Chapter 1

Caroline Thompson Aka Mrs Lockwood

“It’s so good that you came. For a second, I was beginning to worry that you might not show up,” Caroline said as she leaned toward the velvet chair in the private lounge of Lulu’s Five-Star Restaurant.

She had chosen this place carefully, her new favorite spot where the soft lighting and elegant décor always soothed her cravings during this late stage of pregnancy. She saw it listed on Peter's schedules and immediately checked it out.

The entire private lounge was reserved just for them...or so she had thought.

But Peter Lockwood, her husband of three years, hadn’t come alone. He arrived with Cerene, her blonde twin sister with dimples to die for, leaning heavily on his arm.

Cerene looked frail and pitiful as always, her pale skin almost translucent under the warm lights, her eyes watery with unshed tears.

She clutched Peter’s sleeve with trembling fingers, her breathing shallow and labored from the asthma that had plagued her since childhood. The leukemia had only made everything worse, draining what little strength she had left.

Peter helped Cerene into a seat first, his movements gentle and protective, before he finally took his own place across from Caroline. He let out a tired sigh without even glancing at his wife.

“Do not look at me like that . Cerene needed my help. You can’t always be greedy with my time, Caro.”

His tone was nonchalant.

The words filled Caroline with a deep, uncertain pain that twisted in her chest. She couldn’t tell if it was the pregnancy hormones or the fact that her own husband had brought her sister to their supposed romantic lunch date.

Cerene sat there looking so weak and tearful, dabbing at her eyes with a delicate handkerchief.

“I-I’m so sorry, Caro,” Cerene whispered, her voice fragile and breaking. “I didn’t mean to intrude on your special time. My chest just felt so tight this morning… the asthma, you know. Peter insisted on bringing me along so he could watch over me. I feel terrible about it.” A single tear slipped down her cheek, and she coughed softly, the sound rattling in her lungs.

Peter immediately turned to her, his hand covering Cerene’s with tender concern. “Don’t apologize, Cerene. You have nothing to be sorry for. You’re fighting leukemia and asthma every single day. That’s far more important than anything else.” He shot a cold look at Caroline. “Unlike some people who only think about themselves, Caro.”

Caroline looked at him, a tight pain flooding her insides. She let out a breath and spoke softly, trying to keep her voice steady. “You know Cerene has a nurse with her most days....she would have helped. You’re my husband. You’re supposed to be here with me. The doctor said I could go into labor any moment....”

Before she could finish, Cerene let out a sudden, wheezing gasp. Her hand flew to her chest, and her face crumpled in distress. “Peter… it’s happening again,” she whimpered, tears now flowing freely down her pale cheeks. “I can’t… breathe properly. The air feels so heavy… I’m sorry, I’m ruining everything…”

Peter slammed his fist on the table, shaking it hard enough to rattle the cups. His eyes blazed with anger as he glared at Caroline.

“What’s wrong with you, Caro?! Your own twin sister is having an asthma attack right here, and you’re doing nothing.. Just because you are nine months pregnant. You are so greedy. Women give birth all the damn time....it’s nothing special compared to what Cerene is going through with her leukemia.”

His voice was cold and nonchalant, as if their date had been nothing but a mistake from the start. Cerene sobbed quietly beside him, looking smaller and more pitiful by the second. “Please don’t fight because of me,” she pleaded through her tears, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’ll be fine… just give me a moment…”

Caroline felt tears welling up in her eyes, her heart twisting uncomfortably. She had hoped arranging this lunch would help Peter bond with her and the baby.

She had imagined he would finally rub her belly and tell her he loved her. Instead, she received only scolding....because of her sister, who always managed to make her feel small even in her presence. Cerene had always found a way to come between them. Peter rarely said anything without mentioning Cerene’s name, always defending her fragility, always putting her first.

Cerene was Caroline’s twin, younger by a few minutes. Born with severe asthma that had worsened over the years, and now battling leukemia on top of it, her health had always been fragile.

Everyone around them seemed to care more about Cerene than about Caroline. But Caroline had never expected her husband to stop prioritizing her and choose her own twin sister instead.

Caroline swallowed hard and forced a small smile. She reached out to touch Peter’s collar while he was busy comforting Cerene. The second her fingers brushed him, he flinched as if her touch burned him.

“Do not touch me. You are so annoying, Caro,” he seethed, pulling away sharply.

She looked into his eyes...the same eyes that had once gazed at her with softness....now staring at her like she was a contagious disease. Peter didn’t care that she had booked the entire private lounge for them.

He didn’t care that she had worn her best dress for him, the fabric stretching over her rounded belly. To him, it was all a waste of money and time.

