His Ruthless Redemption (Isabella and Dominic) novel Chapter 231

09:07 Thu, Jul 9

Chapter 231

Chapter 231

Isabella’s POV

・

I woke up because for one brief, beautiful second, I forgot.

I forgot where I was, forgot about the hospital room, forgot about the white walls, forgot about the ache in my chest that felt as though someone had reached inside me and hollowed me out from the inside.

For one single second, I was simply waking up.

Then I remembered.

And it felt like losing the baby all over again.

The grief hit me so suddenly and so violently that I couldn’t breathe. My hand immediately flew to my stomach. It hadn’t even begun to grow and it was already empty.

The gesture was pointless, and painful.

There was no baby anymore, mo tiny heartbeat, no future, no little kicks. There would

Just emptiness.

An endless, suffocating emptiness.

I turned my head towards the window.

no nursery, no child, nothing.

Morning sunlight streamed through the curtains. People were beginning their day, going to work, having breakfast, living their lives.

Meanwhile mine felt like it had stopped entirely.

I wasn’t sure how much time passed after that.

Minutes? Hours? I didn’t know. I didn’t care. The distinction no longer seemed important.

Everything felt distant, muted. As though I were watching the world through thick glass.

I heard voices occasionally, nurses checking on me, doctors asking questions, machines beeping, the doors. But none of it felt real.

Nothing felt real anymore.

Dominic sat beside my bed pretty much the entire ti

looking at him.

He kept trying.

God.

He kept trying.

Every few minutes he would ask me something.

“Do you need anything?

No.

opening and closing of

I knew he

Was there feel

presence even when I wasn’t

09:07 Thu, Jul 9

Chapter 231

“Are you thirsty?”

“No.”

9

“Do you want me to open the curtains?”

“No.”

“Do you want me to leave?”

The question lingered longer than the others. Because part of me wanted to say yes. Not because I hated him or because y blamed him. I simply didn’t have the energy to be around anyone.

I didn’t have the energy to even exist. I didn’t want to.

Eventually I whispered, “No.”

That seemed to relieve him, which somehow made me feel worse. Because he looked relieved over a two-letter word.

The realization alone nearly made me cry again.

I turned away, staring back at the wall.

The wall was easier. The wall didn’t look heartbroken every time it looked at me. The wall didn’t stare at my stomach and then quickly look away. The wall didn’t remind me of everything we’d lost.

Then Caterina arrived again. She looked exhausted. As though she hadn’t slept at all.

The moment she saw me, tears immediately gathered in her eyes again. I knew she was grieving too. I knew she had loved this baby already.

But I couldn’t comfort her, couldn’t comfort anyone. I barely had enough strength to

sit upright.

“My sweet girl.”

She sat beside me and took my hand. I let her. But that was all.

She talked for a while, about nothing, about everything.

About how grief came in waves, about how I needed to be patient with myself, about how nobody expected me to be okay.

I heard every word.

And yet none of them seemed capable of reaching me.

I felt trapped somewhere deep inside myself, like I was sinking,

And nobody else could see it happening.

At one point, the doctor returned.

He asked me several questions.

Eventually, he glanced towards

slowly, quietly

and Caterina, concern clearly visible on his face.

“Can I speak with you both outside for a moment?”

I knew they thought I wasn’t paying attention.

09.07

UiUr Thu, Jul 9

Chapter 231

But I was.

I simply didn’t care enough to react.

The three of them moved near the doorway, far enough away that they thought I couldn’t hear.

Close enough that I could.

The doctor lowered his voice. “Grief like this is normal.” A pause. “But I’m concerned about how withdrawn she is. We shoul strongly consider grief counseling.”

Silence.

Then Dominic spoke, “Whatever she needs.” His voice sounded rough, broken.

The doctor’s tone softened. “Losing a pregnancy can be devastating emotionally.”

No shit.

I wanted to laugh.

Instead, I stared at the wall.

Counseling won’t make the grief disappear,” the doctor continued, “but it may help her process it in a healthier way.”

Another silence.

Then Caterina spoke quietly. “I think she needs it.”

Dominic agreed immediately.

I didn’t react, didn’t argue, didn’t tell them no.

Because honestly, what was the point?

Nothing was going to bring my baby back.

Nothing,

Not counseling. Not therapy. Not time.

Nothing.

Eventually, they stopped talking.

The room fell silent again. And I continued staring at the wall.

Some time later, Dominic left. But I barely noticed.

A nurse tried convincing me to eat but I refused.

Then another nurse tried but I refused again.

At some point someone placed a tray on the table beside me. I ignored it.

Food seemed ridiculous.

My baby was dead.

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