Isabella's POV

The force of his slap threw me to the floor, and I released a cry of pain and shock as my vision turned black for a moment.

Pain exploded through my face as I hit the floor. I lay there frozen, too shocked to even move.

What just happened? Why?

My mind scrambled for answers, but nothing made sense. Why had Marcus hit me? He had never done that before.

I blinked rapidly, trying to clear the dizziness. My hands trembled as I pushed myself up from the floor. I noticed Bianca standing behind the furious Marcus, with her arms folded across her chest, and tears running down her face.

“What the hell is going on?” I croaked, my voice shook as tears welled up in my eyes.

Marcus towered over me, breathing heavily in anger. “You hit her, Isabella? You hit the woman carrying my child? Is that how bitter you have become?”

“What?” I whispered, still struggling to process his words. “I—what are you talking about?”

“She came to talk to you, and you attacked her? Your infertility is causing you to become deranged!” he yelled, his eyes blazed with fury.

Bianca sobbed as she stepped forward. “I... I just wanted to check on her. I brought her some tea,” she said softly. “She started screaming. I tried to calm her down, but she... she started hitting me. She said I was ruining her life, that I deserved to die.”

Her voice broke, then she continued while I gaped at her. “I didn’t want to tell you, Marcus, but she really scared me. I thought she would kill me.”

My heart nearly stopped. She was lying boldly and shamelessly.

I shook my head slowly, still on the floor. “You lying snake,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “I never touched you.”

Bianca’s lips shook, and she looked away, looking like the perfect victim.

Marcus didn’t even hesitate.

“Get out,” he growled at me. “Get out of my sight before I do something worse to you.”

I stared up at him with tears burning in my eyes, not just from pain, but from disbelief that he had really done this because of her.

“You believe her?” I whispered. “Do you think I would ever do such a thing?”

His eyes wavered for a moment, before they hardened. “You’re unstable, Isabella. I don’t even know who you are anymore. Jealousy is turning you into something else.”

A bitter laugh escaped my mouth. “I have nothing to be jealous of.” I spat.

I could taste blood on my lips. The force of his slap had split my lip. I wiped it with the back of my hand, ignoring the sting.

For a brief second, Marcus’s gaze dropped to my bleeding lip, and he clenched his jaw. His expression softened, and he stepped forward.

“Isa—”

But before he could finish, Bianca whimpered from behind him. “My head hurts, Marcus,” she said, her voice soft and fragile. “She hit me so hard. I just… I didn’t expect her to snap like that.”

Marcus turned to her instantly, forgetting all about me, like I never existed. He wrapped a protective arm around Bianca, who leaned into him like she was a fragile glass doll.

Tears stung my eyes, but I refused to let them drop. I was done shedding tears because of them.

Bianca glanced back at me with a mocking smirk on her lips, and triumph gleaming in her eyes, but I brushed it off.

Three more days.

Just three more days, and I would be gone.

~

The next morning, I left the house early to go to the clinic for the abortion. My chest tightened, and my heart ached as I waited to be attended to.

My hands shook as I slowly placed a hand on my stomach. It was flat. There were no changes, but something precious was within. Something I had once thought I could never have.

A baby.

Tears welled in my eyes again, but I blinked them away. I had made a logical decision. It was a necessary one.

A nurse called my name, and I rose to my feet slowly as my heart pounded in my chest. I was led into a private room where the doctor turned to face me.

The moment he saw me, his brows lifted in surprise.

“Mrs. Pierce?” he said in obvious surprise. He had been the doctor who had declared me barren after the accident six years ago.

I gave him a weak smile.

He glanced down at the file in his hand, then back up at me. “Are you… sure about this?”

I didn’t respond. My throat had closed up.

He sighed softly and walked over, his voice gentle. “Mrs. Pierce, I need you to understand how rare, and miraculous this pregnancy is.” he paused. “If you go through with this, you will never get another chance. Ever.”

