Monica's POV

The bottles of alcohol on the table were quickly emptied, their contents vanishing into the void. I collapsed onto the floor, defeated, my face bruised and swollen, every part of me broken.

Ashton looked down at me with irritation, barely sparing a glance.

For a brief moment, I thought I saw a flicker of sympathy in his eyes, but then his cold, detached voice shattered that illusion.

"Carmen, that's enough. Look at her. She's completely lost any of the grace she had before."

Carmen didn't even acknowledge him. Her focus remained on me, savoring every moment of my humiliation.

"Oh, don't worry. I know when to stop. See? Nothing bad has happened. And we haven't even let her eat the celebration cake yet."

Then she picked up a small knife, slicing into the cake with a hollow smile. Afterwards, she held out a piece toward me.

"Here. Take it. This is for you. I'd advise you not to be ungrateful."

Instinctively, I recoiled.

A strange dread prickled at the back of my neck.

"I'm not eating it," I said, my voice strained. "I've had enough to drink already. I can't eat anything right now."

But Carmen's smile only grew sharper.

"Not eating? That's not an option. I said everyone here gets a share today. You don't want it? Too bad. You'll eat it anyway."

Before I could react, she shoved the cake into my face, smearing frosting and crumbs across my skin. I blinked, trying to open my eyes, but the stinging sweetness made it even harder.

The room erupted in laughter.

"Serves you right. You didn't want to eat it? Now you can eat the cake off your face!" Carmen mocked.

Trembling, I reached for a spoon, forcing myself to take a bite.

It tasted like ash in my mouth.

But Carmen wasn't satisfied. Her sugary voice cut through the air like a knife.

"A little bit isn't enough. I want you to eat the whole thing."

I dragged myself forward, chewing slowly, hoping they'd get bored and leave me alone.

Finally, Ashton spoke, his voice dripping with mockery, "It's just cake. Why are you dragging your feet? Hurry up! We've got another gathering to get to. Here's the deal: you stay here and eat. When you're done, you can leave."

As he finished, the others began to rise, gathering their things.

I was about to slip out when the door slammed shut with a final, brutal click.

Fists pounded against the door, sharp and frantic.

"Open up! Someone, please!" I cried, clutching my belly as stabbing pain twisted inside me. "Please! My stomach... it hurts so much!"

I collapsed to the ground, clutching my belly as waves of pain surged through me. Sweat drenched my skin. I pounded on the door repeatedly, but no one responded. The minutes stretched on like hours.

Finally, darkness enveloped me.

...

I woke to the sharp scent of antiseptic filling my nose.

"Doc, how's my baby? Please, my baby!"

The nurse on duty looked down at me with pity in her eyes, her voice weary from repeating the exact words.

"The most important thing is for you to recover," she said. "You'll have another baby someday."

Her words sliced through me like a knife.

I lay there, still and numb, as silent tears slipped down my cheeks.

My soul felt hollow, scraped empty.

It wasn't until I dialed the phone ninety-nine times that Ashton finally picked up.

"Monica, you'd better have a good reason for calling me now, or I won't let this go." His voice was sharp, impatient.

In the background, I heard someone mention a stomach issue, urging him to rest.

I shuddered, the words almost stuck in my throat.

I forced them out as I told him, "Ashton, we lost the baby. It was killed by cup after cup of alcohol. You're one of the murderers."

Dismissing me, he scoffed, "Monica, what nonsense are you talking about? You're drunk, aren't you? Really bored with your life, huh? I don't have time for your nonsense."

Before I could speak again, the line went dead.

When I tried calling back, there was no answer.

Ashton had blocked me.

I stared at the hospital door, feeling consumed by emptiness until two familiar figures appeared in the hallway.

My stomach lurched, and I gasped in shock.

"Ashton? Carmen? What are you two doing here?"

They turned in unison, and when their eyes landed on me, the indifference returned to their faces.

