Chapter 5

Chloe's POV

The surrounding crowd stirred at my words, and several people raised their phones.

Panicking, Felix muttered an apology, grabbed me by the arm, and hauled me onto the ambulance by force.

Having lost too much blood, I felt lightheaded and dizzy, blacking out the moment I was pulled inside.

When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in a hospital room.

An IV needle was taped to the back of my hand, gauze was wrapped around my head, and my entire body felt completely drained.

Before my hospital bed, a doctor and a nurse were talking in hushed tones with their backs turned to me.

"How could they draw that much blood from a pregnant woman? Eight hundred milliliters—that's practically murder!"

The doctor, an employee of the Hayes family hospital, knew the real situation.

He lowered his voice.

"What do you know? Aren't both the patient and the baby doing just fine?"

The nurse curled her lip and said nothing more.

Turning around and noticing my eyes were open, she hurried over.

"You're awake? Don't worry, all the tests are done, and both you and the baby are safe."

I gave her a weak smile and whispered a thank you.

Even a stranger of a nurse cared more about whether I lived or died than Ryan did.

Not long after the nurse stepped out, the door pushed open.

Ryan walked in, his face etched with concern.

"Chloe, are you all right?"

He reached out to touch my head.

I turned away to avoid his hand, my expression cold.

Ryan's hand froze in midair. Looking rather embarrassed, he cleared his throat softly and pulled it back.

"At the time... I really had no other choice. You were the only one who could save Wendy. My hands were tied."

"Chloe, you can understand that, right?"

I gazed out the window and remained silent.

Ryan added, "I arranged for the doctors in advance to make sure nothing would happen to the baby."

I still ignored him.

Ryan fell silent, sighed, and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Chloe, in a few years, let's have another baby, okay? Hopefully a girl who looks just like you."

I was almost amused by sheer disgust. Just as I was about to speak, his phone rang.

Wendy Hayes's name flashed across the screen.

He answered immediately.

Whatever was said on the other end made him stand up and head straight for the door. "I'll be right there. Wait for me."

The door shut behind him. He didn't even leave an explanation.

After that, he never stepped foot in that hospital room again.

A few days later, I was discharged.

That afternoon, I was resting in the bedroom when the lock clicked.

Wendy had a key to this house and had always come and gone as she pleased.

This time was no different; she walked straight into my bedroom the moment she entered.

Crossing her arms, she leaned against the doorframe, looking me up and down with a faint smirk.

"So, how does it feel having your blood drained for me?"

I glanced at her impassively, not bothering to reply.

Wendy grew even more smug.

"Chloe Vance, you idiot. Did you really think you were something special just because you managed to latch onto Ryan? Compared to me, what the hell are you?"

I offered a faint smile, my tone measured and calm.

"Even without Ryan, you wouldn't be worth a glance from me."

Wendy was instantly infuriated.

"You think you can secure your place as Mrs. Hayes with the brat in your belly? Keep dreaming—you'll never carry this baby to term!"

A jolt went through me.

What did she mean by that?

Did Wendy not intend to let the baby be born?

I weighed my words for a second, then countered, "What, you're wishing ill on this child? That's Ryan's own flesh and blood."

Wendy erupted in fury on the spot. "You!"

She grabbed the glass of hot water from the nightstand and threw it right at me.

I raised my arm to block it, and the skin was instantly scalded bright red.

"What's going on?!"

Ryan walked in, catching sight of the commotion immediately.

I was in too much pain to speak.

Seeing her arm, Ryan's expression tightened. "How could you be so careless? Wendy, go get a doctor!"

"I'm not going!"

Wendy completely twisted the truth. "She was the one trying to throw hot water at me! I just blocked it, and it splashed back on her! Don't call a doctor either! She had it coming!"

"There are cameras in the house. You threw it at me," I clarified through gritted teeth.

Caught off guard by the fact that she dared to expose her right to her face, Wendy panicked.

"Don't look at the footage! Ryan, she insulted me first!"

I looked at Ryan.

"I'm still carrying your child. Ryan, if you don't call a doctor right now, aren't you worried something will happen to the baby?"

Hearing this, tears welled up in Wendy's eyes instantly.

"Ryan! She said once the baby is born, you won't care about me anymore! She said you're her husband, the father of her child, and told me to stop clinging to you! *Sobbing*..."

Ryan had already taken out his phone to call the doctor, but hearing those words, he paused.

He lowered his head to wipe away Wendy's tears. "Don't talk nonsense. How could I ever stop caring about you?"

"A wife can be replaced, but Wendy will always be a daughter of the Hayes family!"

"Chloe, if you can't be a proper wife to me, I wouldn't mind replacing you."

Sweat poured off me from the excruciating pain, but I still smiled.

"Then go ahead and replace me. I wish you two an eternity together."

Ryan's face turned livid with rage.

He scooped Wendy up into his arms and walked out without looking back, slamming the door so hard the walls shook.

Enduring the agony, I called one of the household staff members and asked him to arrange a car to take me to the hospital.

The man looked troubled. "Mr. Hayes instructed that while you're pregnant, you cannot go to the hospital alone. He must accompany you. I don't dare make the arrangements."

It hurt so much I could barely get the words out. "Then go buy me some burn ointment."

"Mr. Hayes said pregnant women can't just take any medication."

The man stated plainly, "Please don't make things difficult for me, ma'am. Call Mr. Hayes. As long as he gives the word, I'll take care of it right away."

With a trembling hand, I dialed Ryan's number.

It rang twice before being hung up directly.

Left with no choice, I endured the pain, stepped out on my own, and hailed a cab to the hospital.

After having the burn treated and bandaged, I stood at the hospital entrance, searched for a contact number, and dialed.

The call connected.

"You want to ruin Ryan Hayes, don't you? I can work with you."