The hospital was private, and since Steve was a major shareholder, the doctors couldn't refuse his demands.

I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails dug deep into my palms, leaving bloody marks all over. I wanted so badly to punch him, but my body was too weak. I couldn't even lift my arm.

As my attending doctor, the one I trusted, was pulled away, another doctor from the same department rushed over to check on me, his voice filled with urgency.

“Preliminary scans show that your uterine wall has ruptured, which means we can’t save the baby. You also have fractures and multiple puncture wounds. We need to operate immediately…”

Sweating heavily, I reached out with trembling fingers, motioning for the surgical consent form.

“You can't sign for such a major surgery by yourself! Where are your family members?”

I forced my cracked voice, “It’s fine… I can sign... My family’s overseas.”

The nurse sneered and muttered under her breath to the doctor, “What's the rush? Everyone’s already talking about it. She’s the homewrecker who crashed the wedding. Even if she had family here, they probably wouldn't want to show their faces.”

My hand froze for a second, but I gritted my teeth and signed anyway. Even that tiny movement drained all my strength. I couldn’t even speak anymore.

I was rushed into emergency surgery, and after a day and night of fighting for my life, I was finally pulled back from death’s door and transferred to the ICU. When I woke up, I was covered head to toe in gauze and tubes sticking out of my body everywhere. I looked like a mummy.

A nurse was changing my IV while my mind slowly cleared, and that was when I fully realized my situation.

My leg was broken. My skin was torn and mangled. My baby was gone.

I remembered what the doctor said during our premarital checkup—that I had a naturally thin uterine wall, making it extremely difficult for me to conceive. The baby was a miracle, and I had planned to surprise Steve after the wedding to tell him the good news. Yet, before I even got the chance, our baby had been murdered by its own father.

The baby had been my only blood tie aside from my brother, Ashton Grey. Now, the baby was gone, and I might never get another chance to conceive again.

“My baby…” I croaked, every word cutting through me like a knife.

“You’re lucky to even be alive. Stop whining about the baby. You’re just making more work for us.” She muttered coldly as she finished changing the IV and then stomped off, but not before sneering under her breath, “These homewreckers think getting pregnant gives them the right to crash someone else’s wedding. It’s disgusting. Obviously, the man loves his real fiancée more. What the hell was she thinking?”

I could feel the contempt and disgust in her voice.

“I'm not… a homewrecker…”

My voice was so faint it barely stirred the stillness of the ICU. No one heard me.

I stayed in the ICU for a week, hovering between life and death. And while I lay there, Steve erased every trace of me from his social media.

Then, he posted a new wedding photo. Only this time, the bride standing next to him wasn’t me—it was Quinn. They were smiling brightly, each holding up a marriage certificate.

The tiny bit of strength I had regained shattered the moment a nurse brought my phone to me, especially when I saw the wedding photo. Then I received a message Steve sent me.

“Pack your things and get out once you’re discharged. Quinn wants you out of her sight.”

We chose the home together, and I had poured my heart into decorating it, yet I was the one being thrown out.

The emotional blow triggered a relapse. I crashed again and was rushed into another emergency surgery.

Rumors started flying through the entire hospital. They said I was the other woman between Steve and Quinn; they said I got pregnant to trap Steve; they said I drugged Quinn to cause her miscarriage.

“I mean, come on, Quinn's been with Steve since the beginning, through thick and thin. Now that Steve’s made it big, of course, some trash would try and latch on.”

“I heard Quinn’s health is messed up now, and she might never have kids again. That homewrecker should rot in hell!”

Even though doctors were supposed to remain neutral, they were human too. Their disgust and judgment were impossible to ignore.

Ever since they decided I was the villain, life in the hospital became hell. I got dirty looks, I was isolated, and I heard whispers behind my back.

That was until Steve’s sister, Jacqueline York, came to see me.

