THE ENEMY’S BRIDE

Chapter 2

Katherine’s POV

I could hear voices in my head as my eyes twitched. Slowly, I opened them, blinking rapidly as I tried to understand my surroundings.

A strange numbness spread through my body, making it impossible to feel anything—especially my leg. My gaze shifted downward, and I saw my left leg suspended in the air, wrapped tightly in thick bandages. Panic crept in as I noticed a needle inserted into my hand, connected to an IV drip. My neck felt stiff and immobile, as if something was restraining it. Was I wearing a neck brace?

Where was I?

The sharp, sterile scent in the air triggered a realization—I was in a hospital. But why? What had happened to me?

Slowly, I turned my head, my movements sluggish and heavy. A woman in a crisp nurse’s uniform stood beside me, checking the IV bag attached to my arm.

I let out a small groan, my voice hoarse and weak. The sound caught the nurse’s attention, making her turn to look at me.

As soon as her eyes met mine, she flinched, her expression shifting to one of pure shock. “My goodness, you’re awake! It’s a miracle!” she exclaimed, staring at me as if she had just seen a ghost.

I opened my mouth to ask where I was, but before I could form the words, she spun around and dashed out of the room, shouting, “Doctor!” Her voice echoed down the hallway.

Confusion settled in as I tried to move. I shifted slightly on the bed, attempting to push myself up, but my body felt too weak. My limbs refused to cooperate, and frustration built inside me.

Seconds later, the nurse returned, this time with a doctor by her side.

“There she is! She’s awake!” the nurse said, pointing at me with wide eyes as they hurried into the room.

The doctor wasted no time, immediately beginning his examination. He checked my vitals, shone a light into my eyes, and gently pressed against different parts of my body. I struggled again, trying to move my leg, but no matter how hard I tried, it wouldn’t budge. A sinking feeling settled in my chest.

When the doctor finally finished his examination, he stepped back, his expression a mix of disbelief and amazement.

“This is a miracle,” he murmured, almost to himself.

I managed to push myself to speak, my throat dry and my voice barely above a whisper. I needed answers. “What’s going on? Where am I?” I asked, even though it was obvious I was in a hospital. Confusion still clouded my mind.

The doctor gave me a small, reassuring smile. “You are in the hospital, my dear.”

I swallowed, my body feeling unnaturally heavy. “What… happened?” I asked weakly. My voice felt foreign to me—so fragile, so drained. I had never felt this weak before. It was as if my entire body was numb, disconnected from me.

The doctor sighed before speaking. “You were in an accident,” he said, watching me closely. His expression was calm, but his words sent a chill down my spine. “The accident was so severe that you have actually been in a coma for a month now. It is truly a miracle that you’ve regained consciousness.”

My heart pounded violently in my chest. A month?

My breathing became erratic as panic set in. My mind raced, trying to process his words, but nothing made sense. How could I have been unconscious for that long? What had happened to me?

Before I could ask more, a sharp pain exploded in my head, making me wince. I instinctively reached up, gripping my temples as I squeezed my eyes shut.

Then, like a flood, everything came rushing back—the divorce papers, the heated rant, the bike, the accident.

Oh my God.

A sudden thought hit me, making my breath hitch. My hand instinctively moved to my stomach.

My baby.

Panic surged through me as my fingers trembled against my abdomen. My eyes widened, and I turned toward the doctor, who was speaking quietly with the nurse.

“Make sure you give him a call,” I heard him say.

“Doctor.”

My voice was urgent, cutting through their conversation. The doctor halted, turning to face me with a warm smile.

“Yes, dear?”

I swallowed hard, my heart pounding. “Doctor, what about my baby?”

The moment the words left my lips, I saw the warmth drain from his face. His smile disappeared.

Dread crept into my chest. No… no, that can’t mean what I think it does.

My breathing became uneven as I asked again, more desperate this time. “Doctor, what about my baby?” Maybe he hadn’t heard me properly the first time. Maybe I was overreacting.

The doctor sighed, his expression now filled with sympathy. “We tried everything we could,” he said softly, each word like a dagger to my heart. “But the accident was too severe.”

I didn’t need to hear the rest.

I already knew what he was about to say.

And just like that, my world shattered.

“But the baby didn’t make it. I’m sorry for your loss, miss.”

His voice became distant, muffled, as if I were underwater. He kept talking, but his words no longer reached me.

