Chapter 1 - The Strike
The violent sound of a sharp, heavy slap echoed off the polished marble walls of the luxury maternity suite at St. Catherine’s Hospital.
Ryan stumbled back three full steps, clutching his burning, bright red cheek with a trembling hand. He wore a dark blue tailored vest over a crisp white dress shirt with a dark tie, his polished corporate image instantly shattered. His eyes flared with defensive shock as he stared at the silver-haired man standing in front of him.
Claire’s father—a distinguished billionaire wearing an immaculate navy blue suit—stood with his fists clenched at his sides, his shoulders trembling with absolute rage.
"You gave away my daughter’s private suite while she was in labor?!" her father roared, his stern voice shaking the glass windows of the private room.
Over in the corner, Claire’s mother, dressed in an elegant red tweed jacket with a classic pearl necklace, held Claire’s head protectively against her chest, whispering words of comfort into her brunette hair.
Claire lay propped up on the hospital bed in a pink lace nightgown, her pale hands gently cradling her newborn baby daughter, who was wrapped securely in a pink-striped fleece blanket. An IV drip stand hissed quietly beside her, monitoring her vital signs.
At the threshold of the open doorway, two uniformed hospital security guards held back Vanessa—Ryan’s blonde mistress in a white summer dress—who was weeping uncontrollably, her makeup smeared across her face.
Ryan straightened his vest, glaring arrogantly at his father-in-law despite the vivid red handprint burning into his face.
"Vanessa had an emergency C-section!" Ryan stuttered, his voice laced with defensive arrogance. "She was alone! She needed help, and this was the only presidential suite available!"
Claire lifted her eyes from her newborn daughter. She didn't cry. She didn't scream. Her brown eyes were completely hollow, devoid of any remaining warmth or love for the man she had been married to for four years.
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"Our baby's heart rate dropped to forty..." Claire said, her quiet voice chilling the entire room. "The monitors were screaming... and you still walked out on me when she called."
👉 Read Part 2 to see why Ryan thought he could treat Claire like a nobody in her own family’s hospital.
