Chapter 8  When I came to, I found myself on an operating table. The doctor’s voice was as cold as the room. “The baby’s gone. We’re going ahead with the D&C, Ms. Kennedy. Brace yourself.”  Once the surgery was over, I called Chase. He claimed to be swamped with some big business deal. Feeling completely crushed, I demanded to see him.  When he stormed into the hospital, there was not a hint of concern on his face, just pure annoyance. “Amanda, how long are you going to keep this up?”  The words about our lost child got stuck in my throat. That face, once full of kindness, now looked twisted and ugly to me.  “What’s with the stare? Is this the ‘surgery‘ you were talking about? What surgery did you have?”  Just out of surgery, my abdomen felt like it was being torn apart, and I was in unbearable pain.  ced with his interrogation, Nicole’s words echoed in my mind. There’s no sorrow greater than a broken heart, and I had no energy left to explain. All I felt was a tidal wave of anger.  I’d already suggested calling off our engagement. I couldn’t stop him from being with whomever he wanted. But he insisted on staying, promising to end things with Nicole.  Had I walked away then, I wouldn’t have been pregnant..  He could hurt me, but why did he drag an innocent child into it?  Tears rolled down my face uncontrollably as I clutched the bedsheet.  Noticing my pale face and the sweat beading on my forehead from the pain, he finally realized something was wrong.  “Amanda, where does it hurt?”  In the past, I might have argued back, but now my head was filled with nothing but consuming hatred!  What did I do to deserve being humiliated and hurt by him and Nicole? Why did our innocent child have to be a casualty of their games? Now I felt like a vengeful spirit, clawing my way out of hell, determined to make them pay for my child’s death!  I was at the Kennedy family’s private hospital. Nicole’s boldness meant she’d probably set everything up in advance.  Even if I spoke the truth, she’d just whip out evidence to discredit me.  If only Chase would believe me, the truth could come out, but he was blinded by Nicole. Nicole knew he wouldn’t investigate further and take her side against me every time.  I’d seen her tricks too many times before. This time, I wouldn’t be deceived.  I knew all she wanted was for me to back down and break off the engagement so she could take my place. But I wasn’t going to give her that satisfaction.  Swallowing my grief, I kept the loss of our child to myself.  This was my ace in the hole; only by exposing Nicole’s true colors could the miscarriage serve as a bombshell. Otherwise, Nicole would lead me around like before. She would turn big issues into minor ones and brush them away.  Seeing my tears wouldn’t stop, Chase got flustered. “Stop crying. Is it because I haven’t been around? I’ve been tied up with a huge project.”  Despite his feelings for Nicole, he still couldn’t fully let go of our years together.  “Chase, I had a nightmare where you stopped loving me. I’m really scared.”  “Sweetheart, don’t worry about nonsense. How could I stop loving you?”  Nicole had hoped I’d use this chance to cause a scene with Chase and end the engagement.  She timed her arrival to see me at my lowest, only to find Chase and me wrapped in a tight embrace. Her face, went pale.  That day, I changed. I resolved to catch Chase and Nicole in their secret affair.  No matter how many tricks Nicole pulled, the closest she got was a kiss from Chase. He never crossed that final line with her. But even this was enough for Nicole to taunt me. She would always send me suggestive photos and chat logs, then retract them.  Little did she know, I’d saved every screenshot and video.  I was brewing a storm, planning to unveil everything at our wedding.  Chapter 9