A Shocking Revelation
Ashley’s eyes fluttered open to the cold, sterile lights of the hospital room. The first thing she saw was her mother, sitting stiffly by the window, arms crossed, staring at her like a judge ready to deliver a verdict.
Her heart sank. The wedding. The collapse. I fainted.
For a moment, she thought about her escape plan. Maybe this was her chance. If she played her cards right, she could avoid marrying that self-centered, arrogant Ethan. She could leave, disappear, and force her parents to reconsider their cruel decisions.
She groaned loudly, clutching her head. “Ah, my head… it’s killing me,” she said weakly, casting a glance at her mother.
No reaction. Not even a flicker of concern.
“Mom?” she called out hesitantly.
Her mother’s cold gaze turned toward her but said nothing.
Ashley felt her frustration rise. Before she could say more, the door opened, and the doctor walked in with a bright smile.
“Well, look who is awake? How do you feel, Miss Donaldson?” he said cheerfully, approaching her bed.
“I’m in pain,” she said quickly, clutching her temple dramatically. “My head feels like it’s splitting, and my legs… I can’t even move them.”
The doctor raised a brow but maintained his smile. “Let’s take a look,” he said, checking her blood pressure and pulse. After a few more examinations, he stepped back and scribbled something on his clipboard.
“Well, everything seems fine,” he declared. “You’ll be just fine with some rest.”
“No, I’m serious!” Ashley insisted. “The pain is unbearable. My head, my legs…”
The doctor chuckled softly, shaking his head. “It’s all part of the early symptoms. Nothing to worry about.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “Early symptoms?” she asked, her voice shaking slightly. “What do you mean by early symptoms?”
The doctor’s smile didn’t waver, but he ignored her question. “Make sure to rest properly,” he said before walking out of the room.
Ashley’s mind spiraled. Early symptoms? Her thoughts raced through worst-case scenarios. Am I sick? Terminally ill?
Her mother’s silence only fueled her fears.
“Mom,” she said, her voice trembling. “Why aren’t you saying anything? Am I dying?”
Her mother remained silent, her expression unreadable.
Ashley sank back against the pillows, tears sliding down her face. She thought about everything that had happened—George’s betrayal, Demitri’s love, and now Ethan’s cruel manipulation. Was this how her life would end? Alone and defeated?
The door slammed open, and her father stormed in like a thundercloud.
“How dare you!” he barked, his voice reverberating through the room.
Ashley sat upright, startled. “What?”
“How dare you?” he repeated, his face red with fury.
She glanced at her mother, who was now wiping tears from her face. Ashley’s confusion deepened.
“Mother, what happened?” she asked, trying to reach for her, but her mother yanked her hand away and stormed out of the room.
“What is going on?” Ashley demanded, turning back to her father.
Her father jabbed a finger at her, his voice dripping with venom. “Either you get rid of that bastard inside you, or you lose everything—your name, your status, your family. Do you hear me?”
Her mother tossed the small envelope at her and he didn’t wait for a response before stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
Ashley opened it with shaky hands, pulling out a blood test report. Her eyes scanned the paper, and the words blurred before her.
Positive.
Ashley sat frozen, her father’s words echoing in her mind. Slowly, her hand moved to her stomach, and her breath hitched.
The bastard inside me.
For a moment, the room spun as the weight of the revelation settled over her. She thought back to the night she spent with Demitri, the drunken moment of passion.
And then it clicked.
She gasped, her hands trembling as they hovered over her abdomen.
She was pregnant.