Chapter 22
ANNA‘ S POV
The first thing I became aware of as I slowly regained consciousness was the faint beeping of a heart monitor.
My eyelids felt heavy, and I struggled to open them, feeling a sinking pit in my
stomach.
As my vision finally came into focus, I saw a concerned–looking doctor standing at the foot of my bed. “Miss Anna,” he said gently, “I’m glad you’re awake.”
I swallowed hard, my throat feeling dry and scratchy.
“What happened?” I asked, looking around.
My head throbbed, and I winced as I tried. to sit up, a sharp pain hitting my abdomen.
Suddenly, the events in the bathroom came flooding back – Jessica pushing me forcefully against the sink, and then the
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darkness.
“The baby,” I gasped, my hands
instinctively finding my belly. “Oh, God,
no.”
The doctor’s expression turned somber, and my heart sank already preparing myself for what was to come.
“I’m afraid I have some difficult news to share with you.”
“Please, just tell me,” I whispered, bracing myself for the worst.
The doctor let out a weary sigh. “I’m so sorry, Ms.Anna, but you’ve suffered a miscarriage. The trauma from your fall was too much for the baby to withstand.”
At that moment, the whole world seemed to pause. I burst into heavy sobs, hugging myself. The child I had only just begun to bond with, the life that had been growing inside me – all gone, in an instant.
“No, no, this can’t be happening,” I cried,
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my hands clutching the bedsheet as if it could somehow bring my baby back to life.
The doctor approached my bedside, his hand resting gently on my arm. “I know this is devastating news, Miss, but I want you to know that it’s gonna be just fine. And you can always try for another baby when you decide to.” He paused. “Oh and your husband, Nate, was here earlier, and he’s been by your side since we brought you in.”
My head snapped up, the mention of Nate’s.
name. “Nate was here? Where is he now?”
“He had to step out for a bit in a hurry, but he was very concerned for your well–being. I’m sure he’ll be back soon,” the doctor
reassured me.
I nodded, feeling numb.
As the doctor excused himself to give me some time to process everything, I found myself reaching for my phone, my fingers shaking as it wouldn’t stop buzzing.
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Frowning, I unlocked the device, scrolling through the messages and social media posts. My heart sank as I realized that they were all related to my company, and the news was not good.
Apparently, our new skincare line was causing severe reactions in some
customers, and people were up in arms, accusing me of selling dangerous, untested products. The backlash was swift and
brutal, with countless posts and comments calling for the company to be shut down.
I stared at the screen in disbelief, my mind racing. How could this be happening? I had done extensive testing on the products, and everything had been checked out. I even tested them on myself before I took them
out.
There was no way this could be real.
“What the hell?” I muttered, my brow furrowing as I scrolled through the posts and comments. There, at the forefront of the outrage, was none other than Sophie.
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“She’s behind this,” I realized in anger. “But
how? And why?”
Suddenly, a chilling realization hit me. There was only one person who knew the exact formula of that skincare line – Nate. He had helped me keep it safe, tucked away in one of his secure study rooms.
Had he betrayed me, shared that information with Sophie or someone else, leading to the sabotage of my product?
There was no way it could be causing these problems, unless…
Just then, the door to my room flung wide open, and Nate rushed in, looking like he had been running a marathon.
“Anna, thank God you’re awake,” he said in relief. He reached out to touch my arm, but I instantly pulled away with a frown.
“Don’t touch me,” I snapped. “How could you do this to me, Nate? How could you betray me like this?”
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He looked lost for a second. “What are you talking about, Anna? I don’t understand.”
“The skincare line, Nate,” I said, trying my best to stay firm. “Someone has sabotaged it, and it’s all over social media. Sophie is leading the charge, and I can’t help but wonder if you had something to do with it.”
His eyes widened, and he shook his head vehemently. “No, Anna, you’ve got it all wrong. I would never do something like that to you.”
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“Then how do you explain all the backlash online?” I demanded, my voice rising. “People are saying our products are dangerous, and they’re calling for my company to be shut down. And the only person who knew that formula was you!”
“I’ve been nothing but supportive of your company and your work, how could you even think that? I’ve been trying to reach you to explain what happened.”
I scoffed, fighting the urge to cry again.
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“Explain what? That you shared the formula with someone, and now my company is being dragged through the mud? What was the point of that, huh? Were
you trying to get back at me because of my closeness with Caden?”
Nate’s expression morphed from one of concern to one of sheer disbelief. “What the fuck are you saying, Anna? I had nothing to do with this. I’ve been trying to protect you, to keep your formula safe.”
I shook my head, not willing to hear a word he had to say. “I don’t want to hear it, Nate. Maybe you were right all along. Maybe we should just end this sham of a marriage. We’re done.”
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