Chapter 4

I forced myself to stand up. I didn’t want to waste my breath on them and wanted to go into the consultation room first.

But Melissa suddenly stuck her foot out.

I didn’t notice it at first and tripped on it. The impact made Melissa lose her balance as well, and she fell forward, too.

Xavier instinctively caught Melissa.

I fell hard on the ground, hitting my belly along the way. The pain was so excruciating that I couldn’t get up.

Xavier turned around and made a move to pull me up, but he was distracted by Melissa, who yelped in pain.

“It hurts! Xavier, I hit my injured leg,” she said as she choked back tears, as though trying to bear with the pain.

His attention immediately returned to Melissa as he hauled her up in his hands and walked into the consultation room.

Some other patients in the waiting area pitied me and helped me up.

As I thanked them, I stood up slowly and calmly took another queue number again.

Just then, my phone buzzed with incoming texts.

I clicked them open and saw that it was from the family group chat.

Melissa had sent two photos to the group chat.

One was a photo of a bangle with a slight crack, while the other was of Melissa getting her leg bandaged.

The latter was accompanied by a voice message. “Mrs. Marshall! I had the unluckiest day ever!”

My mother-in-law, Claudia Walsh, immediately sent a voice message back, anxiously asking about Melissa’s injury.

“Oh dear, how did that happen? Are you alright? Xavier, you’ve got to take good care of Melissa!

“Don’t worry about the bangle. I’ll give you another one!”

“Thank you, Mrs. Marshall. You’re so good to me! I’m fine now!

“But I really should let him go back. Jennifer was here at the hospital earlier, but when she saw us together, she disappeared.”

After Melissa’s voice message, Claudia sent another one.

“Oh, Jennifer is old enough to see the doctor by herself.

“You, on the other hand, are used to having people take care of you. Let Xavier stay with you.”

Their exchange concluded with Melissa sending a cute emoji.

No one showed me a single ounce of concern throughout the conversation.

I gripped my medical record document tightly as bitter sorrow filled my chest. Even the pain in my stomach seemed to worsen.

Thankfully, another consultation room was opened, and my number was called.

I entered the room in which the doctor asked me a few simple questions before checking me.

By the time everything was done, it was already noon.

The doctor looked at my medical report and started giving me his advice. “Ma'am, the early stage of embryo development is unstable. Keeping this child may be detrimental to your health.

“Of course, we fully respect the mother’s choice, but you have to make your decision early. It’ll be difficult to proceed if you delay it longer.”

I took the report from him, mumbled my thanks, and walked out of the consultation room.

Sitting on a bench along the corridor, I subconsciously put my right hand over my stomach as a mix of emotions roiled in my heart.

We had waited for this child for a long time, and it wasn’t exactly easy getting pregnant.

But now…

“Melissa just had her checkup done. Wait for me for a while. I’ll send her back first.”

“No,” I said as I looked up at Xavier. “Come with me to see the doctor first.”

He stood stunned for a moment before exploding in rage.

“Jennifer Carter! Enough! What have I done to earn such distrust from you? Can’t I even send an injured friend back home?”

“You made this friend a custom bangle, and your mom really cares very much for her.”

“You have a bangle too, don’t you? As for my mom, she isn’t wrong to say that! Melissa is injured and you aren’t. It’s not wrong to prioritize someone who’s injured!

“I’m really tired, Jennifer. Can you please not kick up a fuss like this?”

I shut my eyes. “I’m not kicking up a fuss, Xavier.

“This is my last time asking you this. Call someone else to send Melissa back, and go into the consultation room with me first.”

This time round, he remained silent for a very long time before turning back to fetch Melissa, who had just walked out of the consultation room.

“I’ll send Melissa home first. I’ll come back to you later.”

With that, he left with Melissa in tow.

I felt as though someone had stuffed a wad of cotton wool in my throat, and I was unable to say a single word.

Forget it.

I stood up and walked into the consultation room once more and sat down before the doctor I had seen earlier. “Doctor, I’ve thought it through. I don’t want this child.”

Before I went for the operation, I asked my lawyer to draw up a divorce agreement.

I then texted someone I hadn’t contacted for three years. [Can you come get me right now?]

The reply came in seconds. [Address.]

By the time Xavier dropped Melissa off at her house and came looking for me at the hospital, he couldn’t find me anymore.

I didn’t return any of his calls or texts.

He grumbled, “She kept rushing me just now, and now, she’s vanished!”

Disgruntled, he went to the counter and asked, “Which consultation room is patient Jennifer Carter in? I’m her husband.”

The nurse lifted her head and asked, confused, “Jennifer Carter? Husband?

“She just had an abortion, and her husband came to pick her up!”