Faked Death for Freedom

In a desperate attempt to get rid of the child I'd carried for eight months, the supposed rightful heir dragged me down the stairs. When I woke up, I was met with the doctor's sympathetic gaze.

"I'm sorry, Miss O'Brien, but the baby didn't make it."

His words barely sank in as I stumbled out of the hospital room, feeling lost and broken. Near the operating room doors, I overheard a chilling exchange between Eithan and his assistant, Luis.

"Mr. Gonzalez, that baby could have survived. Why did you take its blood to save Lara?" Luis asked.

"That little brat was never meant to be," Eithan replied coldly. "Ha, Amiyah can't even name the father of that brat. How can such a disgraceful woman continue to live?"

"She might as well be dead and spare the Gonzalez family the embarrassment."

I stood frozen, the cold reality settling into my bones. Later, I granted Eithan's wish—I vanished without a trace, presumed dead when the plane I was on went down over the ocean. And that's when he lost his grip on sanity.

***

“Mr. Gonzalez, after Lara received the baby's blood, she's experiencing hemolysis and needs another transfusion.”

“Useless, just like her mother. Then take blood from Amiyah!”

Luis hesitated. “Mr. Gonzalez, Miss O'Brien is far too weak to give blood.”

“She lost a lot of blood during childbirth. You can't just drain her..."

Eithan's impatience was evident. “I don't care. Do whatever it takes. Amiyah must provide blood for Lara.”

Luis looked up in shock. “To save Lara, Amiyah's baby couldn't be saved...”

“The side effects of these injections will only worsen Amiyah's condition. Can you really live with that?”

Eithan's cold rage was tangible as he met Luis's gaze, causing his assistant to shiver. “Stay out of it. This is what Amiyah owes Lara. She took the rightful heir's place for years, and a little blood is a small price compared to the hardships Lara faced.”

“As long as she provides blood for Lara, I'll let her stay with the Gonzalez family. We have countless medical professionals; surely, they can manage her health issues.”

Each of Eithan's sharp words cut through me. I was numb with disbelief that the man I once shared a bed with could sacrifice his own child for his mistress.

A bitter, metallic taste rose in my throat. I looked at him in utter despair as my consciousness began to fade. In the harsh white light, I imagined my child lying silently on the operating table. His small, fragile body was as pale as paper, all signs of life gone.

His tiny fingers curled slightly, never to grasp this world again. He had just arrived...

My heart shattered into thousands of pieces, as if I could hear his faint voice asking why I didn't protect him. My vision blurred completely, and I fainted on the operating table.