Chapter 2
My heart sank like a stone when I realized Julian wasn’t coming.
Then he brushed me off like I was nothing.
“Elena, look, I get you’re freaked after the crash, but don’t use our baby to guilt–trip me. Mia’s all alone since her husband died. It’s tough raising a kid by herself. I’ll come back when her daughter’s feeling better.”
I thought if I just swallowed my pride, Julian would take the easy way out and come home.[]
But now I got it–when it came to Mia, he lost his damn mind.[]
I begged him weakly to come be with me.
All I got was a click as he hung up.]
I looked at Neil, pain written all over my face, and asked what I already knew.
“Julian hasn’t been at the station for five days, has he? He’s been with Mia and her kid this whole time?“]
Neil couldn’t lie to my face. He just nodded.]]
I laughed through my tears.]
Five days ago, Julian wanted to move Mia and her daughter into our house.
When I said hell no, we had a screaming match, and he stormed out.
Today he called asking for his stomach meds.]
I thought he was waving a white flag. Instead, he pushed me off a cliff.]
My whole body was on edge as I kept digging my nails into my palm, trying not to lose it.]
All my anger couldn’t fight off how weak I felt, and everything just went black.]
Through the fog, I heard doctors scrambling to save me.[]
I heard Neil cussing Julian out after calling him.]
Then everything went quiet
But I felt something leaving my body.
When I woke up and saw my still–rounded belly, I broke down sobbing.
My baby was gone.
The doctor said the emotional stress plus the crash tore away part of the placenta–that’s why I lost him.
When they told me, I just nodded like a zombie.]
The pain had spread everywhere. Even breathing hurt.[]
“You can have another baby someday, you need to take care-“]
“Where’s Julian?” I cut Neil off, my voice like sandpaper.
His face froze, eyes looking anywhere but at me.
0
That told me everything. Two whole days since the accident, and Julian hadn’t shown his face once.
I let out a bitter laugh as fresh tears fell
“Still playing house with Mia and her kid. What were me and our baby to him anyway?”
Fed up with the bullshit, I called Julian.]
As soon as he picked up, I heard hospital announcements in the background]
“You’re at the hospital?” I asked, voice sharp.
Yeah, Lily’s still not feeling great. We’re at hospital I’ll head home after they’re settled.”
My heart twisted, but I told him I was in the maternity ward.]
Julian flipped out the second I said it.]
“First you’re bleeding out, now you’re in maternity? What game are you and Neil playing?”
I called the dealership myself. The car’s trashed but there’s no blood in it. You’d make up this crap just to pull me away from Mia?“]
“Don’t forget, Elena, YOU owe Mia and Lily. I’m just cleaning up your mess.“]
My stomach dropped.[]
He’d call the damn car dealer but wouldn’t walk up one floor to see if I was lying.
I threw the covers off and dragged myself toward pediatrics, ignoring the knife in my gut.]
Seeing the “Pediatrics” sign, I had to laugh.
The farthest distance wasn’t miles–it was one fucking floor. And he couldn’t be bothered.]
I followed the voices to where they were giving kids IVs.
There was Julian, all smiles with red–faced, crying Lily.[]
Mia leaned on his shoulder, eyes closed.
The scene felt like a punch to the chest.
When I first got pregnant, Julian looked at my stomach with that same love.
His eyes full of dreams about our little family.
But now? My baby was gone, and he was playing happy families with someone else.
Heartbroken, I put my hand on the door handle.
Mia opened her eyes and saw me.]]
She hesitated, then looked up at Julian.
“Julian, Lily’s okay now. You should go home to Elena tonight. I’m worried about her…”
“What’s there to worry about? Since she got pregnant, she’s been a paranoid mess, always thinking we’re having an affair. Now she’s teamed up with Neil to con me. She needs a few days alone to get her head straight, then I’ll go back.“]
His disgusted voice made my hands shake as tears rolled down my
face.
I thought after five years together and three years married, we were inseparable.[]
Now I saw this love was just me being stubborn. He was just playing a part the whole time.]
