Hell Hath no fury like a billionaire's Ex-Chapter 87: Narrow Escape

Chapter 87: The Hospital Escape

Liam’s POV

Pain. That was my first conscious sensation as I drifted back to awareness. Not the sharp, concentrated agony of Diane’s torture session, but a dull, medicated throb that pulsed through my entire body in nauseating waves. The antiseptic smell hit me next, that unmistakable hospital odor of industrial cleaner and despair.

I tried to get up, but the pain wouldn’t let me. My ribs felt like they were on fire, my left hand throbbing where the fingernail had been torn out. Just as I was about to lay back down, I heard voices—and one of them was unmistakable.

Diane’s voice.

My heart began hammering in my chest. What the hell was this witch doing here? Had she come to finish me off? I immediately feigned deep sleep, straining to hear what was happening.

"His vitals are stabilizing. Dr. Chen says to keep him sedated through the night."

Dr. Chen. Diane’s doctor. Of course she would be the one treating me.

"Poor Mrs. Ashton," another voice whispered. "Coming to see him after everything he’s done."

To my greatest shock, Diane, Dr. Chen, and a nurse entered my room. As soon as the door closed behind them, I felt the mattress dip as Diane sat right beside me. I kept wondering what she was doing here after putting me in this condition.

"He’s still sedated," came Dr. Chen’s professional voice. "But you’re welcome to sit with him."

A gentle hand touched my forehead in what would appear to be a loving caress. I fought the urge to flinch away.

"Who did this to you?" she whispered, her voice sickly sweet.

"Mrs. Ashton, you have a heart of gold to be here after everything," Dr. Chen said.

"Thank you, Doctor," Diane replied her voice dripping with false concern. "We may have our differences, but I would never wish this on him."

I nearly laughed at the audacity of the lie. Never wish this on me? She had orchestrated every second of my suffering.

"I’ll leave you two alone," Dr. Chen said. "The nurse and I need to check on another patient. We’ll be back shortly to check his vitals."

The moment the door closed, the one gentle hand on my hand dropped like it was nothing short of irritation.

"You son of a bitch," Diane hissed, her voice transformed to ice. "You just got lucky. Next time I’ll make sure you lose your limbs. Fool."

The mattress shifted as she stood. I heard her footsteps moving toward the bathroom. The door clicked shut, but not completely—I could still hear her movements inside.

I cracked my eyes open slightly, glancing around the private hospital room. How did this woman get so bold? Where did she learn to be this cold-hearted? And why was I so terrified of her?

Her voice suddenly carried from the bathroom, unnaturally loud. "Yes, I’m with him now. He’s sedated... No, the nurses are gone... Yes, bring the injection to his ward quickly. I need to finish him off before they come back to check his vitals."

My blood ran cold. Injection? Finish me off? Was she actually planning to murder me in my hospital bed?

No time to analyze. With shaking hands, I yanked the IV from my arm, wincing as the needle tore free. Blood immediately began to drip down my arm, but I didn’t care. I disconnected everything else attached to me, setting off a cacophony of alarms.

"I need to end him today," Diane’s voice continued from the bathroom. "This is our only chance."

I swung my legs over the side of the bed, the room tilting dangerously as I stood. The hospital gown they’d put me in barely covered my backside, but modesty was the least of my concerns. I checked left and right, making sure Diane wasn’t watching me.

With trembling fingers, I fumbled for the door handle, throwing it open with more force than necessary. I stormed out, banging the door behind me.

A young nurse looked up from her station directly across from my room, her eyes widening as she saw me.

"Mr. Ashton! You need to get back in bed immediately!" She stood, reaching for me.

"She’s trying to kill me," I gasped, lurching away from her outstretched hands. "Diane—my wife—she has an injection—"

The nurse’s expression shifted from concern to pity. "Sir, you’re confused from the medication. Your wife is here out of concern. Please, let me help you back to bed."

She didn’t believe me. Of course she didn’t.

"No," I said, backing away. "No, I need to leave. Now."

Another nurse appeared, a stocky man with a determined expression. "Mr. Ashton, you’re in no condition to be up. Let’s get you back to your room before you hurt yourself."

In a burst of desperate energy, I shoved past the male nurse, sending him sprawling to the floor as I broke into an awkward, limping run down the corridor. I didn’t mind—I was running for my life.

"Stop him!" someone called behind me. "Patient escaping from ward 412!"

I careened down the hallway, one hand holding the back of my gown closed. A food service worker pushing a meal cart rounded the corner ahead, and I barely managed to sidestep the collision, sending cups and soup bowls flying across the polished floor.

The elevator was too risky—I’d be trapped. The stairwell door loomed ahead, and I threw myself at it, shouldering it open and stumbling onto the landing. Down the stairs I went, my bare feet slapping against the cold concrete steps. Each impact sent fresh pain shooting through my battered body, but fear kept me moving.

I burst through the door into the main lobby, immediately drawing every eye in the place. A waiting room full of patients and visitors looked up, mouths dropping open at the sight of me—Liam Ashton, CEO of Synergy Sphere, now a wild-eyed man in a backless hospital gown, bleeding from where I’d ripped out my IV.

A security guard near the entrance straightened, his hand moving to his radio. "Sir! I need you to stop right there!"

I approached him, desperate for help. "Can I use your phone? Please, it’s an emergency."

To my surprise, he handed it to me without judgment. I tried to dial Thomas’s number, but realized I didn’t know it by heart. How reckless of me. My phone was gone—how would I get out of here?

Then I remembered my office number. I dialed it, and it transferred to Vanessa, my secretary. Quickly, I asked her to call Thomas to come pick me up at memorial hospital.

"I’ll be waiting at the coffee shop across the street," I told her, then handed the phone back to the bewildered security guard. "Thank you."

I slipped past him and through the automatic doors into the bright afternoon sunlight. I limped my way across the street to the coffee shop.

Fifteen minutes later, Thomas pulled up outside. I almost wept with relief as I hobbled to his car and climbed in.

"Thank you," I said, my voice cracking with genuine emotion. "Thank you for always showing up for me, for being a loyal driver. I appreciate it—I really do."

Thomas nodded, concern evident in his eyes as he drove me home. For the first time in my life, I felt sincerely appreciative of someone else’s kindness.

I leaned my head against the window and watched the world go by. A world that no longer seemed to have a place for Liam Ashton—not the old Liam, anyway. That man was gone, stripped away along with my dignity, my power, my control.

Who was I now? What was left when everything had been taken?

I closed my eyes, exhaustion finally overtaking fear. One question remained as consciousness slipped away: where do you go when you have nowhere left to run?

I didn’t have an answer yet. But I would find one. Somehow. I had to.

When we arrived at my building, I moved past the security man who looked at me in shock and surprise. Why wouldn’t he be startled? His boss had shown up in a hospital gown, face bruised, with a bandaged hand.

But I didn’t care as I pushed the code and entered my house. I was surprised to see the maid had already resumed for the day, cleaning and preparing food. She was startled to see me in this state as I collapsed onto the couch.

She helped me up and laid out fresh clothes so I could change into something better. After changing, she brought food for me to eat. I picked up my house phone and called Dr. Jason to come to the house.

All the while, I kept wondering what had happened to Diane. How had she turned this cold? How could she not even blink twice at the thought of killing me? The woman I once loved had become my worst nightmare, and I had no idea how to escape her.