Twice Betrayed- Reborn in Flames - Chapter 5: Chapter 5
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Gerald leaned in, his voice dripping with false sweetness. "You're all equally pure and innocent."
The birds perched on the branches startled at his words, taking flight in a flurry of wings. Snow cascaded from the trees, stripping the ice from the limbs and leaving them bare and brittle against the stark winter landscape. The young man from that New Year's Eve… he was gone. Forever.
The broken locket dug into my palm, but I barely registered the pain.
"Gerald," I whispered, my voice trembling, "Joanne admitted to killing my brother. You were there—didn't you hear her? And when she hit me, when I was bleeding out while carrying your child, why won't you even check the car's camera footage to see the truth?"
Joanne's eyes widened in shock, tears welling as she stared at me in disbelief. "Eleanor, what are you saying? You're… pregnant with Gerald's baby?"
Her lips quivered, the picture of heartbreak. "No wonder you've always resented me. You must have been afraid I'd come between you and Gerald."
"If that's how it is, Eleanor, I'll book a flight overseas tonight. I'll agree to the arranged marriage my parents set up, and I swear I'll never see Gerald again in this lifetime!" With a pitiful glance at him, she pulled out her phone, pretending to search for flights.
"Joanne, stop this nonsense! There's no way Eleanor is carrying my child!" Gerald's voice cracked, betraying a flicker of panic.
He wiped Joanne's tears away, and for the first time, his gaze turned dangerous—a side of him I'd never seen before.
"If you don't believe me," he said coldly, "I'll slit Eleanor's stomach open right here and show you whether she's pregnant or not."
I stared at him, stunned. I never imagined he'd go this far for Joanne. As he advanced, his face hard with resolve, terror seized me.
Clutching my stomach, I stumbled back. "Gerald, have you lost your mind? This is insane!"
A sharp pain tore through my abdomen. The bleeding, which had only just stopped, started again. In my daze, I remembered our last Christmas together in college.
Gerald had perched a Santa hat on my head, playfully booping my nose as he joked about us having a house full of kids someday, just to make the holidays livelier.
He'd said, "Eleanor, what if we name our first son 'Sean'? You're glowing tonight—I want to remember this."
"Sean… Sean…" The name surfaced in my mind, and before I knew it, I'd spoken it aloud.
For the first time in weeks, my baby moved, a soft kick against my ribs—like a plea for help. A fragile hope flickered in my chest.
"Gerald, I'm not lying," I begged. "If you don't believe me, just feel my belly… Sean's kicking right now…"
"Eleanor, you never learn. Don't blame me for what happens next." He grabbed my arm, dragging me toward the operating room.
A nurse rushed forward, horrified. "Mr. Riverton, your wife is under strict care per Miss Barren's orders. You can't do this!"
She turned to Gerald, desperate. "Sir, stop! Eleanor's telling the truth. Miss Barren was in that car too—she went into early labor from the crash. She's being examined in maternity right now. Eleanor isn't lying!"
Joanne's face darkened, though her eyes still glistened with fake concern.
She stepped closer, eyes red-rimmed. "Eleanor, I never thought you'd sink so low—bribing Gerald's interns to back up your lies. No wonder you got this VIP room."
Gerald's expression twisted with fury. "Eleanor," he roared, "bribing hospital staff is a felony! Do you understand? If you don't drop this act now, cutting you open will be the least of your problems!"
The birds perched on the branches startled at his words, taking flight in a flurry of wings. Snow cascaded from the trees, stripping the ice from the limbs and leaving them bare and brittle against the stark winter landscape. The young man from that New Year's Eve… he was gone. Forever.
The broken locket dug into my palm, but I barely registered the pain.
"Gerald," I whispered, my voice trembling, "Joanne admitted to killing my brother. You were there—didn't you hear her? And when she hit me, when I was bleeding out while carrying your child, why won't you even check the car's camera footage to see the truth?"
Joanne's eyes widened in shock, tears welling as she stared at me in disbelief. "Eleanor, what are you saying? You're… pregnant with Gerald's baby?"
Her lips quivered, the picture of heartbreak. "No wonder you've always resented me. You must have been afraid I'd come between you and Gerald."
"If that's how it is, Eleanor, I'll book a flight overseas tonight. I'll agree to the arranged marriage my parents set up, and I swear I'll never see Gerald again in this lifetime!" With a pitiful glance at him, she pulled out her phone, pretending to search for flights.
"Joanne, stop this nonsense! There's no way Eleanor is carrying my child!" Gerald's voice cracked, betraying a flicker of panic.
He wiped Joanne's tears away, and for the first time, his gaze turned dangerous—a side of him I'd never seen before.
"If you don't believe me," he said coldly, "I'll slit Eleanor's stomach open right here and show you whether she's pregnant or not."
I stared at him, stunned. I never imagined he'd go this far for Joanne. As he advanced, his face hard with resolve, terror seized me.
Clutching my stomach, I stumbled back. "Gerald, have you lost your mind? This is insane!"
A sharp pain tore through my abdomen. The bleeding, which had only just stopped, started again. In my daze, I remembered our last Christmas together in college.
Gerald had perched a Santa hat on my head, playfully booping my nose as he joked about us having a house full of kids someday, just to make the holidays livelier.
He'd said, "Eleanor, what if we name our first son 'Sean'? You're glowing tonight—I want to remember this."
"Sean… Sean…" The name surfaced in my mind, and before I knew it, I'd spoken it aloud.
For the first time in weeks, my baby moved, a soft kick against my ribs—like a plea for help. A fragile hope flickered in my chest.
"Gerald, I'm not lying," I begged. "If you don't believe me, just feel my belly… Sean's kicking right now…"
"Eleanor, you never learn. Don't blame me for what happens next." He grabbed my arm, dragging me toward the operating room.
A nurse rushed forward, horrified. "Mr. Riverton, your wife is under strict care per Miss Barren's orders. You can't do this!"
She turned to Gerald, desperate. "Sir, stop! Eleanor's telling the truth. Miss Barren was in that car too—she went into early labor from the crash. She's being examined in maternity right now. Eleanor isn't lying!"
Joanne's face darkened, though her eyes still glistened with fake concern.
She stepped closer, eyes red-rimmed. "Eleanor, I never thought you'd sink so low—bribing Gerald's interns to back up your lies. No wonder you got this VIP room."
Gerald's expression twisted with fury. "Eleanor," he roared, "bribing hospital staff is a felony! Do you understand? If you don't drop this act now, cutting you open will be the least of your problems!"
End of Twice Betrayed- Reborn in Flames Chapter 5. Continue reading Chapter 6 or return to Twice Betrayed- Reborn in Flames book page.