Chapter 1The day my water broke, my husband Dorian's pregnant ex came barging through our door for help.
I was on my knees, clutching his pants as amniotic fluid and blood pooled beneath me.
"Ethan, please—the baby's coming! I need to get to the hospital!"
Instead, he kicked me away and scooped up Sophia, who was dramatically clutching her belly, his eyes filled with disgust—for me.
"Seriously, Stella? I gave you my name, gave you everything you wanted, and you're gonna be jealous over a life-or-death situation?"
"She's bleeding and her baby's premature! How can you be so cruel?"
I was barely conscious from the pain, my voice shaking. "I can't hold on much longer..."
He wouldn't even look at me. "Her ex-husband nearly beat her to death, and her parents just died in a car crash. This baby is all she has left! Just tough it out—I'm taking her to the hospital first."
He walked out carrying her, leaving me bleeding out on our marble floor.
When I lost my baby on that operating table, I finally saw the truth—I never existed in his heart.
Well, now he can beg all he wants—I'll never forgive him, and I'll make damn sure he pays for what he's done!
---
All I could see was his back as he rushed out the door.
The pain in my belly felt like someone was draining every ounce of strength from my body. I collapsed hard onto the floor.
Amniotic fluid gushed down my thighs, spreading across the marble in a growing wet stain.
I weakly raised my hand toward one of the housekeepers nearby, my voice barely a whisper.
"Please... get me to the hospital..."
The housekeeper looked at me with obvious distress.
"Ma'am, Mr. Grey specifically said we have to wait until he gets back. I don't dare..."
"Don't dare?" I clutched my stomach, my voice shaking from the pain.
"If something happens to me and this baby, Dorian will never forgive you. Take me now!"
The housekeeper finally started moving toward the door, panicked.
But just as she reached it, Marcus, Dorian's personal assistant, blocked her path.
"Marcus, Mrs. Grey is in labor. She needs to get to the hospital immediately," the housekeeper said nervously.
Marcus glanced at the amniotic fluid on the floor, then at my twisted face, his tone eerily calm.
"Mr. Grey said to wait for him. Mrs. Grey is just using her pregnancy to manipulate the situation again. Help her back to bed."
"If we wait any longer, the baby could die. Can you handle that responsibility?!"
I used every bit of strength I had left to prop myself up, pointing at him.
Marcus gave me a polite but cold smile, his eyes completely empty.
"Mrs. Grey, Mr. Grey is at the hospital with Miss Hayes, helping her with her pregnancy complications. He said you need to wait for him."
"You know how Mr. Grey is. Nobody disobeys his orders."
"I'm having this baby now! The baby can't wait!"
Another contraction hit like a knife twisting in my gut.
I curled up in agony, cold sweat instantly soaking through my clothes.
"What are you waiting for? Help Mrs. Grey to bed," Marcus snapped.
Two housekeepers immediately rushed forward, ignoring my pain as they grabbed my arms and started dragging me toward the bedroom.
That's when I felt more warm liquid trickling down. I looked down and saw blood!
"Blood! I'm bleeding!" I grabbed one of the housekeepers frantically, screaming.
"Get me to the hospital now, or the baby's really in danger!"
"Ma'am, I can't make that call. Let me get the family doctor," she said, prying my hands away with obvious guilt.
"I don't want the family doctor, send me to hospital!"
"Please don't get upset, ma'am. Let me go ask Marcus."
She ran out of the room in a panic.
The pain in my abdomen was cutting through me like a blade, cold sweat mixing with blood and amniotic fluid, soaking the velvet blanket.
Minutes ticked by with no sign of anyone.
I dragged my bleeding body over to the bed and grabbed Mrs. Hunt as she walked in, crying out.
"Mrs. Hunt, please check on this. I can't hold on..."
Mrs. Hunt nodded sympathetically.
"Ma'am, just hold on. I'll go push them."
But as soon as she turned around, Marcus stopped her.
Chapter 2
He slowly walked over to me, his eyes scanning the blood-stained blanket. For a moment, something flickered in his expression, but it was quickly replaced by cold indifference.
"Let Dr. Cole take a look first."
As soon as he said it, Dr. Cole walked in with his medical bag, and several housekeepers immediately held down my struggling limbs.
"Let me go! I need to go to the hospital!" I twisted my body desperately, tears and sweat streaming down my face.
"The baby can't wait!"
Dr. Cole examined me with no expression, then pulled out some white pills and told Mrs. Hunt to feed them to me.
"What is that?" I shook my head frantically. "I won't take it. Are you trying to kill my baby?"
"It's medication to delay labor. It'll reduce the contractions."
"No! That'll cut off oxygen to the baby!"
Dr. Cole remained stone-faced and silent.
"Dr. Cole, your wife is about to give birth too, isn't she? If she were lying here right now, would you still make her take this? Aren't you afraid of karma?"
I looked at Marcus through the pain.
"Marcus, if something happens to me and this baby, you'll be the one responsible. Dorian won't forgive you!"
