POV: Suzzane Everlyn Knight
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I could still hear the echo of his voice.
"Don't trust him."
That one sentence kept slicing through my already-frazzled nerves. And the way Tristan had looked at me before he left—like he knew something I didn't—wasn't helping either.
The door shut behind him.
Silence wrapped around me like a second skin.The sterile white walls, the scent of disinfectant, the lingering ache in my abdomen—it was all too loud.
Miscarriage.
The word tasted like rust and grief in my mouth. I hadn't even known I was pregnant. An accident, they said. My body too fragile, the trauma too much.I never even got to feel a kick. Never saw a heartbeat.
I swallowed hard, pushing the pillow closer to my chest. My fingers were trembling. From the pain? Or from the fact that Josh was on his way?
I didn't know.
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The nurse returned a few minutes later with a fresh IV and overly chipper energy.
"He's just downstairs,Mrs. Knight," she said, checking my pulse. "Your husband was quite… persistent."
That word—husband—stabbed deeper than any needle.
I nodded mutely, bracing myself.
---
The door opened again. Heavy footsteps. A familiar cologne.
Josh.
He walked in like he owned the place. Like I was just another appointment on his calendar. His designer coat was still damp from the rain, but his hair was perfectly in place. Typical.
"Suzanne…" he breathed out, voice heavy with pretend sorrow as he rushed to my bedside.
I flinched before I could stop myself.
But Josh didn't seem to notice—or care."Oh my God, baby, are you okay?" His voice cracked at the right places. His fingers reached for mine. "I was so scared when they called. I thought I was going to lose you."
You already did.I didn't say it, but I felt it in every bone.
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He kissed my forehead, uninvited.
I felt nothing."I should've been there," he murmured. "I was just in a meeting and—God, if I had known..."
That meeting was probably with her. Or the one before her. Or the one after.Still, I stayed quiet.Because what could I even say?Josh ran his thumb across my knuckles. "You didn't tell me you were pregnant."
"I also came to know about it only some time back and you were so busy that you did not even have time to sit with me ,"I tried to speak with comfort and love.
He nodded, then tilted his head like he was trying to look extra sincere. "Well, maybe… maybe this is a sign. That we need to slow down. Focus on us."
My stomach turned.
Now he wanted to focus?
---
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a shadow at the door.
Tristan.
He hadn't left after all.He stood there, still and silent, watching through the half-cracked door like a ghost. His eyes locked with mine for a heartbeat. Then he was gone again.
---
The next hour passed in awkward silence, broken only by the occasional fake affection from Josh."I'll talk to the doctor," he finally said, standing up. "Make sure everything's taken care of. You just rest, baby."I closed my eyes as the door clicked behind him.
I didn't cry. Not yet.
Instead, I whispered to the empty room, "Why do I feel safer when he's gone?"
---
A knock.
Soft. Careful.
Then the door opened and Tristan walked in again—this time, slowly.He didn't say anything. He just pulled the chair closer to my bed and sat down. His presence was thunder without the noise. Protective. Steady.He didn't look at me. But I knew he had heard everything.
"I'm sorry," I whispered. "You were right."
He finally looked at me, but his expression was unreadable."I didn't say that to hurt you," he murmured. "I said it because someone had to."I nodded. My throat burned."Thank you… for staying."
His jaw clenched slightly. "You don't have to thank me, Suzzy."
SUZZY.
That name again. Only from him. Soft like velvet. Sharp like a blade.
My lips parted, confused. "Why do you call me that?"
His eyes flickered—but he didn't answer. Instead, he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
Then quietly, like a secret:
"Because that's who you were... before you became his."
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[End of Chapter 2]
To be continued...