Chapter-3

Kathryn's Pov

After sleeping for another few hours, the very first view I got after waking up was Rory sitting on the couch with his head resting on his fisted hand, he was fast asleep. My heart thumped in guilt watching him trying to gather a little sleep in such a painful position. He had been here with me from yesterday and haven't left even for a second, God knows if he even had eaten anything or not like me.

Just when I held my body up to sit up, a small hiss escaped my lips at an electric sting I felt on my hand making my attention to divert towards it. After sitting up against the pillow my eyes paused over the shining ring still cradled in my finger, it was quiet surprising that the doctors didn't remove it or maybe they slipped it in my finger after the surgery۔ 

I never felt burdened over this ring in my whole two years before in this marriage the way I was feeling right now. It felt like something bitter stuck in my throat and wasn't ready to slip down. My hand felt numb, I was so used to wearing this ring that I never for once removed it, be it during a shower, cooking or even sleeping, I never for once thought of removing it until today.

My other hand raised letting out a slight tremble in weakness as I gently removed the ring from my finger, the unfamiliar mark was stamped over my flesh indicating from how long I haven't even moved this ring from my finger. Dropping the ring on my lap, I gently caressed the spot made on the end of my finger making me abruptly feel a weird sense of relief, it almost felt like I loosened the suffocating noose around my neck letting my lungs have a fresh breath of air.

I was so lost in watching my finger that I didn’t even notice when Rory woke up until his deep tired voice pulled me back from ny daydreaming, "Are you hungry, Ma'am?" I raised my eyes to his watching him rubbing his slightly red eyes, he really needed to rest.

"How many times I have to tell you to not call me that?" Rory pursued his lips and I was ready for him to turn me down like he always did but he proved me wrong.

"Ok, Kathryn, you want to eat something?" I couldn't help but give him a sad smile as I shook my head.

"You arranged for a funeral?" I questioned which instantly tensed him as he stiffly nodded looking at me with utmost concern, I had never seen such worry for me in anyone's eyes before. It made me feel way more vulnerable internally than I was supposed to be.

I clutched the blanket over me as I hummed not trusting my voice, "Mr. Salazar had been calling you for the past few hours, I even got his secretary's calls but I didn't answer," I looked at him in confusion, Karl was his employer, I thought he would definitely favor him over me then why wasn't he taking their calls?

"Why?" He looked at me before giving me a smallest smile.

"I respect your choice, Kathryn, If you want then I can hand you the phone, it's all your choice." I stared at the man for a few seconds before I nodded my head.

Author's Pov

"If you get his secretary's call again, ask him to tell his boss to come to the funeral tomorrow, I have no heart left to see him anymore." Rory understood her clearly and nodded his head, she had all the rights to feel all disgust for her namesake husband.

The room fell silent when Kathryn gently held the ring laid on her lap between her two fingers, her eyes void of any tenderness or emotion stared it before she turned her hand and plopped it on the side table. She tried to hold onto her emotions but soon enough the tears rapidly started streaming down her eyes as she chuckled softly which made Rory's frown deeper in concern.

"You know Rory, it's good my son left me," Rory gulped as he watched her smiling sadly looking her empty hands.

"I was so selfish, I badly wanted to birth him only because I didn't have someone to call mine, I selfishly wanted to bring him to life just so I could have someone who would love me, I never thought how of a terrible life my poor son could have if he was actually birthed," She sniffled wiping her pale cheeks but more tears streamed down her eyes making her let out a soft sob.

"If his father can abandon his mother then what's the odds of him abandoning his son when the time will come? My son would never had gotten the love and attention of a father he deserved, it was good, he left before he had to endure such a pain for his whole life." She cried harder making Rory instantly approach her and he hesitantly palmed her shoulder caressing it.

Kathryn didn't care who the man was or what their relationship was, she just needed a tight embrace of comfort and she found it after she wrapped her arms around his waist making the young man freeze for a second before he also wrapped his arms around her shoulders and closed his eyes. Kathryn snuggled deeper in his stomach crying louder making him caress her head as he let the pain in her heart completely out.

Rory didn't say a single word, he was always a man of a few words but right now he really had nothing to offer her as he knew a few words of comfort might momentarily calm her but this breakdown will come again in future so it was better for her to let herself out right now. They were so emerged in each other's sorrows that none of them heard the door of the room slightly opened making the man stood there froze on the spot.

"What the fuck?" His low curse instantly grabbed the attention of the man who was busy rubbing the back of the woman crying in his arms, Rory snapped his head towards the door and found the familiar emerald eyes staring at him like he wanted to rip him apart.

Karl Salazar, his tall, sturdy and muscular frame stood on the door step glaring at the hugging duo, his deep emerald eyes darkened even more. Karl had everything any woman would wish to have in her husband, at least appearance wise he didn't lack any kind of charm or bodily disadvantage. The years long training to become the ruthless ruler he was today, Karl learned a lot of things to keep up with the underground business as well.

