Chapter 4
My phone buzzed.
A message from Charles lit up my screen.
Charles: [Sweetheart, where are you? Why aren't you picking up?]
Charles: [Please, Sweetheart, just say something. Let me know where you are.]
That was when I realized Charles had called me hundreds of times in just the past hour.
All I could see was the hospital's reminder about my abortion scheduled for tomorrow.
My hand instinctively went to my belly, feeling the baby's heartbeat.
I had nothing left.
Only this baby was truly mine.
Before I could process anything, blinding headlights came barreling straight at me.
Blood instantly blurred my vision.
Emily got out of the car and crouched down in front of me.
Emily spat, "Olivia Shaw, why do you not die?
"Only then would Charlie truly be mine instead of thinking about you whenever we are together."
Her face twisted with rage as she grabbed my head and slammed it hard against the ground.
She didn't stop until my face was completely covered in blood, unrecognizable.
She pulled out her phone, her hands shaking with fear.
"Charlie. I hit someone. I'm so scared." Emily cried into the phone.
Charles's car pulled up soon after.
Emily rushed into his arms, shaking uncontrollably.
"Charlie, what do I do? Am I going to jail? I swear, I didn't mean to." Emily pleaded.
Charles wrapped his arms around her, his voice gentle as he tried to comfort her.
"It's okay. I'm here," Charles reassured her.
Charles turned to his bodyguard and gave an order.
"Force her to drink. Make it look like a DUI," Charles ordered.
The bodyguard glanced at me.
"Mr. Ford, she's pregnant," the bodyguard said.
Charles hesitated, then shot me a quick look.
"Charlie, I'm so scared. If anyone finds out I was driving, my life's over. I might as well be dead." Emily pleaded.
Emily melted into his arms, tears streaming down her face.
"Make her drink it." Charles ordered.
He bent down and kissed Emily, who was still clinging to him.
"I'll take the blame for everything." Charles vowed.
The burning liquid was forced down my throat, the alcohol spilling from my lips, mixing with the blood on my face and dripping onto the ground.
I felt warm liquid flowing out beneath me.
I was desperately crying out for help.
"Charles, no," I pleaded.
But my voice was barely a whisper, and nobody heard me.
But Charles stopped.
He stood frozen, uncertainty flickering in his eyes as he stared at my bloodied body lying on the ground.
"Wait, I think Liv's calling me," Charles murmured, almost to himself.
Emily suddenly clutched her stomach.
"Charlie, my stomach hurts. The baby's kicking me," Emily said.
Charles immediately turned away, scooped her up, and carried her into the car.
Before leaving, he shot a look at the bodyguard.
"Keep an eye on her. Wait until the alcohol kicks in, then take her to the hospital," Charles ordered.
The car door slammed shut.
I lay there in a pool of blood, my eyes locked on the fading headlights, refusing to look away as the car disappeared into the night.
I woke up sometime later.
Charles was sitting by my bedside, holding my hand tightly, his eyes red and swollen.
His voice trembled. "Liv, how do you feel?
"Does anything else hurt?"
His tears kept falling onto my hand, and he couldn't hold them back.
Charles asked, "What happened? The hospital called and said you had a car accident and lost the baby.
"Who did this?"
Charles's grip on my hand tightened, his eyes burning with rage.
"Who ran you over? I'll kill her." Charles demanded.
"It was you, Charles," I said, my voice cold and steady.
I stared at Charles, his face stricken with terror, and a rush of satisfaction surged through me.
"You had your bodyguard force alcohol down my throat and stopped me from going to the hospital. Way to go, Charles, you killed your only child yourself." I said.