"I'm Gabriel. Callie has been injured and is in the operating room," Gabriel Byrne said, standing at the door of the surgery room.
Caitlin's heart leapt into her throat. "What happened? Is my daughter hurt?"
Gabriel nodded. "Yes."
"Which hospital?" Caitlin was frantic, her worry detectable.
"The Second Military District General Hospital."
"Got it," Caitlin said, hanging up the phone and hurrying to catch a cab to the hospital.
At the hospital.
Inside the operating room, Callie clutched the doctor's sleeve. "Is there any hope for my baby?"
After the examination, it was confirmed that one of the babies couldn't be saved and had already been lost. However, the other one still had a chance. "Are you sure you want to try to save it?" the doctor asked.
Callie's face was as pale as a sheet of paper, her lips cracked and bleeding. She rasped, "Yes, please. Do whatever you can."
The doctor nodded. "I'll do my best."
The doctor performing the surgery on Callie was the top gynecologist at the Second Military District General Hospital, known for his exceptional skills.
Gabriel's specialty was thoracic surgery, so he had arranged for the best gynecologist to treat Callie.
At that moment, he was pacing back and forth anxiously, having seen Callie's condition.
When Caitlin arrived, Callie was still in the operating room.
She approached the door of the operating room and asked, "What happened to her? How did she get hurt?"
Gabriel didn't know the specifics either.
However, he didn't tell Caitlin about Callie's injuries. He knew Caitlin had just recovered and shouldn't be stressed.
So, he decided to keep it from her for now. "Don't worry, Aunt Caitlin. It's nothing serious."
Caitlin was still extremely worried, pacing around in circles. "Oh, Callie has suffered so much because of me."
If only she had figured things out sooner and divorced Rafael, maybe her daughter would have had a better life.
Now she didn't even know what kind of injuries Callie had or how serious they were.
After more than an hour, Callie was wheeled out of the operating room.
Her injuries were on her body, so her face looked fine, but she appeared very weak.
Caitlin rushed forward, her eyes red, softly calling her daughter's name, "Callie."
Callie's eyelids felt heavy. She didn't want her mother to worry about her, especially since she had just recovered. Weakly, she opened her mouth, "I'm fine, don't worry. Did you get discharged from the hospital?"
Caitlin nodded.
"Mom, you should go find a hotel to stay at. I'll transfer some money to your phone. You need to rest. My senior will take care of me here." She tried her best to get Caitlin to leave.
Caitlin held her hand and said, "I'm worried about you. Myron was driving your car and I heard he hit someone. I don't know how bad it is, but I'm afraid it might get you into trouble since the car is under your name."
Callie seemed to understand everything in an instant.
Her eyes went blank for a few seconds, and she blinked weakly, her eyelashes fluttering gently. "I understand, Mom. I'll be fine. You should go to the hotel. I need some time alone to rest. With you here, I'll be worried about your health and won't be able to recover peacefully."
Caitlin could sense that her daughter was trying to get rid of her.
She choked up a bit. "Callie, I've already filed for divorce from your dad. If you have any problems, you need to tell me. I might be able to help you."
Callie felt exhausted. "Mom, I'm fine, really. If anything comes up, I'll definitely tell you."
She needed to take her time with this matter.
And she couldn't tell her everything, especially not about being beaten. If Caitlin found out, she would definitely be worried.
Otherwise, it might just stress her out even more.
Seeing her daughter so weak, Caitlin gently asked, "Can I come see you tonight?"
Callie nodded.
Caitlin stood up and expressed her gratitude to Gabriel.
Gabriel replied, "No need to thank me."
"Still, thank you," Caitlin insisted, expressing her gratitude multiple times.
After she left, Gabriel wheeled Callie into the hospital room.
He didn't ask any questions, understanding that she needed rest at this moment.
"I'll be right here. If you need anything or feel uncomfortable, just call me," Gabriel whispered.
Callie nodded and closed her eyes.
She fell into a deep sleep and woke up two hours later.
"Thirsty," she croaked.
Gabriel poured her some water.
She drank half a cup, soothing her parched throat.
The bitterness in her mouth lessened.
But her whole body still ached.
"What happened? Who did this to you?" Gabriel finally couldn't hold back and asked.
"Could it have been Belinda?" he speculated.