Isabella’s POV

His words struck something deep in me, and my heart pounded faster in my chest.

I placed my hand on my stomach again. I thought about the long, lonely nights that I had cried, praying for a miracle. I remembered the ache every time someone announced a pregnancy.

And now, that my prayers were finally answered, I was about to throw it away because of Marcus, and his betrayal.

This time, I couldn’t control myself, I burst into tears, closing my eyes. The thought of getting rid of my little miracle caused my heart to ache.

“No,” I whispered, shaking my head frantically. “I… I can’t do this.”

The doctor blinked. “You mean—?”

“I’m keeping the baby.” My voice broke, but it sounded firm. “I don’t care if I have to raise this child alone. This child is mine. They’re a blessing, not a mistake.”

The doctor gave me a relieved smile, nodding in encouragement. “I think that’s the right decision.”

As I stepped out of the hospital, the weight in my chest was lifted, and I was filled with hope, because in three days, I would be starting a new life, with my child.

“Isabella!” A familiar voice yelled from behind me.

It was Marcus. I tensed, reluctantly turning to face him.

Before I could say anything, he gripped my arm tightly with a frantic look in his eyes.

“Thank goodness I saw you here!” He exclaimed, tightening his grip on my arm.

I furrowed my eyebrows in surprise and confusion. “What… what’s going on?” I asked.

“It’s Bianca,” he said, “She’s in the hospital. She had a high fever all night from the crying and from the beating you gave her,” he added sharply, glaring at me. “You did this, Isabella.”

I glared back at him. “I told you that I didn’t touch her, Marcus!”

But he wasn’t listening.

“She passed out this morning, Isabella,” he continued, ignoring my words. “Her fever got worse. She’s weak. Now, the doctors say she needs a blood transfusion.”

My heart sank. “What does that have to do with me?”

Marcus stared at me, clenching his jaw. “You’re a universal donor, Isabella. Bianca’s blood type is rare, and you’re the only match available right now.”

My breath caught.

“Wait,” I said slowly, blinking up at him. “You want me to donate my blood to her? After everything?”

“I don’t have time for this,” he snapped. “This is about saving two lives. You can be bitter and selfish later. Right now, you’re going to do the right thing.”

He started dragging me away.

I dug my heels into the floor to resist as he dragged me forward. “You can’t do this! There are other people you can get blood from. You can get blood from a blood bank. Why me?” I protested.

He stopped walking, and turned to me, his voice cold. “Because this is all your fault.”

I stared at him in disbelief. “I didn’t touch her!” I exclaimed, willing him to believe me. “She lied to you!”

He didn’t listen to me. He kept dragging me.

Something in me broke as I realized that he would never believe me over Bianca. I was too tired to argue, and too exhausted to keep screaming into deaf ears.

“I’m pregnant,” I whispered as a last resort. I never wanted to tell him, but I had no choice.

Marco turned slowly with his eyebrows lifted in disbelief. “What did you say?”

“I’m pregnant,” I repeated, louder this time with my voice shaking. “The doctor said that it was a miracle that I had gotten pregnant. This pregnancy is a high risk pregnancy. If you do this, you’ll kill it, Marco. You’ll kill our child.”

There was a long, heavy pause.

Then Marco laughed. It was a cruel and mocking laugh that hurt my ears.

“Really? Really, Isabella?” he sneered. “You are that despicable? You would lie about something like this just to escape your responsibility?”

My lips parted in shock, and my eyes widened in disbelief.

“I know you’re desperate, but faking a pregnancy?” He shook his head like I disgusted him. “That’s a new low, even for you.”

“But…but it’s the truth,” I hissed, my eyes watering with tears.

He scoffed, glaring down at me. “The truth? You’re a lying bitch that can never tell the truth. You will give the blood, and that’s final.” He said with finality in his voice.

Rage, betrayal and disbelief burned within me. I yanked my arm away from his.