"Ashton," Carmen said sweetly, leaning against his shoulder as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "I told you she was stalking you. How else would she have found us so quickly? She's even lying in a hospital bed now. I don't even have a hospital bed."

Her voice trembled as she leaned weakly into his arms.

"Ashton, I know her game. She's pretending. Why else would she come to the hospital alone? Monica, stop humiliating yourself and just go home."

Ashton glanced at me briefly before turning away.

Without a word, he walked off.

The silence between us was deafening.

I stared at his retreating figure, my heart sinking.

Then my phone buzzed again.

My breath caught when I saw the caller ID.

It was my mother.

Monica's POV

On the other end of the phone, my mother's voice was frantic.

"Monica, I've been in a car accident. I'm at the hospital. Hurry up and come pay the bills. If you don't come soon, they'll throw me out!"

Panic shot through me.

Ignoring the ache in my body, I forced myself to get up and rushed toward the hospital. As I ran, I checked my card balance, praying I wouldn't have to face another humiliating scene like the last time.

At that time, when an emergency arose, I asked Ashton for three hundred dollars to cover my phone bill.

Carmen, still just his assistant then, had turned me down coldly.

"How does the vice president not even have $300? At least come up with a better excuse. Don't embarrass yourself like this."

My request was denied outright.

Ashton had not questioned it at all, as he allowed Carmen to take full control of his finances.

When I finally reached my mother's hospital room, my steps faltered.

Sitting there, to my surprise, was Ashton.

I pushed my shock aside and rushed straight to my mother's bedside.

"Mom, how are you? What did the doctor say?"

My mother, usually so commanding, looked fragile against the pillows.

She let out a deep sigh and shook her head. "You finally show up, huh? You useless girl. If I'd waited for you, I'd be six feet under by now. Look, your future son-in-law was here the second I called."

Ashton gave a slight, nervous touch to his nose. I recognized that gesture well.

It was guilt. But I didn't say anything.

"Mom, this is what I should do," Ashton said smoothly, his tone warm, almost ingratiating. "If you need anything, just tell me. If I'm not around, call my assistant. How could I ever leave you unattended?"

It was as though all the filth between us had never happened.

But my mother's sharp eyes immediately turned to me.

Her frown deepened with concern.

"What's wrong with you? You look worse than I do, and I'm the one lying here sick. You better not be cutting off my source of fortune, Monica!"

She glanced at Ashton, as though giving him a silent warning.

Ashton ignored it, answering her patiently, "Monica's been working nonstop with me these past few days. She's just a little run-down. That's on me. I'll arrange for a full check-up right away, so you can see your daughter in perfect health."

He smiled warmly, then added, "And don't worry about expenses. I've already paid all your bills and even prepaid a little extra. Just relax and stay here."

After that, he excused himself, saying he had calls to make and would handle my check-up arrangements.

...

Later, outside the hospital room, I found myself standing in the hallway, facing Ashton.

For a moment, I hesitated.

My words caught in my throat before I finally asked, "How much are my mom's treatment costs? I'll transfer the money to you. We should keep things clear just in case."

His expression hardened instantly.

The warmth on his face vanished.

"Do you really think so little of me? I can handle the treatment costs. Besides, we're about to be married. What's mine is yours."

The air between us grew heavy, the words lingering.

For the first time, I wondered if we could actually go through with this marriage.

I stayed silent, and within minutes, the doctor that Ashton arranged for appeared.

He guided me through a series of tests while Ashton remained in the VIP lounge.

When the check-up was done, the doctor entered the lounge with a thick stack of reports. Ashton was busy, stubby cigarette in hand.

He hastily put it out and shifted in his seat.

The doctor flipped through the pages and started, "Miss Wright, your test results show no major issues, but just earlier…"

Before he could finish, Ashton raised a hand, cutting him off.

His phone was already pressed to his ear.

"Hello? Carmen, what's wrong?"

