Chapter 2
Bethany sat on the edge of the bed, her hands resting on her knees, unmoving.
Aiden waited for a few seconds, but when Bethany stayed silent, his brows furrowed in frustration. "Come on, say something already."
Bethany looked up, her gaze locked on that baby cradled in Aiden's arms.
It was her child.
The baby she'd delivered after nineteen grueling hours of labor.
"I won't bother saying goodbye," Bethany replied. Her voice was barely a whisper, like a brittle leaf falling to the floor. "Colleen will take good care of him."
Aiden's expression froze for a moment.
He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but seeing Bethany like this made him feel a knot in his chest.
Before, she'd cry, throw a fit, grab his sleeve, begging him desperately not to take the baby away.
Now, all of that was gone.
She just sat there, like burnt-out ashes, so fragile, a single touch and she'd fall apart.
"Maybe you can raise the next baby yourself," Aiden said, his brows drawn together in a frown.
With that, he turned and left, carrying the baby in his arms.
The moment the door clicked shut, Bethany finally moved her hands from her knees.
She fished an old phone out from under her pillow.
The screen lit up, showing a chat window.
She typed out a message and sent them to a contact saved as "Danica."
It read, [Rush the death certificate. And confirm the lease for the apartment. That's all.]
After that, she slipped the phone back under her pillow.
Then she turned onto her side, facing the wall, curling up into a ball.
The hospital room was dead silent, save for the steady drip of medicine from the IV bag.
Bethany stared at a patch of peeling paint on the wall, her eyes open.
She didn't cry.
She hadn't cried in a long, long time.
*****
On the day she left the hospital, no one showed up for Bethany.
She dragged herself out of the hospital bed alone, grabbed her bloodstained maternity bag, and slowly headed downstairs.
When the elevator reached the first floor, the doors slid open.
Aiden stood in the center of the lobby, Colleen beside him, cradling Liam in her arms. There was several servants clustered around them.
The servants bustled about. Some were lugging bags of baby stuff, others holding umbrellas, opening car doors, or crouching down to arrange the hem of Colleen's dress.
Colleen wore a pale pink cashmere coat, her hair styled to perfection, and her makeup so flawless she looked ready for a gala.
"Aiden, Liam seems hungry. Can we go home now?" Colleen's voice was soft, carrying a perfect hint of vulnerability.
Aiden glanced at the baby swaddled in Colleen's arms, then reached out to block the wind for her. "Hop in. Let's head back."
Bethany followed behind, clutching her maternity bag.
No one bothered to help her carry anything.
No one even asked if she was still in pain.
She wore a pair of flats, her ankles swollen and puffy. Every step made the stitches in her belly pull and ache.
The blood at the bottom of her maternity bag had dried into dark brown stains, leaving blotches all over her dress.
By the time she got to the cars, the first car had already pulled away.
Bethany opened the door to the second car, slid all the way into the very back row, and set her maternity bag down at her feet.
The driver glanced at her in the rearview mirror, said nothing, and started the engine.
When they arrived at Bowers Manor, the gates were already open.
Colleen was in the foyer, swapping out her shoes, while a servant gently took the baby from her arms and carried him into the nursery that had been all set up beforehand.
Bethany stepped inside, trailing behind the others, feeling exhausted and out of place.
Before she could steady herself, a small figure rushed down the stairs from the second floor.
It was Benny, her seven-year-old son.
He wore a blue prep school uniform, his hair cut neat and tidy, and he looked just like Aiden.
But the malice in his eyes was hurt more than Aiden's indifference.
"Go away!" Benny yelled at Bethany.
Benny charged at Bethany and pushed her with both hands, using all his strength.
Caught off guard, Bethany's knees gave out beneath her and she fell backward, crashing to the floor.
Her back crashed against the edge of the steps in the entryway, and the pain hit so hard her vision blurred.
The maternity bag dropped to the floor, and her stuff scattered all over.
Pads, toilet paper, bloody clothes... All of them were out in the open for everyone to see.
Bethany clutched her abdomen, feeling a warm liquid start to trickle down.
Her wound had split open.
Blood seeped through the fabric of her skirt, dripping onto the white marble floor.
Benny towered over her, his face twisted in obvious contempt.
"You're a bad woman. You want to take my brother away. Mommy said it's all your fault he almost didn't have a home," Benny yelled.
By "Mommy," he was talking about Colleen.
Bethany huddled on the steps, one hand pressed to the floor, the other desperately trying to stem the blood from her wound.
She lifted her head, staring at the child she'd carried for nine months and brought into this world.
There was not a trace of recognition for his mother in his eyes, only disgust.