BAD WIFE

Chapter {34}

Having no idea what to do, Baylee reached for the only person who ever made her feel safe—her big sister.

Clarissa jolted awake the moment her phone rang, her gut twisting before she even answered. "What's wrong?" Her voice was instantly alert.

"I'm in pain... and drenched in blood... a lot of it..." Baylee's voice cracked with fear.

"Oh God..." Clarissa's feet hit the floor as she flew out of bed. "Okay, listen to me—don't panic. These things happen, and it doesn't mean the baby isn't okay." She forced her tone to remain calm, soothing, steady. "Just relax, I'm coming right now."

Baylee could barely whisper, "Okay," before the call ended.

Less than fifteen minutes later, they were at the hospital.

Time became a cruel joke in that sterile room. Seconds stretched into eternities as they waited—waited to hear if the tiny life growing inside her was still strong, still there. Death itself felt like it loomed in the corners, inching closer with every tick of the monitor.

And then—finally—a rapid, rhythmic beat filled the room. Her baby's heartbeat. Strong. Fierce. Alive.

Both sisters released a breath that had lodged in their chests like daggers.

The doctor, a young man with warm eyes and a calm presence, explained the situation. "She's in the early stages of labor," he said gently. "But the baby's lungs aren't fully developed yet."

Baylee's heart shattered. She wasn't ready. The baby wasn't ready.

"We're going to administer medication to stop the contractions and help accelerate lung development," he continued. "This will give both of you a better chance."

Clarissa and Baylee nodded silently, hanging onto every word.

"Most likely, she'll deliver this week. It's a high-risk situation, and the baby will likely need to stay in the NICU for several weeks."

Baylee's throat tightened. Tears filled her eyes. Look what I've done... She couldn't even give her daughter a safe space to grow. "Is she... is she going to be okay?"

The doctor's voice softened. "We're going to do everything we can. You need to rest, okay? Lots of it. That's your only job right now."

He gave her a reassuring smile before stepping out.

Clarissa remained by Baylee's side as the contractions were brought under control and the medicine slowly lulled her into sleep. Her baby sister looked so small, so fragile, swallowed up in that hospital bed. She sat on the one-seater couch nearby, her arms folded tightly as she watched her.

Baylee had made one thing clear through exhausted tears—Don't call him. Not yet.

So Clarissa didn't.

Not long after, Sabrina and Nathan arrived, their faces laced with worry. Clarissa filled them in quietly, and the three siblings sat in silence, their presence speaking the words they didn't know how to say.

Then Baylee's phone started to ring from the nightstand beside her bed.

None of them moved to answer it.

It rang again.

"You two should go home. I'll stay with her tonight," Sabrina finally said, her voice hushed.

Nathan raised a brow. "Yeah, okay..."

"No." Clarissa looked over sharply. "I'll stay."

"I want to," Sabrina insisted, her voice more emotional this time. She was remembering her own pain, her own loss—Auden. She wanted to be the one to stay.