Chapter 8 — Tear Me Open

Evelyn's POV

As much as I wanted to question him, I couldn't find the will to do so. My mind was far too chaotic and my heart too broken to even simply greet him. All I wanted to do was cry, but I needed to hold myself together for the time being.

"I'll give you two some privacy," Mila said. She gave me one last look of sympathy before letting the door shut behind her."

The atmosphere grew more cold and tense once Mila left the room. Neither of us said anything to each other for a while.

I just couldn't help but wonder…

What if the child was Adrian's? What would I do then? How could I possibly face that truth? 

I loved him with all of my heart, but if his betrayal ended up being real… Then what would what mean for our future? Would he even care about our child now that Bianca was potentially having his?

Adrian looked at me with indifference, but there was something about his eyes that felt icier... cold. Like he couldn't stand to look at me.

The distance between us felt like it was growing even more, too. I was afraid that if I reached out, I'd fall into the chasm below. 

"Are you doing better now?" Adrian asked, although his voice was void of any real concern.

"I can't tell if you're genuinely concerned for my well-being or not." I said in a disappointed tone, even though I tried my hardest to reign it in.

"Of course I am. Don't be like that."

"Like what?"

"Whatever this is supposed to be." Adrian waved the space between us. “It's like you're not even happy I came."

How was I supposed to be happy when coming face-to-face with the man who was potentially betraying the sanctity of our marriage?

At least he was right for a change. I wasn't exactly happy to see him. If anything, I was feeling bitter.

"You didn't exactly come when I called you, so..."

"But I came as soon as the hospital called." He huffed. "I'm sorry I wasn't here immediately but I..."

"But...?" I prodded.

"I just..." He sighed. "I honestly thought you were just trying to cause trouble towards Bianca again."

I was stunned speechless by his accusation as I blinked at him in disbelief.

When I didn't respond, Adrian continued. "Bianca told me what happened... All she wanted to do was apologize to you for what happened during our anniversary night. I understood you were upset, but I just didn't think you'd react so harshly to her."

"So, I'm sorry for not getting here fast enough, but I thought you were just trying to follow us and stir up more nonsense," he added. "That's why it took me so long..."

"I don't even know what to say to you right now." I formed the words but it barely felt real to say them. How in the hell was he making *me* out to be the problem when I was sitting in the hospital because of *her*?

"Well, you can start by saying an apology to Bianca." Adrian spoke nonchalantly. "You really hurt her, and she's distraught about it. She didn't deserve to be treated like that.."

Bianca deserved an apology? She's distraught about being in the hospital over something I didn't even do to her?

Before I could even register it, I felt the tears spill from my face and splash against my hands. Hurt coiled around my heart and squeezed it like a snake. I became more restless, fidgeting in bed despite the pain that shot up my legs. It paled in comparison to the pain that was in my heart.

My own husband was defending HER; was demanding that I apologize to HER when she was the one that did me wrong. Hell, she did us both wrong, but he remained oblivious to it because her grief mattered more than our boundaries.

"I was FRAMED!" My voice shook as I tried to defend myself. "I've never been a violent person, and you KNOW that. Now all of a sudden I've hospitalized someone? How does that make sense to you?!"

Just as Adrian opened his mouth, I cut him off. "I refuse to apologize for something I didn't do, and it pains me that not even my own husband will believe me!"

For a moment, Adrian stood there stunned as his eyebrows shot up. Perhaps he hadn't expected me to react the way I did. All too quickly, however, the shock waned and he could only shake his head in disappointment.

"Bianca isn't that type of person. She wouldn't lie about something like this." His voice was far too even and calm. "I'm trying to be reasonable with you, Evelyn, but if you continue to slander her like this, there will be consequences."

I let out a flat, humorless laugh. "You believing another woman over your own wife is being reasonable now? Tell me, why is it that you trust her word so much over mine, hm?"

"She's not just some 'other woman', Eve, she's—"

"Your secret lover?" I finished for him as anger and humiliation flared in my chest. "Is that why you're coming to her defense like some white knight? Are you seeing her behind my back?"

Adrian took a step back like I'd slapped him across the face. Then his expression darkened as his gaze went completely cold and his voice lowered—almost as if he were making a threat. "Don't you ever spread such baseless rumors about me and Bianca like that, do you understand me?"

"You were the one in the wrong today. Not her." He added. "You can't just make up these lies because you're hurt about whatever she did. First you fake an illness to lure me here, and now you're slandering Bianca? What's the problem, Evelyn?"

"Faking an illness?" I blurted out in disbelief.

Adrian’s expression hardened, as if the last trace of doubt had vanished.

“Yes,” he said flatly. “You weren’t injured. You just wanted my attention.”

It felt like my chest was caving in as I tried to catch a breath that was simply running faster than I was. Now I was a liar? A fraud? All because of Bianca?

“I know you were upset because of Bianca. But she needs care. Don’t overreact.” Adrian stood by my bedside.

Why was he so adamant on believing her word over mine?

This was something that extended beyond feeling sorry for her because she lost Zane. Whatever this was, I hated every ounce of it. I hated that it was beginning to cost me my husband and my sanity.

Adrian looked down on me, applying the same indifference he reserved for outsiders. The pain in my heart was unbearable.

As I continued to jostle around on the bed in response to the sheer amount of stress this conversation was putting me through, a sudden pain shot through my leg. It was like someone had stabbed a knife through its flesh and was tearing it open.

A sharp pain tore through my leg, forcing me to gasp and clutch at the blanket.

Adrian noticed the movement, but his gaze only flicked there for a second.

“Enough, Evelyn,” he said impatiently. “Stop exaggerating. I know the truth.”

He didn’t meet my eyes. “If there’s nothing else, I need to leave…”

But something interrupted him.

When I looked down, that's when I saw it.

Blood began to seep through the thick fabric of the blanket. Its warmth clung to my skin while the metallic scent hit my nose like a truck.

Adrian froze. For a split second, he stared at the darkening stain as if his mind refused to process what he was seeing.

“That’s…” His voice faltered. “What happened?”

His face went blank. This scene had shattered him.

A sharp pain forced me to hiss. Suddenly, Adrian snapped to attention.

He stepped forward as if to touch me, but froze when he saw the blood.

“I didn’t know…” he stammered. “The nurse didn’t mention your wound. I thought…”

When I looked up, Adrian's face had gone pale. All the anger from his expression was replaced by immediate panic and regret. Panic crashed over him.

"No…no-Evelyn!" His voice broke. “God, what have I done?” 

He then pulled the door wide open and began to yell down the hallway. "Help, help! My wife is bleeding in here! Please someone save her!"