of soup it was. As long as it kept me alive, it was nectar from heaven.

She twirled a strand of hair around her finger, looking utterly innocent.

"It's an herbal soup. Lauren, do you think the baby inside you will hold on long enough to make it to the hospital?"

I looked at her, my voice hoarse from not having spoken in so long. "There's no need. Nicholas never wanted this baby in the first place."

Zelda suddenly burst out laughing. She clamped a hand around my throat, her eyes blazing with hatred.

"He doesn't want the baby? Then why did he schedule all those prenatal tests for you? Why did he secretly ask the doctor whether a paternity test could be done before the baby was born?

"You betrayed him. You're tainted. So why is he still willing to give you a chance?"

I froze for a moment, but quickly pulled myself together. "Don't worry. Even if he wanted this baby, I wouldn't keep this burden."

The dull ache in my lower abdomen grew more pronounced. After everything I'd endured over the past few days, I'd learned not to resist or call for help. I simply waited in silence for the ordeal to end.

By the time Nicholas arrived, the pain had become so unbearable that I'd rolled off the bed.

His gaze fixed on the hand pressed against my abdomen, now stained red with blood. Before he could even react, Zelda clutched her stomach and cried out that she wasn't feeling well.

He instinctively reached out to steady her. She clutched his sleeve and burst into tears.

"Nicholas, Lauren had the maid prepare some herbal soup to protect her pregnancy. I happened to stop by and saw her drinking it, so I asked for some too. But now my stomach hurts so much. What should I do?"

Nicholas glanced at the bowl lying beside the bed and immediately understood what had happened.

He scooped Zelda into his arms, his expression darkening.

"How dare you use the bastard growing inside you to scheme against me and Zelda's baby? Lauren, if anything happens to Zelda, I swear I'll make you pay!"

I didn't bother defending myself or arguing anymore. I simply lowered my head, feeling the little life inside me slowly slipping away.

Then, dragging my feet, I made my way out of the villa, one step at a time.

It took me a long while to adjust to the sunlight. When I could finally open my eyes, I caught a glimpse of my reflection in a puddle by the roadside and saw what I'd become.

My hair was a tangled mess. My body was smeared with blood, and there wasn't a single patch of uninjured skin left.

I left my wounds untreated, letting them fester and bleed.

It wasn't until the following day that I received my divorce decree from the lawyer.

After that, I took a cab to the police station, where I requested a forensic examination of my injuries and gave a detailed statement.

With the officers' help, I got my wounds properly treated and managed to catch the last flight out of the country.

Just before boarding, I accidentally picked up Nicholas's call.

A barrage of accusations came pouring through the phone.

"You were the one who set Zelda up in the first place, and you still have the nerve to call the police? What were you thinking?

"Zelda can't handle any more stress. Go to the police station right now and tell them we'll settle this privately. In return, I'll let your own actions slide."

He paused, then lowered his voice, coaxing me. "If you still love me, I can keep you, too. As long as you know your place, things can go back to the way they were between us behind closed doors."

The boarding announcement came over the speakers before I could hang up. Nicholas heard every word loud and clear.

His tone shifted, a hint of unease creeping into his voice. "Lauren, where are you?"

"It doesn't matter anymore."

I looked at my battered reflection in the floor-to-ceiling window and said calmly, "I'm not settling this privately, and I'm not making any deals with you."

Nicholas, I stopped loving you a long time ago.

As a flight attendant urged passengers to board, I hung up.

The last message I received before turning off my phone was the official notice that my case had been filed.