Megan hadn’t even had a chance to react when her stomach mmed into the chair beside her. The pain was so intense that she instantly doubled over.


    Rence was still furious and charged at Megan, throwing punches and kicks without holding back.


    Renee yelled, “You bitch! You want to throw hands? I’ll show you what happens when you mess with me!”


    Megan felt her vision blur, everything turning ck, and something warm slowly trickling down her leg. ‘What…?‘ she thought, but before she could react, the darkness <i>took </i>over.


    She just passed out.


    ke hurried upstairs with the first aid kit, only to catch the whole scene unfolding.


    He quickly pulled Renee back, and when he spotted the blood streaking down Megan’s leg, his face went white. “She’s pregnant. I’m calling an ambnce.”


    “No! Don’t call!” Renee snapped, fury written all over her face.


    Renee stamped her foot, shouting, “I said don’t call! Let her suffer–she’s just scum. I don’t believe Ynda would ever go against me for someone like that. You have no idea, I hit one of the kids she cared about before, and she didn’t even have the guts to stand up to me. Some people are born beneath us—nothing but animals, nothing but ants, destined to <i>be </i>stomped on!”


    ke’s eyes darted with a sudden emotion, unease twisting in his chest as memories crashed in. Years back, Renee had smacked his little brother–just a kid trying to beg for coins–so hard, the poor boy went deaf in one ear. I’ll never forget that day,‘ ke thought. ‘How could anyone be so cruel?‘


    Renee had been about fifteen then, done up like the queen bee of the school. Everywhere she went, a swarm of students tagged along, worshipping her every move. She acted like she owned the ce.


    She tossed a handful of hundred–dor bills onto the ground, then coldly instructed Jasper rk, her bodyguard, “I never want to <i>see </i>these disgusting beggars here again. Make sure they’re gone next time. They’ve totally ruined my mood for shopping.”


    The bodyguard, clearly panicked, instantly grabbed ke’s brother and hauled him off to the side.


    ke’s brother tried to crawl after the cash, but those other students only jeered at him,ughing and kicking the bills around like it was some kind of joke–a cruel chorus of mockery echoing down the street.


    Renee joined in, herugh ringing out, clear and bright like tinkling chimes.


    They were all just kids back then, too young to tell right from wrong, caught up in herd mentality. Maybe they just wanted Renee’s approval, and that’s why they did such things.


    After losing hearing in one ear, ke’s little brother scraped up the scattered bills and bought a cake for ke’s birthday.


    But hardship haunted every corner of their lives.


    20


    On the way home, his brother stumbled and the cake was ruined, and all the two of them could do was hold each other and weep.


    Back then, ke swore to himself that one day, he’d rise above it all.


    But with no degree and no connections, climbing out of that pit felt damn near impossible.


    He raced like he didn’t care if he lived or died, just scrambling to pay his brother’s medical bills–never thinking he’d ever run into Rence again.


    Back then, Charles had shoved a wad of cash his way and forced him overseas.


    Now he was back, and Renee hadn’t changed a bit–those same malicious eyes, just as cold–blooded and uncaring as before.


    Good. That just means when he finally goes for payback, he won’t feel even a hint of guilt.


    Renee slipped her arm around ke, smirking with obvious pride. “Hah! That’s what happens if you mess with me! ke, same goes for you–cross me, and I’ll ruin you.”


    ke met her gaze, the words echoing quietly in his head.


    ‘Renee, you already made my life hell–way before today, ke thought to himself.


    ‘If it weren’t for Ynda’s deal, there’s no way I’d have wed my way out of that nightmare ande back, he told himself.


    Not a soul had any idea what kind of hell he’d been through out there, all alone in a foreignnd.


    ke gently brushed Renee’s hair back from her ear, his voice soft. “I’d never hurt you, Renny. Come on, let’s head out–this ce reeks of blood. Not somewhere we want to stay.”


    Renee rose up on her tiptoes and pressed a sweet kiss to his cheek, her eyes sparkling with pride.


    “Exactly!” Renee wrinkled her nose with a frown. “Blood smells so filthy–just makes me sick.”


    Still hanging onto his arm, Renee sauntered off with ke, their syrupy smiles painting them like the perfect lovestruck pair as they left all the chaos behind.


    After they left, finally someone dared to pick up the phone and call the cops.


    Megan was rushed to the hospital, but it was already toote–the baby was gone.


    She’d wanted to trust Greg one <i>more </i>time, just for the little one. But now, there was nothing left to hope for.