Callie shook her head.
If her mother hadn't mentioned that Myron had taken her car, she might have thought the same.
But now she knew better.
If she guessed correctly, Myron had crashed her car into Shane's car.
If it was serious, the authorities should have gotten involved, but Shane had chosen to deal with it privately. Either he wasn't seriously hurt, or he was just really angry.
Thinking it over, the one who caused the accident was her half-brother. Was it really unfair if she got blamed too?
"Senior, I'm planning to divorce Shane. I've already lost one child, and if I stay with him, I'll probably lose the other one too," she said softly. "I'm going to tell him about my pregnancy."
Gabriel Byrne nodded. "You're doing the right thing."
It wasn't that he was eager for Callie to divorce Shane.
But both of them had their own children.
That alone made it hard for them to get along.
Let alone develop any feelings for each other.
If there were no children involved, it would be a different story.
"I think, even if Shane doesn't like Belinda, he wouldn't abandon his own child," Gabriel speculated.
Callie scoffed, "What nonsense are you talking about? If Shane didn't like Belinda, would he have gotten her pregnant?"
Back then, she had foolishly believed Shane Robinson's lies.
He said he didn't like Belinda.
If he didn't like her, how did they end up having a child together?
Or maybe Shane only thinks with the lower half of his body?
She took a deep breath. She had no right to say anything.
So, she didn't care anymore. It didn't matter to her now.
...
At another hospital, Shane's secretary came to report the situation.
"The doctor who performed the surgery on Miss Ayers has fled. I'm having people look for him. Also, the driver responsible for the accident has been found. As per your instructions, he has been dealt with. Here are the driver's details."
The secretary handed over the documents.
Shane wasn't interested and didn't even look at them. He simply said, "Make sure you find the doctor."
For a doctor to flee like that, it's hard to believe there's nothing shady going on.
The secretary said, "Yes, I'll assign more people."
"Miss Ayers wants to see you. Should I turn her away?"
The secretary asked again.
Shane waved his hand dismissively.
He had no interest in seeing her.
Besides, there was nothing worth discussing now.
The child was gone.
He had instructed the secretary to deal with the driver responsible for the accident, seeking some solace for himself.
It was a way to provide some closure for the lost child.
The secretary exited the room, "I'll be right outside. Call me if you need anything."
As she left, she accidentally dropped the documents she was holding. Shane caught a glimpse of the name Callie.
The secretary bent down to pick them up, and just as she was about to leave, Shane stopped her. "Let me see the information on the driver responsible for the accident."
The secretary handed it over.
Shane took the file, which contained information on Callie and frowned. "Is this the driver responsible for the accident?"
The driver he saw was a boy!
His secretary, unaware of why Shane's expression had changed, replied honestly, "The car involved in the accident is registered under Miss Norris..."
"Just because it's registered under her name, does that mean she was driving?" Shane got out of bed, glaring coldly at the secretary. "Is Callie the person you reprimanded?"
The secretary lowered her head, not daring to make a sound.
"I'm asking you a question!"
Shane was furious!
The secretary had no choice but to answer, "Yes."
Shane was so angry he was breathing heavily.
The secretary quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, I didn't handle it well."
Shane ignored her and quickly walked out.
Belinda was waiting at the door, wanting to see Shane.
After the car accident, she had a legitimate reason to claim that her child was not at fault.
Surely, Shane wouldn't have anything to say against that.
"Shane," she reached out, trying to grab his arm. Shane angrily shoved her away. "Get out!"
Belinda fell hard onto the ground. No one paid her any attention.
The secretary quickly walked outside and opened the car door.
Shane got in while making a phone call.
The call connected swiftly.
"Do you know where Callie is?"
Gabriel responded, "Yes, she's at the hospital. I'm with her right now."
Shane hung up without another word and instructed the secretary to head to the Second Military District General Hospital.
Soon, the car arrived at the hospital, and Shane got out, striding purposefully inside.
He made his way to the inpatient ward and found Callie's room.
Gabriel was standing at the door. When he saw Shane, he took a couple of steps forward.
"Callie was pregnant, but she lost the baby. You should know why," Gabriel said.
He had taken it upon himself to say this.
He felt Shane needed to know.
Callie wasn't just anyone.
She was his wife.
