He Chose Her In The Hurricane

The girl in the hospital bed was undeniably striking.

Her skin was smooth and radiant, her delicate features looking fragile and lovely under the soft lighting. When she saw me, there was no surprise on her face.

Instead, she spoke with the entitlement of a queen in her castle. "Maria, who is she?"

I said nothing, merely meeting her gaze.

Maria wrung her hands. After a long, awkward moment, she mumbled, "She... she is Mr. Sterling's wife."

At this, Sloane's expression immediately melted into one of pity. "Oh," she murmured softly. "So you're Cora."

Her gaze swept over me dismissively.

"Cora, don't blame Julian. It's all my fault. If I hadn't been so frightened, he wouldn't have left you to be with me."

Listening to her saccharine apology, I couldn't help but scoff. "It seems Julian's taste isn't all that great. If he likes you so much, you can have him. A secondhand man... I don't want him anymore."

I motioned for Maria to push me away.

Just as we were about to turn, Sloane called out, "Wait!" She grabbed a cup of steaming herbal tea and hurried toward me. She feigned a stumble, her hand "slipping" as she got close.

Scalding tea splashed across my arm, and I cried out, recoiling from the searing pain. In the same motion, her leg shot out, deliberately kicking the wheel of my chair.

With a loud crash, the wheelchair tipped, and I was thrown heavily to the floor.

A gut-wrenching agony tore through me. Maria screamed and rushed to help me up.

Sloane covered her mouth, feigning horror. "Oh my God, Cora, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! I was just trying to stop you, and my hand slipped, and then I tried to catch you..."

I felt a warm wetness spread beneath me and instinctively looked down. To my horror, my white hospital gown was blooming with fresh, red blood.

"Ah, Cora, you're bleeding! Someone, help!"

Sloane shrieked, but just for a second, I saw it in her eyes: a flash of pure triumph.

I was rushed back into the operating room.

This time, however, luck was not on my side.

My baby was gone.

When I regained consciousness, Julian was sitting by my bed, his expression grim.

I thought he knew about the baby. But to my shock, the first thing he did was blame me.

"You shouldn't have gone to see Sloane," he said, not even looking at me.