THE EX WIFE’S REVENGE

CHAPTER 9: PANIC RISING

The ride to the hospital felt like a nightmare. Daniel held my hand tightly as the ambulance sped through the city streets, its sirens wailing. The pain in my stomach was unbearable, like someone was twisting a knife inside me. I kept drifting in and out of consciousness, Daniel's worried voice calling my name each time I started to fade.

"Stay with me, Isabella. We're almost there," he kept saying, his usually calm voice shaking with fear.

At the hospital, everything became a blur of bright lights, rushing doctors, and medical equipment. They wheeled me into the emergency room while Daniel paced outside, unable to come in. The pain was so intense that I could barely think straight.

After what felt like hours of tests and examinations, Dr. Martinez, a kind woman with gentle eyes, sat beside my bed. Her expression was serious but compassionate.

"Isabella, I'm sorry to have to tell you this," she began softly. "You've had a miscarriage. You were about eight weeks pregnant."

The words hit me like a physical blow. Pregnant. I had been carrying Xavier's child. The baby I had been so excited to tell him about in that first moment when I found him with Victoria. The joy I had felt that day came flooding back, followed immediately by crushing grief.

"No," I whispered, tears streaming down my face. "No, this can't be happening."

"The stress and trauma your body has been through likely caused this," Dr. Martinez explained gently. "I'm truly sorry for your loss."

I broke down completely. All the pain, all the abuse, all the betrayal had cost me my baby. The child I had dreamed of holding, of loving, of protecting from the cruelty I had endured. Gone. Just like everything else Xavier had destroyed in my life.

When Daniel was finally allowed to see me, I was still crying uncontrollably. He took one look at my face and immediately pulled me into his arms.

"What happened? What did the doctor say?" he asked, his voice full of concern.

Through my sobs, I managed to tell him about the miscarriage. About how I had been pregnant when I found Xavier with Victoria. About how excited I had been to share the news with my husband, only to discover his betrayal instead.

"I'm so sorry," I cried against his chest. "I should have told you. I didn't even remember until now. Everything has been such a blur."

Daniel held me tighter, his hand stroking my hair. "You have nothing to apologize for. You've been through hell. I'm just sorry you had to go through this alone."

"The baby would have been innocent," I whispered. "It didn't deserve to die because of what they did to me."

"No, it didn't," Daniel agreed, his voice thick with emotion. "But this isn't your fault, Isabella. This is on them. On Xavier and Victoria and everyone who hurt you."

For the next two days, I stayed in the hospital, recovering from the miscarriage. Daniel never left my side, sleeping in the uncomfortable chair next to my bed and making sure I had everything I needed. He brought me flowers, books, and my favourite foods, trying to lift my spirits even though I could barely eat.

The grief was overwhelming. I had lost so much already, and now I had lost my child too. But having Daniel there, supporting me without judgment, made it bearable. He never once made me feel like a burden or like I was broken.

"You're stronger than you know," he told me one evening as we watched the sunset through the hospital window. "You've survived things that would have destroyed most people. You'll get through this, too."

When I was finally discharged, Daniel drove me back to his penthouse. The city looked different somehow, like I was seeing it through new eyes. Everything felt fragile and precious, like it could be taken away at any moment.

"There's something I need to tell you," Daniel said as we rode the elevator up to his floor. "My work schedule is going to be very demanding over the next few months. I'll be travelling frequently for business meetings related to... our situation with Xavier."

I nodded, understanding that he was talking about planning our revenge.

"I don't want you to be alone during this time," he continued. "So I've asked my younger sister to come stay with us. She's a college student, and she could use a break from dorm life anyway."

I stopped walking and stared at him. "You have a sister? You never mentioned her before."

Daniel smiled slightly. "Emma is twelve years younger than me. Our parents had her later in life. She's... well, she's the opposite of me in many ways. It is very bubbly and optimistic. I thought you might enjoy having another woman around."

The idea of having someone else in the house made me nervous. I had gotten used to the quiet safety of just Daniel and me. "What if she doesn't like me? What if she asks too many questions?"

"She'll love you," Daniel assured me. "And she knows not to pry. I've told her you've been through a difficult time and need space to heal."

That evening, Emma arrived with two large suitcases and a bright smile that immediately filled the room with warmth. She was beautiful, with Daniel's dark hair but much lighter eyes, and she looked to be about twenty-one years old.

"You must be Isabella!" she exclaimed, dropping her bags to give me a gentle hug. "Daniel has told me so much about you. I'm so excited we get to be roommates!"

Her enthusiasm was infectious, and for the first time in days, I found myself smiling genuinely. "It's nice to meet you, Emma."

"I brought my favourite tea blends," she said, pulling items out of her bags. "And some books I thought you might like. Oh, and I make the best chocolate chip cookies in the world. Daniel can confirm this."

Daniel chuckled. "It's true. She's spoiled me for years with those cookies."

As the evening went on, Emma's cheerful personality helped lift some of the darkness that had been weighing on me. She told funny stories about her college professors, showed me photos of her friends, and talked about her dreams of becoming a veterinarian. Her innocence and joy reminded me that there was still good in the world.

"I'm glad you're here," I told her as we sat on the couch, sharing a pot of her chamomile tea.

"Me too," she said, patting my hand. "Daniel told me you've been through something really hard. I just want you to know that you're safe now. We're going to take care of you."

Her words were so simple but so sincere that I felt tears prick my eyes again. But these were different tears - tears of gratitude instead of grief.

Later that night, as I was getting ready for bed, I heard voices coming from the living room. Daniel and Emma were talking quietly, but I could hear the concern in their voices. I crept closer to listen.

"...the news report earlier," Emma was saying. "They're saying she's been missing for weeks. That her husband is desperately searching for her."

My blood ran cold. News report? About me?

"Turn it on," Daniel said grimly.

I heard the TV click on, and then a familiar voice filled the room - a news anchor's professional tone.

"...the search continues for Isabella Blackwood, wife of prominent businessman Xavier Blackwood. She disappeared from the family mansion three weeks ago under mysterious circumstances. Her husband has offered a substantial reward for any information leading to her safe return..."

My heart started pounding as I heard Xavier's voice next, full of fake concern and anguish.

"I just want my wife back," he was saying. "Isabella has been struggling with depression and... other issues. She left the house one evening and never returned. I'm worried she might have hurt herself."

The screen must have shown my picture because Emma gasped. "Daniel, that's her. That's Isabella."

"I know," Daniel said quietly.

My mind raced. Xavier was looking for me. But why? He had tried to kill me, or at least his mother and Victoria had. Did he not know about the poisoning? Did he really think I had just disappeared?

The implications hit me like a truck. If Xavier was publicly searching for me, if he was offering rewards and talking to the media, then he had no idea that his mother and Victoria had tried to murder me.

Which meant Victoria and his mother were keeping their crime secret from him.

But why?

And what would happen when Xavier discovered the truth?

I stood there in the hallway, listening to my supposedly grieving husband beg for my return on national television. I realized that our situation had just become infinitely more complicated and dangerous….