Chapter 3
The Child I Lost
He rushed to her side in a panic, scooping her into his arms. "You're okay. I'm here. You and the baby will be fine!"
Once upon a time, Jensen had treated me that way too. Even if I had only had a paper cut, he would carefully bandage the wound and hold me tight, whispering, "Noelle, don't worry. I'll never let you get hurt again."
But the man who had once sworn to protect me now turned his back, leaving me crumpled on the ground while he carried another woman away.
As he tried to walk off, I forced myself through the stabbing pain, using the last of my strength to grab the cuff of his pants. "Jensen, this is your child. Are you really going to walk away?"
Before he could answer, Brooke's voice cut through, shrill and weeping. "Honey, we just got our marriage license. How can you stand to see me in so much pain? It hurts so much—please, take me to the hospital!"
Conflict flickered across Jensen's face. He glanced down at me, hesitation clouding his eyes, but only for a moment. Then, he pulled his leg free and said with guilt, "Hang on. I'll call an ambulance right away. But Brooke is my wife now—I have to take her to the hospital first. You understand, don't you?"
And with that, Jensen left me behind without a second thought. Helplessness and fear swallowed me whole. A gush of warmth spread between my legs, and my vision blurred as waves of agony twisted through my stomach. Darkness closed in, and I lost consciousness.
…
When I woke again, I bolted upright with a scream that startled the doctor and nurses beside my bed. My hands flew to my belly, desperate to feel my child.
A nurse caught my wrist, her expression heavy with pity. "I'm sorry, miss. You lost too much blood. We had no choice but to perform an induction."
Just one sentence—and it shattered me like thunder from a clear sky.
"No… No, that's impossible." My voice broke into sobs. "The baby was just kicking. Only two days ago, the doctor said he was perfectly healthy…"
I couldn't accept it. I refused to accept it. Even though I had agreed to divorce Jensen, the first thing I did was fumble for my phone and call him.
It rang for a long time before someone finally picked up. "Jensen, our baby—"
"Noelle Zavala." Brooke's voice came through before I could begin. "You and Jensen are divorced. That child has nothing to do with him anymore. Don't forget—he's my husband now, your brother-in-law. We're about to hold our wedding."
The phone slipped from my hand, her words ringing in my ears.
So, this was what it felt like for a heart to truly die.
I bit back tears and asked the nurse in a dull voice, "Where's my baby? I want to see him one last time."
They wheeled me to the morgue, where I said my last goodbye before numbly scheduling the cremation.
…
Back in the ward, I sank into another restless sleep. But it wasn't long before a voice stirred me awake. "Noelle… Noelle, how are you feeling?"
My eyes fluttered open, and the first face I saw was Jensen's. Rage boiled up inside me, burning away the haze of pain.
He didn't notice my hatred. Instead, he touched my stomach with confusion. "Noelle, what happened to your belly? Where's our baby?"
Our baby…
Those words ripped open every wound. The image of my child lying alone in that cold morgue clawed at me until I could barely breathe. My hand closed around the cup on the nightstand, and with all the strength left in me, I hurled it at Jensen.
"Our child is dead—killed by you and your new wife, Jensen Cruz!"
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