He Chose My Stepsister, So I Chose His Brother

Isabella’s POV

When I opened my eyes next, I wished that I was dead. All my body throbbed with pain, and a strange sense of emptiness settled within me.

“Oh, Mrs. Pierce. We are so glad that you’re finally awake. We were worried that we would lose you.” A female doctor said from beside me.

My throat burned. My body felt heavy and bruised, like I had been dragged through hell twice

I groaned weakly, blinking at the piercing hospital lights. For a moment, I was confused and disoriented. Why was I here? Why did everything hurt?

Then everything came flooding back.

The abortion, Marcus, Bianca, the transfusion, the intense pain, the chaos, and the fear.

My eyes widened as realization struck me, and I turned my head slowly toward the doctor with fear pounding in my chest.

There was something on her face, like a sorrowful expression.

A chill ran down my spine as dread spread throughout my bones.

I was scared to ask, but I had to.

“My baby…” I croaked, my voice hoarse. “What about my baby?”

The doctor hesitated, and that hesitation was all I needed. My heart sank, and my blood ran cold.

Her lips parted, and she shook her head slowly and gently.

“I’m so sorry,” she said softly. “We did everything we could… but the baby didn’t make it.”

Everything paused for a moment, and I gasped.

My heart pounded painfully against my ribs. I felt like I had been punched in the chest hard, and my lungs refused to work. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think.

I thought I had no tears left. I thought I was numb, but I was wrong.

I released an inhuman cry that tore at my aching throat. My shoulders shook as I sobbed, harder than I ever had in my life.

I cried for the life I never got to meet, I cried for the tiny heartbeat that had been in me, I cried because Marcus had stolen this from me, something I could never get back.

At that moment, I wished that I had aborted the child earlier, because I had become attached so fast that losing it now was ripping me to pieces.

The doctor stayed silent, giving me space to cry my heart out.

After what felt like forever, I wiped at my teary face with trembling fingers. My mind flashed back to Alexander’s offer, and I swallowed.

“What day is it?” I croaked, my voice trembling.

The doctor gave me a sad smile. “It’s Thursday. You’ve been unconscious for two days.”

My eyes widened, and I began calculating the days that Alexander had given me to think of his offer.

“I need my phone!” I cried, frantically looking around for it.

“Calm down, Mrs. Pierce, it’s in the drawer of the table beside you.” She said calmly, trying to soothe me.

My hands shook as I typed a message to Alexander.

— I accept your offer, meet me at the orphanage in three hours. —

His reply came immediately.

—Finally, I was beginning to think that you had changed your mind.—

I replied. — Never —

“Do you need anything else, Mrs. Pierce?” The doctor asked softly.

I gave her a bitter smile as I asked her a question that I already knew the answer to. “Did anyone come to see me?” I asked.

From her facial expression, I already knew the answer.

She shook her head, “I’m sorry, Mrs. Pierce, but no.”

I didn’t feel anything. No pain, no sadness, nothing. All I felt was a hollow ache, like something had been taken out of me, and could never be filled again

I turned away from the doctor silently, and stared blankly at the wall for a long time. I didn’t even notice when the doctor left the room.

Slowly, I pushed the blanket off me. Moving was very painful, but I ignored the pain.

“Mrs. Pierce?” the nurse who just walked in, called softly when she saw me shift. “Please, you need to rest, your body is still in recovery. You lost a lot of blood, and your stitches—”

“I’m leaving,” I said flatly, my voice was cold and emotionless. “I don’t need rest. I’m taking my life into my hands right now.”

She stepped closer, trying to stop me. “You’re not stable enough to be discharged. We haven’t even—”

“I wasn’t asking,” I snapped, my eyes flashing to hers. “Just give me whatever I need to sign.”

Her lips parted, and she hesitated again. However, she must have seen something in me that told her not to argue. She nodded and walked out, and within a few minutes, she came back with the discharge forms.

Every step I took out of that bed was torture. My legs trembled, and my back ached, but like always, I ignored them. I grabbed my phone and all my belongings and walked out of the room.

As I walked down the hallway, something made me pause for a moment. I caught a glimpse of Marcus and Bianca in another room, smiling and completely unbothered.