Chloe bit her lip hard, the metallic tang of salt stinging her throat as she pulled the thin hospital blanket tighter around her shoulders. She felt a profound, hollow coldness radiating from her chest. "No, thank you," she whispered to the nurse, her voice trembling. "I can manage on my own."
The nurse gave her a lingering look of pity before adjusting the IV drip. "Keep an eye on the bag. Press the buzzer when it’s nearly empty."
As the door clicked shut, the silence of the private suite rushed back in, heavy and suffocating. Chloe curled into a ball, clutching the starched linens. Since the day she was born, the Bishop family had treated her like a rare diamond—protected, cherished, and shielded from every storm. She had endured more humiliation and heartbreak in the last few months t
