Chapter 2

"Adrian, stop, the nurse will see us," Jessica said in a spoiled tone.

"I don't care." Adrian said dismissively, then kissed Jessica's forehead again. "I love you so much I can't stop. Do you know how scared I was of losing you just now?"

 

Jessica's face clouded over, her hand pushing Adrian's chest. "But... you belong to Anna now. You're her husband."

Adrian laughed cynically. "Honey, I've told you many times, haven't I? I only love you. All this time, Anna has just been a tool I used to keep you healthy. She loves me so much and obeys my every word like a fool," continued Adrian, kissing Jessica's face again.

  

A piercing tightness gripped Anna's chest as tears flowed so profusely they blurred her vision.

"They're right, I am stupid," she muttered.  

All this time, she had loved Adrian so much that she obeyed his every command. Even when he asked her to donate blood three times a week for Jessica, she agreed as long as Adrian was happy.

"Honey, what if you fall in love with Anna for real? Will I lose you?" Jessica began to shed tears. Adrian wiped them away gently.

"Hey, don't cry, honey. I'm only using her to keep you alive, because only her blood and organs are compatible with your rare blood type. Once you're completely healed and stable, I'll divorce her and marry you right away. She never had a place in my heart, Jess. Besides, she can't give me children. Marrying you and having children has always been my dream."  

Every word Adrian spoke was a knife twisting in Anna's chest, squeezing her heart until it shattered. She couldn't hold herself up and fell down in front of the door.

"Adrian... so you married me because of Jessica?" whispered Anna, biting her lip until it bled. Her hands squeezed her stomach, where their baby had just grown.

During their three years of marriage, Anna felt she was the luckiest woman alive because she was married to Adrian, the heir to the richest family in town.

 It all started when they met at her father's company birthday party five years ago. She was captivated by him when Adrian defended her in front of her father's business associates who insulted her and compared her to Jessica.  

A few years later, right after Jessica was diagnosed with kidney failure, Adrian proposed to her. After they got married, Adrian's attitude, which was initially warm, slowly turned indifferent.

But at that time, Anna just thought her husband was tired from work and therefore didn't give her enough attention, so she always begged for his attention. But it turned out that the reason for all this was Jessica.  

"Anna? What are you doing here? Are you okay?"  

Anna slowly looked up to see a doctor staring at her with concern.  

She quickly wiped her tears. "I'm fine, I just tripped," Anna made an excuse.  

The doctor slowly helped Anna stand up. "You have to be careful, your condition is not stable yet, Anna. I looked for you in the room and couldn't find you to give you your test results after the operation."  

The doctor helped Anna back to her room and handed her an envelope with her test results.

"Anna, I have to be honest with you. Jessica's kidney transplant was successful, but... your body has suffered serious complications."

Anna froze for a moment. "Complications?"

"Actually, the team of doctors initially refused to perform the operation when they found out you were pregnant. The risk of miscarriage was too great. But... your mother insisted. She signed a forced surgery consent form and said that Jessica's life was more urgent."

The doctor sighed deeply.

"We tried our best to stabilize your condition because you were experiencing extreme blood pressure reduction. But... we are very sorry. We couldn't save the baby. You had a miscarriage while on the operating table."

At that moment, Anna's heart seemed to stop. Her breathing felt so tight, her hands trembling violently as she read the lab results there.  

 Anna touched her stomach, hoping that the life that had been there that morning was still there.  

"How... how is this possible...? Doctor... my baby... my baby... Why would my mother do this...." Anna burst into tears. The doctor quickly supported her body and hugged her.

Anna felt as though thousands of stones had been thrown at her chest. Adrian and Jessica had already shattered her heart, and now her mother's actions made her feel as though her entire world had crumbled. After waiting three years to have a baby, she had lost it in an instant.

The doctor patted Anna's shoulder gently. "I suggest you tell your husband right away. What you need most right now is his support."

Anna's face hardened, and her tears stopped instantly at the absurd suggestion. 

The doctor thought Anna had calmed down, so he quickly left the room.

Adrian's support? Anna laughed bitterly to herself. She clenched her fists. For three years, that man had drained her blood to save Jessica, without caring that she had developed aplastic anemia 

from giving Jessica excessive blood transfusions, and now she had to lose an organ and a fetus because of her husband's selfishness.

When she heard the door open, Anna quickly hid the test results under her pillow.

Anna stared at Adrian as he walked in and approached her.

Her heart began to pound again as she felt her husband's cold gaze, without any concern, in contrast to when he looked at Jessica.

"You didn't answer my call," Anna said softly.

"I just finished a meeting with a client," Adrian replied.

Anna scoffed inwardly at his lie. She clutched the blanket tightly, deciding to keep the baby a secret, she knew Adrian would never care about her or the baby, he only cared about Jessica.

The man looked Anna up and down, then touched her shoulder. The touch that used to be soothing to Anna now made her blood boil. 

"Anna, I'm glad you look well," the man smiled. But Anna saw no warmth in his smile; he didn't even ask how she was feeling.

 "But Anna, I'm sorry I can't stay with you too long. I heard that your parents have to go out of town on sudden business, so Jessica is alone in her room. Given her condition, she needs to be watched at all times. So I decided to take care of her."

"My condition is also not stable yet, can you stay with me longer? For Jessica, I think I can contact her assistant." Anna tried to hold the man back to see his reaction.

"How can I trust her to anyone other than her family? Besides, your condition and Jessica's are clearly different. You only have a small stitched wound, while Jessica almost lost her life a few hours ago. Please understand her condition."

"I just lost my kidney and our baby. You say I only have a small stitched wound?!" Anna screamed inside her heart. 

"Are you really going to leave me alone? You know, I also need you as my husband," said Anna, even though she secretly felt disgusted by her own words. 

Adrian sighed heavily. "Please don't be selfish. Jessica needs me now. I have to go.'"

Anna watched Adrian's back as he hurried towards the door. The tears she had been trying to hold back finally fell down her cheeks. Anna stared blankly at the door after Adrian was gone. 

Anna roughly wiped away her tears. Through a small glass panel on the door, she accidentally saw a familiar man staring at her. The man was just standing outside, watching her intently without any intention of coming in.

Anna froze when she recognized his intimidating features.

Xavier?

Before Anna could look at him any longer, the man had turned and left, leaving Anna feeling confused and uneasy. 

Why was he here? she wondered.