Chapter 3 A Car Accident

Since Shawn had drunk too much, Leyla woke up early the next day to cook him some light breakfast, believing it would be gentle on his stomach.

By the time she finished preparing it, Shawn was already awake.

"You're up? Come downstairs and eat something," Leyla called softly as she looked toward him, where he stood at the top of the staircase.

Shawn descended the stairs and took a seat at the dining table. Neither of them attempted to start a conversation.

A heavy, uncomfortable silence hung in the air.

Suddenly, a notification sound from Shawn's phone shattered the silence. He lowered his eyes to the screen.

"I don't believe you'd actually marry someone else. Are you doing this to make me jealous? No matter what happens, I'll be at the airport waiting for you."

The message was from Corrine. Without responding, Shawn turned off his screen.

Two years earlier, when Corrine had left Fladena, he had blocked her phone number and all of her social media accounts. This had to be a new number she was using.

His phone vibrated again. Another message from Corrine appeared.

"I didn't have a choice when I left you two years ago. I've never stopped thinking about you."

The phone chimed once more. It was still Corrine's message.

"I'm not leaving the airport unless you come."

Shawn stared at the string of messages, his jaw tightening. He was just about to block the unfamiliar number when yet another text appeared.

"Don't you want to find out the truth about how your parents died? I have information."

The moment he finished reading that line, the look on his face changed.

He placed the phone on the table and turned toward Leyla. "I have something important to handle today. I can't accompany you to my grandpa's for dinner."

Leyla hesitated. Memories of the conversation she had accidentally overheard outside the private room at the club the previous night resurfaced in her mind.

She forced down the bitterness welling up inside her and replied in a calm tone, "Alright. Take care of what you need to. I'll explain it to your grandfather."

Shawn glanced up at her. Throughout their two years of marriage, she had been compliant and reserved, never once challenging him no matter what he said. She listened quietly, agreed easily, and followed his decisions without protest.

Objectively, she was an excellent wife. She carried herself with grace in front of his friends, so much so that even he struggled to find fault with her. Even their sex life had been unexpectedly harmonious, which left Shawn uncertain about how to categorize his feelings toward her.

Perhaps, he had merely become accustomed to her presence in his life. Yet he found himself unable to offer her genuine tenderness. When Corrine walked away two years ago, it felt as though she had taken his capacity for love along with her.

He had been drawn to Corrine since their college days. She was widely recognized as the most beautiful student in the dance department. It was she who had pursued him persistently until he eventually gave in and fell for her.

And just when he had decided to propose and build a future together, she disappeared on the very day he planned to ask her to marry him.

Later, as she boarded her flight, she sent him a final message. "I can't miss this opportunity to study in Frenston. Can you wait for me for two years?"

Waiting had never been in his nature. The following day, he married Leyla and cut off all contact with Corrine.

...

After Shawn left the house that day, he did not come back that night.

Leyla tried calling him, but her calls went unanswered. Fearful that something might have happened, she reached out to his assistant, Jeffrey Watson. "Jeffrey, is Shawn still at the office working late?"

Although Shawn and Leyla had never publicly acknowledged their marriage, Jeffrey was aware of her identity.

He responded automatically, "Mrs. Cooper, there wasn't any overtime scheduled today. Mr. Cooper left the company earlier this afternoon."

"I understand. Thank you," Leyla replied.

Once the call ended, an uneasy thought began to take shape in her mind. But before she could examine it further, a wave of nausea twisted through her stomach. The queasiness had returned.

She hurriedly swallowed some medicine and lay down on the bed to get some sleep.

But she was restless throughout the night. When morning came, she opened her eyes to find that Shawn still had not returned. There had been no missed calls from him either.

The ache in her stomach intensified, evolving into a sharp, pulsating pain.

When she could no longer bear it, she decided to go to the hospital herself. She initially considered calling a taxi, but cabs were notoriously difficult to find in this upscale neighborhood. With no other option, she forced herself to drive, despite the mounting pain.

Halfway there, a violent cramp seized her stomach. Her hands began to shake uncontrollably, making it difficult to maintain a steady hold on the steering wheel.

As the hospital building came into view, she clenched her teeth and sped up. But just as she turned a corner, a black car suddenly lunged out from the left. She did not react in time. Her vehicle collided directly with it.

The impact was immense, accompanied by a piercing crash. For a brief moment, her hearing dulled to a distant hum. Warm blood slid down from her forehead.

Her thoughts went straight to her baby.

Through a haze of semi-consciousness, she heard the wail of an ambulance layered over broken snippets of conversation.

"Quick! Get her into the Emergency Room!"

"She's pregnant. There are signs of a possible miscarriage. Contact her emergency number immediately!"

"I've tried. No one's answering."

Groggy, Leyla felt as though she were sinking into a boundless ocean, drifting without anything to grasp. Footsteps echoed faintly nearby, yet she could not muster the strength to open her eyes.

When she regained consciousness, darkness had already settled outside.

A nurse was seated beside her bed. The moment Leyla stirred, the nurse brightened with relief. "You're awake."

"Mm... I..." Leyla attempted to speak, but her throat felt painfully dry and rough. Her limbs were heavy, and she noticed a bandage wrapped around her forehead.

"You were in a car accident right outside the hospital earlier today. You have a mild concussion, but nothing life-threatening. However, your gastritis flared up, and since you're pregnant, your body needed extended rest," the nurse explained, placing Leyla's phone in her hand. "Now that you're conscious, please contact your family. We couldn't reach your emergency contact."

"Thank you," Leyla mumbled.

After the nurse stepped out, Leyla stared at the blank screen of her phone.

She checked the call history and saw that the hospital had attempted to reach Shawn several times. Every call had gone unanswered.

She tried to reassure herself that he was probably occupied with work.

Just as she made to switch off the phone and close her eyes again, a headline from an entertainment news site caught her attention. "Renowned Dancer Corrine Evans Returns to Fladena, Picked Up by Cooper Group CEO Shawn Cooper; The Two Spotted Spending the Night Together at a Private Apartment."

The phone slid from her weakened fingers and hit the floor with a clatter.

In an instant, every lingering suspicion she had suppressed surged forward, chilling her to the core.

So Shawn had actually gone to see Corrine. That explained why he had suddenly canceled their dinner at Cooper Manor the day before.

She imagined him spending the entire night with Corrine. After two years apart, there was little doubt in her mind about what might have happened between them.

Forcing herself not to dwell on the details, she lay stiffly and stared blankly ahead, her mind numb and silent for a long time.

Almost unconsciously, she laid her hand over her abdomen. A thought surfaced within her-perhaps it was time to let him go.

Then she whispered, "Baby, I'm sorry I can't tell your father about you. But I promise I'll protect you, and I'll give you all the love he should have given you too."