Chapter 4

My mind went completely blank.

The flood of information left me unable to think.

The baby really was mine.

I'd always assumed the baby was lying. I never believed its claim that Cindy's first love was infertile. I'd even suspected the child she was carrying wasn't mine.

I had thought the baby was desperately trying to break up our marriage so Cindy's lover could take my place.

But now, the DNA test proved otherwise. The child was truly mine.

Could it be that everything the baby had said was true?

Had Cindy really married me only because her first love couldn't have children?

Had she really cheated on me?

'Dad, please believe me. Mom really is cheating on you!

'If you don't believe me, just hire someone to follow her!'

The next second, a notification appeared on the phone Cindy had left on the table.

[Honey, what time are you coming to keep me company this afternoon?]

The sender's name was unmistakably Cindy's first love in college, Eric Lloyd.

Only then did I finally believe it. Cindy really had been unfaithful.

Her puzzled voice came from the living room.

"Honey, wasn't there something you wanted to tell me?"

I walked out of the bedroom. My mind was in complete chaos.

Leaning shyly against my shoulder, she asked, "So, what did you want to tell me?"

Clinging to my last shred of hope, I looked into her eyes.

"Honey, could you stay home with me this afternoon?"

She froze. Hesitation flashed across her face.

After a long silence, she finally answered, "I have a meeting at work this afternoon. How about I spend time with you tonight instead?"

At that moment, I understood perfectly. Between Eric and me, she had chosen Eric.

I forced myself to sound calm. "Alright. Then I'll tell you tonight."

My thoughts were in complete disarray, but two things had become crystal clear.

I couldn't stay with Cindy, and this baby had to go.

No matter what the baby's motives were for telling me those things, I could never forget the horrific death I'd suffered in my previous life.

My instincts screamed that this child was directly connected to my death.

As long as it lived, I wouldn't.

If I could terminate the pregnancy without the baby realizing it, it wouldn't be able to harm me.

I needed to find a way to convince Cindy to agree to an abortion.

There was something else I had to do as well. In this life, I needed a thorough medical examination. The cancer in my previous life had appeared out of nowhere. By the time it was discovered, it was already terminal. The whole thing had been far too suspicious.

With that thought in mind, after Cindy left that afternoon, I headed to the hospital myself.

But there, I caught sight of two familiar figures disappearing down the hallway.

I followed them and realized they were Cindy and Eric.

I looked up at the department sign.

[Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery.]

Eric, whom I hadn't seen in a long time, looked gaunt and haggard. He seemed gravely ill.

I glanced at the attending physician's credentials.

[Graduate of a top medical school. Over twenty years of clinical experience in hepatobiliary surgery, gastrointestinal oncology, and digestive system cancer treatment.]

Watching Cindy support Eric as they entered the consultation room, everything suddenly clicked. I finally understood.

That was the reason.

'If that's the case, then this baby has to live. Not only does the baby have to live, but I also have to make absolutely certain it stays healthy until the day it's born!'