He Never Loved Me Until the Day I Finally Left Him novel Chapter 31

Helena Wallace stood in silence, utterly exhausted.

Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, she watched the chaos unfold downstairs.

The wail of ambulance sirens pierced the air before a bloodied Sebastian Hayes was loaded into the back.

Reporters swarmed, following the vehicle like hounds on a scent.

Yet, no one knew why Sebastian had been here in the first place.

It wasn't until the commotion outside finally died down that Helena snapped back to reality.

A sharp, pulsing ache radiated through her abdomen.

"Hold on, baby. Mommy will get us out of here soon," she whispered, resting a hand over her stomach to soothe the child inside.

As if sensing her words, the baby settled, and the cramping gradually eased.

She sat heavily on the sofa.

Her phone buzzed with a relentless stream of notifications.

[Sebastian Hayes Hospitalized Again, Janetta Ramirez Stays by His Side All Night]

The headline had already skyrocketed to the top of the trending lists.

On screen, Janetta looked frantic, nervous, and consumed by fear.

Every micro-expression was carefully calculated to broadcast her deep, unabashed love for Sebastian.

Helena watched the footage with a sense of numb detachment.

Janetta was the other woman, yet she played the victim with such flawless execution that she somehow looked like the rightful partner.

It was a level of manipulation Helena knew she could never match.

Facing the press, Janetta wore a look of guilt, practically inviting speculation.

"Sebastian is doing fine now. His torn wound has been treated, and I want to thank everyone for their concern. I know you're all wondering what happened, and... I'm sorry. This was my fault. I caused his stitches to tear, which is why it's my responsibility to be here and care for him. There's no other reason," Janetta told the reporters, her voice trembling with manufactured distress.

The video cut off the moment Janetta disappeared through the hospital doors.

Right on cue, Helena's phone vibrated. It was a call from Sophia Zane. She answered.

"What the hell happened? I just saw that two-faced bitch's nauseating interview. Didn't Sebastian just leave your place?" Sophia fired off questions without pausing for a breath. "He tore his stitches and went to the ER. Tell me he didn't lay a hand on you."

"He didn't," Helena replied quietly. "I just asked for a divorce. He refused, and we got into a fight. He got too worked up, tore his wound, and collapsed. I called Carter Miles, and that led to the circus you saw on the news."

She gave Sophia a brief rundown of the night's events.

Sophia frowned, her mind spinning quickly. "Lena, don't let this bastard manipulate you. The only reason he's refusing to divorce you right now is that he's terrified it'll mess with his shares in The Hayes Corporation. That's why he's throwing a tantrum."

Helena didn't argue.

But in her mind, she saw the raw desperation on Sebastian's face when he had screamed his refusal.

In that fleeting second, she had seen something deeper—a genuine unwillingness to let her go.

An unwillingness that had nothing to do with corporate shares.