After He Ruined My Baby, I Left For Good

Chapter 4

Audrey's POV:

I thought I could get through these three days in peace. I was wrong.

That very evening, at the banquet for the company's product launch, I ran into Julian and Chloe again.

Chloe had her arm linked through Julian's, looking every bit like Mrs. Hayes.

I had no intention of getting involved with them, but Julian spotted me anyway.

He pulled his arm free from Chloe's grasp and strode toward me.

"Where have you been these past two days? You haven't come home once!"

I gave him a cold look.

"Isn't it better that I stay away? That way, there's more room for you and Chloe."

I was leaving tomorrow anyway. I couldn't be bothered to put on an act with him anymore.

Julian's chest heaved with anger at my attitude, but with so many people around, he couldn't make a scene.

"I heard from someone at your company that you're going to London. For a business trip?"

I said nothing.

Just then, Chloe approached with a glass of wine in her hand.

"Audrey, this is all my fault. But Julian and I really have nothing going on. He just heard you're going abroad for work, and he's been so worried about you."

She stood beside Julian, eyes rimmed with red, looking as though she might burst into tears at any moment.

Whatever concern Julian had felt for me vanished in an instant, replaced by guilt and heartache for her.

Chloe raised her glass and stepped forward.

"Don't worry. Julian only has you in his heart. It's all my fault that the two of you have been unhappy. Let me have this drink as an apology."

She downed the entire glass.

The next second, she broke into a violent coughing fit, her delicate face flushed red from choking on the wine.

Julian patted her back repeatedly before turning on me.

"Audrey, enough."

I lifted my eyes coldly.

"Did I make her drink it? Can you two stay away from me?"

This place was filthy enough already.

Running into them was bad enough luck. I picked up my bag and stood.

Julian's face darkened instantly.

Leaning against him, Chloe's cheeks were flushed, her eyes hazy as she breathed heavily.

She kept rubbing herself against him.

Julian immediately realized something was wrong. He cursed under his breath and turned on me.

"Audrey, did you put something in her drink?"

"You're sick."

I couldn't be bothered to spare them another glance and turned to leave.

In the dim light, something caught my ankle. I lost my balance and pitched forward.

I reached for Julian's hand.

He stepped aside.

I crashed hard onto the floor.

A sharp pain suddenly tore through my lower abdomen, pulling downward with terrifying force.

My face went white.

I forgot all our old grievances and begged the man standing before me.

"Julian, please. Get me to a hospital."

He looked down at me coldly.

"Audrey, do you have to compete with Chloe over everything? You just fell. Do you really need to go to the hospital? Whatever happened tonight, you'd better pray you had nothing to do with it. Because if you did, I won't let you off."

He scooped Chloe into his arms and strode away.

As he disappeared from view, something inside me seemed to go dark piece by piece.

Warmth spread beneath me.

Within moments, blood was soaking through my clothes and pooling on the floor.

My vision began to fade.

When I woke again, I was already lying on an operating table.

The doctor saw me regain consciousness and immediately spoke.

"Ma'am, your condition is critical. We need to operate right away. Can you contact a family member? We need them here to sign the consent form."

My voice was barely a whisper.

"Julian…"

The nurse used my voice to unlock my phone and called Julian.

"Hello, sir. The patient, Audrey, is suffering severe bleeding and appears to be miscarrying. She needs emergency surgery. Please come to the hospital immediately to sign the consent form."

"Miscarrying? Audrey? Are you people working for her?"

Julian let out a cold laugh, his voice dripping with contempt.

"So this is how far she'll go to clear herself of tonight's incident and make me feel sorry for her?"

A woman's moans came through the phone.

The call ended abruptly.

Anyone could tell what was happening on the other end.

The nurse was furious.

"What a piece of garbage. His own wife is having a miscarriage and fighting for her life, and he's fooling around with another woman?"

I forced myself to stay conscious.

"I'll sign it myself."

My name came out crooked and unsteady on the consent form.

Then I grabbed the nurse's hand and begged over and over.

"Please… do everything you can to save my baby. Please."

My consciousness slipped back into darkness.

When I woke again, several hours had passed.

The first thing I heard was, "I'm sorry, Ms. Bennett. We did everything we could, but we couldn't save the baby."

I placed a hand over my flat stomach.

Tears immediately spilled from my eyes.

The next morning, I completed my discharge paperwork and boarded a flight first thing.

Just before takeoff, a message appeared on my phone: Dear Ms. Bennett, your divorce proceedings with Mr. Hayes have been completed. Effective immediately, your marital relationship has been formally dissolved.

The plane climbed into the sky, and Riverdale grew smaller and smaller beneath me.

"Julian, from now on, you'll live your life, and I'll live mine. Whatever we were, we're over now."