Adeline’s Pov

When I opened my eyes again, I was back in my ward.

The smell of disinfectant stung my nose, and my head throbbed. My body ached as if I’d been dragged across broken glass.

The doctor was standing beside my bed, writing something on my chart, his face pale and stiff.

“Mrs. Morales,” he said quietly, not looking at me, “if something like today happens again, you might lose your womb.”

I stared at him. My voice came out rough. “How much?”

He blinked. “Pardon?”

“How much did he pay you to steal my stem cells and kill my son?”

His pen froze mid-air. “Mrs. Morales, I… I don’t know what you’re talking about—”

“Don’t lie to me,” I said, my voice shaking. “You did it. You helped them. Now discharge me before I make you regret it.”

His shoulders sagged. Without another word, he handed me the papers. I signed them with trembling fingers.

“You should really stay a few more days,” he murmured.

“I’d rather die than spend another second here,” I said coldly.

He lowered his gaze. “Please… be careful, ma’am.”

I didn’t answer. I grabbed my things and walked out. My legs were weak, but my anger was stronger.

—

When I reached the mansion, the same one I gifted Ethan on our first wedding anniversary, my chest tightened.

I had chosen every color, every curtain, thinking this would be the home where our children grew up.

Now it felt like a grave.

I pushed the door open. Laughter spilled from the living room.

Clara was curled up on Ethan’s chest, her swollen feet in his hands as he massaged them gently.

A bitter laugh escaped me. I remembered asking Ethan once to massage my feet when I was seven months pregnant. He had thrown ten dollars on the table and said, “Ask a maid. I don’t do dirty jobs.”

Now he was doing that “dirty job” with a smile.

“You two look cozy,” I said, forcing a smile.

Ethan’s hand froze. He pulled away from Clara, his face tightening. “What are you doing here? You were supposed to stay in the hospital.”

“Why?” I asked quietly. “So you could keep pretending I don’t exist?”

He glared. “Don’t start. Clara is pregnant. You’re supposed to take care of her, not cause trouble.”

My throat burned. “You killed my child for her.”

“Enough!” he snapped. “If you weren’t so unstable, maybe your child would still be alive.”

The words slammed into me like a blade. I couldn’t breathe.

I turned away before he could see the tears in my eyes. “Don’t worry. I’ll be gone soon.”

Upstairs, I stopped outside the nursery door.

It used to smell like baby powder. I had spent nights painting clouds on the ceiling, laughing as Ethan teased me for being too detailed.

Now the door was half-open. I pushed it wider and froze. Everything was gone. The crib, the stuffed toys, even the blue curtains I had sewn myself were all gone.

The walls had been painted pale pink, with a name I didn’t recognize written above the crib: “Baby Jared.”

My heart cracked. I stepped inside and saw my baby’s ultrasound photo on the floor, the glass shattered.

I knelt and reached for it. “My sweet boy…” I whispered.

A sharp heel pressed down on my hand. Pain seared through my skin as glass bit deep.

Clara’s voice came from behind me, sweet and cruel. “Oops. Did I step on something precious?”

I looked up at her, shaking. “What is wrong with you?”

She smiled. “Oh, don’t be mad. Ethan said I could take over this room since… well, you don’t need it anymore.”

My hand bled onto the floor. I stood, glaring at her. “You’re a monster.”

I stood up, cradling my bleeding hand and she gave me a mock pity look.

“Oh my, are you okay, Adeline? Why would you hurt yourself because of me? You could have just told me to leave the nursery room,” Clara said in a loud voice as she began sobbing.

“What are you saying?” I asked her in a confused voice.

“Omg, Adeline, stop hurting yourself!” she shrieked.

I was still staring at her confused when Ethan appeared in the doorway and saw me cradling my bleeding hand.

“What are you doing now?” he asked me in a bored voice.

“I didn't do anything. She's the one —”

But Clara interrupted me, “I’m the one who made her hurt herself, Ethan. She got upset that you asked me to take over the nursery.”

I stared at her, shocked, “But that's not what —”

“Enough!” Ethan snapped, “I don't want to hear your crazy stories, Adeline, I've tolerated your bullshit enough.”

Just then Clara picked up a customized diamond necklace, “Ooh, this is so pretty, I want it,” she said.

“No, that's my —” the words were hardly out of my lips when the necklace fell from her hand and broke.

I stared at the broken pieces of my baby’s customized diamond necklace picture, that was all I had of him left.

“Oops,” Clara whispered smugly.

I stared at the broken necklace pieces, the diamonds glittering under the light like tiny tears.

It was the only thing left of my son, a diamond necklace with his ultrasound etched inside a crystal pendant.

