Soft beeping echoed quietly in the hospital room.
Ivy blinked slowly, opening her eyes to a blur of white lights and pale walls. Her head throbbed sharply, a deep, pounding pain that made her wince. She pressed her palm to her forehead and tried to sit up.
The movement sent a dull ache through her stomach, but she pushed through it, lifting herself gently.
A nurse who had been adjusting her IV line gasped and hurried to her side.
"Miss, please lie back down," the nurse said quickly, guiding her shoulders. "You need rest. You woke up too soon."
Ivy swallowed, her throat painfully dry. Her voice came out weak and cracked.
"Who… who brought me here?"
The nurse paused. She looked at Ivy for a moment, then smiled kindly.
"Mr. Ashton brought you, miss."
Ivy froze.
Her hands tightened around the blanket. "Mr. Ashton…?" she whispered.
The nurse nodded again with the same innocent smile. "Yes. He carried you in himself."
Ivy's eyes softened for half a second. Then another question fell from her lips before she could stop herself.
"So… where is he?"
"Oh," the nurse said casually, still smiling. "He's with his woman. In another ward."
The words hit Ivy harder than the slap she received the previous morning.
She stared at the nurse, her hands going cold. "His woman?" she repeated slowly. "In… another ward?"
"Yes," the nurse said, not noticing the change in Ivy's face. "He brought her too. He visits her often."
Something cracked inside Ivy's chest.
She wet her dry lips and whispered, "Do you… do you know her name?"
The nurse nodded thoughtfully. "Her name is Aria. Mr. Ashton usually brings her here for treatment. I must say… they're a very cute couple."
Cute couple.
The sentence repeated in Ivy's head like a blade twisting inside her.
She turned her face away, biting her lower lip so hard she tasted blood. Her fingers dug into the thin hospital blanket as heat and pain twisted inside her chest.
A breath shuddered out of her.
"Aria…" she whispered. The name cut deeper than she expected.
The room fell quiet for a moment.
Then a sudden fear stabbed through her.
"My baby…" Ivy whispered, pressing her hand to her stomach. "Please… what about my baby?"
The nurse's smile slowly faded.
Her face softened into pity. "Young lady…" she began gently. "When Mr. Ashton brought you here, you were bleeding too much. We tried our best but… you had a miscarriage."
The world stopped.
Ivy's breath caught in her throat. Her eyes widened as if the air had been punched out of her chest.
"No…" Her voice broke instantly. "No… no, please…"
Her hand shook violently as she touched her stomach again.
The nurse reached out, placing a steady hand on her shoulder. But Ivy couldn't feel anything. Her ears rang. Her chest tightened, suffocating her.
She lost the baby.
Her baby.
"I'm sorry," the nurse whispered. "You were too weak when you came in."
Tears burst from Ivy's eyes, falling one after another. Her body shook with silent sobs. She tried to wipe her cheeks, but more tears came. Her breath cracked and stuttered as she bent forward, holding her stomach like she could protect what was no longer there.
"My baby… my baby…" she cried, voice breaking.
The nurse sat beside her on the bed, pulling a handkerchief from her pocket and wiping Ivy's tears gently.
"I know it hurts…" the nurse whispered. "I know."
Ivy couldn't speak. She could barely breathe.
After a moment, she forced out a choked question.
"Does… does Mr. Ashton know?"
The nurse's brows pulled together in confusion. "Know what?"
"That I lost the baby…" Ivy whispered, her voice barely there.
The nurse shook her head. "No. The doctor didn't tell him. We weren't sure how you were related to him."
Ivy let out a shaking, painful laugh full of heartbreak.
"It's okay," she whispered through her tears. "It's not like he cares."
The middle-aged nurse hesitated, studying her face closely. Then she asked quietly:
"Miss… are you and Mr. Ashton related in some way?"
Ivy's throat tightened. She swallowed painfully and nodded.
"He's… he's my husband."
The nurse's eyes widened in shock. She stepped back slightly, staring at Ivy like she couldn't believe the words she heard.
"Mr. Ashton… is married? To you?"
Ivy didn't answer. She wiped her tears slowly, staring at the blanket instead.
Just then, the doctor pushed the door open and walked in. The nurse stood up quickly.
"I'll be back," she whispered, squeezing Ivy's hand before she left the room.
The doctor checked her pulse, her temperature, her vitals. After a few moments, he nodded.
"You'll be discharged tomorrow," he said gently. "You should rest well."
Ivy forced a small, broken smile. Her eyes were still red and wet.
"Doctor… which ward is Mr. Ashton in? I… I want to go say thank you."
The doctor smiled kindly and told her the ward number before leaving.
The moment the door closed, Ivy swung her legs over the side of the bed. Her body was weak, but she pushed herself up, steadying her hand against the wall.
She opened the door and walked down the corridor, each step heavy, each breath hurting.
When she reached Aria's ward, she lifted her hand to knock—
And froze.
Aria's voice came through the door clearly.
"Does Ivy know the baby is not yours?"
Ivy's hand dropped immediately.
Her heart began pounding painfully.
Then she heard Ashton's cold laugh—low, cruel.
"No," he said. "She doesn't. She thinks I got her pregnant."