Now, Callie Norris wanted to protect her other child, and she was definitely going to divorce Shane.
Shane's anxiety was instantly replaced by shock, his facial muscles stiffening. "What did you say? She's pregnant?"
Gabriel nodded.
Shane felt like he couldn't breathe.
His chest tightened painfully!
That woman was pregnant!
Whose child was it?
It couldn't be his; he had never touched her.
"Shane, calm down. Even though Callie cheated on you, didn't you also cheat on her? Isn't Belinda pregnant with your child? You're even now. Don't be too angry, and don't blame Callie. You should part on good terms..."
Shane shoved Gabriel aside, his voice filled with rage, "Get lost!"
He kicked open the hospital room door.
Callie already knew he was coming and showed no significant emotional reaction.
She understood that getting too emotional would only unsettle the baby in her womb.
So she controlled herself well.
"Shane, let's get a divorce."
She spoke calmly.
Shane's eyes blazed with anger, the fire of fury churning in his chest, his breathing quick and heavy. "Divorce? You think you can just say it and it's done?"
He stared at the frail woman lying on the bed, feeling a brief pang of pity.
But then he remembered that she had been pregnant with another man's child, and his anger flared up again.
Suppressing the urge to strangle her, he demanded, "Tell me, whose child is it?"
Callie remained calm. "You knew from the start that I had someone else."
"Weren't you on birth control? How did you get pregnant? Or did you sneak around with another man behind my back?" His veins bulged with rage as he glared at her.
Callie replied, "Yes, I cheated on you, more than once. So, let's get a divorce."
"Callie Norris!" his voice rose from a low growl to a full-blown roar, his face turning red and then blue, his neck swelling as if it might burst. He grabbed her by the throat. "Do you believe I'll kill you right now?"
Callie said, "I believe you, but I'm not afraid."
Her eyes were filled with unprecedented determination and hatred. "Shane Robinson, I hate you!"
"Is it because I accidentally caused you to lose your child, and that's why you hate me?" Shane didn't wait for her to answer. "Even if that accident hadn't happened, I wouldn't have let you give birth to a bastard to disgust me. I would have made you abort it anyway. Now, I don't even have to lift a finger. It seems even fate doesn't want you to have that child, which is why it arranged for this mistake!"
Every time he called her a bastard, it pierced Callie's heart.
"Shane Robinson, I hate you! I wish you were dead!" she suddenly screamed hysterically.
Her eyes were not just filled with hatred but with overwhelming fury!
Because she had lost her child, she even wished him dead?!
Shane's hand, which was gripping her neck, trembled.
Slowly, he loosened his grip. "Callie Norris, wanting a divorce is just a fool's dream. I told you, the more you suffer by my side, the more I want to keep you here!"
Callie clenched her fists, repeatedly tightening and loosening them, until her emotions gradually settled. "Shane, Belinda is already pregnant with your child. Don't you think you should give her a proper status and your child a home? What good does it do you to keep holding onto me?"
"The child is gone, because of the car accident. Tell me, who was driving your car?" Shane demanded.
Callie's eyes widened in shock. Belinda's child was gone?
So that's why Shane was so furious, and why he had gone after the driver responsible for the accident?
Callie felt no affection for her half- brother, Myron, as it was because of him that her parents' marriage had fallen apart.
"Myron, Rafael's illegitimate son."
If Shane Robinson wanted to seek revenge, he could go ahead.
"He won't escape the price he has to pay," Shane said, sitting down beside her bed. "Anyway, your child is gone now. Just stay by my side."
Thinking about the child she had lost, Callie knew that confronting Shane head-on would only lead to her suffering.
So, she appeared to compromise. "Fine." but this was merely a tactic to buy time.
She knew that only by making Shane lower his guard could she have a chance to escape from under his watchful eyes.
Neither of them spoke again.
The silence in the hospital room was terrifying, with even the faintest breaths audible.
After a long while, Shane broke the silence. "How are your injuries?"
Callie remained silent.
Shane looked at her. "Why aren't you speaking?" It wasn't that she didn't want to; she just didn't know what to say.
Shane reached out to pull back her blanket, and her eyes snapped open. "What are you doing?"
"Let me see your wound," Shane demanded.
Callie recoiled, "I don't want you to look."
She refused.
