Chapter 4

At that exact moment, a sharp cracking sound came from above.

"Watch out!" someone screamed.

The massive crystal chandelier broke loose and came crashing down.

Without thinking, Jake rushed forward. He shoved Fiona out of the way and took the hit himself.

The impact was brutal. Blood poured down from his forehead, warm and blinding. The world around him started to spin and blur.

Right before everything went dark, he saw Fiona's terrified face.

But the face he wanted to see most wasn't there.

"Take her to the hospital..." he told Larry, who was rushing over. Then everything went black.

*****

The emergency room lights were harsh and bright.

Jake sat there with fresh bandages wrapped around his head. Even though the doctor had told him he needed a full checkup right away, he refused. He kept asking about Fiona.

"She just has a mild concussion and a few scratches. She'll be fine," the doctor said after examining her.

Then he looked at Jake more seriously. "Mr. Harvey, your injuries are much more serious."

"I'm fine," Jake said, distracted.

His eyes kept drifting down the hallway. He seemed to be searching for something—or someone.

From the direction of the operating rooms, a hospital bed was pushed out.

The woman lying on it was as pale as paper. Her eyes were closed, yet she still looked strikingly beautiful.

It was Alice.

Jake felt his blood run cold.

He pushed aside the nurse who was steadying him and staggered toward Alice.

"Alice?" His voice came out rough and broken.

Alice slowly opened her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"What surgery did you have?" Jake asked. His gaze dropped to her now-flat stomach. A terrible thought hit him.

Alice gave a faint smile. "Just like you wanted. The child you told everyone wasn't yours is gone now."

"Did you get rid of it?" Jake staggered back. The wound on his head split open again, and fresh blood started to seep through the bandages. "Why?"

"Why?" Alice repeated, as if she had just heard the funniest joke in the world. "Didn't you tell everyone the baby wasn't yours? I was just helping you make that lie real."

"That was part of the plan. I—"

"The plan?" Alice cut him off. Her eyes were filled with disgust. "Your plan was to have Fiona accuse me of cheating, while you stood there acting hurt, so everyone would believe it, and my name would be ruined. Wasn't that it?"

She pushed herself up slightly. Even though she looked weak, there was still something strong and unshakable about her.

"Jake, do you know what's really funny?" she asked. "It's not the three years of lies. It's that even today, after you knew I had figured everything out, you still chose Fiona.

"You still helped her. You still stood there and denied your own child in front of everyone."

Jake tried to speak, but nothing came out.

"It doesn't matter anymore," Alice said, closing her eyes. "From now on, you and Fiona have nothing to do with me."

All she wanted was to leave, to get away from him. She was exhausted, inside and out.

"Alice!" A hand suddenly grabbed her wrist.

Jake had chased after her. His grip was tight, almost painful.

Alice opened her eyes and looked straight into his bloodshot ones. "Let go."

"I won't." His voice was hoarse. "You can't just walk away. We need to talk."

"There's nothing left to say." She tried to pull her hand free, but she didn't have the strength. "Jake, the show you wanted is over. Let me go."

Jake's jaw tightened. "I was just used to following the plan—"

Alice let out a soft laugh, full of cold mockery. "Used to it? Yes, you are. You're used to lying to me. You're used to watching me suffer. You're used to stepping all over my heart."

She looked at him steadily. "Now get used to this. I don't care anymore."

"I don't believe you," Jake said, tightening his grip. "You love me. You've loved me for five years."

"I did," Alice said, cutting him off. "But now that love is gone. It's been cut out, clean and final, just like that baby."

At that moment, the sharp sound of high heels echoed down the hallway.

"Jake, what are you doing here?" Fiona hurried over and stopped beside him. When she saw Alice lying there, weak and pale, she didn't even try to hide the satisfaction in her eyes.

"Ms. Harmon? How did you end up like this?" she asked.

Alice closed her eyes, refusing to look at her.

But Fiona wasn't done. She grabbed Jake's arm and leaned closer. "Alice, you deserve this. Even the great Ms. Harmon has a day like this."

"Fiona, that's enough," Jake murmured, but he just stood there, making no move to stop her.

"Enough?" Fiona's voice turned sharp. "How could it ever be enough?"