Chapter 8 When Esme opened her eyes again , Liam was right there by her bedside , his eyes frighteningly red from crying . He grabbed her hand , his voice shaking so badly he could barely get the words out . " Esme , I swear I had no idea there'd be an avalanche … I'm so sorry . I really am , I'm sorry … " His fingertips were freezing , but his palm was damp with sweat , as if he was terrified she might disappear if he let go . " You can hit me , yell at me , whatever you want … " The hospital door suddenly banged open . Joy rushed in , her eyes so swollen it looked like she'd been crying for days . " Mrs. Mitchell , it's all my fault , please don't blame Mr. Mitchell … " She was crying so prettily , like she was the heroine in some tragic romance . " You don't know how worried Mr. Mitchell was . The moment he heard about the avalanche , he completely lost it and ran in after you , didn't care about his own safety . He's covered in cuts and bruises … " " That's enough ! " Liam cut her off , turning to wrap Joy gently in his arms . " It's not your fault . The doctor said you can't cry , it's bad for the baby ." Esme watched the whole scene , and suddenly , she laughed . What a joke . She'd just clawed her way back from death , and all Liam could do was worry about whether another woman was crying . " Get out ," she croaked . " Both of you . Out ." Liam froze . " Esme … " " I said get out ! " She grabbed the water glass from her nightstand and hurled it to the floor . It shattered , glass spraying everywhere . Finally , Liam led Joy out , still glancing back at Esme with every step as he closed the door behind them . After that , Liam tried everything to win her back . He had flowers flown in , bought her limited - edition purses , sent message after message to check up on her . But Esme said nothing . She wasn't angry anymore . But she didn't smile at him either . Now , when she looked at him , it was like looking at a stranger . 1/3 0112 Chapter 8 On the day she left the hospital , Liam was there waiting for her . She dragged her suitcase straight toward a taxi . He was waiting by the hospital door , already there . She didn't want to get in his car , so she turned away . Then , out of nowhere , he pulled a riding crop from the trunk and held it out to her . " Esme , hit me . " She stopped , surprised . " If hitting me will make you feel better , if it means you'll forgive me … just do it , " he said , his voice rough and low . " Today's the family dinner . Please , don't fight with me , okay ? " She looked at him and almost laughed . Did he really think everything was still the same ? That he could mess up , she'd get mad , he'd coax her , and she'd just forgive him like before ? e couldn't have been more wrong . She didn't take the riding crop . She just turned and got into his car . She hadn't forgiven him . She just didn't care anymore . On the drive , Liam kept talking , desperate to fill the silence . He brought up the company , told childhood stories , even mentioned the time on their first . date when she fell into a fountain - something that used to make her blush and cover his mouth , begging him not to embarrass her . Now , she just stared out the window , silent . The Mitchell family's old house was lit up , glowing from every window . As soon as Esme walked in , she saw Joy sitting on the sofa , with Grandma Mitchell holding Joy's hand and chatting warmly . Liam instantly grabbed Esme's wrist . " Grandma insisted on seeing her . I didn't tell you because I thought you'd be upset … " She gently pulled her hand away . " It's fine ." And she meant it . She really just didn't care anymore . Grandma Mitchell's face was all smiles for Joy , but as soon as she looked at Esme , her expression turned cold . " You've been married so long and still no child ! Not like Joy - so sweet , so thoughtful . You must come visit Grandma more often , dear … " Esme's hand paused for a second . There was a time when Grandma Mitchell treated her like her own granddaughter . 2/3 01 12 Chapter 8 When did that change ? Probably the moment Esme said she didn't want kids . But it was never just her decision . She remembered that rainy night after Liam proposed . She'd hidden at her best friend's place , panicking about the wedding and too scared to see him . He'd searched the city in the rain and finally , at three in the morning , banged on her friend's door , soaked to the bone , then dropped to his knees in front of her . " Esme , what did I do wrong ? " She'd sobbed so hard she could barely breathe . " I'm scared … scared of the pain … scared . to get married … even more scared to have a baby … " What had Liam said back then ? He'd held her face in his hands and promised , every word slow and steady , " Then we won't have kids . If my family asks , I'll say it's because of me . I'll tell them I can't ." But now , the same man who once swore he " couldn't have children " was fussing over Joy in the kitchen , mixing her prenatal formula with careful hands . 3/3