My breath caught. My knees hit the floor. “How could you? This is the only —”

“Adeline,” Ethan said, voice flat. “Don’t start again. Clara is pregnant. She can’t be stressed.”

Clara sniffled dramatically and clung to him. “I’m sorry, Ethan, I didn’t mean to upset her.”

He cupped her cheek tenderly, right there in front of me. “It’s not your fault, besides it’s just a necklace.”

Just a necklace? I had customized that necklace specifically for my son!

I pressed my bloody hand against the floor to steady myself, “It’s not just a necklace, Ethan! That was the last thing left of my son.”

Clara’s lips twitched, almost smiling behind his shoulder. “Poor thing, maybe she should get therapy, Ethan. She's been unstable since the accident,” she whispered, loud enough for me to hear.

“I don't need help, I just need you to stop taking what doesn't belong to you!” I snapped at Clara.

“Maybe Clara is right and you need therapy,” Ethan said.

Just as he finished speaking two bodyguards entered the room and held me.

“What is going on here? Let me go, Ethan!” I cried, struggling against the guards.

Ethan crossed his arms. “You’ve lost control again, Adeline. You need help.”

“I don’t need help! She’s lying!” I shouted, turning to him with tears in my eyes. “You can’t even see it, can you? She’s using you!”

Clara sniffled and wrapped her arms around her stomach. “Ethan, I’m scared. Please don’t let her near me. What if she hurts the baby next time?”

That did it. Ethan’s face hardened. “Enough. Take her to the hospital for therapy now.”

“Ethan, please—” I begged. “You’re sending your wife away because of her?”

He didn’t answer. He just turned his back and walked away, his hand resting protectively on Clara’s waist as if I were the danger.

The guards dragged me out while Clara’s trembling voice followed behind, mockingly.

“I’ll take good care of your husband while you get the help you need, Adeline.”

I screamed her name, but the door slammed shut before I could reach her.

Adeline’s Pov

The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the cold. I was strapped to a narrow bed in a white room that smelled of bleach.

A man in a doctor’s coat stood beside me, humming softly as he checked a syringe.

“Where am I?” I whispered.

He smiled without looking up. “Your husband said you needed help. Don’t worry, Mrs. Morales. I’m here to fix you.”

The needle slid into my arm before I could speak. My head spun, my tongue heavy from the drug. I tried to speak but couldn’t, my wrists fighting uselessly against the straps.

The doctor glanced at me, “Don’t worry, we’ll make you feel better. Just relax.”

He pressed a button. Pain shot through my body like lightning. I screamed.

“Shh…” he said softly. “It’s part of the treatment.”

For two days, I lost track of time. My body ached from the shocks, my throat burned from crying.

Every time I begged to go home, they injected me again. I heard the nurses whisper when they thought I was asleep.

“Clara said not to leave marks,” one murmured.

“Pity,” the other replied. “She paid so well.”

That was when I realized that Clara had arranged a torture session for me and pretended it was therapy.

By the second evening, I couldn’t even cry anymore. I just lay there, staring at the ceiling, waiting for it to end.

When the door opened, Ethan walked in later that night as I've been discharged.

I thought I’d cry or shout but I didn’t. I just stared at him, unable to say a word.

He frowned. “You look terrible. It’s only been two days.”

Only two days. I didn’t reply. I didn’t have the strength to. I just kept shivering from the cold weather, it was raining heavily outside.

“Let’s go,” he said flatly. “Clara’s waiting at home. She needs me.”

Of course she did. He didn’t even help me stand. I followed him silently, each step burning through my legs.

In the car, the silence was unbearable. The city lights blurred outside my window. I stared at my hands, I was trembling and cold but he didn't spare me any glance.

Then his phone rang. Clara’s voice came through the speaker, trembling and soft.

“Ethan! Please, come home. The baby… something’s wrong. He’s not moving!”

Ethan’s hand tightened on the steering wheel. Without a word, he pulled the car to the side and unlocked my door.

“Get out.”

My head snapped up. “What?”

“I said get out, Adeline. Clara needs me.”

“You’re leaving me here?”

His eyes met mine for a second, flat and cold. “You’ll manage.”

The door slammed, and the car sped off, splashing mud across my skirt.

I stood by the roadside, shaking in the rain, watching the red taillights fade away.

I tried to cross, but my vision blurred as headlights flashed, a horn blared, and then everything went dark.

—

When I woke up again, I was in another hospital bed. My body hurts everywhere. A dull pain pulsed deep in my stomach.

A doctor walked in quietly, his face grim. “Mrs. Morales,” he said, “you’re lucky to be alive. But… we had to perform an emergency surgery. The damage was severe. I’m sorry but you’ve lost your womb.”

My world stopped.

