My Family, My Friends, My Fiancé, All Hers Chapter 04
Once no one was stopping him, the man dragged me into the underground parking garage.
In the dark passage, his eyes grew greedy and terrifying as he forced himself on me.
I had no idea how much time passed. The ceiling blurred above me, and a tearing pain spread through my body.
The man above me suddenly seemed to notice something and hurried away.
When I lowered my head, all I saw was blood and the torn wounds on my body.
As the world spun, I was pulled back to five years earlier.
The first time I met Ethan was at a crosswalk outside Boston University. A car had run the light and nearly hit him.
I threw myself in front of him and pulled him out of the way, scraping my elbow open in the process.
Later, he told me that as long as he was there, no one would ever hurt me again.
With the last of my strength, I called Ethan.
I wanted to ask him: even if our relationship had begun because of a misunderstanding, what about that promise? Did it still count?
But when the call connected, I heard Chloe’s voice.
“Claire, Ethan’s in the shower with me. What do you want?”
Ethan asked from somewhere beside her, “What is it?”
Chloe gave a light laugh.
“She says her stomach hurts. I guess seeing us get married upset her.”
Ethan’s voice turned cold in an instant.
“Are you done yet? Do you really have to ruin this day too?”
The call ended immediately afterward.
As I listened to the silence on the other end, my cry for help caught in my throat.
Seconds before the world went silent, I used the last of my strength to call 911.
My consciousness finally went dark.
…
When I woke, I was staring at the hospital’s white ceiling.
The doctor spoke gently.
“You’re awake.”
“You were eight weeks pregnant, but by the time you got here, we couldn’t save the baby. You also suffered multiple soft-tissue injuries and need to stay in the hospital and rest.”
I stared blankly as I touched my flat stomach.
Eight weeks pregnant.
Two months earlier, Ethan had gotten drunk and held me close.
He’d said that once we were married, he wanted a daughter who looked just like me.
Now the baby who had never even had the chance to see the world was gone, reduced to blood.
The police came soon afterward to take my statement.
“The man has a criminal record and a documented psychiatric history.”
“He had attacked innocent young women before. He’s in custody now.”
“You called 911 in time. If you hadn’t, things could have ended much worse.”
After the officers left, the hospital room fell frighteningly quiet.
I picked up the phone on my nightstand. The screen was completely clean.
For three whole days, my family, my friends, and the man I loved hadn’t asked where I was.
Calmly, I opened my contacts and blocked every number I knew by heart.
Ryan. Mom. Dad. Ethan. Jason. Megan. Emily…
When the list was finally empty, I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.
A week later, I checked myself out of the hospital.
Because I hadn’t taken my documents with me, I obtained a temporary state ID and boarded a flight to another city.
As the plane took off, I looked down one last time at the city filled with lies.
I no longer missed the past.
What came next was my new life.
…
Meanwhile, Ethan had rented out the entire venue to celebrate his and Chloe’s 2,000-day anniversary.
He spoke to the guests, his voice full of emotion.
“I still remember how a car couldn’t stop outside the university and Chloe threw herself in front of me without hesitation.”
“I was an idiot back then and forgot to ask for her number. I waited outside the side entrance of the university for half a month before I finally met someone who looked exactly like her. Who could’ve guessed she was Chloe’s sister?”
Ryan grabbed Ethan the moment he heard that.
“Are you saying Chloe was the one who saved you outside the university? But Chloe had been sick her whole life. She never went to college.”
Ethan stood there, stunned.
Before he could react, Emily suddenly went deathly pale.
“Look… That mentally ill man on the news who was just arrested…”
“Doesn’t he look like the man who dragged Claire away that day?”
Once no one was stopping him, the man dragged me into the underground parking garage.
In the dark passage, his eyes grew greedy and terrifying as he forced himself on me.
I had no idea how much time passed. The ceiling blurred above me, and a tearing pain spread through my body.
The man above me suddenly seemed to notice something and hurried away.
When I lowered my head, all I saw was blood and the torn wounds on my body.
As the world spun, I was pulled back to five years earlier.
The first time I met Ethan was at a crosswalk outside Boston University. A car had run the light and nearly hit him.
I threw myself in front of him and pulled him out of the way, scraping my elbow open in the process.
Later, he told me that as long as he was there, no one would ever hurt me again.
With the last of my strength, I called Ethan.
I wanted to ask him: even if our relationship had begun because of a misunderstanding, what about that promise? Did it still count?
But when the call connected, I heard Chloe’s voice.
“Claire, Ethan’s in the shower with me. What do you want?”
Ethan asked from somewhere beside her, “What is it?”
Chloe gave a light laugh.
“She says her stomach hurts. I guess seeing us get married upset her.”
Ethan’s voice turned cold in an instant.
“Are you done yet? Do you really have to ruin this day too?”
The call ended immediately afterward.
As I listened to the silence on the other end, my cry for help caught in my throat.
Seconds before the world went silent, I used the last of my strength to call 911.
My consciousness finally went dark.
…
When I woke, I was staring at the hospital’s white ceiling.
The doctor spoke gently.
“You’re awake.”
“You were eight weeks pregnant, but by the time you got here, we couldn’t save the baby. You also suffered multiple soft-tissue injuries and need to stay in the hospital and rest.”
I stared blankly as I touched my flat stomach.
Eight weeks pregnant.
Two months earlier, Ethan had gotten drunk and held me close.
He’d said that once we were married, he wanted a daughter who looked just like me.
Now the baby who had never even had the chance to see the world was gone, reduced to blood.
The police came soon afterward to take my statement.
“The man has a criminal record and a documented psychiatric history.”
“He had attacked innocent young women before. He’s in custody now.”
“You called 911 in time. If you hadn’t, things could have ended much worse.”
After the officers left, the hospital room fell frighteningly quiet.
I picked up the phone on my nightstand. The screen was completely clean.
For three whole days, my family, my friends, and the man I loved hadn’t asked where I was.
Calmly, I opened my contacts and blocked every number I knew by heart.
Ryan. Mom. Dad. Ethan. Jason. Megan. Emily…
When the list was finally empty, I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.
A week later, I checked myself out of the hospital.
Because I hadn’t taken my documents with me, I obtained a temporary state ID and boarded a flight to another city.
As the plane took off, I looked down one last time at the city filled with lies.
I no longer missed the past.
What came next was my new life.
…
Meanwhile, Ethan had rented out the entire venue to celebrate his and Chloe’s 2,000-day anniversary.
He spoke to the guests, his voice full of emotion.
“I still remember how a car couldn’t stop outside the university and Chloe threw herself in front of me without hesitation.”
“I was an idiot back then and forgot to ask for her number. I waited outside the side entrance of the university for half a month before I finally met someone who looked exactly like her. Who could’ve guessed she was Chloe’s sister?”
Ryan grabbed Ethan the moment he heard that.
“Are you saying Chloe was the one who saved you outside the university? But Chloe had been sick her whole life. She never went to college.”
Ethan stood there, stunned.
Before he could react, Emily suddenly went deathly pale.
“Look… That mentally ill man on the news who was just arrested…”
“Doesn’t he look like the man who dragged Claire away that day?”
