Before I could overthink, I was wheeled into the operating room. The anesthesia took hold quickly and my consciousness faded.
When I woke up again, I realized something was wrong. My lower abdomen was flat and there was no fetal movement in my belly. My baby was gone! Panic surged through me. Though the anesthesia hadn't entirely worn off, I forced myself to sit up and pressed the emergency call button.
A nurse approached with an indifferent expression. "What is it?"
"Where's my baby? Where is my baby?" Tears streamed down my face.
She casually replied, "We found fetal demise during the surgery, so we asked an obstetrician to perform a termination procedure."
No. That wasn't possible. I had just undergone a 4D ultrasound and the baby was clearly formed. How could it suddenly die in the womb? I grabbed her hand and wanted to ask more, but the noise at the door interrupted me.
Jace's mother rushed into the ward with a group of people. "Hold her down, sign the papers." Her arrogance had returned; she was no longer the desperate woman who had begged me earlier.
"I didn't even get a chance to read the documents before they forced me to sign and press my fingerprint onto them.
"Sharon, from this day forward, you and Jace have nothing to do with each other. Take your gambling-addict father and get out of Hensford!"
I let out a bitter laugh. "So, this was your plan all along. Huh?"
Cecilia looked at me with disgust. "People like you don't deserve to bear the Hawthornes' bloodline."
Cecilia tossed a check onto the bed and strode out of the hospital room, her high heels clicking sharply against the floor. That was when I realized I had been deceived. Not only had she used me to save Jace, but she had also taken the opportunity to drive me away.
My body felt heavy as I dragged myself to the ICU, desperate for a glimpse of Jace. Unfortunately, the bodyguards at the door blocked my way. "Please, just let me see him. I just want to see him from a distance, please?"
I needed to know if he was okay. I needed to know if my lung was a match for him and if there were any signs of rejection. I had already lost our child; I couldn't bear the thought of losing him too.
A towering bodyguard shoved me aside, sending me crashing to the floor. "No one is allowed in without Ms. Cecilia's permission."