I stared at him, my lips trembling. “What… what did you just say?”

He lowered his eyes. “There was too much internal bleeding. You won’t be able to conceive again.”

My breath came out in shallow gasps. The monitor beside me beeped rapidly as tears slid down my cheeks.

A knock sounded on the door. Clara stepped inside, dressed in soft pink, her hands resting gently on her round belly.

“Oh dear,” she said, feigning sympathy. “I heard you had a little accident. Such a shame about… your womb.” She tilted her head, smiling. “But look on the bright side, now you can focus on helping me raise our child.”

I gripped the blanket. “Why are you everywhere? Are you stalking me?”

Clara laughed wickedly, “I only came to admire my handwork. I’m not happy you survived the accident when I gave them clear instructions but at least now you can't have any child for Ethan.”

My chest tightened and before I could stop myself, I yanked her hair, tears rolling down my cheeks.

“How could you? Isn't it enough you've killed my son, what more do you want?”

“Help!” Clara cried out.

The door opened suddenly as Ethan walked in with the doctor, their eyes going wide in disbelief.

“It’s barely twenty-four hours and you're attacking her again?!” Ethan snapped, pushing me roughly.

I fell from the bed as my back hit the edge of the bed, ripping my stitches open and I started bleeding again.

“Ethan,” I whispered, “she did this to me—she sent the people who ran me down —”

He cut me off. “Stop lying. I'm tired of your antics!”

I froze. “What?”

“I caught the man who hit you,” he said, tossing a file onto my bed. “He confessed. You paid him to hit you. I'm so disgusted by you I can't even look at you right now.”

I stared at him, horrified. “That’s not true! You think I’d do that to myself?”

Ethan scoffed. “Of course you would. You’d do anything for attention.”

I stared at him, my mouth hanging open with shock but before I could speak he continued.

He stepped closer, his voice low and cruel. “How low are you willing to go for attention, Adeline? You’ve lost your mind. Clara has done everything to make you feel better but you keep attacking her! How evil can you be?”

“I lost my child, Ethan!” I cried. “And now—”

He turned away before I could finish. “Enough. Clara’s baby shower is tonight. Try to act like a decent human being for once. Help her get ready.”

Clara leaned close, smiling sweetly. “Don’t worry, Adeline. I’ll make sure Ethan saves you a slice of cake.”

The door slammed behind him as he left with a smirking Clara.

I sat there, staring at the hospital gown that was now stained with blood. My hands trembled as my phone buzzed beside me.

It was a message from Mr. Harris, my lawyer:

“Divorce papers have been delivered.”

A tear slipped down my cheek, the last one I’d ever cry for Ethan Morales.

Adeline’s Pov

A few hours after Ethan stormed out of my hospital room I was discharged. The doctor stared at me with pity shining in his eyes.

“Please, Mrs. Morales, you have to take it easy. Anything else that happens from here your life could be in serious danger,” the doctor said.

I didn't say a word as I signed the divorce papers then I stumbled outside. My legs were shaking and my lower belly was in so much pain.

I half expected Ethan to be waiting outside, especially since he's been blowing up my phone with text messages since reminding me to come home and help Amber.

Ethan wasn’t there to pick me up. Of course, he wasn’t, what was I expecting from a man who had left me for dead twice?

When I got home, the house was alive with laughter and clinking glasses. Blue and gold decorations hung everywhere, balloons tied to the stair rails, and a large banner stretched across the living room:

“Welcome Baby Jared Morales.”

It took me a second to realize today wasn’t just Clara’s baby shower. It was also our second wedding anniversary.

And yet, not a single flower, not a single glance from Ethan, hinted that he even remembered.

Ethan’s friends who had arrived early were staring at me when I walked in, their eyes filled with mock pity as they whispered.

“There she is. I can’t believe she still lives here.”

“She really thought Ethan would forget Clara? They grew up together and he's been in love with her.”

“I heard she lost her child and now she's barren. Poor thing, she's so in love with Ethan she doesn't want to leave him.”

Each word sliced through me like glass, but I kept walking, not sparing them a glance.

When I reached the grand hall, Clara stood in the middle, radiant in a silk blush gown, glowing with the fullness of pregnancy. Ethan stood beside her, adjusting her shawl, his expression soft, almost worshipful.

I had seen him look at me that way once. Now it felt like a lifetime ago.

“Adeline,” Ethan said curtly, barely sparing me a glance. “You’re home. Clara’s shower starts in an hour. Make sure everything is ready.”

My voice came out low and steady. “Of course. I wouldn’t want to ruin your big day.”

He frowned, clearly irritated, but before he could speak further, Clara turned to me with that syrupy smile that hid venom.

