Chapter 2

The procedures had dragged on for nearly five hours. The doctors had pulled me back from the brink. When I woke up a day later, the first thing I saw was Legacy sitting by my bed. Noticing my gaze, he finally lifted his eyes from his phone.

"You're awake? Looking better than I expected," he remarked, only to drop his attention back to his phone and continue, "Yesterday, the doctor mentioned you almost got stabbed in a vital organ, life-threatening and all that. But I checked online, Estrella, and your condition isn't nearly as serious as they made it sound."

"According to the internet, you'll be walking out of here in three to five days. Then you can recover at home. I'll hire a nurse to make chili for you every day," he added.

I tried to speak, but my lips were cracked, and my throat felt parched and scratchy. I tugged at his sleeve, hoping he'd get me some water, but he was absorbed in his "medical" research.

"The internet also says this won't affect the baby. And if the baby isn't going to turn out well, I'd rather have had it dealt with yesterday. Oh, and Estrella, you don’t know, but when I got the call last night, Arabella was having a nightmare. Her brother's not coming back for Thanksgiving this year, and if I’m not there to look after her, what will I say to him?"

I couldn't get a word in. Struggling, I reached for the glass on the bedside table, but the effort made my wound throb, and I broke into a cold sweat.

Legacy finally noticed, clicking his tongue in annoyance. "Estrella, why are you being so difficult? I was just a bit late last night and didn’t sign the papers. Do you have to hurt yourself to get my attention?"

He handed me a steaming hot cup of water. "It's too hot. Could you add some cold water?" I croaked, my voice weak. Legacy rolled his eyes. "Such a hassle."

Reluctantly, he put down his phone and went to get some cold water. With a bitter smile, I picked up his phone and took a quick glance. Arabella was sending him messages.

"Legacy darling, how could you say such things? Estrella is still your girlfriend, after all. Even if she's pretending to be weak, it's only because she cares about you. Unlike me, who doesn't have anyone to look after me except you, even during the holidays."

I dared not check more of their conversation, knowing it would only be more humiliating. Just as I put the phone down, another message came through.

"By the way, I'm so sorry I hurt Estrella. Please apologize to her for me. I can't go in person; I've got a spa appointment."

When Legacy returned with the water, I had just placed the phone back. Reacting quickly, he snatched it up and shoved it into his pocket.

"Who said you could look at my phone? Don’t you know even between a couple there should be some privacy?"

Seeing the anger in his eyes, I felt the familiar sting of heartache, even though I was ready to let him go. Just then, Kaia, the nurse, came in to check on me, witnessing his outburst.

"Sir, the patient is still very weak. Please keep your voice down," she admonished.

Legacy glared at me, his anger barely restrained. Kaia took the glass and poured a perfectly tempered cup of water for me. Noticing my tears, she promptly set boundaries.

"Visiting hours are over. Please leave now," she said, and with that, Legacy was gone from my room.

Kaia comforted me for a long time and only when I had calmed down did she tell me that I had lost the baby in that accident the day before.

Instinctively, my hand moved to my belly, where I'd hoped for so long to nurture new life. Tears fell, but I quickly wiped them away. Perhaps it was for the best. After all, Legacy hadn't wanted the baby anyway.