I Raised My Husband's Love Child...Then He Shot Me

Chapter 29

A sharp, piercing scream jolted me awake.

My body felt heavy. My head throbbed. Every limb was sluggish, like I'd been drugged.

I blinked hard, trying to clear my vision—and then my breath caught in my throat.

Susan was lying next to me, writhing in pain, her hands clutching her stomach. Blood soaked the grass beneath her.

Her face was contorted in agony. She let out another scream.

And that's when I saw it.

The knife in my hand.

Covered in blood. Dripping.

I gasped and dropped it like it burned. My heart was pounding out of my chest.

"What… what is this?" My voice came out in a shaky whisper.

Susan let out a weak sob, her fingers digging into the earth. "You stabbed me… Rachel… why?"

"No!" I shook my head wildly, stumbling back. "I didn't—I don't—"

My hands were stained with blood. My dress soaked in it.

Panic exploded inside me. My breath came in sharp, shallow gasps. It felt like I was drowning in a nightmare I couldn't wake up from.

Then I heard footsteps—fast and frantic.

Xavier, Michael, and Maria came running into the garden.

They froze when they saw us.

"What the hell is going on?" Michael shouted, bolting toward Susan.

Maria clutched her chest, pale as a ghost. "Oh my God… Susan!"

Xavier's eyes locked onto me, his expression torn between shock and concern.

"Rachel?" he asked, voice tight.

I opened my mouth. No words came out.

Susan cried out again, pointing a trembling hand at me. "She attacked me! She stabbed me!"

"No!" I shouted, panic rising. "I swear I didn't! I passed out and woke up like this!"

Michael shoved past me and dropped to his knees beside Susan.

"Hang in there, baby," he whispered, brushing her hair away from her face.

Then he looked up, his eyes blazing. "What the hell is wrong with you, Rachel? She's pregnant!"

I stumbled back, stunned. "I didn't do this! I swear!"

Maria was already calling 911, her fingers trembling on the screen.

"We need an ambulance. Someone's been stabbed," she said quickly.

I turned to Xavier, tears flooding my eyes. "Please—you believe me, right?"

His jaw was tight. His eyes dark with worry. Then he nodded. "I believe you."

Gerald showed up just then, his face twisted in fury as his gaze landed on me.

"Rachel, how could you?" he snapped. "You knew she was pregnant!"

Susan whimpered, clutching Michael's hand. "She wanted to hurt me…"

I wanted to scream. Tell them it was a setup. But how could I prove it?

Minutes later, the ambulance arrived. Paramedics lifted Susan onto the stretcher, moving quickly but carefully.

Michael turned back to me, seething. "If anything happens to her, I swear—"

I couldn't take it. My whole body was shaking, tears streaming down my face. I had never felt so helpless.

Xavier pulled me into his arms, holding me close. "I know you didn't do this," he whispered. "We'll figure it out."

The hospital smelled like bleach and heartbreak. The fluorescent lights made my headache worse.

I sat on the edge of a hospital bed, staring at my clean hands. No blood now. But I could still feel it there.

Xavier held my hand while the doctor ran tests.

When the results came in, the doctor shook his head. "There are no traces of drugs in her system."

My stomach dropped. "Then why did I pass out?"

Xavier frowned. "Something doesn't add up."

Before we could say another word, Michael stormed into the room like a hurricane.

"You killed my baby!" he yelled.

I flinched. "What?"

Michael pointed a shaking finger at me. "Susan lost the baby. Because of you."

It felt like the air had been punched out of my lungs. "No… that's not possible."

"She was pregnant, Rachel!" he shouted. "And now she's not. Because of you!"

I clenched my fists so hard my nails bit into my palms. "She was never pregnant."

Michael's eyes narrowed. "Liar."

Xavier stepped forward, his tone low and controlled. "She's telling the truth. We have proof."

Michael scoffed. "Yeah? Where?"

Xavier turned to me. "I'll get Susan's doctor."

He disappeared down the hallway. Minutes later, he returned, looking grim.

"He's gone," Xavier said quietly.

Michael crossed his arms. "How convenient."

A different doctor stepped into the room, expression unreadable.

"Susan did, in fact, lose the baby as a result of the knife wound," he said.

I stared at him, stunned. "That's impossible."

Xavier's hands curled into fists. "It's a setup. All of this."

Michael sneered. "You're both full of it."

Then the door burst open.

Police officers stepped into the room.

"There," Michael said, pointing straight at me. "Arrest her."