Chapter 4

At his words, the guests’ eyes filled with surprise, and then thinly veiled mockery. They watched me, the usually poised and elegant Mrs. Hayes, sitting there by the pool, utterly disheveled.

“A little more… understanding?” I gritted out the words through clenched teeth. The agonizing cramps in my lower abdomen made cold sweat stream down my face. The warm, trickling sensation below grew more distinct.

“Mr. Hayes, perhaps you should take Mrs. Hayes to the hospital first?” Finally, a bystander, unable to watch any longer, whispered a suggestion.

Chloe, however, sobbed even harder, clutching Marcus’s arm tightly, terrified he would leave her side.

“Marcus, Leo really didn’t mean it…”

“Vivian, I apologize on Leo’s behalf. Please don’t blame him…”

Leo, hidden in her embrace, showed no fear in his eyes, only a triumphant stubbornness and hatred.

Marcus’s brows were deeply furrowed, clearly annoyed by the chaos. He looked at the pale Chloe and the frightened Leo. Then he looked at me, curled up in pain, unable to speak. The brief flicker of panic at my potential injury was completely replaced by pity for the mother and son.

He sighed, his voice carrying an undeniable finality.

“Enough! It was just a small accident. Vivian isn’t that delicate.”

“Mr. Jenkins, help Mrs. Hayes upstairs to change into some dry clothes. She’ll be fine after resting.”

His callousness and stupidity utterly crushed me. I didn’t even have the strength to argue. I let the butler and maids, who had rushed over, clumsily help me up.

I was escorted back to the master bedroom, but the bleeding beneath me showed no signs of stopping, staining the sheets crimson. The pain intensified with each passing moment, and I couldn't help but cry out. The maids were terrified. This time, they didn't dare to delay and immediately called an ambulance.

I was rushed to the hospital. The constant wetness below me told me I was losing something precious.

When I woke again, the doctor stood by my bed, his voice filled with regret.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Hayes, we couldn’t save the baby.”

“You’re still young. Please accept our condolences.”

Outside, the sky had shifted from dark to light, and then back to dark. The phone on my nightstand was eerily silent. No calls from Marcus, not a single word.

Later, from Mr. Jenkins’s hesitant report, I learned that Marcus had calmed the frightened Chloe and the momentarily clumsy Leo. He hadn't even followed me to the hospital to check on my condition. In his eyes, perhaps it truly was just an accident caused by my lack of generosity.

After recuperating for a week in the hospital, I discharged myself. Instead of returning to the Hayes estate, I had my driver take me directly to the company.