Chapter 2

That night, the doctor checked on me again.

"Ma'am, if we don't pump her stomach right now, her organs will start to fail. Her heart could stop at any moment."

Through half-closed eyes, I saw my mother mutter under her breath, "Organ failure... that would affect the uterus, right?"

She didn't care if I lived or died—all she cared about was the uterus she'd promised to Sarah.

"Fine," she said suddenly, making up her mind. "Get the poison out now, but after that, I want her given a heavy sedative. I don't want her waking up, pulling out her IV and running away."

The stomach pumping was pure agony. Afterward, they injected me with something that made it impossible to keep my eyes open, but I could still hear voices outside my room.

"We have to deal with Julian," my mother said. "If he thinks Elena is just sick, he'll wait for her. We need to give him a reason to walk away."

"We'll tell him Elena isn't just sick—she had complications from a botched abortion. It's the consequence of her sleeping around."

I screamed inside.

No!

Julian was the one good thing left in my life. He loved me—he wouldn't believe it.

"Mom, this... this will ruin her life," Austin said, sounding uneasy but not protesting. "Accusing her of being promiscuous? Julian knows her. He might not buy it."

"He will once I send his mother the 'evidence,'" my mother replied coldly. "Men are all about pride, Austin. Even if he loves her, no man wants to marry a woman who's been ruined by someone else."

"That's brutal," Austin muttered.

"It has to be done! Sarah needs to marry into their family!"

I don't know how much time passed before a sudden text alert shattered the silence.

"It's her phone," Austin said. "It's been buzzing nonstop."

"See who's messaging her. Is it Julian?"

Austin replied, "Let me check... Oh god, it's her so-called friends. News travels fast."

He cleared his throat and read aloud, voice flat and emotionless: "Hey Elena, just saw the report in the group chat. Didn't know you just had an abortion. Guess that good-girl act was all fake, huh?"

"Julian's definitely dumping you now. Honestly, Sarah's always had more class than you. At least she knows how to keep her legs closed."

"Disgusting. You really think Julian's still going to marry you after this? Trash."

Suddenly, I felt a hand press against my forehead.

It was my mother.

"She's moving," her voice turned sharp and suspicious. "Is the sedative wearing off?"

Terror shot through me like an electric current.

If they found out I was conscious—even a little—they might do something even more drastic to keep me quiet.

I forced myself to go limp.

"Elena?" Austin tapped my cheek lightly. "Wake up? Can you hear me?"

I stayed perfectly still, like a corpse.

After a tense pause, Austin let out a breath. "She's out, Mom. Just a reflex, she's totally unresponsive."

"Good," my mother replied, her tone easing.

They were convinced I was deep under.

Just then, Austin's phone rang.

"It's Julian... He says he doesn't believe it," Austin said, sounding rattled. "He just yelled at me on the phone, said the medical report must be fake. He said unless Elena tells him herself, he won't believe a word. He's threatening to sue everyone spreading these rumors."

A brief silence fell over the room.

Beneath my motionless shell, a bittersweet warmth rose in my chest.

Julian... I knew he'd believe me.

But that hope was crushed in an instant by my mother's icy voice.

"He doesn't believe it?" she sneered. "What a lovesick fool. If he won't believe the rumors, then we'll show him the 'truth'."

"Mom, what are you talking about?" Austin's voice trembled.

My mother walked to the window, her back to the bed, voice eerily calm. "If he thinks Elena's so pure, then let's destroy that purity. Austin, call those guys on the west side. Pay them whatever it takes."

"While she's 'unconscious' in the hospital, we'll have the cameras turned off and let them in to do the job. Film the whole thing and send it to Julian." She turned back to us, eyes cold. "Let's see if he still wants her after seeing his fiancée with other men."