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Amelia's Pov I woke up, squinting at the bright light overhead. Someone was rubbing something cool on the back of my hand, but the coolness quickly turned into a jab of pain. I flinched and turned my head to find a nurse securing an IV into my hand with a swab of cotton wool and a tape. An IV? I was in the hospital? Pain slithered between my temples, fogging my thoughts, and the smell of bleach wafting off the sheets turned my stomach. The last thing I remembered was making a list of props that would be needed for the upcoming moon event with my assistant, Caren. Then, muffled noise and nothing. I moved a little against the bed and my muscles ached, causing me to groan, which gained the nurse's attention. She mumbled out words that I did not hear as she sashayed her waist towards the other end of the room. I licked my chapped lips, feeling the roughness of them. My throat ached, making it quite difficult to breathe properly. "Water," I breathed out with my hoarse voice, hoping the nurse, who was peeking at a machine at the edge of the room, would hear me. I moved again, this time less patient, which knocked down the IV pole. It gained the full attention of the nurse, who ran towards my direction with wide eyes. She picked up the IV pole, rearranging it clumsily. "Water," I said again, causing her to gasp . "I am so sorry, Mrs. Harlow," she said, running across the room to get me a glass of water from the dispenser stationed at the end of the room. She returned to my bedside with a half-filled glass of water, having spilled half on the floor while walking back. She placed the glass of water on the shelf beside my bed, apologizing for her clumsiness. "I am sorry, Ma, this is my first time attending to a patient alone." I waved my left hand in dismissal, still pointing at the glass of water I could not reach. She moved closer to me, having realized her mistake of putting the water on the shelf, and I saw her name tag: "Marie." Marie helped me sit upright, and I could not help but groan at how badly my bones ached. She placed the glass of water in my outstretched but weak hands, and I immediately took little gulps from it whilst she ran out of the room. Marie returned with a mop stick minutes later to clean the spot where she had spilled water. She kept cleaning, even though there was no longer any visible drop of water, which got me focusing on the floor to see if there were other stains that I did not notice. Then it struck: "My parents will be in town today. Dress prim and properly. Make my mother happy, and smile." Devon's words rang in my head, and my stomach dropped. My already weak limbs shook, my hands trembled, and I immediately dropped the cup to avoid breaking it. I clasped my palm against my pendant, saying a silent prayer, hoping I would not face Devon's strokes and outbursts. My skin had just healed from the lashes I took last time, and I could not help the tremble and shiver that ran down my spine upon remembering what had caused the beating. With trembling hands, I pulled out the IV attached to my arm, spilling a little blood on the floor. The IV pole lost its balance again the sharp clang sending a nostalgic feeling of Devon unclasping his belt, The nurse to stop her unnecessary and excessive cleaning. She ran towards me, eyes wide with horror and panic. "Mrs. Harlow, you need to lay down! You are not fit to stand yet," I heard her say behind me as I struggled to stand on my feet. I dropped to the floor in search of my footwear. Upon standing, I bumped into the trolley of drip bags and syringes Marie had parked beside my bed. The sound of the crash must have reached my PA, Caren, on the other side of the door because she came rushing to my side with distress in her eyes. "My phone, we need to leave, the car, Devon's parents," I mumbled to her as I gripped her for balance. "Mrs. Harlow, you need to sit first," she said to me as she sat me down at the edge of the hospital bed. Marie, who must have left the room in panic when I was frantically searching for my footwear, came back with two other nurses and a doctor on her tail. "Oh my goodness, Marie! You could have pressed the nurse call button!" "Even the panic button would do. I knew it was a bad idea letting her tend to a patient alone." I heard the nurses scold Marie, who stood ramrod and confused. I was about to interfere when I heard my name. "Amelia." A sudden coldness hit at my core when my brain registered who the voice belonged to. What is Ashton doing here? Since when did he come back from New Zealand? The guilt of our last conversation made me nibble at the dead skin of my lips. "You all can go back to your posts. I will handle it," he spoke again to the nurses, who left immediately after they had picked every syringe and drip that fell off from the trolley I crashed into earlier. "Mrs. Harlow," Caren called out, and I could not help but wince mentally because of Ashton's presence. "Caren, please go and move the car from the parking lot," I said to her, avoiding Ashton's eyes. "Yes, Mrs. Harlow," she said again, like she was doing it on purpose to spite Ashton. Caren left, shutting the door behind her. The silence in the room became overwhelming. "Ting, ting, ting," the sound of the machine at the corner of the room grew louder, and I could not help but grip my skirt for dear life. "If you keep gripping your skirt like that, Amelia, I am afraid it will turn into shreds in no time," Ashton said to me in a calm tone, causing me to meet his eye. I could have sworn I saw that mischievous and boyish smile he usually wore when we were younger. "Amelia, how are you?" I blinked back the tears threatening to fall at his question. In two years, no one had dared to ask me that, and I had always wondered why. Maybe because by marrying Devon I hurt the feelings of a lot of people, or was I never considered a friend or family member? "Mel?" The tears I was trying to hold back fell at the mention of the name. My eyes met his, and I saw hurt in them. Ashton brought his hand forward to my face, probably to clean my tears, but I could not help but flinch at the contact. He stepped away immediately he noticed that, and I could not help the crash out that followed. The tears came in folds, and I began to heave. "Why, why, why, Ash? Why am I suffering this much? Why has everyone deserted me? Is this karma for all the things I have done? Is this it? Is this how I will end? Is there a God I can beg? Is there a place I will atone at? I cannot do this anymore! I really cannot, Ash!" My complaints and sobs echoed in the room while Ashton just let me cry my eyes out. He walked towards me cautiously; this time, he stood in front of me silently as if asking for permission to be close to me. When I nodded my head, he sat beside me and stroked my hair. "You always liked your hair short. Why did you cut it short?" Ashton spoke with suppressed pain in his voice. I bit my lips, contemplating if I should tell the truth or lie. "I will rather not get an answer from you than have you lie to me," he whispered upon my reluctance to talk. I nodded my head in acceptance, and the room became silent again with only the sound from the machine audible. "I know you have gone through a lot and only you feel your pains, but you need to rest, Amelia. If not for your sake, do it for the baby you are carrying." Ashton spoke, breaking the silence. My hand shot to my stomach, and my body felt cold. "No, no, no! I cannot be pregnant! I cannot be carrying Devon's child! "Ash, tell me it is not true!" I gripped at Ashton's shirt. "Please, please, oh Lord, please! I am not pregnant! Please tell me I am not pregnant, Ash! Please, Ash, look at me! Tell me I am not pregnant!" Cold sweat began to break on my forehead, and I let go of Ashton's shirt, gripping my hair, pulling it hard in the hope that it would jolt me awake from this nightmare. Another round of tears came rolling out as I settled on the hospital floor.