Chapter 4

The moment I was pulled out, the paramedics rushed me into the ambulance.

With no family around, Mike had to be the one to accompany me to the hospital.

After a quick examination, the doctor’s expression turned grim. “Contact her family immediately,” he said. “She may have massive internal bleeding. We need to operate at once.”

For the first time in his life, Mike was so overcome with guilt he was on the verge of tears. “I’m so sorry, Emma,” he choked out, “it’s all my fault. I never should have listened to James.”

With bloodshot eyes, he pulled out his phone to call James, but just then, my phone, which had been set aside, rang.

It was James.

Mike answered it for me, putting it on speaker. He must have thought James had found out what happened and was calling to see if I was okay.

But instead, a furious, unrelenting tirade erupted from the speaker. “Emma, what the hell is wrong with you? Dragging our police captain into your act? Can you stop being such a psycho and freaking out all the time?”

“Did you really think that having him call and chew me out would make me come crawling back? Let me tell you something, the very thought of looking at a stupid, lying woman like you makes me want to puke.”

Mike scrambled to grab the phone, switching off the speaker and pressing it to his ear.

“James,” he said urgently, “Emma was crushed by a cedar tree in Central Park. Her life is in danger. You need to get to the hospital now.”Hearing this, James just laughed dismissively.

“Crushed by a cedar tree? Is she dead yet? Mike, what kind of spell has Emma put you under? How can you believe her bullshit? You have no idea what an actress that woman is. She would never let herself get seriously hurt.”

From the noisy background on the other end, Rebecca's soft sobs could be faintly heard. “James, did Emma misunderstand us again? I'll be fine, you should hurry back and be with her.”

“Don't worry about me. I won't do anything foolish again.”

James immediately soothed her, his voice tense. “Sweetheart, I promised you. I'm not going anywhere today. I'm staying right here with you. No one is more important than you.”

His gentle tone quickly turned to one of annoyance. “Mike, tell Emma not to contact me again unless she's dead. I won't give her another chance to hurt Rebecca this time.”

Mike's voice was laced with disbelief. “James, Emma is your wife! She's dying, and you're choosing to stay with another woman? Are you even human?”

“You're a fucking bastard. I must have been blind to ever call you my bro.”

James scoffed.

“Oh? You're so worked up. Got a thing for her? Fine, she's all yours. If she dies, you can cover the funeral costs. I'm not coming back.”

“Emma is such a jinx, she wouldn't die even if a tree fell on her. Going out in a blizzard... who can she blame but herself for courting disaster? She needs to suffer a bit to finally learn her lesson.”

“Alright, I'm with Rebecca. Don't call me unless it’s important.”

The call ended. Mike stared at the screen in disbelief, a humorless laugh almost escaping his lips.

He was speechless, a flicker of sympathy for me crossing his face. After a long moment, he managed to force out the words,

“Emma, James said he's on his way to the hospital. Don't you worry.”

I let out a bitter laugh, not telling him that I had heard everything.

I gently caressed my stomach, where there was no longer any movement. My eyes, dead and lifeless, stared at the roof of the ambulance, too numb to even shed a single tear.

I never imagined that even after being reborn, I still couldn't escape my tragic fate and save my child.

How I hated it all!

A sharp, twisting pain suddenly seized my chest.

I coughed.

Amid the startled cries of Mike and the doctor, a thick gush of blood sprayed across my oxygen mask.

After that first mouthful, blood began to pour from my throat as if a floodgate had been opened.

In an instant, the entire stretcher was spattered with my blood."