Chapter 1

Eugene Cobb's footsteps slowly faded away outside the door.

I struggled and rolled off the hospital bed.

The induction needles lodged in my spine scraped violently against the bones as I fought back. In the next second, several of them snapped all at once.

A burst of piercing pain swallowed me whole.

The "doctors" Fiona Smith had brought with her grabbed my arm and dragged me roughly back onto the bed.

Watching the way they handled the medical equipment with clumsy, unprofessional movements, realization struck me instantly.

"Help! Let me go! You're not doctors!"

Another wave of stabbing pain twisted through my abdomen. Cold sweat drenched my body as I screamed for help.

But outside the door, Eugene was completely absorbed in the joy of Fiona about to give birth. He didn't hear a single sound.

One of the masked women lifted an even thicker needle and stabbed it into my body again.

The sound of my bones cracking made me scream.

My entire body shook as I cried.

"Eugene has gone crazy, but have you all lost your minds, too? My baby is only seven months along! If it's born this early, it'll die! I'm begging you… Please let me go…"

No one paid any attention to my pleas.

The oxytocin hit my body harder than before. The pain in my lower abdomen surged violently.

I could feel my body slowly opening, but the little life inside my womb showed no sign of moving down.

A chill ran through me as I curled up on the bed.

"The baby… The baby seems stuck. It doesn't have the strength to move… Please, call a professional medical team. When the baby's born, it has to go straight into an incubator. It's too weak… It's only seven months…"

The woman in charge spoke coldly, her eyes devoid of any warmth. "We're only responsible for making sure you give birth. Mr. Cobb didn't tell us to handle anything else."

I tried to shout louder, but another violent contraction choked the sound in my throat.

"But the baby is his child, too! If something happens, he'll regret it for the rest of his life!"

They glanced at me with disdain and simply pulled out their phones, scrolling as if nothing was happening.

I had no idea how long the agony lasted.

Finally, in a wave of pain that felt like it was tearing my body apart, the baby was born.

But it didn't cry.

Its tiny body was limp and soft, its skin an unnatural bluish-purple.

"My baby! My baby!"

A hoarse scream tore from my throat. I struggled to reach for the baby, but the woman blocked me.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the phone in her hand.

Using the last of my strength, I snatched it and shakily dialed Eugene's number.

The moment the call connected, I completely broke down.

"Eugene! The baby's been born, but it's not doing well! Its breathing is weak, and its skin is turning blue! Send doctors here right now! Please, save our baby! The baby's yours, too! If you wait any longer, it'll be too late!"

My voice shattered into pieces, filled with the despair of someone standing on the edge of death.

"Is it…really that bad?"

He hesitated for a moment before speaking quickly.

"Don't cry. I'll come take a look. If it's really serious, I'll arrange a transfer for you immediately…"

Before Eugene could finish speaking, Fiona's aggrieved voice drifted over the phone.

"Rachel is probably just nervous. It's her first time giving birth. I hired very good doctors for her. Nothing will happen to them. She must still resent me for asking her to deliver early… Maybe she just doesn't want to save me and my baby."

Fiona's words were like a knife, striking directly at Eugene's sore spot.

Through the phone, I heard Eugene comforting Fiona, his voice gentle in a way that made my heart go cold.

To Eugene, Fiona had always been the one who got away. Even after she chose to marry his brother for money, nothing could shake her place in his mind.

Not even me, his wife.

Just then, Fiona's voice trembled with tears. "My stomach hurts so much. Am I going into labor?"

Eugene's voice immediately changed with panic.

He ordered people to rush her into the hospital's best delivery suite.

When he spoke to me again, the warmth was gone. Only indifference remained.

"Stop making a scene. The doctor already said the baby will be fine once it's born. Wait until I deal with Fiona's situation first."

"Eugene, you can't hang up! The baby is really dying!"

I collapsed weakly onto the hospital bed.

Blood continued to flow from the wound.

The broken needle was still lodged between the bones in my lower back.

But none of that pain compared to even a fraction of the agony in my heart.

No matter how much I cried and screamed, Eugene never responded again.

Only after Fiona stopped crying did he finally remember me.