The white ceiling swayed slightly in my vision. I tried to move my fingers, but they felt weighed down by something heavy.
The curtain was pulled aside. A doctor stepped to the bedside, his expression calm.
“You’re awake?”
I nodded. My throat burned as if scraped raw by sandpaper.
The doctor sighed, speaking as gently as he could.
“Julia, when you were brought in, you were experiencing massive bleeding.”
My heart clenched, but I forced myself to ask, “So…?”
He paused for a moment before answering.
“The baby is gone.”
My breathing caught in my chest, unable to move.
“The baby…?”
I repeated softly, as though confirming something I had never imagined.
The doctor continued, “You were three weeks pregnant. It was too early to detect. But your injuries were severe, and the embryo couldn’t continue developing. We have already completed the procedure.”
My fingertips slowly turned cold.
So I had been pregnant.
In the middle of their blows, their insults, all the despair… I had been carrying a tiny life.
And now he was gone.
Because of their push.
Because of their violence.
Because of their cruelty.
Seeing me silent, the doctor added in a low voice, “Your injuries were caused by assault. We have reported it according to protocol. Once your condition stabilizes, you’ll need to give a statement.”
I closed my eyes. My chest felt as if it had been torn apart.
Images flashed through my mind: Caleb’s indifferent shove, Heidi’s triumphant smile, her words about letting the old man die in prison.
Each one cut like a blade.
The baby was gone.
And the marriage I had fought so hard to hold together collapsed completely in that moment.
I opened my eyes. My voice was cold as a winter night.
“There’s no need to continue with the police report. Please help me preserve all medical records, emergency documents, and surgical reports.”
The doctor paused, surprised.
“Of course, but you need rest.”
“Don’t worry.” My tone was calm, yet so firm it allowed no refusal.
The doctor could only nod and leave.
After a while, the door to the hospital room swung open.
Caleb walked in. The sharpness in his expression had been carefully tucked away, replaced with something that almost looked gentle. His presence instantly drained the warmth from the air.