My Bestie Betrayed Me, I Dumped Him

Chapter 4

By the time the sky began to brighten, I was discovered by a street sweeper.

I was already drifting in and out of consciousness when they loaded me onto the stretcher.

When I opened my eyes again, a nurse tossed my medical report at me, her tone laced with disdain. "A mistress is a mistress, through and through. Out there messing around while pregnant, and now you've gone and killed your own child."

She shoved me off the hospital bed. "Get moving and go pay the bill. We're short on beds. This isn't a place for someone like you."

I hit the floor hard, a dull, resonant hum filling my brain.

Pregnant. My child was gone.

I rested my hand on my lower abdomen, feeling as if a piece of me had been hollowed out. A cold wind seemed to blow right through the void in my heart.

He had been there, and I hadn't even known. He was gone, and I hadn't even had the chance to weep for him.

I walked sluggishly toward the elevator. As the doors slid open, Dominic stood inside. Upon seeing me, his brow furrowed in annoyance. I raised my hand, intending to hand him the medical report. "Dominic, I..."

He slapped my hand away, sending the report fluttering to the floor. "Don't bring your nonsense to me." He grabbed my wrist and dragged me forward. "Celeste slit her wrists because of you. Do you know how much blood she lost? You're going to apologize to her. Don't you dare make her sad again."

He hauled me into the ward with brute force. Celeste lay on the bed, her wrist wrapped in bandages. When she saw me, tears began to stream down her face. "Evelyn..."

Dominic walked over and took her hand, asking softly, "Does it still hurt?"

Celeste shook her head and leaned against his shoulder, then suddenly spoke up. "Dominic, I'm pregnant."

I stood by the bedside, my entire body turning ice-cold. Dominic froze for a split second, then embraced her in joy. "Are you serious?"

"Yes," she said. "For the sake of our child, I won't do anything reckless again. Evelyn, once this baby is born, we'll leave it to you to raise. Please, I beg you, don't be angry with Dominic anymore."

Leave it to me to raise?

She had slept with my man, gotten pregnant with his child, and now she wanted me to raise it? The last remaining string in my mind snapped.

"Celeste!"

I lunged at her, landing a slap across her face. She shrieked and buried herself in Dominic's arms. Dominic kicked me in the stomach, sending me sprawling until I slammed into the wall. I curled up on the floor, gasping for air.

"Have you lost your mind?" Dominic glared down at me, his eyes filled with a level of disgust that made me shiver. "Drag this lunatic out of here."

Security guards rushed in, grabbing me by the arms and dragging me toward the exit. I struggled and looked back, only to see Celeste cowering in his embrace. I was dumped in the hallway, my cheek pressed against the freezing tile floor.

The past flooded back. I remembered how he had severed ties with the Kessler family for me, enduring so much hardship; how he had knelt on one knee at the edge of a volcanic crater overlook, swearing solemnly, "I will love only you for the rest of my life"; how he had crafted that silver ring for me with scarred hands, telling me, "My Evelyn deserves the best this world has to offer."

Dominic, how did you become like this?

I didn't know. All I knew was that I had nothing left, not even a place to store my hatred.

I scrambled up to the rooftop like a madwoman. The wind was fierce, whipping my hair into a frenzy. I took a step forward, felt the ground vanish beneath my feet, and heard shouts echoing from behind me.

At that same moment, in the hospital room, Dominic's phone rang.

"Sir, something terrible has happened. Ms. Marsh has jumped."