C5 Chapter 5

Katelyn’s POV

Pain. A dull, throbbing pain.

I struggled to open my eyes, but even the dim lights in the hospital room felt like tiny daggers piercing my skull. Every part of my body ached, but it was nothing compared to the weight in my chest.

Lucas.

I tried to move, but a sharp sting shot through my left shoulder, forcing a strangled gasp from my lips. A nurse rushed over, her expression shifting from concern to calm professionalism.

“You’re awake,” she said gently.

“Lucas… my son,” I croaked, my throat dry.

The nurse hesitated. “He’s stable, but his spleen is injured. The doctors are monitoring him closely.”

I forced myself to sit up, ignoring the way my body protested. “I want to see him.”

“You need rest—”

“I need to see my son,” I cut in, my voice trembling.

The nurse paused, then sighed. “Please understand, Mrs. Ward. Firstly, the doctor needs you to sign this.” She placed a clipboard on the table next to me. “It’s for your son’s surgery. His condition is stable for now, but there’s a risk of complications. We’ll do our best to avoid them, but there could be long-term effects.”

Her words stirred a deep, gnawing worry inside me.

Complications. Long-term effects. I stared at the form, my hand hovering over the pen, the weight of the decision squeezing the air out of my lungs.

I stared at the form, my pen hovering. My mind spun with questions I couldn’t answer on my own.

Could I make this decision alone? What if something went wrong? Lucas deserved the best, but what if I failed him?

The nurse noticed my hesitation and gave me a kind look. “I’ll give you a moment. If you’re unsure, you can always discuss it with your husband.”

Husband.

She left the room quietly, leaving me with nothing but the sound of the heart monitor and my own panicked thoughts. My fingers shook as I reached for my phone with my good hand. I scrolled through my contacts, my pulse quickening when I found his name.

Ethan.

I hesitated for a second longer, then pressed call.

Straight to voicemail.

I tried again. Nothing.

Frustration bubbled inside me. I couldn’t handle this alone. Lucas needed surgery. I needed Ethan to make a decision, but he wasn’t answering.

I pressed the phone to my forehead, biting my lip to keep my emotions at bay. I called again. And again. Still nothing.

A nurse walked past my door, and I overheard pieces of her conversation with another staff member.

“Did you hear? Scarlett was admitted too,” one of them said.

“Oh, I know! And she barely has a scratch on her! Just some superficial bruises.”

“She’s lucky,” the other nurse sighed. “And her boyfriend? He’s been by her side the whole time. So thoughtful.”

“Right? Some women are just lucky. Meanwhile, others…”

Their voices trailed off, but my mind stayed frozen on their words.

Scarlett.

Boyfriend.

Always by her side.

My stomach twisted into knots. I wanted to believe it was just some random man, but a terrible, gnawing feeling crept into my chest.

Just then, movement at the end of the hallway caught my attention.

Ethan.

He was standing at the nurses’ station, his back turned to me. He leaned slightly forward, speaking to one of the nurses. A moment later, he turned, and my breath caught.

Scarlett.

She was beside him, smiling faintly as he gently adjusted the blanket draped over her shoulders. His fingers lingered just slightly, his touch soft.

My vision blurred.

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palm.

Moments later, with trembling fingers, I dialed Ethan again.

I watched as he pulled his phone from his pocket. I held my breath.

He glanced at the screen.

Then he put the phone back in his pocket without answering.

A choked laugh escaped me, full of disbelief and pain.

I waited a few seconds before calling again.

This time, he answered.

“Where are you?” I asked, my voice hoarse.

“At the office,” he replied without hesitation.

I felt something inside me shatter.

I could have confronted him. I could have told him I could see him with Scarlett at this very moment. But I didn’t.

What was the point?

I inhaled shakily and hung up before he could say anything else.

Finally, I decided to sign the consent form for Lucas’s surgery. My hands trembled but I knew I had to do it alone. If Ethan wasn’t here, if he couldn’t make a decision as a father, then I would.

Lucas would not suffer because of his absence.

An hour later, Rachel stormed into my hospital room, her face red with fury.

“Where the hell is Ethan?” she demanded.

I let out a bitter chuckle. “Good question.”

Her hands curled into fists. “You and your son were in a car explosion, and he’s not here? What kind of man is he?”

“The kind who doesn’t care,” I murmured.

Rachel’s face softened as she sat beside me. “Katelyn… I know you still want to believe in him, but how much more proof do you need?”

I swallowed hard. “Don’t worry. I don’t need any more proof. Even if I were dead, Ethan wouldn’t care.”

Suddenly, a notification on my phone drew my attention.

A news alert.

“Scarlett seen entering luxury hotel with mystery man.”

My heart pounded as I clicked on the article.

A series of photos filled the screen.

Scarlett stepping out of a black car, wearing a sleek dress.

Scarlett entering the hotel.

Scarlett—linked arm-in-arm with a man.

A man I knew all too well.

Ethan.

I stared at the image, my fingers tightening around the phone.

Rachel leaned over my shoulder. “Oh my God.”

My throat felt raw, my pulse pounding in my ears.

I scrolled down. More photos. Ethan and Scarlett, exiting the hotel at night. Their heads down, trying to avoid the cameras.

A sharp pain twisted in my chest.

He hadn’t just ignored my calls.

He hadn’t just abandoned his son.

He had chosen her.

Over me. Over Lucas. Over everything.

Rachel’s voice was distant, as if she was speaking from far away. “Katelyn…?”

I blinked, my vision blurry.

I had spent years telling myself that Ethan and I were broken, but seeing it like this—so clear, so undeniable—felt like a knife to the gut.

Rachel reached for my phone. “Katelyn, say something.”

I let out a slow, shuddering breath.

“I think I finally understand.”

Rachel hesitated. “Understand what?”

I looked up at her, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me.

“He was never mine to begin with.”