Shane's eyes turned red, like an enraged leopard, looking terrifying. "If you don't want me to look, then who do you want? Your lover? Callie Norris, you better not let me find out who he is, or I'll ruin him. You'll never get a chance to cheat on me again!"
Callie eyed him warily, "Shane, do you know something?"
"What?"
"You're really strange. Haven't you noticed?" She couldn't understand Shane's bizarre behavior.
She couldn't fathom why he kept her around. "Aren't you disgusted by me?" Shane's expression shifted like unpredictable clouds. He might have realized that he was attracted to Callie.
But because of her past, he couldn't get over his mental barrier. He couldn't admit it. And he didn't want to admit it.
Shane, liking a promiscuous woman? What a joke!
"Of course, I'm disgusted by you. Do you think I wanted to see your wound just to look at your body? Callie, don't flatter yourself. I would never like a woman with a messy personal life who has even been pregnant!"
Suddenly, he leaned in, pressing down on her. Callie hurriedly put her hands up to push him away. "I'm in pain. Don't come so close."
Being so close, Shane noticed the faint bruises peeking out from under her collar.
His brows furrowed as he reached to lift her shirt. Callie quickly grabbed his hand. "Don't touch me."
"If you behave, I won't touch you. I'll just take a look. But if you play hard to get, I might have to get rough."
Callie was speechless.
Who was playing hard to get? Who was being coy?
This was outrageous!
"So, be good." Shane's voice softened a bit as he gently pulled aside her shirt, revealing the mottled bruises on her body.
A flicker of pain flashed through his eyes, and his voice turned low. "Does it hurt?"
"Does it hurt?"
It really did hurt back then.
But the physical pain was nothing compared to the agony of losing a child.
She lowered her eyes, refusing to respond.
Shane grabbed her hand, preventing her from moving, and leaned down to kiss her lips.
"Mmm... Are you crazy?!"
Shane smirked, his eyes filled with a mischievous glint. "When I speak, you answer. It's called manners. If you don't understand manners, I'll teach you. That kiss was a punishment. If you continue to resist me silently, I'll punish you even more harshly."
He added, "And I mean it."
Callie, injured and desperate to protect her unborn child, didn't dare to resist too fiercely.
Even though she loathed Shane at this moment.
She could only feel anger but dared not express it.
She had lost her child because Belinda had performed an genetic testing without her consent, and Shane's subordinates had mistaken her for the driver who caused the accident, beating her until she miscarried.
To her, both of them were responsible for the death of her child. How could she possibly want to be intimate with someone like that?
Her child had just died!
Shane stared at her. "Look at you now. Where's your so-called lover? A man who can't even protect his own woman—what good is he?"
Callie pulled at her dry, pale lips, "I like it."
Shane was speechless.
Those three words seemed to dismantle all his malice.
Yet, those same three words made Shane seethe with anger.
But he didn't let it show.
The woman before him looked so pitiful, so fragile, that even a harsh word might break her.
"No matter how much you like it, you have to stay by my side. Seeing you love but unable to have, do you know how happy that makes me?" He stood up, casually shoving his hands into his pockets. His tall, lean figure stood straight, exuding a wild arrogance that screamed, "Torturing you is my pleasure." "Callie, you want to run away with your lover? That's never going to happen in this lifetime."
Callie looked at him, "What good does it do you to keep me around?"
Shane met her gaze, "Seeing you unhappy makes me happy. Isn't that enough?" Callie moved her lips, really wanting to shout, "You're insane!"
"I'm leaving." Shane turned and walked out, wanting to say something caring, but his pride wouldn't allow it. In the end, he could only coldly say, "I'm leaving."
Outside, Gabriel hadn't left, he was worried they might not reach an agreement.
By now, Shane had calmed down, no longer as furious as when he first learned that Callie had been pregnant.
His voice softened, "Her injuries look pretty serious. How can we get her better quickly?"
Gabriel replied, "These injuries need time to heal. It'll take at least two weeks, maybe even a month."
He deliberately exaggerated the time. Callie's injuries would mostly heal in about a week, though the bruises would take longer to fade completely.
It wouldn't stop her from getting out of bed and walking around.
However, to protect the baby she was carrying, she needed to stay in bed for at least ten to fifteen days.
Only after ensuring there were no signs of a miscarriage could she resume normal activities.
