Chapter Six: Disowned

I woke to the sound of whispering just outside my door and the immediate realization that I signed a contract to be married to ruthless billionaire Dominic Blackwood in just 24 hours.

The whispers continued and I frowned.

At first, I thought I was dreaming. My body was still sore, my skin tight where bruises were blooming, and everything felt heavy—like grief pressing into my bones. But the voice was real. Low, urgent. Female.

I shifted slightly, trying not to wince, and turned my head toward the door.

And there she was.

Delilah.

What is she doing here?

Dressed in white again, as if purity could be bought, her hair swept up in a glossy twist, lips painted the same shade of red she wore when she tried to kill me.

She stood close to the doctor attending to me.

She leaned in and whispered something. I couldn’t hear it.

But I saw the smile she gave me when the doctor turned toward my door.

It wasn’t a smile of victory. It was a promise.

Then she walked away. What the hell?

The doctor came in seconds later, eyes cold and mouth already twisted into disapproval.

“You’re awake,” he said, voice clipped.

I tried to sit up, wincing as pain flared down my back. “Yes.”

“Good. Let’s make this quick. You’re being discharged.”

I blinked. “What?”

“You heard me.” He glanced at his clipboard. “You’re not in a coma. You’re not actively dying. So there’s no reason to keep you here.”

My mouth went dry. “But I’m not supposed to be discharged until tomorrow. They said they needed to monitor the baby’s heartbeat after the fall—”

“That’s no longer our concern,” he cut in sharply, eyes narrowing. “Unless you’ve suddenly found a way to pay for the extra night. Or is this going on the Reynolds’ tab, too?”

His words sliced deep. I stared at him, unsure what to say.

I immediately understood what was happening though. Delilah had come to pay this doctor to humiliate me and throw me out of the hospital.

The hospital that I now know belongs to my soon to be husband.

But no one knows about that. They all just think I’m the discarded white or Blake Reynolds and now they can all walk over me.

I opened my mouth to talk but he cut me off with a sneer. “You think this place is a charity? You think we keep patients out of pity?”

My lips parted, but nothing came out.

He moved closer. “You’re not special, Mrs. Reynolds. Or… is it Miss now? Doesn’t matter. Either way, your value expired the second your husband dumped you for a woman who doesn’t throw herself off buildings.”

I flinched.

The doctor smirked. “Stand up. We need the bed for real patients.”

I stared at him, pulse pounding and then decided to play along.

Let’s see exactly how they plan on humiliating me. “I’m still bleeding. I have stitches. The baby—”

“Then you should’ve thought about that before screwing up your life.”

His voice was loud now, echoing off the sterile walls. I heard movement in the hallway. A shadow passed the door.

And then I saw him.

My breath caught in my throat.

My father. Is he in on this too?

Standing just outside the room, arms crossed, face unreadable. Like he was watching a TV show he didn’t care about.

“Dad?” My voice cracked. “What’s going on?”

He didn’t move.

“Why aren’t you saying anything? Why won’t you fight for me?”

I tried to swing my legs over the side of the bed, but pain stopped me halfway. Still, I pushed, trembling.

“Tell them I’m not leaving. That I need medical care. That I deserve it.”

He stepped into the room slowly, hands still tucked behind his back.

When he finally spoke, his voice was calm. Detached.

“You don’t deserve anything, Scarlett.”

The world tilted again.

I looked at him, really looked. This was the man I had tried to impress my whole life. The man I thought was just cold, not cruel. The man I believed loved me… in his own way.

My own father.

“Why are you here?” I whispered.

“To make sure you sign the discharge papers.”

“You brought him here to humiliate me?” I gestured weakly at the doctor.

“I didn’t bring anyone,” he said flatly. “You humiliated yourself.”

My lip trembled. “You’re my father, how can you be this cruel to your pregnant daughter?”

“And you were supposed to be an asset.” His tone sharpened. “A connection. A social upgrade. But you failed.”

“Failed what?” My voice rose. “Marrying Blake wasn’t my choice. You sold me to that family like I was—”

“Don’t be dramatic.” His eyes hardened. “You were a useless mouth to feed. Blake gave you a name, a house, a life. And you still managed to ruin it.”

“I was abused.”

“You were ungrateful.”

My knees nearly gave out.

I braced a hand against the bed.

“You’re disgusting,” I whispered.

He shrugged. “The Reynolds have disowned you. That makes you useless to us. Consider yourself officially disowned.”

Tears blurred my vision.

“Say that again,” I dared, voice shaking. “And make sure you won’t regret it right after you say it.”

He’s going to be in for a surprise to know that I will now be marrying one of the richest men in the country, way richer and powerful than Blake could ever be.

He stepped closer. “You’ve always been a disgrace. Clingy. Weak. Now you’re a single, pregnant divorcee with a scandal. No man of power will ever want you again.”

I almost laughed, not realizing I was crying until the taste of salt hit my lips.

All the times I blamed myself for my father’s coldness. All the nights I thought his silence meant pride. All the years I believed I just needed to try harder.

“You’re a disgrace,” he said again.

And I snapped.

“No,” I whispered. “You’re the disgrace. A coward. A father who traded his child for cash. You let them use me like a bargaining chip and tossed me out the moment I stopped being profitable.”

He didn’t even flinch.

He didn’t care for me anymore at all. Well, let’s see how that will change soon.

The doctor cleared his throat. “We’re done here.”

I looked at him, then at my father. Then, ignoring the pain in my body, I stood straighter, proud.

“I will not be leaving until I’m medically cleared,” I said, voice steeled. “And if you touch me, if either of you tries to force me out, I’ll make sure you regret it for the rest of your lives.”

My father laughed and the doctor grabbed my arm, violently yanking away the IV drips and blood splattering on the white floors.

“You must think you’re still something, you stupid girl.”

The doctor's grip tightened on my arm and tears welled in my eyes from the pain. “Get out of this hospital, you filthy slut.”

A door banged. “Who did you just call a filthy slut?”