“I won’t do it,” I hissed, “I won’t risk my baby’s life for Bianca.”

“You selfish bitch,” he spat. “You would let someone die!”

“No,” I snapped. “But I won’t let my baby die either.”

Marcus’ eyes blazed with rage. “If you don't do this, I will raze down that orphanage personally, and make you watch.” He gritted through clenched teeth.

Isabella's POV

My blood ran cold. He was threatening the orphanage again. He knew how much it meant to me.

My father had started that orphanage. It was all I had of him. The children in the orphanage were like family to me.

“You wouldn’t,” I whispered, my voice trembling.

Marcus stepped closer, his face was twisted into a snarl. “Try me.”

I stared up at him, breathing heavily as my heart shattered. How could someone I once loved, someone I once trusted, become my worst enemy?

My hand moved over to my stomach again, and tears ran down my face silently.

When Marcus dragged me again, I didn't resist. I quietly followed him, crying silently.

We stepped into the VIP room Marcus had gotten for Bianca. She was lying on the bed, connected to monitors and IV fluids, looking weak and pale. Her eyes were red, and she kept whimpering like she was in pain.

Marcus rushed to her side instantly. “Bianca, I’m here,” he said, grabbing her hand gently. “Don’t worry, I brought Isabella. You’ll be okay now.”

Bianca barely moved. Her voice came out in a shaky whisper. “It hurts, Marcus... I feel so much pain...”

I stood there, silent, watching as my husband whispered softly to Bianca. My stomach twisted as he brushed a strand of hair away from her face with so much gentleness.

However, when Marcus turned to call a doctor, Bianca suddenly opened one eye and winked at me with a mischievous smirk on her lips.

My body tensed. Did she seriously just do that? Was everything just a pretense? I was risking the life of my baby for a charade.

I clenched my fists in rage, gritting my teeth. How dare she?

I stepped forward, ready to speak, but Marcus turned around and grabbed my hand tightly. His fingers dug into my skin, and I winced.

His eyes stared into mine with a fierce glare, and I instantly understood his message. He was warning me.

A shiver ran down my spine as I remembered his threat concerning the orphanage.

The door opened again, and a doctor walked in. Marcus turned to her like she was his last hope.

“She’s getting worse,” he said quickly. “We need the transfusion now.”

The doctor nodded calmly. “She’s stable for now. We can hold off on the transfusion for now, until—”

Bianca whimpered.

“No!” Marcus snapped. “The donor is right here,” He pointed to me like I was a stranger that he had nothing to do with.

The doctor gave me a brief look, then nodded and instructed the nurses to start setting up.

A cold sweat ran down my spine as I stared at the needle in the doctor’s hands. I had a phobia for needles, and Marcus knew that. Normally, he would hold my hand, and whisper soothing words to calm me.

Marcus stared at me and for a second, he reached out like he remembered, but when Bianca whimpered, he dropped my hand quickly and rushed to her side, forgetting me completely.

My heart clenched, and I swallowed hard.

I turned my head away when the doctor approached me with the needle. My stomach turned with fear and pain. I squeezed my eyes shut. Please… please stop this… please, someone… I pleaded within me.

Just as he was about to insert it, the door burst open, and another doctor rushed in.

“Wait!” he called out, hurrying in with a file in his hands and panic in his voice. “Stop right now!”

Everyone turned to him.

“Mrs. Pierce is pregnant,” the doctor said breathlessly.

The doctor holding the needle stepped back.

Marcus spluttered in disbelief. “W-What? That's not possible. H-How?”

The doctor hurried forward with the file in his hands. “She was scheduled for an abortion this morning, but she cancelled it. Here.” He said, handing the file to Marcus.

I released a deep breath of relief. For the first time in days, I felt like I could finally breathe.

The doctor had confirmed it, he had proved that I was telling the truth.

But before the relief could settle, Marco spoke up with a cold and merciless voice.

“Take the blood.”

My eyes widened. “What?”