Chapter 2

The world swam back into focus through a fog of pain and anesthetic. The first thing Ava noticed was the emptiness. The gentle weight in her belly, the familiar flutter of movement she had cherished for months, was gone. A profound, hollow ache replaced it, a physical manifestation of her loss. The rhythmic beeping of machines next to her bed was a cruel soundtrack to her new reality.

She was alone. Her baby was gone. The thought was a flat, dead weight in her mind.

The door to her private room opened softly. Chloe Davis stepped inside, closing it quietly behind her. She was dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a plain gray t-shirt, her hair pulled back in a neat ponytail. She looked like a kind, responsible young woman, the very picture of a concerned caregiver. She carried a small tray with a glass of water and some pills.

"Ava, you're awake," Chloe said, her voice soft and gentle. "The doctor said you might be confused. You had a scare. A bad one."

Ava stared at her, the woman Liam had chosen over her, the woman who was a willing part of this nightmare. A cold, sharp hatred cut through her grief.

"Where is my baby?" Ava's voice was a raw whisper.

"The baby is in the NICU," Chloe said, placing the tray on the bedside table. "She's very small, but the doctors are hopeful. Liam is with her now. He's been so worried."

She poured a glass of water. "You really shouldn't have gone out like that, Ava. The stress, the doctor said it was too much for you. Liam told me how you've been so emotional lately. It's not good for the baby."

The words were delivered with such sincere concern, but they dripped with poison. Chloe was twisting the narrative, painting Ava as an unstable, reckless mother who had brought this on herself. The injustice of it burned in her throat.

"Get out," Ava rasped.

Chloe's smile didn't waver. "I'm here to take care of you, Ava. Liam hired me. He wants to make sure you have the best care." She picked up a wet cloth from a bowl on the tray. "You need to be cleaned up. Let me help."

Before Ava could protest, Chloe pulled back the thin hospital blanket. She was rough, her movements lacking any gentleness. When she dabbed the cloth against Ava's skin, her nails dug in just a little, a small, deliberate act of cruelty. The pain was sharp and humiliating. It was a violation, a stripping of her dignity while she was at her most vulnerable.

"Stop it," Ava said, trying to push her hand away. "Don't touch me."

Her movement, weak as it was, was enough. Chloe jerked her hand back as if she'd been burned, letting out a small, sharp cry. The bowl of water on the tray wobbled and then crashed to the floor, shattering and sending water across the tiles.

"Ow! You hurt me!" Chloe cried, cradling her wrist. Her eyes filled with tears, her face a mask of a startled victim.

Just then, the door swung open. Liam rushed in, his face a storm cloud of anger.

"What's going on?" he demanded.

He didn't even look at Ava. His eyes were locked on Chloe, who was now sobbing quietly, looking small and defenseless.

"Liam," Chloe whimpered, "I was just trying to help her... and she... she pushed me."

Liam strode over to Chloe, gently taking her hand to examine her wrist. He shot a look of pure fury over his shoulder at Ava, who lay helpless in the bed, the shards of glass on the floor a perfect reflection of her shattered life.

"Ava, what the hell is wrong with you?" he snarled. "She's here to help, and this is how you treat her?"

The betrayal was so absolute, so complete, it left her speechless. He stood there, comforting the woman who had helped him destroy her, and blamed her for it all. In that moment, the last flicker of the man she once loved died out completely.