Chapter 4 1440 "That's great-oh, by the way, my brother is just doing an internship. Why don't you make him your assistant?" Hillary's voice was sweet and bright. Without hesitation, Tristan agreed. "Sure." "But..." She lowered her lashes, feigning just the right touch of worry. "Meredith's mood has been all over the place lately. What if she gets impulsive and divorces you?" Tristan tightened his arms around her and answered with absolute certainty, "Don't worry. She's been with me for seven years-she can't live without me. But if she dares make things hard for you again, you don't have to endure it. Protecting yourself comes first." 'Got it..." she purred. stopped listening after that. A heavy weight pressed against my chest-not just grief, but the ›itter sense that seven years of my life had been wasted. No matter how I tried to smother it, a sharp, relentless pain kept surfacing, just as fierce as when first fell helplessly in love with him. angled and numb, I rushed back to the hospital-and still I was too late. They were already vheeling my brother into surgery. sat on a bench in a daze, adrenaline giving way to exhaustion. ilently, Tristan sat beside me and handed me a cup of warm milk. "Drink a little. You need to eep your strength." took it without answering-not because my heart softened, but because I needed energy to wait or my brother to come through. Ve sat in cold silence until the surgical light dimmed and a doctor stepped out. His face was rave. "We've stabilized him for now, but his condition is critical. He's extremely weak... he may ot wake up. The family should prepare for the worst." My heart sank to the floor. ust then, a doctor who had been looking down sprinted forward. I caught the familiar features, nd he looked shockingly like Hillary. lunged, grabbed him, and shouted, "Stop!" gnoring his struggle, I ripped the mask from his face. It was Hector-her brother. It's you! You did this to my brother!" I lost control and shook him. "Give my brother back to me!" le panic-breathed and opened his mouth without forming words. Tristan suddenly wrapped his arms around me from behind. "Meredith, calm down. This isn't anyone's fault." Taking advantage of the moment, Hector slipped away. Tristan still tried to soothe me. "Don't worry. You have me. I'll find the best doctors- wrenched free and slapped him hard across the face. "Tristan, you've disappointed me so much." For a moment, anger flared in his eyes, then guilt, then a flicker of shame. "If you need to hit or yell, do it to me-but don't take it out on Hillary. She's innocent." Even now, his first instinct was to protect her. At that moment, I finally saw it clearly-these seven years had been nothing but an illusion. When they brought my brother out, I followed. In the ward I clutched his cold hand and choked on the words, "Brother... I only have you... don't leave me..." No matter how I begged, his eyes stayed shut. The next day, Tristan texted that he would arrange a transfer for my brother. I replied once. [You don't need to concern yourself!] Then I blocked him. The string of disasters left me hollow. I collapsed into the hotel bed and slept until I fell into a nightmare. n the dream I stood on a cliff's edge opposite Tristan. He had one arm around Hillary and the other clutching their child. Beside me lay my mother and my brother, broken and distant. Their aces were full of disappointment. I told you not to marry him!" my mother cried. "You wouldn't listen. Now he's ruined me and you rother-you don't even have a place to cry!" Meredith," my brother said coldly, "I spoiled you too much. That's why you let wolves into ou ome. I... can't rest in peace." screamed and reached for them, but they drifted farther away. When I woke up, my pillow was soaked with tears. The ache in my ribs-the constant, gnawing ain-forced me back into the harshness of reality. I had once believed we would be two for life low all that remained was regret so vast it swallowed me whole. regretted loving him. I regretted handing him the power to shatter everything. A dull pain thudded through my abdomen and I remembered with a new, sick clarity: I was carrying Tristan's child. The small life that had once held all my hope had become nothing but in extension of this nightmare.