“Oh, Adeline, you’re just in time! The cake and gifts are ready, but I’m missing one small detail. Could you please prepare something for me to eat?” she asked.

I frowned, “There are a lot of maids here, get one of them to do it.”

“Oh… it’s just you make really good meals for pregnancy so I just thought… Never mind, I'll get one of the maids,” Clara said, feigning sadness.

Ethan stopped her as he turned to me, “You have nothing else to do, Adeline. Make yourself useful and prepare a meal for her!”

I limped toward the kitchen when Clara’s voice sounded, “Uhm, Adeline please be a darling and help me get the files for Ethan to sign. He promised to give me a new car today and I've arranged the paperwork.”

I went to the desk and saw the paperwork of the car, it was the Lamborghini I've been telling Ethan to buy for me but yet he didn't get it now he's gotten it for Clara with a customized plate number.

I scoffed and slipped the two documents into the car paperwork and took it to Ethan who signed all the documents without reading them.

“At least even if you're barren now you’re still useful in the office,” Ethan said in a cutting tone.

I bit back the tears and took the documents to the kitchen. I removed the divorce papers and the assets transfer he had signed and smiled.

Just a few more days and I’ll be out of this hellhole forever.

—

By the time the guests arrived, the house sparkled like a palace. Music played softly, and laughter bounced off the marble walls. Clara was everywhere, glowing, adored, and surrounded.

I stood at the back, half-invisible.

Ethan’s mother, Mrs. Morales, swept into the room in a flowing gown, her pearls gleaming.

“Clara, my dear!” she exclaimed, kissing her cheek. “You look stunning. Look at that belly. Finally, a grandchild!”

Her sharp eyes landed on me. “Adeline. You’re back.”

“Yes, Mother,” I said quietly.

She sniffed, her lip curling. “You should’ve stayed in the hospital. You’ll only bring bad luck here. You couldn’t even keep a child alive, yet you want to stay in this family?”

Clara placed a gentle hand on Mrs. Morales’s arm. “Don’t say that. Adeline didn’t mean for the accident to happen.”

Mrs. Morales sighed dramatically. “You’re too kind, Clara. A barren woman like her should learn humility. It’s no surprise Ethan lost interest. Men need heirs, not bad omens.”

Laughter rippled through the crowd.

I clenched my fists so tightly my nails bit into my palms. “My son didn’t die because I’m barren,” I said, my voice trembling. “He died because your son killed him.”

The room fell silent.

Ethan’s jaw tightened. “Adeline!”

“She did it!” I shouted, pointing at Clara. “She told you to take my stem cells for her. You killed our child to save her!”

Gasps echoed through the hall.

For a moment, Ethan looked uncertain. Then Clara flinched, covering her mouth, her eyes wide with fake tears.

“I… I can’t believe you’d say that,” she whispered. “I never wanted this. Ethan, please, don’t let her ruin today.”

“Enough, Adeline,” Ethan said coldly. “You’re embarrassing yourself. This is Clara’s day, not your pity show.”

I took a step back, tears burning my eyes. “Do you even remember what today is?”

He blinked, confused. “What are you talking about?”

“Our anniversary.”

There was silence then laughter followed as Mrs Morales and some of the guests snickered including Clara’s friends.

Clara smiled faintly. “Oh, I didn’t know. You poor thing. I guess the dates got mixed up.”

Mrs. Morales chuckled. “Don’t start drama, Adeline. This is a celebration of life, not of your mistakes.”

I felt my throat close.

Before I could say another word, Clara suddenly gasped, clutching her stomach. “Ethan… my baby!”

Ethan rushed to her side immediately. “Clara! What happened?”

Between sobs, she whispered, “It’s… it’s Adeline. She… she served me food earlier. I think it had peanuts… I told her I’m allergic!”

The room erupted in chaos. Guests murmured, eyes turning toward me with disgust.

“What kind of woman does that?”

“She’s jealous!”

“She wants to harm the baby!”

“Adeline!” Ethan shouted, fury flashing across his face. “What did you do?! If anything happens to Clara or my child, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life!”

My lips parted, but no sound came out. I wanted to scream that it was all a lie, but no one would listen.

He scooped Clara into his arms and turned away without another glance. “I’m taking her to the hospital. Don’t follow us.”

The door slammed behind him.

I stood alone in the hall, surrounded by their laughter fading down the driveway.

The guests avoided my gaze, whispering like vultures as they filed out of the house.

I looked at the cake, the decorations, the roses, all celebrating the woman who had taken everything from me.

My hands shook as I touched the envelope on the table, the one holding his signed papers.

A bitter smile curved my lips.

“Happy anniversary, Ethan,” I whispered. “You just signed your empire away.”