Dr. Cole and Marcus exchanged glances. Just as they seemed about to agree to take me to the hospital, Marcus's phone rang. It was Dorian.
He answered respectfully, and all hesitation disappeared from his face.
"Ma'am, you heard him yourself." His voice was full of fake helplessness. "Mr. Grey insists we wait for his return. It's not that I won't help you—I literally can't."
After that, he nodded to Mrs. Hunt.
Two housekeepers immediately pinned my shoulders down and pried my mouth open while Mrs. Hunt shoved the pills in.
I tried desperately to throw up, but the pills went down my throat anyway.
Tears fell silently as I stared at the ceiling, then suddenly burst into hysterical laughter, crying even harder as I laughed.
"Perfect! Remember this day! If my baby dies, I swear I'll drag every one of you to hell with me!"
"Mrs. Grey is emotionally unstable. Give her a sedative so she doesn't hurt herself or the baby. Mrs. Hunt, watch her."
Marcus frowned as he spoke to Dr. Cole and Mrs. Hunt, then turned and left.
I stopped struggling, letting the thick needle pierce my arm.
So this was it. In Dorian's mind, his precious ex mattered more than his own flesh and blood.
To save her baby, he was willing to let his own child fight for life on death's doorstep.
The despair I felt now matched exactly how much I regretted my decision to marry him at all costs.
I thought if I just tried hard enough, he'd eventually see how good I was to him.
Sometimes, for just a moment, I thought he actually loved me. But now I knew the truth—when someone doesn't love you, they just don't.
Even carrying his child couldn't earn me a single ounce of his concern.
I traced the curve of my swollen belly, blood and amniotic fluid soaking the entire bed.
I slowly closed my eyes, tears wetting my face again.
"Dorian Grey, if anything happens to this baby, I will completely destroy you!"
Chapter 3
Maybe the medication was working—the contractions started to ease up a bit.
But I was still bleeding heavily, lying there completely drained.
Through the haze, I heard Mrs. Hunt saying "Mr. Grey."
Hope suddenly flared in my chest.
Had he finally come to his senses? Was he going to take me to the hospital?
Deep down, he still cared about me and the baby.
So I used every bit of strength I had left to shout toward Mrs. Hunt's phone.
"Dorian, please get someone to take me to the hospital! The baby's really not gonna make it!"
Mrs. Hunt put it on speaker, but instead of Dorian's voice, I heard Sophia's sickeningly sweet tone.
"Hang in there, sweetie. Dorian's still here with me, so he can't really deal with you right now."
She paused, then spoke to Mrs. Hunt.
"Mrs. Hunt, make sure you take good care of Stella, okay? Keep her calm and make sure she listens to what Dorian says."
"Sophia, let me talk to Dorian..."
Before I could finish, someone clamped their hand over my mouth. All I could do was make muffled sounds.
Mrs. Hunt smiled into the phone like some kind of lapdog.
"Don't worry, Miss Hayes. We already gave her the delay medication. We'll follow Mr. Grey's orders exactly."
"Good." Sophia's voice was dripping with satisfaction. "If she's still in pain later, I know a method that'll help with the pain and buy time until Dorian gets back."
"What method?" Mrs. Hunt asked eagerly.
I held my breath, staring at that phone, wondering what sick idea she'd come up with next.
Her voice turned ice cold.
"Hang her upside down, head down, feet up. After five minutes, the baby will start moving back up. Then tie a rope tight around her lower abdomen—that'll buy more time. If that doesn't work, then... you know, sew her up. Whatever it takes to make her wait until Dorian gets back."
I shook my head frantically, but could only make those muffled sounds.
Mrs. Hunt went pale, standing there frozen for a long moment before she managed to speak.
"Miss Hayes, that doesn't seem right. Something could go wrong..."
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Her voice was full of contempt.
"Back home, women do this all the time when they're trying to time the birth right. Babies are tougher than you think."
She paused for a beat, then continued.
"Dorian's right here with me, and this is what he wants. He's the one who told me to call and give you instructions. He said it's time to fix Stella's jealous streak once and for all. He also said we need to save my baby at any cost. If you go soft and something happens to me, Dorian will never forgive you."
Despite the blood pouring out of me and the contractions, I broke free from the housekeepers and screamed.
"No! Dorian would never do this to me and the baby! You're lying! You evil bitch! Mrs. Hunt, don't listen to her!"
But the next second, two housekeepers slammed me back down on the bed. I looked at Mrs. Hunt through my tears, begging.
"Mrs. Hunt, you're a mother too. How can you do this to my baby?"
Mrs. Hunt was shaking all over, sweating, her hand trembling as she held the phone.
Sophia kept pushing. "Dorian said he's divorcing her soon anyway. You better think carefully about which side you want to be on."
Then she hung up abruptly.
After a moment of silence, Mrs. Hunt suddenly spoke to the housekeepers.
"Let go of Mrs. Grey."
