Clutching what had rolled out of the shattered case, I trembled violently, tears mixing with blood.
“Baby, I’m so sorry… Mommy failed to protect you…”
Hearing my scream, Ryan Hayes rushed back.
“Claire!”
He hurried to my side. I thought he would check on my injury,
but his eyes locked on the embryo in my arms, and anger filled his voice.
“Claire Summers! What are you doing! This is Zoey’s very first art piece — how could you destroy it? Do you know how hard she worked?”
For a moment, even the stabbing pain in my chest seemed to pause.
Yes, it was her “artwork.”
But that was my dead baby!
“Ethan Hayes! Have you forgotten? Have you forgotten how I nearly died from the miscarriage? How I bled out and was rushed into the ICU? Do you remember what you said back then?”
Back then, when the baby was gone, he had clutched me in his arms, crying, and told me:
“It’s okay, Claire. This baby just wasn’t meant for us. We’ll have another one.”
And now, all he cared about was a piece of art.
He was momentarily speechless.
I ignored him, struggling to stand on my own.
When he saw blood streaming from my eye, he finally tried to help me up.
“Are you okay? Give me Zoey’s work first, then we’ll go to the hospital!”
But from the other side of the venue came Zoey’s shrill scream.
Ethan’s face changed instantly, and he looked at me with pleading eyes.
I stayed cold and pulled away from his hand.
“Go if you want. We’re not married yet — you’re you, and I’m me.”
My words struck him, and he froze.
“Claire, stop overthinking. I’m just going to check on Zoey. Wait here for me, don’t go anywhere!”
I forced myself outside despite the pain.
Ethan’s Tesla Model S was already waiting at the entrance.
Just as I reached for the door handle, Ethan rushed past me like the wind, carrying Zoey in his arms as he jumped into the car.
I stood there, stunned, watching the car roar away before my vision went black.
When I woke up, I was already in the hospital.
My right eye was wrapped in gauze and throbbed faintly.
“Why did you run out and faint on the street? I told you to wait where you were!”
“That was so dangerous!”
When he saw my indifferent expression, Ethan put his arm around my shoulders and softened his voice.