He Protected My Baby’s Killer So I Left Him Chapter 04
On my third day at the hotel, I got a follow-up notice from the hospital.
The doctor called me personally.
“Your test results aren’t good.”
“You may need a D&C tomorrow. It would be best if a family member came with you.”
I stared at the four names in my contacts.
After a long hesitation, I held on to one last shred of hope and sent a message to our group chat.
Follow-up tomorrow at 2 p.m.
The doctor says I can’t go alone.
Nico was the first to reply.
I’ll pick you up.
Leo followed immediately.
Got it. We’ll all be there.
Marco sent the hospital’s address to the chat.
See you downstairs at the hotel at 1:30. Don’t be late.
Finally, Matteo called me.
“I’ll take you tomorrow.”
“No matter what the results are, all four of us will be there with you.”
His voice was gentle.
Just like the Matteo from before the accident—the one who would sit by my bed all night if I so much as had a cold.
I closed my eyes.
“Don’t let me down.”
“I won’t.”
At 1:20 the next afternoon, I was sitting in the hotel lobby, my coat in my lap.
At 1:30, their car hadn’t arrived.
I sent a message to the group chat.
No one replied.
At 1:50, I called Matteo.
No answer.
Then I called Nico.
It rang and rang before going to voicemail.
The same with Leo and Marco.
A nurse from the hospital called, reminding me not to miss my appointment.
I told her my family was on their way.
By 2:10, none of them had shown up.
I started calling again, one after another.
Matteo—phone off.
Leo—no answer.
Marco—call failed.
Nico—call disconnected.
Just then, a notification from Isabella’s Instagram lit up my screen.
In her photo, she was sitting on the floor of the apartment.
Broken glass lay near her feet.
A Band-Aid was stuck to the top of her foot as all four men gathered around her.
The caption read:
Accidentally broke a glass. Thank God they all came.
I stared at the photo, motionless.
So they hadn’t disappeared.
They had just, once again, gone to the person they felt needed them more.
I sent Matteo one last message.
Are you still coming?
Ten minutes later, he finally replied.
Bella cut herself on the glass.
We’re taking her to get it looked at. We’ll be there soon.
I called an Uber to the hospital.
Long after my car had pulled away, a message from Marco finally appeared in the group chat.
Go get checked out first. We’ll pick you up when we’re done here.
They had already forgotten that the part I needed them for wasn’t the ride home.
The nurse frowned when she saw me walk in alone.
“Where’s your family?”
“No one came.”
Halfway through the exam, a sharp pain tore through my abdomen.
Warm blood soaked through my hospital gown.
The doctor pressed a hand to my shoulder and told the nurse to prep an OR immediately.
“There’s retained tissue in the uterus, and it’s causing a hemorrhage. We can’t wait.”
“Contact the family now for consent.”
The nurse took my phone and called all four of them, one by one.
Not a single person answered.
She tried again.
Matteo’s call connected, but he hung up almost instantly.
A few seconds later, he sent a text.
I’m with Isabella while she gets her dressing changed. I’ll call later.
The nurse’s face hardened as she read the screen.
The surgical consent form was placed in front of me.
Under emergency contacts, four names were listed in order.
Back then, they had fought to have their names put there.
Matteo had insisted that as my fiancé, he should be first.
Leo had said that if Matteo couldn’t be reached, he would be there.
Marco and Nico had both demanded their names be added, too.
They had all promised that no matter what, one of them would always be there.
Now, none of them had come.
I picked up the pen and crossed out their names, one by one.
Then, I signed my own name on the line for family consent.
“I’ll take responsibility.”
When I woke up, it was dark.
My phone showed more than forty new messages.
I didn’t reply to a single one.
Before the surgery, I had told my parents everything.
They were furious, but they still sent someone to pick me up.
The car they arranged was waiting downstairs.
As a nurse wheeled me out, my phone rang again.
It was a voice message from Matteo.
“Isabella’s settled now.”
“We’re on our way to get you.”
I deleted the message, left the group chat, and deactivated my number before handing the old phone to my father’s assistant.
The car door closed.
At that exact moment, Matteo and the other three were pushing open the door to my hospital room.
My things were gone.
All that remained on the bedside table was an empty ring box.
Matteo took out his phone and dialed the number he knew by heart.
A recorded voice answered.
“The number you have dialed has been disconnected.”
The car carrying me had already pulled away from the hospital.
This time, none of them could reach me.