SUFFER IN SILENCE OR KILL HIM?

SELENE’S POV

The world slowly fades into focus, and the sterile white ceiling above me comes into view. My head feels heavy, and my body… even heavier. Where am I? A faint beeping sound draws me out of the haze, and I realize I’m in a hospital room.

I take a breath and try to sit up, but a sharp, searing pain shoots through my abdomen, forcing me back down. I bite down hard to stifle a groan. My mind is a blur as I try to remember what happened, how I ended up here. Flashes of the last few hours flood my mind—Callum, his cold eyes, his dismissive voice, and then… that man. The stranger. Handsome, dark, and tempting. A shiver runs down my spine as I remember the strange way he looked at me, the way he offered me revenge. But as I try to grasp more, it all slips through my fingers like sand.

The door swings open, and a nurse steps in, looking at me with a pitying gaze that sends a wave of irritation through me. She moves closer with careful, gentle steps, her face softening. “How are you feeling, dear?” she asks, her voice overly kind, almost as if I’m fragile. I hate that tone.

I nod slightly, still feeling disoriented. “I’m… I’m okay, I think. Just… a bit sore.” My hand instinctively moves to my abdomen, and the pain flares up again, but I force myself to ignore it.

“You should, you have been out for over five hours.The doctor will be in to see you shortly.” The nurse pauses, her gaze lingering on me in a way that feels far too intrusive. “Your husband… he brought you here,” she says gently, and her words feel like a blade slicing through me.

My husband? Callum? I swallow, my throat tight. A bitter taste fills my mouth as I think of him, my mate, the man who vowed to protect me and ended up doing anything but that. The word husband feels wrong, I think bitterly, the memories of everything he’s done came back rushing. I can’t let myself get into this right now; I clench my jaw tightly, pulling myself together.

The nurse shifts slightly, as if hesitating. Her expression shifts, becoming… concerned. “I know this might be a bit forward, but… are you… are you being hurt? By him?”

I feel my breath catch in my throat. “No,” I managed, my voice controlled. “No, I’m not.”

The nurse’s eyes linger on me for a moment, clearly unconvinced, but thankfully she doesn’t press the issue. She offers a soft smile and tells me to rest before leaving the room.

I close my eyes, trying to will away the pain and confusion swirling inside me. Just as I start to drift off again, I hear footsteps, and the door opens again, this time to reveal a middle-aged man in a white coat, the doctor. He approaches the bed and pulls a stool over, seating himself beside me. His face is serious, no hint of kindness in his eyes like the nurse had.

“Miss Selene?”

“Yes?”

“ I’m Dr. Mendez. I just need to ask you a few questions before we continue.” He opens his clipboard, glancing down before looking at me with a steady gaze. “Are you aware that you were pregnant?”

My heart stops, and for a moment, the world tilts. Pregnant? I feel a numbness spreading through me, my mind grappling with the word. I was pregnant? How… I didn’t know. I would’ve… I didn’t even feel different.

Dr. Mendez watches me carefully, giving me time to process. “It’s alright if you didn’t know. These things can sometimes go unnoticed at first,” he continues gently. “However… I need to ask if you were intentionally trying to… end the pregnancy, perhaps in an unsafe way. Or if someone… was pressuring you to do so?”

“No!” I exclaim, my voice louder than intended. I can’t imagine doing something like that. I would never… But as the words leave my mouth, I see something dark settle in his gaze. He looks down, almost as if he’s bracing himself.

“Selene… I have to be honest with you. We’ve examined your tests and found traces of… unusual substances. The drugs you were taking...." He hesitates, as if choosing his words carefully. “Those ‘drugs’… they’ve done significant damage. The chemicals inside them… they were harmful, extremely so.”

I can only stare, my mind numb. I don’t remember taking any drugs. The vitamins. My hand flies to my mouth as I remember, vividly, Callum’s casual insistence. “You should take these, Selene. My sister used them for her skin, and they worked wonders.” His voice, persuasive, almost charming. And me… me, like a fool, just trying to please him, to earn a place in his life. The betrayal tastes like ash in my mouth.

The doctor takes a deep breath, and I brace myself. “The damage to your womb… it’s extensive. I’m afraid… it’s highly unlikely that you’ll ever be able to conceive again. I’m truly sorry.”

Each word hits like a hammer, my spirit breaking under the weight of his words. I feel tears welling up, burning my eyes, and no matter how hard I try, I can’t stop them from falling. All I’ve ever wanted was a family, a chance to be loved, to belong. Now… because of him, because of his lies, that chance has been stolen from me. The thought cuts deeper than any physical wound.

I can’t hold it in anymore. The tears spill over, uncontrollable, my body wracked with sobs that leave me breathless. The pain in my abdomen is nothing compared to the hollowness inside me, the devastation. I’ve done nothing but try to be a good wife, a loving partner. I’ve sacrificed, twisted myself inside out for him, and for what? For him to ruin me completely?

The doctor murmurs something that sounds like an apology and excuses himself, leaving me alone in the sterile room. My sobs echo off the walls, raw and I feel as if I’m drowning in my own pain, unable to claw my way out. I’ve been nothing but obedient, loyal, loving. Why? Why is this my fate? What have I done to deserve this?

I take a shaky breath, wiping my face. Callum… he’s done this to me. Not just the lies, not just the gaslighting and the manipulation, but this—this complete destruction of any future I could have had. My fingers dig into the sheets as anger begins to burn through the sorrow, the rage simmering under the surface.

I remember the man from before, his offer. He looked at me with a knowing smile, the offer for revenge hanging between us. Give me your body, and I’ll give you your revenge. His words come back to me now tempting. But now, knowing how deeply he’s damaged me, I’m not so sure.

A faint sound by the door makes me sit up. “So,” a deep voice says, smooth and familiar. It’s him.

“Now that you’ve seen more of the damage he’s inflicted… is it enough? Or will you let him keep enjoying his life while you suffer in silence?”