“Summer… How did this happen? He promised he’d love you forever! I just got back from a business trip. I didn’t even get a chance to congratulate you guys…” She broke down, swearing she’d make Steve pay.

Finally, I allowed myself to cry, sobbing hoarsely into the night. Only then did the hospital staff finally realize I was Steve’s fiancée and childhood sweetheart. It was Quinn, the so-called girlfriend, who had been the real third party all along.

With someone finally standing up for me, I could finally sleep peacefully. However, that very night, I woke up thirsty and reached for some water, only to overhear a conversation coming from the next room.

“You idiot, why couldn't you be patient? If you’d waited a few more days until she was dead, you could’ve inherited half her estate!”

“How can you say that?” Steve snapped back. “She caused Quinn to lose the baby. Did you expect me to sit back and watch?”

Hearing their conversation, I felt the blood drain from my face.

As it turned out, the sister who had always looked after me and acted like she didn’t like Steve had another side to her. Worst of all, the real reason Steve married me was for half of the inheritance my parents left me.

In that moment, I finally understood that besides the family tied to me by blood, no one would ever truly love me. All the so-called help and salvation I thought I had found was nothing more than a carefully scripted performance by Steve. He had faked it all just to get his hands on the money. He just couldn't keep up the act until the end, and his real motives finally slipped out.

That entire night, I couldn’t close my eyes. I lay awake as the sky outside slowly lightened into a dull gray.

At dawn, Steve stormed into the room, his face twisting in anger. He threw a bunch of roses at me.

“Alright,” he snapped. “We’re even now. That day, I was just panicking because of what happened to Quinn. I didn’t mean to kick you. And besides, it’s your fault anyway, isn’t it? If you hadn’t drugged her, none of that would've happened. You brought it all on yourself.”

Next to him, Quinn clung to his arm, her eyes glistening with fake tears. In a sickeningly sweet voice, she chimed in, “Yeah, Summer. I’ve worked with Steve for so many years… Of course, feelings grew. That’s only natural.

“I understand you must be upset, but the baby is innocent. And it’s Steve’s baby too. You can’t blame him for getting mad. Please, just forgive him, okay?”

They painted themselves as the victims, pretending to apologize, but every word was directed at blaming me.

While I stayed silent, the nurses in the room started chiming in, trying to persuade me.

“That other woman’s just a fling. You’re the one who’s a real match for Mr. York. If you play your cards right, he’ll come running back to you.”

“Exactly! You know what they say—it’s only temporary. Men make mistakes. It’s practically built into them!”

“Here’s what you do: forgive him now, get your bestie to help you bring that mistress down, and you’ll win. You’re gorgeous, honey. Getting a man back won’t be hard for you.”

Listening to them, a cold and bitter smile tugged on my lips. I hadn’t even said a word, yet somehow, they had already forgiven Steve for me. They even thought they were doing me a favor by offering advice on how to ‘win him back.’

Even Jacqueline, the one who played the loyal friend act so well, took my hand and earnestly said, “Summer, listen to me. I hit him for you yesterday. He knows he messed up. He’s willing to change. Think about it. The Yorks have money and power. You’re not going to find another chance like this. Just forgive him this once. If he screws up again, I’ll beat him up again, okay?”

Beat him up? Really?

I let my eyes slowly drift over to Steve. There were only a few Band-Aids on his neck. Then, I noticed that Quinn had matching Band-Aids on her neck, too.

I didn’t let my expression change, but inside, I was laughing coldly.

Yeah, they hadn’t been fighting. They'd probably just gotten a little too rough in bed.

Even though I didn’t want to deal with them anymore, I couldn’t even take care of myself right now. My only family was overseas, and I couldn’t risk making a move yet. So, I forced a fake smile onto my face and accepted their ‘apology.’

Steve looked smug—like he thought I finally knew my place—and left satisfied.

After the room finally emptied, I picked up my phone. With trembling fingers, I dialed an international number.

“Ash,” I said. “I’m ready. I’ll accept the blind date you arranged.”