Chapter 10 : On the Next Level I didn't sleep that night . Not even a second . I sat by Liam's bed , watching him breathe like it was the only anchor I had left . His little fingers clutched the edge of his blanket like he was bracing for a nightmare that already happened . Zach never came home . Not a message . Not even a call . The twist became stronger the next day because media storm came just before sunrise . Notifications exploded on my phone . Screenshots from relatives , friends I hadn't spoken to in months , even old classmates suddenly interested in my downfall . Celine Lovelet suffers miscarriage scare after an altercation with fiancé's ex - wife Love triangle tragedy : A mother's grief , another woman's rage . I read each headline like a punch to the throat . Celine didn't just survive - she thrived . She weaponized the moment , let it bleed into a story where she was the martyr and I was the monster. The photographs were damning - Zach holding her hand at the hospital , Celine pale but luminous beneath the headline " I forgive her . " Forgive me ? The audacity ! I wanted to scream . I wanted to rip the phone in half and hurl it into the lake . But Liam stirred beside me , and I couldn't break in front of him . By lunch , I met Neil at a small café downtown . I wore sunglasses to hide the puffiness under my eyes , but I could tell he saw right through it . " I'm sorry , " he said as soon as I sat . " I wanted to call last night . But I had to verify some things first . " He slid a folder across the table . " What is this? " I asked , perplexed . " Hospital files . Records . Notes from her last visit before yesterday's ' incident . " I opened it slowly , the scent of ink and betrayal hitting me all at once . There was no viable pregnancy . There had never been one . I stared at the printout . " Blighted ovum , " I read aloud . " No fetal pole . No heartbeat . They already told her the pregnancy wouldn't progress ... " Neil nodded grimly . " That's two weeks ago . Celine knew she was going to lose it . But she didn't tell Zach . Didn't tell anyone . She let everyone believe she was still carrying his child . " I closed the folder , fighting the tears blurring my vision . " And then yesterday - she used it . The fight . The blood . The perfect timing . " " She staged everything , " Neil said . " The pills she took caused the bleeding . She was never in danger from you . " I gripped the edge of the table . " So while I was kneeling beside her - terrified she was dying - she was already planning how to paint me as the villain . " Neil didn't answer but his facial expression told otherwise . It all made sense now . The media blitz . The very public sympathy parade . Celine had orchestrated the narrative and left me choking on the fallout . I had let her win again . " No one's going to believe me , " I said bitterly . " Not after all this . She looks like a grieving saint . I look like a jealous lunatic . " " They'll believe you , " Neil said firmly . " Because we're going to show them the truth . " I stared at him . " And what if Zach already picked her side ? " Neil's expression darkened . " Then let him burn with her . " A dangerous stillness settled inside me . Cold and sharp like broken glass . I'd been trying to be a better woman . The patient one . The forgiving one . The mother who came back quietly just to love her child . But now ? I was done being careful . St. Luke's Medical Center , 6 PM Celine sat up in her hospital bed , her hair brushed , lips tinted with just the right shade of pink to make her look delicately tragic . The IV in her hand was more for effect now than necessity , and her eyes were glued to the news segment playing on the television . " ... Lovelet has received an outpouring of support from the public after yesterday's frightening ordeal . Many are calling her the picture of resilience . " She smiled faintly and adjusted the pillows behind her . Zach entered the room moments later with a tray of food . He looked tired , haggard- but still orbiting her like a man chained by guilt . " Baby , you don't need to fuss , " she said sweetly . " You need to eat ," he said . " And rest ." Celine let her fingers linger on his wrist as he handed her the tray . " I don't know how I would've survived yesterday if you weren't there . I felt so ... alone . " Zach's shoulders slumped . " I'm sorry for everything . " She took a deep , trembling breath . " I never blamed her , you know . I just ... wish she hadn't hated me so much . I never wanted to take your family away . I only wanted to be part of it . " Zach dropped into the chair beside her , head in his hands . And Celine - behind the soft - spoken tone , the doe eyes , the false mourning - watched him unravel . She knew the odds were in her favor now . Tue , sep su A nurse knocked lightly and entered with a clipboard . " Ma'am , the reporters from MorningLine are downstairs . They're asking if you'd like to issue a personal statement . " Celine tilted her head . " Tell them I'll be ready in ten ." And with that , she turned back to the mirror , reapplying her lipstick like a woman who knew exactly how to turn lies into dangerous lies . Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!