Chapter 3

3

Over the next few days, I watched Hudson spend every spare second with Skylar.

He cooked her soup, brought her meals, and even brushed her hair with clumsy, gentle hands.

He even insisted on washing her delicate laundry himself.

I felt like a ghost in more ways than one, huddled in the corner of the room, watching my husband play house with another woman.

The pain in my chest had gone numb. I forced myself to watch every detail of his devotion.

It's true what they say: when a man loves you, you know it. When he doesn't, you're just a nuisance.

In our marriage, I did everything. Even while pregnant, I never stopped cleaning, cooking, and working.

He acted like my efforts were invisible, yet here he was, learning how to be a domestic god for Skylar.

I remembered a time I had a fever so high I could barely stand. He just told me I was old enough to take care of myself.

He tossed a Tylenol at me and went back to his work.

Now, Skylar just had to mention she wanted an apple, and he'd drop everything to go get one.

He'd peel it and cut it into perfect little slices for her.

I finally understood.

There are no "clueless" men. There are only men who don't care enough to try.

The aftershocks finally stopped after three days.

During that time, my friend Scarlett came to the hospital multiple times looking for Hudson.

"Hudson, there's still no word on Sienna! I've checked every hospital in the city. No one has seen her!"

Hudson didn't even look up from the chestnuts he was peeling for Skylar.

"She's not an idiot. She can find a hospital on her own. If you can't find her, it means she's fine and probably didn't need medical attention."

"Go check the house. She's probably hiding there, waiting for me to go crawl back to her."

He refused to believe anything bad had happened. He just didn't care.

Scarlett was shaking, tears streaming down her face.

"Hudson, I've been to your house five times! She's not there! How can you be so heartless? She's your wife! She's carrying your child!"

"Your wife is missing, and you're here playing nurse to this woman!"

Hudson's hand hesitated for a fraction of a second. The mention of the baby seemed to trigger something small in him.

"Hudson, please. Just check the hospital records. You're a doctor, you have access!"

Scarlett's voice was breaking. Hudson slowly finished peeling the chestnut and finally looked at her.

After a few seconds of silence, he gave a reluctant nod.

But right then, Skylar let out a soft gasp and clutched her stomach.

Her eyes were wide and filled with fake concern. "Hudson... I don't feel right. My stomach is cramping. What if the baby isn't getting enough oxygen? Can you stay and check on me?"

Before Hudson could answer, Scarlett snapped.

"Miss Skylar, Hudson is going to find his wife. Can't you have a nurse help you?"

"You're literally destroying a family! He's a married man, and this is life and death! You―"

"Enough!"

Hudson yelled, cutting Scarlett off. He couldn't stand seeing his precious Skylar being attacked.

He shoved Scarlett away from the bed, his eyes blazing with fury.

"I'm married, but maybe you should keep your distance, too!"

"You two really are best friends―both so incredibly selfish! Sienna let my brother die for you, and now you want Skylar's baby to die for her!"

"If you're so worried about her, go find her yourself! Stop dragging me into your drama!"

"I am a doctor, and Skylar is my patient. Taking care of her is my job. It's none of your business!"

I stood there, my ghostly heart shattering.

Is that really what he thought of me? That I was some monster who traded his brother's life?

Scarlett's face went pale. She tried to defend me, but Hudson physically shoved her out of the room.

"Don't show your face here again unless you've found Sienna's body," he snarled. "Otherwise, I don't want to see you."

I stared at the irritation on his face. This was the man I gave everything to.

After he kicked Scarlett out, he went back to the bed.

Skylar threw herself into his arms, sobbing. "Hudson, I'm so sorry. I just care about the baby. I didn't mean to stop you from looking for her."

Hudson held her tight, his voice dropping to a whisper.

"I know, baby. Don't think about it. Sienna has plenty of friends and family to help her. You? You only have me."

"Stay here and rest. I'm not going anywhere."

Every word was a knife in my chest.

If he loved her this much, why did he ever marry me?

I looked at them and let out a hollow, silent laugh.

"Congratulations, Hudson. I'm dead. You're finally free."

Two days later, my mother arrived at the morgue to identify my body.

My belly was flat now. My son's tiny body was placed right beside mine.

When she saw us, she nearly collapsed.

She was the only family I had left. I had planned to bring her to the city to live with me after the baby was born.

She didn't want to come, fearing she'd get in the way of my marriage.

And now, the only way she could see me was across a cold, metal table.

I watched her pull out her phone with shaking hands to call Hudson. He didn't pick up.

He probably thought she was calling to nag him about finding me again.

When she tried a second time, he had turned his phone off.

Scarlett arrived shortly after. She looked like a wreck, her eyes sunken from days of searching for me.

She took my cold hand and started screaming with grief.

"Sienna, I'm so sorry! I should have forced you to leave that bastard. You wouldn't be lying here if I had!"

I sighed. I had been the one who was stubborn. I had been the moth flying into the flame, thinking I could change him.

My mother wiped her eyes, her face a mask of cold fury.

She took my death certificate and walked out of the morgue with Scarlett, heading straight for Hudson.