    <b>***** </b>


    Ynda was just about to drift off when the hospital called out of the blue.


    The doctor’s voice was urgent–Megan was in the ER, and since they hadn’t been able to get through to Greg, Ynda was their only hope. “Please get here as fast as you can,” he said.


    9:14 Wed, <b>Oct </b><b>1 </b>


    Ynda didn’t even stop to think; she snatched up her car keys and rushed out the door.


    7)


    55 vouchers


    By the time Ynda arrived at the hospital, Megan was already being wheeled out of the emergency room.


    Her eyes were closed, and there was no trace of life left in her.


    Ynda just couldn’t understand how things could go so suddenly wrong. She took Megan’s hand; all she could feel was the cold, lifeless touch that sent a shiver through her.


    The doctor exined grimly, “We couldn’t save the baby, and her condition is serious. We’ve been trying her husband’s phone, but can’t get through. She needs another surgery–there’s a problem with her fallopian tube and it has to be removed. If we don’t do it now, it’ll be really hard for her to ever get pregnant again. But we need her husband’s signature to go ahead.”


    It was a major decision, but before Megan passed out, she’d said she had no parents–just her husband.


    Without her husband’s signature, they couldn’t do the


    surgery.


    Ynda held onto Megan’s cold hand, ncing at her ghostly pale face, then whipped out her phone to call Greg.


    Megan couldn’t get through earlier, but Ynda managed to connect.


    “Greg, where are you?” Ynda demanded.


    Greg’s voice came out thin and shaky. He was struggling to pick himself up off the dirty pavement at the mouth of an alley, moving inch by inch, fighting to not just copse.


    His entire body was a mess of cuts and bruises, and pain stabbed at his side with every breath–he could tell at least a couple ribs were broken. Even the smallest step felt like torture.


    He hadn’t dared answer Megan’s calls before. ‘She’s pregnant… if she knew what happened to me, she’d only worry herself sick,’ Greg thought, guilt gnawing at him.


    “I’m outside,” Greg rasped, forcing himself to sound as steady as possible. “Is there something you need, Miss Grant?”


    Ynda had given him the cash before and wiped out all his debts, leaving him free from that hellhole.


    But even tonight, he was still being hounded by those guys–their real target was Ynda all along.


    Greg might be slow, but even he could see through it. Those people were set on driving him insane, using his old debts to force him to hit up Ynda for money, just like before–to make him screw up his life all over again.


    Ynda threatened to kill himst time–that pulled him back from the edge.


    Now his debts were gone. He didn’t have to keep lying to Megan every day, and didn’t have to watch his back every night, terrified someone was out for payback.


    He could finally live like an honest man.


    9:14 Wed, Oct 1


    29.00


    Ynda had told him before, if he still had even the tiniest bit ofcience, he should at least think ab Megan’s baby.


    He’d thought he’d lost all sense of right and wrong, but tonight’s beating snapped something back inside him, making him remember the man he used to be.


    He remembered those days when some local boss had his crew after them, a dozen guys beating them senseless. He’d thrown himself over Megan and shielded her, protecting her all the way until college. When did I end up turning into the monster I once fought so hard against? he wondered.


    The concrete jungle of this city really could swallow you up<b>, </b>make you forget who you are and leave you lost in the emptiness. <fn77f7> Read full story at fι?dnοvel</fn77f7>


    Greg pressed his body against the cold wall, tears pouring down <b>his </b>face. Right now, all he wanted was to crawl back home. Those guys took one look at the broken wreck he’d be tonight–didn’t even fight back. nothing but a beaten dog–and just lost interest. They left him there, deciding he was no longer worth their time, probably wouldn’t evere looking for him again.


    He was desperate to get back to Megan, desperate to see her face. All Greg could think was how badly he needed to drop to his knees, beg her to forgive him. He wanted her to know, from this moment on, he was done messing up. Never again–he’d promise her, and he’d mean it.


    But Ynda’s voice was heavy–it cut deeper than a knife straight to his heart.


    “Megan’s in trouble,” Ynda said, her words sharp and merciless. “She couldn’t reach you tonight, so she asked me to bring her to the hotel. I’d barely stepped out when the hospital called–Megan was rushed in, and the baby didn’t make it. She needs emergency surgery to remove her fallopian tube, but they can’t do it without your signature. Greg, I don’t care what you’ve been doing or where you’ve been–Megan needs you. right now. Tonight, she told me she was done with the studio, said all she wanted was to stay home and take care of her child. But now-”