As he listened to the soft voice on the other end, his face grew more serious by the second.

He grabbed his jacket and stood abruptly.

"Don't cry. It's nothing serious. I'll be there right away. Just stay where you are and wait for me."

Just like that, he was gone, rushing off and leaving me alone with the doctor.

We exchanged uncertain glances, and the silence settled between us.

Monica's POV

By now, Ashton's reactions didn't even faze me anymore.

I had become numb to them.

I had lost count of how many times he had abandoned me without a second thought.

The first time, he stated there was an emergency meeting at the company, but in reality, Carmen had locked herself out and called him for assistance.

The second time, he told me he was flying to Europe on business, but he was actually taking Carmen on vacation.

The third time, it was 1 a.m. when Carmen got drunk and insisted Ashton pick her up.

He left without hesitation, brushing me off with a casual, "I've got a gathering."

The pattern was clear.

The sound of the doctor clearing his throat broke through those bitter thoughts.

His voice was gentle, but filled with concern. "Miss Wright, are you okay?"

I quickly wiped my tears, shaking my head to clear the fog.

I forced a small, reassuring smile for him.

He hesitated before speaking again. "From the looks of it, you've just had a miscarriage. You need to take better care of yourself, or it might be difficult to conceive again."

His words struck deep, but I knew he meant well.

I nodded, grateful for his honesty.

After leaving the lounge, I headed back to my mother's hospital room. She was scrolling absentmindedly through her phone, but when she saw that Ashton wasn't with me, her brow furrowed.

"Where's your fiancé? Did you chase him off again?"

I froze. It wasn't the first time my mother had made a snide remark about Ashton.

She always valued money over anything else, and it made me feel like I was invisible.

"He probably had something to take care of," I said, keeping my voice steady. "He left early."

She didn't press further, her eyes dropping back to her phone.

"Alright, alright. Go home. Look at yourself. You're as pale as a ghost, and I'm the one stuck in a hospital bed. Go home and rest."

Satisfied that she was fine, I left the hospital.

On my way out, I checked my social media feed. One new post caught my eye.

[Had a little mishap. Someone's beloved car is wrecked again. Feeling grateful to the one who came to clean up the mess despite everything.]

Attached was a photo of Ashton, looking exhausted, his face drawn with worry and care.

The post had gone up just half an hour ago, and already the comments were piling in.

[Carmen's incredible. Ashton does whatever she says now.]

[That car is his baby, and he let you wreck it? This must mean something big is coming.]

I stared at the screen, my eyes dry and burning.

Maybe I'd cried so much that there was nothing left.

Ashton had never shown me that kind of affection before. He wouldn't even let me eat in his car, insisting it would leave a smell. He also wouldn't allow me to drive it, claiming that I wouldn't be able to afford the repairs if something happened.

When I finally got home, strange noises drifted from the living room.

My heart skipped a beat. Ashton shouldn't have been home yet.

Could it be a thief?

I pushed the door open and froze.

Carmen sat casually on the couch in a revealing outfit. Ashton was there too, bare-chested and wearing only pants.

They both turned to look at me, their faces completely guilt-free.

My anger flared. "What the hell are you two doing here? Get out of my house! Did I invite you in?"

Ashton didn't flinch.

He lowered his head, speaking calmly. "Carmen was covered in dirt and dust. This place was the closest, so she came here to clean up. Nothing happened."

Carmen, clinging to him, added sweetly, "Yeah, Monica, don't be mad! Ashton's just helping me out. I'm sure you understand."

I sneered. "Ashton, don't disgust me. You own countless properties, but you brought your mistress here? Do you enjoy this? Does cheating excite you?"

His expression hardened, irritation flashing across his face. "Looks like the pregnancy hormones are messing with your head. Why are you being so unreasonable? Didn't I warn you before? You never listen."

He turned to Carmen, signaling her to leave. "Carmen, let's go. Don't waste your time on her."