Chapter 4

Abbey Blake POV:

David's voice, though strained, cut through the accusations like a sharp blade. He pushed past his mother, his eyes fixed on me, a profound guilt etched onto his features. "It's my fault," he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper. "Everything. I hurt her. I betrayed her. She had every right to be angry." He stepped closer to my bedside, his gaze unwavering. "Abbey, I'm so sorry. I' ve been a coward, a fool. I'll do whatever it takes to make this right. Please, just... don't leave me."

His mother, Gertrude, scoffed. "David! What are you saying? You're distraught. This woman is manipulating you!" My stepfather nodded vigorously in agreement, while my mother wrung her hands, torn between the McConnells' money and a flicker of concern for me, which quickly faded under Gertrude's icy glare.

David ignored them. "We can work this out, Abbey. I'll send Briana away. I'll deny everything. We can say it was a misunderstanding. We can rebuild. Just... give me another chance." He was desperate, his eyes pleading, clutching at straws.

Before I could even process his words, a familiar, saccharine voice pierced the air. "Rebuild? You mean rebuild on the ashes of everything you've stomped on, David? Like your dignity? And my baby's future?"

Briana. She stood in the doorway, a smug smirk playing on her lips, her hand protectively cradling her belly. Her eyes, filled with malicious triumph, locked onto mine. "Look at her, David," she sneered, gesturing to me with a dismissive flick of her hand. "Pathetic. Always the victim. Always infertile. You think she can give you what you need? A real family? A son?"

My blood ran cold. "You manipulative witch," I spat, a surge of adrenaline momentarily overriding the pain in my head. "You planned this, didn't you? From the moment you walked into my house."

Briana laughed, a high, mocking sound. "Planned? Darling, destiny simply presented an opportunity. David was weak, and you were... well, you were just in the way. Soon, I'll be Mrs. Mcconnell, and this entire empire, these grand halls, will be mine. And you? You'll be forgotten, a sterile footnote in the family history."

I couldn't take it anymore. The pain, the betrayal, the audacity of this woman. With a sudden surge of strength, I lurched forward, my hand connecting with her face in a stinging slap. The sound echoed in the sterile room.

Briana gasped, her hand flying to her cheek. Her eyes blazed with fury, but then a flicker of cunning crossed her face. She stumbled backward, clutching her stomach with renewed intensity, a whimper escaping her lips. "My baby! She's trying to hurt my baby!"

David, who had been frozen in shock, immediately sprang into action. He was by Briana's side in an instant, his hands gently supporting her, his face a mask of terror. "Briana! Are you okay? Is the baby alright?" His eyes, filled with concern, never once glanced at me. My heart, already shattered, splintered into a million tiny pieces.

Briana looked up at him, tears welling in her eyes, but her gaze over his shoulder found mine, a triumphant gleam visible through her feigned distress. "She tried to hurt me, David. She tried to hurt our child. You have to do something. She can't get away with this!"

"You're a liar!" I screamed, the words raw and ragged. "You pushed me! You caused this injury!"

David's head snapped towards me, his face hardening. "Abbey, enough! Don't make things worse!" He left Briana, walking towards me, his eyes now cold and distant. "You hit her. You risked our child."

"Your child?" I scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. "What about me, David? What about the wife you promised to cherish and protect? The one you've been systematic-"

He cut me off, his hand flashing out. The slap was sharp, unexpected, and it sent my head reeling. My cheek burned, and the pain in my skull intensified, a dizzying spiral.

"You will not speak to her like that," he growled, his eyes dark with a rage I had never seen directed at me. "Abbey, I am warning you. This has gone too far. You need to calm down."

My world went silent. The sting on my cheek, the throbbing in my head, the betrayal in his eyes. It was all too much. "Get out," I whispered, my voice trembling. "Get out of my sight. I want a divorce. Now. There is no 'us' anymore."

David looked at me, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes, perhaps a glimmer of genuine remorse, but it was quickly overshadowed by a desperate plea. "Abbey, please. Think about this. Briana is pregnant with my baby. Our baby. We can make this work. We can still be a family."

Briana watched, her eyes gleaming with unspoken victory. She held David's gaze, a knowing, possessive look passing between them. "Don't worry, David," she purred, her voice regaining its composure. "She'll come to her senses. She always does." She flashed me a triumphant smile, her eyes sparkling with malice. "Some battles aren't worth fighting, Abbey. You just learned that the hard way."

With a final, contemptuous look, Briana turned and walked out of the room, her hips swaying slightly, a silent declaration of her win. David hesitated for a moment, his eyes on me, then he followed her, his hurried footsteps echoing down the hospital corridor.

I lay there, the stinging imprint of his hand on my cheek, the throbbing agony in my head, and the gaping wound in my heart. The memories flooded back: our wedding day, his vows, the quiet evenings, the way he used to look at me. All of it, a meticulously crafted illusion. Every shared laugh, every tender touch, every promise – it was all a lie. He had never loved me. He loved the idea of what I could be, a compliant wife, a suitable Mcconnell, a potential mother. But when that potential failed, I became disposable.

The room was filled with an awkward silence. My father cleared his throat, my stepmother fidgeted, and Gertrude Mcconnell simply stared at the door where David and Briana had vanished, her expression unreadable. No one looked at me. No one offered comfort. I was invisible, discarded.