Chapter Five: Giving up on him at last

Bella 

I woke up slowly.

The harsh fluorescent lights above me stabbed into my eyes the moment my eyelids fluttered open.

Pain greeted me before awareness did.

A dull ache pulsed through my entire body, but it was nothing compared to the pain in my abdomen. Every tiny movement seemed to pull at something deep inside me, sending another wave of soreness through my body.

I tried to lift my arm.

The effort alone made me wince.

A weak breath escaped my lips as I sank back against the pillow, staring blankly at the white ceiling above me.

Then the memories came rushing back.

I remembered the way I had called his name, over and over and he hadn’t even turned to me. 

My throat tightened painfully.

I blinked rapidly, but it did nothing to stop the tears gathering in my eyes.

How had everything ended up like this? How had I become the person he could leave behind without even looking back?

A shaky breath left me.

I pressed my lips together tightly. But the tears still came.

They rolled silently down my cheeks as I stared at the ceiling. I cried until my chest hurt.

Until my eyes burned. Until I had nothing left. Even then, the ache inside me refused to ease. 

Eventually, my throat grew unbearably dry. I swallowed.

The action scratched painfully. I needed water.

Slowly, I pushed myself upright. The movement sent a sharp pain through my abdomen and I immediately froze.

For a moment, I considered lying back down.

But the dryness in my throat won. Bracing myself against the edge of the bed, I carefully swung my legs over the side. My feet touched the floor. 

One step.

Then another.

I had barely made it to the doorway when voices drifted from the room right next to mine. I strained my ears, recognizing the voices instantly. It belonged to Anna and Damien. 

Instinctively, I moved closer.

Then I heard her . “My love, you told me everything was already handled. I came back because I thought there wouldn’t be any obstacles between us anymore. I thought we could finally be together, but you’re still refusing to divorce that bitch who came between us.”

The world seemed to stop. The words slowly like something heavy dropping straight into my chest.

My fingers curled against the wall beside me, holding myself upright as I stood frozen in the corridor, listening to the rest of her sentence dissolve into uneven breaths.

Damien’s voice came next, flat and detached. “I’m not trying to delay anything, it’s just that now isn’t the right time.”

No.

That couldn’t be right.

Were my ears deceiving me? Was this an effect of some kind of drug that the nurse must have given to me? Because this can’t be real. It wasn’t right?

Anna’s voice cracked even more. 

“Why is it not the right time? Have you fallen in love with her? Is that why you’re hesitating? Your grandfather forced you to get married to her to claim the inheritance, now that the old man is dead, what’s stopping you?” 

Damien responded softly.

“No. I’ve only ever loved you.” 

My hand slid down the wall slowly and my knees weakened. A hollow feeling opened in my chest so fast it stole the air from my lungs, leaving nothing behind to hold onto.

So this was the real reason he married me. This was why our relationship never seemed to get better. Because it had never been real to begin with.

My eyes shut on their own. 

Tears slipped out without warning, hot at first then cold as they traced down my face.

I moved llike a ghost back to the room until I collapsed on the bed. My eyes stayed open, fixed on the ceiling above me, unblinking, my heart turning colder and colder by the minute.

After a while, the door opened and Damien stepped in. The faint scent of Anna’s perfume clung to him, sweet and cloying. 

“How are you feeling?” His voice came out calmly, devoid of emotion.

I hugged the blankets closer and responded flatly. “I’m fine.”

He frowned, stepping closer. “You don’t sound fine. Should I get the doctor for you?”

“Stop pretending to care about me.” I said, finally meeting his eyes. “You were gone when I needed you. You—” I stopped, the words catching in my throat. 

Damien’s jaw tightened and he looked as if I just said something incredibly unreasonable. “I didn’t leave you alone. I had to take care of Anna first. She has claustrophobia and I told you that before I left. Why can’t you just be understanding for once.”

“Understanding for once?” I repeated coldly. 

“Yes, Bella! She’s terrified of elevators. Why can’t you see things from my perspective for once,” he said, raising his voice slightly.

I felt something inside me snap, he was talking like I was any less terrified when I was in the elevator. But I didn’t want to argue anymore with him. I already understood just how foolish I had been all these years, stupidly loving someone who was in love with his half sister. 

He rubbed his head frustrated, when he saw that I wasn’t talking again. “Bella, you wouldn’t get an apology from me if that’s what all this attitude is for. I simply did what I needed to do and I’ll do it again if I have to.” 

My gaze dropped.

Not because I agreed. Simply because I no longer had the strength to argue.

The door swung open and a nurse hurried in.

“Are you her husband?” she asked urgently. “Your wife is suffering from severe malnutrition. Her condition is extremely unstable right now and any additional emotional stimulation could seriously—”

“Stop.”

I cut her off sharply, my voice filled with resolution. 

Then I took a deep breath, steadying the storm raging inside me.

“He doesn’t need to know.”