Shane acknowledged, "Got it. Take good care of her for me."
Gabriel nodded, "I will."
Shane glanced back at the hospital room before striding away.
Once Shane was out of sight, Gabriel entered the room and immediately asked, "How did it go?"
Callie answered, "Not well; he absolutely refuses to divorce me. He's determined to drag this out."
"Is he crazy? Dragging this out affects him just as much as it affects you!" Gabriel blurted out, unable to hold back.
"I think he's crazy too," Callie said, her lips curling but her face devoid of any real smile.
Gabriel suddenly recalled something Henry had mentioned earlier—did Shane have a bit of a crush on Callie?
"Um... Callie, maybe Shane doesn't want to divorce you because he likes you?" he asked cautiously.
Callie's expression froze for a few seconds. "Impossible. He only despises and humiliates me."
She added, "Even if he did have a tiny bit of affection for me, I wouldn't accept it. I only have hatred for him. Because of him and Belinda that I lost my child. They are both my enemies."
They are the executioners who took her child away.
How could she ever have feelings for the people who killed her child?
"If Shane refuses to divorce, what are you going to do? You can hide your pregnancy for a while, but as you get further along, you won't be able to keep it a secret," Gabriel reminded her.
Callie already had a plan in mind, but she didn't share it with Gabriel. Because Gabriel was very close to Shane.
If Gabriel knew, Shane wouldn't be far behind in finding out.
Feigning confusion, she said, "I don't know either. Let's just take it one step at a time."
Gabriel suggested, "No, you should secretly escape. If Shane can't find you, he'll eventually forget about it."
Callie glanced at him, her expression darkening. "Do you really think Shane wouldn't find me if he wanted to?"
"True," Gabriel admitted, knowing Shane's capabilities.
"Senior, I'm tired. I want to rest now," Callie said.
Gabriel prepared to leave. "Alright, call me if you need anything."
Callie nodded. Gabriel opened the door.
"Senior," Callie suddenly called out, "Thank you."
"No need," Gabriel replied, looking at her. "With our relationship, you don't need to say that anymore."
Callie gave him a faint smile.
She was truly exhausted, and after Gabriel left, she fell asleep.
In the evening, Caitlin brought some food over.
Callie ate a little. "Mom, I need to talk to you." She spoke with a serious tone.
Caitlin looked at her daughter with concern and said, "Go ahead."
"I want to divorce Shane, but he won't agree. So, I can't get the divorce. But I can't live with him anymore," Callie said softly. "The only way is for me to leave secretly, to a place where he can't find me."
Caitlin gazed at her daughter. "I also asked your dad for a divorce, but he refused. He was very firm about it. I'm thinking we might need to go through legal channels to make it happen. But if we follow your plan, it seems my divorce won't be easy either. So, like you, I think we should leave. Let's go to a city where no one knows us and live a peaceful life."
Callie nodded. "But we have to leave without a trace, Mom. Do you understand?"
"I understand," Caitlin replied. "If we don't want to be found, we have to disappear completely."
"Mom, come here."
Caitlin leaned in closer.
Callie leaned in close to whisper in her ear...
Caitlin nodded repeatedly.
"I'll transfer the money to your card. You settle down over there first, and I'll join you in a while," Callie said.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure everything is set up," Caitlin assured her.
Still, she couldn't help but feel uneasy. "You're here alone, and you're injured..."
"Mom, I can handle it," Callie gave her a reassuring smile.
Caitlin nodded. What she needed to do now was not to be a burden to her daughter and to ensure she had a safe retreat.
Tomorrow, Caitlin would leave. Tonight, she stayed with her daughter, both leaning on each other for support and trust, determined to escape from their current predicament.
The next day, Caitlin reluctantly left the hospital. Callie stayed behind to recover.
...
At another hospital.
Shane looked at Henry, who had woken up, but his injuries would take some time to heal.
Belinda was constantly trying to gauge Shane's feelings towards her.
"Shane," Belinda called out cautiously, her face pale and weary. "We lost our baby, and I'm heartbroken." Shane's expression was indifferent, not even sparing a glance.
"Shane..." Belinda Ayers stepped forward.
At that moment, the secretary strode in, blocking Belinda. Speaking to Shane, he said, "President Robinson, the doctor has been found."
Thankuu