5

STELLA POV 

“You can’t do this to me, Devon!” I cried as several men dragged me down the hallway. “Please, I beg you. Don’t kill our baby...”

Devon stood there unmoved with Estelle clinging to his arm.

“Don’t kill our child, Devon” I sobbed. “please!”

Devon remained resolute.

They began shoving me into another room but I held the edge of the door firmly before I was fully inside. 

I can't protect my baby. That realization hit me hard. Tears streamed down my face as my body shook violently, I had no one backing so while forcing me to abort my child is illegal, as long as Devon King, the CEO of King int. Corp. ordered it, I'm helpless.

My vision had gotten blurry now that it's hard to see clearly.

“If you want, I’ll sign the divorce papers.” This was the remaining solution I had, while I don't want to break up my family, for my child, I have no other option. “I promise. I won’t take anything, I’ll leave quietly. You can be with Estelle for as long as you want just please… don’t kill my baby.” 

His face contoured into a deep frown, “It’s either this or you go to jail. Do you want to go to jail?” he asked coldly.

I nodded frantically. “It’s fine, Devon. I’ll go to jail,” I said desperately. “I’ll go anywhere. Just please save my baby.”

Devon scoffed. “You really are sick,” he said before walking off with Estelle. 

Estelle shot me a last smug look before they disappeared down the hallway.

I was pulled back and I lost my grip, I was dragged to a bed and tied up so I wouldn’t interfere with the procedure.

Savannah walked in.

“S-Savannah, please,” I begged. “I know I never told you, but it’s me. I’m Stella! You continue this operation. Please… save my baby!”

“Shut your hole!” Savannah yelled.

“Do you think I don’t know how much of a witch you are, Estelle?” she sneered. “You’re finally getting karma for everything you’ve done. Your baby is going to die.” she cackled like a maniac

She grinned wickedly as she injected a syringe into my body.

Slowly, my consciousness faded. I couldn’t decipher what was happening around me before darkness engulfed me completely.

When I woke up, it was dark.

I immediately touched my stomach. I couldn’t feel my baby yet, so I wasn’t sure if my child was still with me… or gone. Probably gone. The thought made tears spill from my eyes again. “What had I done to deserve this? All I did was love Devon.mWhy did he do this to me?” I lamented as I sobbed.

“Good. You’re awake.” Savannah’s voice whispered beside me. She hushed me before I could speak.

“I know it’s you, Stella,” she continued in a hushed tone. “Don’t worry. Your baby is fine and will soon be kicking in a few months.”

My breath hitched and relief flooded me that I couldn't help but continue weeping. She gave me space and patted my back momentarily. “You need to leave this family,” she continued after I calmed down. “Estelle won’t let you have peace. If you stay, your baby will never be safe. You need to run.”

I nodded weakly. “Yes,” I whispered. “I am so grateful that he was alive. He's still with me so I will. For my baby. No one else would protect him but me. Not even his father wouldn’t protect him.”

“Thank you, Savannah. So so much,” I said, my voice trembling. She hugged and I returned it.

“Can you do one last favor for me?” I asked.

“What is it?”

“Do you know a good divorce attorney?”

DEVON’S POV

“You said what, Jonathan?” I slammed my fists on the desk, knocking off some files and stationary. “She’s… what?!”

“The madam is missing…” Jonathan, my personal assistant, repeated.

“How? Where did she go that you can’t find her? She has no one except me!”

“Give me a report,” I demanded.

“I apologized again, sir,” Jonathan said then continued, “while she recuperated in the hospital, the madam didn’t say a word to anyone, not even the nurses. She only sobbed and held her stomach.”

His words stung. I bit my lip and ran my hand through my hair. It hurt me too. Having to kill my own child hurt me more than it hurts her. That was my child, for fuck’s sake, I wish she could understand that but instead she's acting like she's the only one with a heart.

I had to do it, otherwise, she would have used that baby against me forever, and I couldn’t allow that. Everyone in the family already hated her and keeping our marriage together now that Estelle is back was already stressful enough, I cannot add to it.

I don't know why since I know her true colors, how conniving and manipulative is but I still can't divorce her. I want her close, I want her hugs, her dishes and I way she pouts whenever she doesn't get her way… cute. 

“After she was discharged, she stayed in her room for an entire day.” It stung to hear she has become this way. “She didn’t even…” Jonathan hesitated.

I decided to give her some space after her abortion. I wanted her to come to terms with everything that happened and didn't visit her during her stay and after her discharge. I wanted her to get over the lost and beg for forgiveness for all the commotions she caused.

Jonathan swallowed, “But today, when I went to check on her, she was nowhere to be found. We searched the entire apartment, but we couldn't find her.” He paused the continued, “although, we found this document… on the bed.”

He handed me the document and my eyes immediately locked onto the bold letters.

DIVORCE AGREEMENT.

I saw her signature at the bottom. 

‘She already signed?’

I immediately tear it up. “Divorce?” I roar as I rip it apart. “She wants to divorce me?!”

“How can she be so cruel after everything I've done for her?”

I don’t return to the apartment partially because I am furious over what she did to her sister and expected an apology upon return but I was still out here fighting with my grandmother so she doesn’t truly send my wife to the psychiatric hospital like I say we would.

I was still out here fighting for her and this is what she does? She runs away leaving divorce papers on our bed?

“I guess Estelle is right,” I muttered. “She really is just like my mother.”

“And also this envelope," Jonathan handed me the envelope, I tore it open to see a brief note stating: I have signed the divorce agreement, I'll take nothing. Do send it in.

I squeeze the papers, and hurl them across the room.

“Find her!”