Remember That Hurt

Chapter 5 Who harmed whom?

　　"Jasmine, are you okay?" Ethan's voice cracked with panic.

　　"Why are you all standing there like statues? Go get the doctor!" he shouted at the stunned maids who hadn't moved an inch.

　　Even Anna was frozen for a second, but then she snapped out of it and hurried downstairs.

　　Just as she reached Jasmine, Ethan yanked her away roughly.

　　"Anna, what the hell are you doing?" He glared at her like she'd crossed a line.

　　Anna was completely off guard. She stumbled backward, her stomach slamming into the edge of the stairs. The pain was sharp—it left her struggling to stay upright.

　　"Ethan, don't blame Miss Fitzpatrick. I probably slipped on my own," Jasmine forced out a smile, even as sweat soaked her pale face.

　　"Yeah... Ethan, I really didn't do it on purpose." Anna stood there awkwardly, grateful for Jasmine trying to defuse the situation, though she still couldn't figure out how things spiraled so fast.

　　But Ethan didn't even glance at her. His eyes stayed fixed on the family doctor who was checking on Jasmine.

　　"Doctor Xu, how is she?"

　　"Preliminary diagnosis suggests a fracture. But we'll need to get to the hospital for a full assessment," the doctor replied calmly, though his eyes showed hints of unease.

　　"You broke her leg, Anna!" Ethan shot her a death glare, his voice thick with rage.

　　"Ethan, Jasmine and I were just—" Anna tried to explain, not wanting him to think she'd done something cruel on purpose.

　　But Jasmine suddenly cried out. From the floor, she looked up at Ethan, her eyes brimming with tears. "Ethan, my leg... will I ever walk again?"

　　For someone who works as a model, losing her ability to walk would be devastating.

　　"You'll be fine, I promise." Ethan gently stroked her hair, then scooped her up and stormed outside.

　　Anna, still in the living room, could faintly hear Ethan's parting words, "If anything happens to you, I'll make her pay with both legs."

　　Anna shivered, her entire body tensing.

　　Still, she couldn't help wanting to check on Jasmine, despite the gnawing pain in her stomach. All the staff had disappeared, so she clenched her teeth and struggled to stand up by herself.

　　By the time Anna made it to the hospital, Ethan was leaning against the door to the operating room, his head lowered.

　　"Ethan… how is she?" Her voice was small, barely audible.

　　He looked up—coldness flashing in his eyes.

　　Then, without warning, he shoved her hard to the ground.

　　Ethan kicked both of her legs mercilessly.

　　"You b***h! Do you even realize how valuable Jasmine's legs are? How dare you!" He wasn't done. His foot slammed down on her face, grinding it into the floor.

　　"It hurts! I didn't… mean to!" Anna whimpered, curled up on the ground like a wounded animal, barely able to squeeze words out.

　　"Patient's family, come in!"

　　He finally let go and rushed inside.

　　Anna stayed on the floor, trembling, watching his frantic back disappear through the door. Her lips were tightly pressed, but blood still trickled from the corner of her mouth.

　　The metallic taste was overwhelming, making her want to gag. After holding on for so long, this was how it turned out... She let out a bitter laugh, blood gushing from her mouth like a broken faucet. The sight was terrifying.

　　"Miss! Are you okay?"

　　"Someone help!" A passerby was so shocked that they forgot they were in a hospital.

　　More people came running.

　　"She's bleeding!" someone shouted.

　　That jolted Anna back to reality. She slowly looked down at herself, suddenly realizing something was wrong.

　　Her period had been late for almost a month. She'd suspected she was pregnant, but never got around to confirming it.

　　Now the pain was unbearable, worse than anything she'd felt earlier. Panic set in fast, and her voice was hoarse as she called out, "Please! Get me a doctor—now!"