He was good with guns, a sharp cunning mob boss and extremely charming with his well build body. Karl loved going to gym and even at home whenever he got the chance he would be found in his house's workout room sweating and boosting his already massive muscles. He was cautious about his diet and a clean freak to be precise, he had an OCD making sure everything in his life was perfect and without a slightest mismanagement be it about the wrinkled bedsheets or the way his business worked.

Even Kathryn was his own choice, unlike Kathryn, Karl was given a choice to go with the engagement with either Morris' eldest daughter or Lee's second eldest daughter who was a few months younger than Kathryn and it was none other than Every Lee. He met both of them and found Every being his cousin's friend as well, except for Karl's elder sister, none of his relatives were fond of him choosing Kathryn as Lee were slightly more influential and powerful than Morris but Karl didn't care about such things. His main aim was to find a perfect little wife, and he found everything he wanted in his wife in Kathryn.

A perfect trophy wife.

Karl gritted his teeth feeling something familiar bursting in his chest, he had felt such tightening in him before as well, and this driver was the reason before just like now. Karl never wanted to favor Rory but because of Kathryn's soft request and the way she looked at him that night so hopefully he had no idea why he submitted his consciousness to her and let her hire this man. Karl had found them talking and even Kathryn smiling a few times towards Rory which had always struck his chest but right now, the level of disgust and anger he felt wasn't helping him in any way.

His black slightly long hair moved around his eyes as he stormed towards their tangled frame, what enraged him further was the fact that his wife didn't give him any attention, she was busy hugging and burying her face in Rory's stomach. No matter with or in what she was busy, she had never ignored Karl's presence before. He had always been the center of her attention and this time he wanted the same.

He grabbed Rory's arm ready to rip him off his wife but his whole body went numb when he heard shaky words of his wife, "Don't leave, hold me Rory," Karl's hand which held Rory's arm trembled slightly hearing her soft hoarse voice.

She wasn't only hugging, but also crying her eyes out in another man's arms, Rory didn't oppose her this time and simply pushed Karl's hand away before tightening his arms around her making her tighten her hold on him as well. He sighed heavily before caressing Kathryn's head before she let out a soft sob which made Karl clench his jaw.

"Kathryn," He finally opened his lips letting his deep voice entered her ears as her whole being went numb for a second seizing her cries.

Karl let out a sigh of relief when he finally made her be aware of his presence, he was sure she will push Rory away, he was here now. Her husband was here, if she needed a hug, an embrace to cry or someone at her aid, he was here for her. But Karl didn't realise one thing, Sometimes no affection was far better than late affection, she had waited a long time for him to return her affection, and now she didn't want him. She didn't need him.

"Rory, tell him to leave," All the relief Karl felt a while ago was crushed once again when her cold voice commanded Rory to get him out of her ward. Him! Her husband!

"Kath, I understand you're mad and you have every right but---" 

"Get out!" She kept her voice as low as she didn't want to create a scene, she pulled herself away from Rorys arms who looked at Karl with a glare, Kathryn steadily raised her bloodshot teary gaze to her husband whose heart went numb for a second watching her eyes which used to be filled with softness and love now reflecting nothing but pain, sadness and disgust for him.

"I said get out! I don't want to see you here!" Karl gulped trying to calm his severely beating heart as he tried to reach out for her but the moment his fingers slightly brush her hand she yanked his arm away harshly startling him. Kathryn had never behaved this violently before.

"I SAID GET OUT! YOU MURDERER! I SAID GET OUT!" Karl took a step back in surprise when she shouted those words right against his face roughly pushing his body away. 

Murderer? Karl looked confused and bewildered for a second before he dropped his eyes to her stomach and his body froze for a second, before he could even ask about the baby or say a single word, Kathryn's breathing accelerated. Her body fell on the bed as she roughly squeezed air in her lungs trying to breathe in and out but to no avail. The sounds of her wheezing startled the men present there.

Karl's Secretary instantly yelled for the doctor and they were asked to leave the room, Rory grabbed his boss' frozen and shocked frame before he yanked him out of the ward letting the doctors do their work. Karl forgot to breathe for a second when he watched in how painful condition his always calm and sweet wife was. The way her whole body trembled and eyes widened trying to catch her breath made Karl lose some of his strength from his knees.

His narrowed red eyes snapped to Rory who was busy gazing inside the ward with his worried gaze, Karl grabbed his collar and roughly yanked him in front of him making Rory startle for a second before he frowned coldly at Karl, "What happened? What fucking happened to her? And did she give birth? Why is she in such a condition?" Karl snapped all the questions on Rory who glared at him before roughly yanking his collar away from his boss. More like ex-boss, he would be damned to work for this asshole anymore.

"You're the boss here, you should know what happened to her, in your house!" Rory refused to share anything with him, he deserved to roll in pain and worry just like she had been.

Karl growled, "Where the fuck is our child?" He knew Rory wouldn't be telling him anything about Kathryn then at least he would tell him about their child. It was 6th month, did she have premature delivery?

"Dead." Rory mumbled without any emotion on his face which froze Karl right away.

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