Chapter 33
The Ultimatum
Veronica’s POV
The migraine that hit me when I woke up had me wincing in pain for almost three minutes. At first, my mind was hazy, and I was still struggling to process why I was in the hospital, but then the sharp pain in my sides quickly refreshed my memory.
I jerked up in panic, but it only increased the pain.
A nurse immediately entered the room and her eyes widened in delight.
“What happened to my baby? Is he alive?” I asked but rather than answer my question, she was more interested in calling the doctor’s attention. I was on the verge of losing my mind, and she was busy announcing that I was awake.
“Can you stop yelling and answer my question?” I didn’t mean for it to come out as rude as it did, but I was desperate, and she wasn’t helping!
Before she could say a word, the doctor burst in.
“Mrs Grayson, you’re awake!” He exclaimed. “Your husband has been worried sick about you!”
My husband? Carter was here? How did he even find out? Where was
Orthon?
“My baby…” I muttered.
“Your baby is alive, Mrs. The heavens were truly on your side with this one,” he announced with a bright smile. Relief washed through me and
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my body slumped to the bed.
Oh, thank God! Thank God! We were safe. My child was safe!
“Thank you so much, doctor. I really appreciate this,” I managed to say.
“I will bring in your husband now,” he informed me and left before I even had the chance to stop him.
I didn’t want to see Carter. If there was anything I needed to do now, it would be to make sure that crazy woman rots in jail for attempted murder. I don’t care if she is my father’s wife or not, but she won’t get away with attacking me.
I was still thinking about it when the doctor walked in with Orthon..
My brows knitted in confusion. Didn’t he say, husband? Why did he bring Orthon in then?
I didn’t get to finish that thought when Orthon immediately engulfed me in a good.
“Oh, thank God, you’re alive! I was so worried about you!” He exclaimed, squeezing me tightly.
“Can’t…breathe…” I choked out and he released me with a flustered expression. I chuckled. He was so cute.
“Your wife’s recovery is faster than we anticipated. She will be fit for discharge in a day or two,” he went on to say. I waited for Orthon to correct him but he didn’t.
“Thank you, Doctor,” he said instead.
“I’ll leave you two now.”
As soon as he was out of the room, I nudged Orthon.
“When he told me that my husband was here, I thought it was Carter. Did you tell him that we were married?” I asked him.
Something flickered in his eyes.
“No, I didn’t, but I also didn’t feel the need to correct him. When you think about it, it’s not really a bad idea,” he said with a sheepish smile.
“Orthon…”
“Don’t whine now. Tell me what the hell happened. How did you end up with a stab wound? Did someone attack you in the house?” He asked.
Oh. someone did alright. Intentionally, too, and it was none other than my father’s lovely wife, Betty.
“Veronica?” He called and I sighed. Would he even believe me if I told him? I guess I’d never know until I tried.
“Orthon, it was Betty,” I said, my voice trembling with the weight of the memory.
His brows furrowed in confusion. “Betty? Your father’s wife? What does she have to do with this?”
I hesitated, unsure of how to explain the madness that had unfolded. But there was no other way. He had to know. “She attacked me,” I said, swallowing hard. “We got into an argument, and she stabbed me because she thought…” I paused, my throat tightening.
“Thought what?” Orthon pressed, his voice low and dangerous.
“She thought I was my father’s mistress,” I whispered, my face heating with shame and disbelief even as I said the words.
Orthon froze, his jaw slack. “What? That’s insane! You’re his daughter!”
Chapter 3)
“She doesn’t believe that.” I said bitterly. “She never has. She thinks I made up the story about being his long–lost daughter just to worm my way into his life. And when she overheard me talking to Carter on the phone, she…she snapped.”
His eyes narrowed. “Talking to Carter? Why would that set her off?”
I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. “Well, I was going to tell Carter about the baby when Meghan answered the phone. I discovered they were engaged and decided it was time I let him go. You called a few minutes later and after the call ended, another came in. I naturally assumed it was you and started talking about the baby. She overheard me because she was eavesdropping of course. She thought…she thought the baby was my father’s. That I was carrying his child.” My voice broke on the last word, and I clutched the bedsheet, trying to stop the trembling in my hands.
The memory was both infuriating and traumatizing.
Orthon looked like he’d been punched in the gut. His face twisted with rage and disbelief. “She thought Meshach was the father of your baby? How stupid can she be? There was a fucking DNA test!” he repeated, his voice rising.
“Yes,” I said, barely above a whisper. “And she lost it. She accused me of ruining her marriage and destroying her life. I tried to tell her the truth, but she didn’t want to hear it. She started hurling things at me, we got physical and…” My hand instinctively went to my bandaged side, and tears pricked my eyes.
I could have lost my baby!
“That lunatic!” Orthon shouted, his fists clenching. “You could’ve died because of her jealousy and delusions! What the hell was she thinking?”
“She wasn’t,” I said quietly. “She’s hated me from the moment I showed up, but this…this was different. She really thought I was trying to steal
Meshach from her. She could only do that because my father was out of the country and the guards take minding their business a little too seriously”
Orthon’s expression hardened, and he began pacing the room like a predator ready to strike. “She’s not getting away with this,” he growled. “T’ Il make sure of it. She’s going to pay for what she did to you. Veronica.
His protectiveness warmed something deep inside me, but I couldn’t let him take on this battle alone. “Orthon, she needs help. She’s not well. She might be losing her goddamn mind.”
Exactly why she needs to be locked up.” he said firmly. “For your safety. for the baby’s safety. I’m sure your father would not tolerate this.
His mention of the baby brought tears to my eyes again. “I was so scared. Orthon. Scared I’d lose the baby, scared I wouldn’t survive…
He stopped pacing and came to my side, his eyes softening as he took my hand in his. “You’re safe now,” he said gently. “And so is the baby. I promise you. I won’t let anything happen to either of you ever again.
He took out his phone immediately.
What are you doing?” I asked.
“Getting her arrested, what else?” He huffed.
“Won’t my father be mad? I mean, she is his wife,” I asked worriedly. If I was the one doing the arrest, I wouldn’t care about his reaction, but Orthon respected my father a lot, and this might strain their relationship.
“He’s going to have to choose then. Does he want a daughter or a psychopath?”
