Chapter 6 — A Hidden Secret

Evelyn's POV

The high noon sun wasn't enough to stave off the cold that wrapped itself around my body. Maybe it was from the continued blood loss, or the ache of my husband siding with another woman… Again. Surely, it was both.

Adrian hadn't even bothered to check if *I* was okay; to see if *I* had no injuries on my legs. He didn't even spare me a glance outside of a disappointed look. Hell, he didn't even try to get *my* side of the story!

It was Bianca's truth that he accepted… All the while mine was suppressed in favor of her comfort.

It felt like my heart had shattered alongside all the dinnerware. If I squinted hard enough, maybe I'd find pieces of it on the floor.

At that moment, I realized that it didn't matter what Adrian promised me. As long as Bianca played the perfect role of a pitiful victim, he would definitively side with her.

Maybe Bianca was right… Family came first. No matter the fact that I married into his family, just as she did, I would continuously take a back seat in comparison to her.

There was no use in wrapping my head around it. All the mental gymnastics in the world wouldn't be able to justify how he thought any of this was right.

I couldn't stand this anymore! If he couldn't decide that enough was enough, then I'd decide it for him.

I needed to make things clear with Adrian as soon as possible. Bianca was no longer welcome in our home, and I would refuse to tolerate her presence. And if he refused…

I shook my head. I didn't want to think about what would possibly come next.

If anything, at least for now, I needed to get to a hospital—and fast.

As if on cue, one of the hotel staff members came out onto the deck. His eyes widened at the chaos and disarray as he rushed towards me.

"Miss, Miss! Are you okay? What happened?"

"It was an accident…" I lied, not wanting to drag this man into my drama. "I just lost my balance, and…" My words trailed… It felt like my energy was slowly being drained from my body.

"Ma'am, your legs are bleeding badly." His voice had gone serious. "Let me take you to a hospital. Can you stand?"

I nodded my head without thinking about it as I attempted to stand up. It was like fire engulfed my legs, but I was determined to take advantage of this stranger's kindness.

How was it that a complete stranger could have more compassion than my own husband?

We raced for the nearest emergency as I fought tooth and nail to stay conscious. Once we arrived, he stayed with me long enough for staff to get me checked in.

Plain beige walls and the rhythmic sounds of my monitor were the only things keeping me company. A sharp pain pierced my head when I tried to gain my bearings. As I turned to grab my phone off the table, out the corner of my periphery, a tall figure caught my attention.

My jaw dropped.

It was Adrian in the room next to me.

And in the bed in front of him sat Bianca.

My hands trembled as I watched him bring out a takeout soup container and spoonfeed its contents to her. His movements were gentle, like he was afraid one small misstep would injure her even more.

Seeing it made my heart hurt worse than the headache.

I grabbed my phone immediately and went to Speed Dial as I clicked on his number. Then I looked back up to see what he would do with my call.

One ring.

Adrian took out his phone..

Two rings.

Then he looked at the caller ID.

Three rings.

But instead, he shoved the phone back into his pocket.

On my end, the call had completely ended.

That broke another part of me. It seemed that in sickness and in health no longer applied to me anymore… He didn't even bother to at least lie and say he was busy!

The disappointment almost became much more than I could handle… It even had me second-guessing our marriage.

How could a sister-in-law take precedence over the woman he made vows to? Was she really just another family member? Or was she something… more?

I was getting nauseous just thinking about it, but what else was I supposed to think at this point?

Before I could truly sink into the depths of my despondent thoughts, another man in a white coat entered the room. A doctor, no doubt.

"Are you Miss Bianca's family member?" The man's voice carried over into my room.

"Yes, sir, I am." Adrian responded without hesitation as he stepped forward in a hastily anxious manner.

"Okay, good. And may I ask you what your relationship is to the patient? Are you her husband?"

"Yeah, sure." Adrian responded like he hadn't really heard the question. "Can you just tell me if she'll be okay? How much damage did the glass cause her?"

"The glass cuts caused nothing more than superficial wounds. Miss Bianca will be more than fine." The doctor looked down at his notes briefly. "Oh, and the baby is doing well, too, might I add."

Wait… Bianca's pregnant? After her husband had been gone for six months?