Chapter 38 He will only despise me.
"Does it hurt?"
It really did hurt back then.
But the physical pain was nothing compared to the agony of losing a child.
She lowered her eyes, refusing to respond.
Shane grabbed her hand, preventing her from moving, and leaned down to kiss her lips.
"Mmm... Are you crazy?!"
Shane smirked, his eyes filled with a mischievous glint. "When I speak, you answer. It's called manners. If you don't understand manners, I'll teach you. That kiss was a punishment. If you continue to resist me silently, I'll punish you even more harshly."
He added, "And I mean it."
Callie, injured and desperate to protect her unborn child, didn't dare to resist too fiercely.
Even though she loathed Shane at this moment.
She could only feel anger but dared not express it.
She had lost her child because Belinda had performed an genetic testing without her consent, and Shane’s subordinates had mistaken her for the driver who caused the accident, beating her until she miscarried.
To her, both of them were responsible for the death of her child. How could she possibly want to be intimate with someone like that?
Her child had just died!
Shane stared at her. "Look at you now. Where's your so-called lover? A man who can't even protect his own woman—what good is he?"
Callie pulled at her dry, pale lips, "I like it."
Shane was speechless.
Those three words seemed to dismantle all his malice.
Yet, those same three words made Shane seethe with anger.
But he didn't let it show.
The woman before him looked so pitiful, so fragile, that even a harsh word might break her.
"No matter how much you like it, you have to stay by my side. Seeing you love but unable to have, do you know how happy that makes me?" He stood up, casually shoving his hands into his pockets. His tall, lean figure stood straight, exuding a wild arrogance that screamed, "Torturing you is my pleasure." "Callie, you want to run away with your lover? That's never going to happen in this lifetime."
Callie looked at him, "What good does it do you to keep me around?"
Shane met her gaze, "Seeing you unhappy makes me happy. Isn't that enough?" Callie moved her lips, really wanting to shout, "You're insane!"
"I'm leaving." Shane turned and walked out, wanting to say something caring, but his pride wouldn't allow it. In the end, he could only coldly say, "I'm leaving."
Outside, Gabriel hadn't left, he was worried they might not reach an agreement.
By now, Shane had calmed down, no longer as furious as when he first learned that Callie had been pregnant.
His voice softened, "Her injuries look pretty serious. How can we get her better quickly?"
Gabriel replied, "These injuries need time to heal. It’ll take at least two weeks, maybe even a month."
He deliberately exaggerated the time. Callie's injuries would mostly heal in about a week, though the bruises would take longer to fade completely.
It wouldn't stop her from getting out of bed and walking around.
However, to protect the baby she was carrying, she needed to stay in bed for at least ten to fifteen days.
Only after ensuring there were no signs of a miscarriage could she resume normal activities.
Shane acknowledged, "Got it. Take good care of her for me."
Gabriel nodded, "I will."
Shane glanced back at the hospital room before striding away.
Once Shane was out of sight, Gabriel entered the room and immediately asked, "How did it go?"
Callie answered, "Not well; he absolutely refuses to divorce me. He’s determined to drag this out."
"Is he crazy? Dragging this out affects him just as much as it affects you!" Gabriel blurted out, unable to hold back.
"I think he's crazy too," Callie said, her lips curling but her face devoid of any real smile.
Gabriel suddenly recalled something Henry had mentioned earlier—did Shane have a bit of a crush on Callie?
"Um... Callie, maybe Shane doesn't want to divorce you because he likes you?" he asked cautiously.
Callie's expression froze for a few seconds. "Impossible. He only despises and humiliates me."
She added, "Even if he did have a tiny bit of affection for me, I wouldn't accept it. I only have hatred for him. Because of him and Belinda that I lost my child. They are both my enemies."
They are the executioners who took her child away.
How could she ever have feelings for the people who killed her child?
"If Shane refuses to divorce, what are you going to do? You can hide your pregnancy for a while, but as you get further along, you won't be able to keep it a secret," Gabriel reminded her.
Callie already had a plan in mind, but she didn't share it with Gabriel. Because Gabriel was very close to Shane.
If Gabriel knew, Shane wouldn't be far behind in finding out.
Feigning confusion, she said, "I don't know either. Let's just take it one step at a time."
Gabriel suggested, "No, you should secretly escape. If Shane can't find you, he'll eventually forget about it."
Callie glanced at him, her expression darkening. "Do you really think Shane wouldn't find me if he wanted to?"
"True," Gabriel admitted, knowing Shane's capabilities.
"Senior, I'm tired. I want to rest now," Callie said.
Gabriel prepared to leave. "Alright, call me if you need anything."
Callie nodded. Gabriel opened the door.
"Senior," Callie suddenly called out, "Thank you."
"No need," Gabriel replied, looking at her. "With our relationship, you don't need to say that anymore."
Callie gave him a faint smile.
She was truly exhausted, and after Gabriel left, she fell asleep.
In the evening, Caitlin brought some food over.
Callie ate a little. "Mom, I need to talk to you." She spoke with a serious tone.
Caitlin looked at her daughter with concern and said, "Go ahead."
"I want to divorce Shane, but he won't agree. So, I can't get the divorce. But I can't live with him anymore," Callie said softly. "The only way is for me to leave secretly, to a place where he can't find me."
Caitlin gazed at her daughter. "I also asked your dad for a divorce, but he refused. He was very firm about it. I'm thinking we might need to go through legal channels to make it happen. But if we follow your plan, it seems my divorce won't be easy either. So, like you, I think we should leave. Let's go to a city where no one knows us and live a peaceful life."
Callie nodded. "But we have to leave without a trace, Mom. Do you understand?"
"I understand," Caitlin replied. "If we don't want to be found, we have to disappear completely."
"Mom, come here."
Caitlin leaned in closer.
Callie leaned in close to whisper in her ear...
Caitlin nodded repeatedly.
"I'll transfer the money to your card. You settle down over there first, and I'll join you in a while," Callie said.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure everything is set up," Caitlin assured her.
Still, she couldn't help but feel uneasy. "You're here alone, and you're injured..."
"Mom, I can handle it," Callie gave her a reassuring smile.
Caitlin nodded. What she needed to do now was not to be a burden to her daughter and to ensure she had a safe retreat.
Tomorrow, Caitlin would leave. Tonight, she stayed with her daughter, both leaning on each other for support and trust, determined to escape from their current predicament.
The next day, Caitlin reluctantly left the hospital. Callie stayed behind to recover.
...
At another hospital.
Shane looked at Henry, who had woken up, but his injuries would take some time to heal.
Belinda was constantly trying to gauge Shane's feelings towards her.
"Shane," Belinda called out cautiously, her face pale and weary. "We lost our baby, and I'm heartbroken." Shane's expression was indifferent, not even sparing a glance.
"Shane..." Belinda Ayers stepped forward.
At that moment, the secretary strode in, blocking Belinda. Speaking to Shane, he said, "President Robinson, the doctor has been found."
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