The Last Rope

A doctor from the next ambulance jumped down and saw me covered in blood, still crawling on the ground. Her voice cracked in alarm. "Are you all insane? There's a severely injured person right here. Why isn't anyone helping her?"

My whole body went limp. My limbs gave out, and I collapsed heavily on the ground.

Due to excessive blood loss, I could barely hear the sounds around me. My eyes were nearly closing.

Peyton strode over with complete confidence and told the female doctor, "Doctor, don't bother with her. She's perfectly fine. This is just another one of her little tricks to get my attention."

The doctor's eyes nearly bulged out of her head. She shrieked, "She's dying, and you're telling me not to bother? I'm a doctor. Don't you think I can't tell if someone's faking?"

Her outburst drew others closer. Everyone at the company knew I was Peyton's wife.

Peyton, the company's CEO, looked uncomfortable being watched like this. He landed a kick on me while I was still collapsed on the ground.

"Serena, enough already. You're overdoing it. Don't push your luck. Don't think being my wife means you can slander me in front of my company like this. Keep this act up and I'll have my lawyer sue you."

When I gave no response, Peyton crouched down, grabbed my face, and forced me to look up. He ordered, "Serena, speak. Tell them the truth. Or they'll think I'm bullying you."

Seeing that my eyes were half-closed and I still looked half-dead, Peyton lost his patience and slapped me across the face.

The slap yanked me back from the edge of unconsciousness. Through the burning pain, the first words I heard were, "Speak, Serena! Say you're faking it. Say you're just playing the victim like always."

I shook my head, unable to speak. My hand unconsciously moved to my stomach.

A mother's instinct made me want to protect my child first, even in danger.

Peyton followed my hand and saw me still touching my stomach. He let out a cold snort. "You're really committed to this act, aren't you? What, are you going to tell me you're pregnant?"

At those words, my tears finally broke free, rolling down from my bloodshot eyes.

Yes, we did have a child together, but the child had just left me.

Seeing me cry, Peyton rolled his eyes in contempt. "You can cry on command, huh? With acting skills like that, it's a waste you didn't pursue acting."

He looked up at the female doctor and the crowd. "See? I told you she's acting. She's so guilty now that she can't even speak. Alright, everyone. Nothing to see here."

The female doctor panicked and pushed Peyton aside. "You're insane! Can't you see she's hemorrhaging from a miscarriage? If she doesn't get to a hospital, she'll die."

Peyton stumbled backward and landed on his rear. His first reaction was not to look at me but to demand harshly, "Did Serena pay you to say that?"

This time, even my colleagues who were watching from the sidelines could not stand it anymore.

They shouted, "Mr. Shepherd, Serena is your wife! You've been married for ten years. How can you not believe her?"

Peyton scoffed. "If Serena's really pregnant, then good riddance to the baby."

His eyes darkened. "I haven't touched her in years. A woman carrying some bastard child has no right to be my wife."

Hearing this, I closed my eyes in despair.

That was true. Ever since Hannah appeared, forget sharing a bed, Peyton barely came home anymore. However, that night when he got drunk, he mistook me for Hannah and forced himself on me.

If Peyton knew the child I just lost was his, would he feel even a shred of regret?

At the same time, I made a silent vow. If I survived this, I would sever all ties with Peyton.

The kindhearted female doctor dragged me over and called the nearby nurse to help lift me onto a stretcher. I went into the ambulance for emergency treatment.

Just as I thought I had a chance at survival, Hannah ran over.

She pointed at me and shouted, "Doctor, don't save her. She deserves to die! She's the one who started the fire!"