Even though I had long known the truth, hearing Ian say it out loud shattered me completely.
A searing pain ripped through my body as Ian pressed the scalpel against my abdomen and sliced through my flesh. There was no anesthesia—no relief, no numbness—just raw, unbearable agony. I felt every layer of my skin and muscle being cut open, like a wild animal was tearing me apart from the inside.
My screams filled the cold, sterile operating room, echoing off the walls like a desperate plea for mercy. But there was none.
“You're going to pay for this,” I rasped, my voice barely more than a whisper as I used the last of my strength to curse them.
Ian’s excited voice cut through my haze of pain. “It’s out! The baby is out!”
For a split second, a sliver of hope surfaced in my chest, but then—
“Wait… Why isn’t it breathing?” Ian’s voice trembled.