A sharp, unbearable pain spread through my chest, unlike anything I had ever felt before. It was as if my heart had been shattered into a million pieces, each one stabbing deeper into me.

No…

I couldn’t breathe.

What did he mean, my baby was gone? The one reason I had chosen to keep going—the only thing keeping me from giving up—was gone?

A wave of despair crashed over me, drowning me in its darkness. Why? Why didn’t I just die along with my baby? What was the point of surviving this miserable life when the only thing that mattered was ripped away from me?

My hand trembled as I touched my stomach, my body shaking with grief. But there was nothing. No warmth, no life, nothing but emptiness. A sob tore from my throat as hot tears streamed down my face, my vision blurring with agony.

“Miss, please don’t cry,” the doctor said softly.

But I didn’t want to hear it. I didn’t want their pity, their meaningless attempts at comfort. The pain only deepened at his words, and my sobs grew heavier.

Through my cries, I barely registered the doctor turning to the nurse. “Get her guardian on the phone and tell him to come quick—she’s finally awake.”

His words made me lift my tear-streaked face, my heart pounding weakly in my chest.

Who?

“Guardian?” I repeated, my voice hoarse with confusion. The doctor turned to look at me.

“Yes, miss. Your guardian brought you here,” he said, his tone calm.

A frown settled on my face as I tried to make sense of his words. Guardian? Who was he talking about?

I had no one.

No family. No close friends.

The only person I had was my husband—the same man who had handed me divorce papers without a second thought. It has been a month now. A whole month. And knowing him, he hadn’t wasted any time moving on.

So why would he be here?

Why would he of all people claim to be my guardian?

The thought of him showing his face after everything he had put me through made my blood boil. Was he here out of guilt? Did he think he could just walk back into my life after destroying it?

Before I could ask any more questions, the doctor turned to the nurse. “Check her temperature. I have another patient to see.”

And just like that, he walked out, leaving me alone with the nurse.

She moved quickly, placing the thermometer under my tongue, but my mind was elsewhere.

I had to find out who was coming.

Because if it was my ex-husband, I wasn’t sure if I could control the rage building inside me.

I felt like I could kill him if I saw his face.

“Hmm… Nurse,” I called out, my voice weak but steady.

She turned to me with a bright smile. “Yes, miss?”

I studied her for a moment. Why was she smiling like that? It felt unnatural, almost forced. Did this hospital have some weird policy where the staff had to smile at patients no matter the situation? It was a little creepy.

Shaking off the thought, I asked the question burning in my mind. “Can I know the name of the person you called my guardian?”

I braced myself, half-expecting the worst. Deep down, I already knew the answer. Who else could it be? I had no one. No family. No friends. Just him—the man who had thrown our marriage away like it was nothing.

The nurse tilted her head slightly. “Well, I don’t know his name,” she admitted. “But he seemed really worried about you. He said he was your guardian.”

I let out a bitter scoff. Worried about me? That selfish man didn’t care about anyone but himself.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized something—I had lost my baby, but maybe… maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing.

I wanted a child more than anything, but not with him. Not with a man like that. The thought of bringing an innocent life into the world only to be connected to him forever made my stomach turn. Maybe… losing my baby was for the best.

Suddenly, a knock echoed through the room, pulling me from my thoughts.

The nurse moved toward the door, her heels clicking against the floor. As she opened it, I reached up, running my fingers along my neck. So, there really was a neck brace on me. No wonder I felt so stiff. God, everything hurts.

“Welcome, sir,” the nurse greeted warmly.

I was tense. So, he actually came.

“She’s in there,” the nurse said, stepping aside to let him in.

I clenched my fists as I heard heavy footsteps approaching. My body stiffened, every nerve on edge.

I don’t want to see him.

I don’t want to look at his face.

Just the thought of it made my blood boil. If I saw him now, I might actually have a stroke.

The nurse’s voice broke the silence. “Miss, your guardian is here.”

I inhaled sharply and slowly opened my eyes, preparing myself for the familiar face that I hated so much.

But instead… I was stunned.

Standing before me wasn’t my ex-husband.

It was someone else entirely.

A man dressed in a black jacket over a crisp white shirt, paired with black jeans and sturdy black boots. His blonde hair was slightly messy, the strands falling over sharp blue eyes that held no expression.

Who… is this?

I blinked, trying to process what I was seeing.

“Who are you?” I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper.

The nurse glanced between us, clearly sensing the confusion. But the man in front of me remained silent, his face unreadable.