His expression was complicated, unreadable. He spoke softly.
"The baby's gone. It's gone. We can have another one later."
"Just come with me now and apologize to Tilda. I'll forgive you. We'll pretend today never happened."
I let out a cold, scornful laugh.
"Xavier, you're delusional. I'm never apologizing, and I never want anything to do with you again."
Xavier shot to his feet. He grabbed the IV needle and ripped it out of my arm. The sharp sting tore a cry from my throat, but he didn't care. He yanked me up from the bed in one rough motion.
"Tilda's been crying ever since she got back. She keeps blaming herself, saying it was all her fault. She swallowed her pride and went to find you first, and you can't even do the same?"
I struggled with everything I had, but Xavier didn't so much as glance at me. He dragged me down the hall to Tilda's room and threw me to the floor.
"Apologize!"
My eyes burned red. Tears pooled but refused to fall. I clenched my teeth.
"She fell on her own. Why should I apologize?"
Something flickered in Xavier's eyes, a brief crack of hesitation. But then Tilda burst into tears on the bed, and before anyone could speak, she slid off the mattress and dropped to her knees in front of me.
"Maggie, I'm so sorry. If it weren't for me, you and Xavier would never have ended up like this. Once my foot heals, I'll leave. I'll go far away from you both."
"Please don't divorce Xavier. Please?"
I stared at Tilda in utter disbelief. Whatever flicker of hesitation Xavier might have felt vanished in an instant. He grabbed the back of my head and slammed my forehead into the floor.
"Apologize to my stepmother, Maggie!"
"You have no respect. No matter what, Tilda is my stepmother. She's our elder!"
I struggled, but it was useless. My body was growing weaker by the second from the miscarriage. Blood streamed down my forehead from where it had struck the ground, and just as consciousness began slipping away, a voice cut through the room, shaking with fury.
"Xavier. Touch her one more time. I dare you."
