Where Love Began to Hurt Ch 5

Chapter 5
Adelia woke up in a hospital bed.
“You’re finally awake.” The doctor sighed, looking at her with pity. “You had a mis-carriage and lost a lot of blood. A few minutes later, and even God couldn’t have saved you.”
The doctor told her a servant found her unconscious the next day while bringing her food—she barely survived.
“Your family’s unbelievable. How could they treat you like this? Especially your husband—he wouldn’t even answer his phone. When he gets here, I’ll give him a piece of my mind.”
“Doctor.” Adelia cut her off, clutching the blanket. “Don’t tell him about the pregnnancy.”
He wouldn’t believe her anyway.
And Ethan’s heart was no longer hers. She didn’t want anything to do with him anymore.
The doctor hesitated but eventually left, shaking his head.
Ethan never showed up during her hospital stay.
But in Gwen’s Instagram posts, he was everywhere.
Day one, a close-up of mushroom soup. The caption read, “Ten years later, still my favorite taste.”
Day two, a photo of a man sleeping by her bedside. The caption read, “Had another nightmare. Glad you’re the first thing I see.”
Adelia suddenly remembered—when she was sick, Ethan used to make her soup too.
He used to stay by her side, holding her hand when she had a fever.
Now she realized—that tenderness was never meant for her.
He was always loving someone else—through her.
On the day she was discharged, Ethan finally called.
“Something came up at work. I sent the driver to pick you up.”
Adelia didn’t question him, didn’t scream. Just quietly said, “Okay.”
As soon as the call ended, she gently touched her flat stomach.
Ethan was now just another contact waiting to be deleted.
She no longer had any expectations for him.
—
Adelia came home.
As soon as she stepped in, she saw Gwen painting freely on the living room wall.
Her wedding photo with Ethan and all the Polaroids were thrown on the floor, splattered with paint.
Seeing her, Gwen smiled. “Lia, you’re back!
“This wall looked too boring, so I thought I’d redecorate. You don’t mind, right?”
Adelia glanced at the mess and replied flatly, “Whatever.”
This house meant nothing to her now.
And she wouldn’t be the lady of it any longer.
Just then, Ethan walked out of the kitchen with a plate of sliced fruit.
Seeing Adelia heading upstairs, he blocked her way.
“Gwen’s trying to ease things between you two. Is this how you respond?”
“What do you expect?” Adelia’s pale face showed a trace of exhaustion. “Want me to thank her for destroying my photos?”
Gwen quickly stepped in. “Ethan, don’t blame her. Lia didn’t mean it…”
“If she didn’t mean it, would she say such vicious things about you?” Ethan snapped, his eyes on Adelia growing colder. “Adelia, you’ve really let me down.”
She didn’t have the strength to argue. She shoved past his shoulder and went upstairs.
She’d just had surgery and was still weak.
But barely moments after lying down, the door opened.
Gwen stepped in, her gentle face now twisted with contempt.
“Hurts, doesn’t it? Seeing him defend me like that?” Her lips curled. “I told you—he was only playing with you. And you actually believed it, you idiot.”
Adelia turned her back and pulled the blanket over her head, ignoring her.
But Gwen wouldn’t stop. She came closer, voice sharp. “Want to know what people are saying about you?
“They say you slept with your brother-in-law for four years and still ended up with nothing. Even the ho0kers at nightclubs get more than you.
“Face it, Adelia.
“Nobody wants you—not the Keith family, not Ethan. You and your mom? Just dead weight.”
The moment she mentioned her mother, Adelia sat up. Her eyes were cold and sharp as a knife.
“You’re this rattled… What, afraid he might’ve really fallen for me in these four years?”
Gwen froze, then laughed.
“Fall for you?” she sneered. “If he loved you, would I even have the chance to stand here and humiliate you?”
A moment later, the door slammed shut.
Adelia gripped the blanket, feeling a deep chill seep into her bones.
Good thing—she’d be leaving soon.
And never have to deal with those disgusting people again.