Chapter 4

Eleanor POV:

"Another one gone, Joshua. This is the eighth, isn't it?"

The voice was cold, detached. Dr. Miller. My obstetrician. My consciousness flickered, caught on the edges of reality. I was in an ambulance. The sirens wailed, a mournful dirge.

"Yes. Eight years, eight miscarriages." Joshua's voice, surprisingly calm. "But this one... it was perfect. The timing. The umbilical cord blood for Harlow's baby. Did you get enough?"

Umbilical cord blood. Harlow's baby. The words hit me like a physical blow, even in my semi-conscious state. They had done it. They had stolen another one of my children. And I had heard it all, clear as day.

"More than enough. A robust sample. It should be highly effective for genetic material transfer." Dr. Miller sounded pleased. "Your adoptive mother is a survivor, Joshua. Her body, despite the trauma, produced viable stem cells each time. A testament to her resilience, I suppose."

My adoptive mother. He meant me. They were talking about me as if I were a livestock animal. A vessel.

"Good. Now, what about Eleanor? Is she... stable?" Joshua asked, a hint of impatience in his tone.

"She's lost a lot of blood. Her uterus is severely damaged. She's in critical condition. And it's as I predicted before this last pregnancy, Joshua. She won't be able to carry another child. Her body simply can't do it. No more children for Eleanor Wheeler."

No more children. The words echoed in the cavern of my mind, a death sentence for my deepest desire. They had not only taken my baby, but they had stolen my future. My ability to ever be a mother.

"Well, that solves one problem, doesn't it?" Harlow's voice, a sickeningly sweet purr, cut through the haze. She was here. In the ambulance. Why was she here? "Now you don't have to worry about her getting pregnant again and ruining our plans."

"Harlow, darling, not now," Joshua chided softly. "Eleanor might... hear us."

I hear you. The words screamed in my head, but no sound escaped my lips. I was trapped in my own ruined body, a silent witness to their cruelty.

"Oh, please. She's practically dead," Harlow scoffed. "She always was so weak. Benjamin should have never adopted her. She's nothing but trouble."

My biological mother. The one I foolishly tried to save. The one who had sold me out. "I regret letting you come back into my life, Mom. You were nothing but a leech."

"She's a liability, Joshua," Harlow continued, her tone chillingly cold. "A constant reminder of your past mistakes. The faster she's gone, the better. And don't forget, I'm the one carrying your child. Your real heir."

Joshua sighed. "I know, Harlow. I know. But Benjamin... he's still protective of her. He funds half my company. I can't just... dispose of her yet. Not without consequences."

"Benjamin. Always Benjamin." Harlow's voice was filled with venom. "He always favored her, even over me. Your own family. It's not fair."

"Life isn't fair, Harlow. But we're almost there. Once this cord blood genetic therapy works, once our child is healthy, and Benjamin sees my devotion, the company will be all ours. Then Eleanor will be irrelevant."

Irrelevant. The word pierced me. My whole life, reduced to a tool, then to irrelevance.

"What about that divorce agreement she tricked you into signing?" Harlow asked, a note of triumph in her voice. "That nullifies everything, right? All her claims to your company?"

Joshua chuckled. "Oh, Harlow. You worry too much. It was just a separation agreement, to humor her. Nothing legally binding. She's too emotional to think clearly. Besides, Benjamin would never let her actually take anything from me. He's too proud of his company. My company."

I felt a cold, bitter laugh bubble up in my chest. You fool. He had no idea what he had signed. He had no idea the monster he had unleashed.

"Joshua, you always were so good at handling her," Harlow cooed. "Always so clever. That's why I love you."

"And I love you, my sweet Harlow. My true love, my childhood sweetheart." His voice was soft, tender, a stark contrast to the dismissive tone he used for me.

My eyes fluttered open a fraction. I saw Harlow leaning over Joshua, kissing him. My husband. My sister. My baby, gone. My future, stolen.

The reality crashed down on me, crushing me under its weight. All my love, all my devotion, all my suffering... it was all a joke. A cruel, elaborate charade orchestrated by the two people I had trusted most.

A single tear escaped, tracing a path down my temple. But it wasn't a tear of sorrow. It was a tear of pure, distilled hatred.

You think I'm weak? You think I'm irrelevant? You haven't seen anything yet.

The darkness consumed me again, but this time, it was not an escape. It was a cocoon. A place where a new Eleanor was being born.