His Destructive, Toxic Love
Chapter 13

She knew she wasn't worthy of being his wife. He was infatuated with someone else. What was she compared to Nova?

"Yeah, I know I don't deserve it," she said, her gaze icy as she pulled the blanket over herself and lay down.

Feeling ignored, Casper lashed out, swiping the tablet off the nightstand, sending it crashing to the floor. The sound made Eliza's heart skip a beat.

After Casper stormed out, she picked up the broken tablet. The shattered screen mirrored her own broken heart.

A nurse walked in, "Ms. Eliza?"

Eliza tucked the tablet away. "Is it time for my shot?"

"No, it's not that." The nurse looked troubled, her eyes filled with pity. "The hospital just called... you're being discharged." Discharged? They'd just agreed to move her to another room, so why did they accept her discharge request now?

"Is it because my deposit wasn't enough?"

"No, that's not it. It's just... an order from above."

Eliza got it immediately. Someone wanted her out of the hospital. No one but Casper would have the power or reason to do this. It looked like she really did offend his precious sweetheart. Casper's influence was far-reaching. Eliza had no way to fight back. "Alright, I'll go."

"Ms. Eliza, I'm really sorry. But you can get treatment at another hospital."

Eliza gave a weak smile. "Thanks."

The nurse felt sorry for Eliza, handled the discharge paperwork, and even wheeled her out to a taxi.

"Ms. Eliza, I hope you recover soon."

"Goodbye."

Back at home, Eliza's knees were swollen and throbbing. She didn't bother going to another hospital, knowing she'd just get kicked out again.

In Falconridge, Casper's power left her no options.

Her legs hurt so much that she called a doctor online to attend to her at home.

When the doorbell rang, Eliza struggled to her feet and opened the door.

"Eliza?"

"Aaron?" she said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"A friend had an emergency and asked me to fill in. I didn't expect..." He immediately reached out to steady her. "...how did you hurt your knee?" Eliza didn't go into details. She just said it was an accident. Once she was settled, Aaron opened his medical kit to treat her wounds.

The infection was bad. It was clearly festering. "This is serious. Why didn't you go to the hospital?"

Eliza gave a bitter smile. "I did."

"You're not still having issues with Casper, are you?" Aaron asked, sensing something was off. "Surely you're not still fighting?" Eliza wondered what Aaron, an outsider, thought of her marriage. Did he think this was just typical married life drama?

If only it were that simple.

"Do you think I have the right to be fighting with Casper?" The little warmth left in her heart was slowly fading.

"Why did you move out?" He applied alcohol to disinfect the wound, focusing on his task. "It'll sting a bit. Just hang in there."

Eliza gripped the sofa fabric tightly, not making a sound. Over the past two years, she'd grown numb to the pain.

"His heart does not belong with me."

Aaron paused. In Falconridge, gossip about Casper and Nova was a daily affair. Their relationship was splashed all over the news. As Casper's closest friend, Aaron could see how he treated Nova differently. However, the media never mentioned Eliza, the legitimate wife.

To them, Eliza was invisible.