Escaping the Abyss of Love novel Chapter 3

"Arthur, I made it crystal clear back in the car—your job was to protect Hannah. What kind of sloppy work is this?" Connor bellowed. "One more slip-up, and you're going right back to whatever town you came from. Useless fool!"

His acting was nothing short of flawless.

At the hospital, a team of specialists was already on standby. They whisked me through a battery of tests the second I walked in.

Hours later, after the doctor pulled Connor into a private room, I hovered near the doorway while Arthur sorted out the medical paperwork. The doctor's voice filtered through the crack in the door.

"Mrs. Searle's uterus is completely necrotic. She was already pregnant. Sadly, she'll never be able to conceive again. The psychiatric specialist also pointed out that her mental state has declined. She now talks to herself occasionally and is terrified of being around strangers.

"These symptoms go far beyond PTSD. Once she's back home, be sure to handle the public narrative with care to prevent further harm. Given the Searle family's influence, this shouldn't be too difficult…"

The rest of their conversation faded into a dull hum.

I'd been carrying a life when it all happened. My hand drifted to my stomach, resting flat and empty. Connor hadn't just ruined me. He'd taken the life of a child I hadn't even known was there.

I staggered down the hospital hallway, my legs giving out until I crumpled in the stairwell.

A few minutes later, Arthur's voice echoed through the stairwell. "Mrs. Searle can't have children anymore, just like you wanted, Mr. Searle, though we didn't know that she was already pregnant. We've added another life to the count. This is a sin we'll have to carry with us."

Connor remained silent.

The quiet stretched on until Arthur hesitantly asked, his voice faltering, "Mr. Searle… given what the doctor said… s-should we still let the reporters run the story?"

"Go ahead."

With that, they were gone.

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