Caroline felt shattered by her husband’s behavior. This was how their three years of marriage had been. Still, she clung to the hope that he would one day give her the affection and love she craved. Maybe after the baby came, things would change.

A waiter arrived with water. Caroline thanked him calmly with a smile, though her hands trembled slightly, and picked up the menu. She decided on a light Greek salad to satisfy her craving, hoping the simple meal might ease the tension.

She glanced at Peter. His attention remained fixed on Cerene, who was still dabbing at her tears and taking shallow breaths.

Caroline cleared her throat. “Darling, at least pick something. We’re already here. I’m sorry I upset you, but please eat something for my sake.”

Peter didn’t bother looking at her. “Order the same thing you’re having,” he said dismissively, a small smile curving his lips only when Cerene gave him a weak, grateful look. Another notification lit up his phone, but he ignored it for a moment to pat Cerene’s hand reassuringly. “You’re being so strong, Cerene. Hang in there.”

Caroline pressed her lips into a thin line and placed the order. At least he had agreed to eat, even if his focus was entirely elsewhere.

Then the contractions began.

She shifted slowly in her seat as an uncomfortable pressure built inside her, like something was forcing its way out. A sharp pain gripped her lower back and abdomen. She pressed both hands to her waist, breathing through the growing discomfort, trying not to make a scene.

Peter didn’t notice at first. But Cerene’s condition worsened suddenly. Her wheezing grew louder, her body shaking with the effort to breathe. “Peter… I need… the hospital,” she gasped tearfully, clutching his arm desperately. “It feels like my lungs are closing… the leukemia makes everything so much harder…”

Peter jumped up immediately, his face filled with alarm. “I’m here, Cerene. I’ve got you.” He wrapped his arm around her frail shoulders, helping her to her feet with utmost care. Without a second glance at Caroline, he started guiding her toward the exit. “We’re going to the hospital right now. Just stay with me.”

“Peter… I’m not… fine…” Caroline winced, her voice strained as another contraction hit her harder. The pain was intensifying, radiating through her body.

But he ignored her completely, fully focused on Cerene. “Yes, we’re coming right now. Hang on, okay…” He didn’t even finish addressing Caroline as he stormed out with her sister, leaving her alone in the private lounge.

The moment Peter left with Cerene, Caroline’s water broke. Warm fluid soaked her dress. She let out a pained cry as the waiter approached with their food. He quickly helped her to her car, concern etched on his face.

Despite the weakness spreading through her body, Caroline refused to give up on their baby. Tears streaming down her cheeks, she drove herself to the nearest hospital, one hand on the steering wheel and the other clutching her belly. The contractions came faster now, each one stealing her breath.

For three years, Peter had always chosen Cerene. For three years, he had barely given her a second glance. At times she even wondered if she was being selfish...

When Peter first met Cerene....It had seemed harmless at first....a brother-in-law looking after his sister-in-law. Now it was destroying her marriage.

As the contractions got worse, so did the speed of her car.

She reached the hospital and called for help. Paramedics rushed forward and assisted her inside, wheeling her straight to the delivery room.

“Ma’am, the baby is breech, and a normal delivery will be nearly impossible,” one of the nurses said after examining her. “You can’t sign the C-section consent form in your current state. We need a signature from your husband or another next of kin. Is there anyone you can call?”

Caroline thought quickly, sweat beading on her forehead. She asked them to call her husband, hoping the nurse’s call would bring him to witness the birth of his child.

The nurse dialed several times, but it went to voicemail. Caroline then gave them her mother’s number. The same result.

The nurse looked at her with pity. “Ma’am, if we don’t get someone soon, the baby may not survive.”

Caroline blinked back tears, her throat tight. “Why can’t I sign it? I’m fully aware and in control of my emotions. Let me sign it. My husband will come soon.”

“I’m sorry, but that’s not how it works. A patient can’t sign for herself,” the nurse said firmly.

“Then keep trying my husband’s number until he answers,” Caroline said through gritted teeth, enduring another powerful contraction.

The pain was becoming unbearable. Her life and her baby’s life were in danger, yet her husband’s phone remained unreachable. She lay there in the delivery room, surrounded by beeping monitors and concerned medical staff, feeling utterly alone.

Suddenly, the door burst open. Peter stormed in, his face flushed and his expression urgent. Cerene was nowhere in sight, but his focus was laser-sharp on Caroline.

“Caro,” he said, his voice demanding and cold, not even asking how she was. “They need a bone marrow donor for Cerene immediately. Her leukemia has taken a turn for the worse after that asthma attack. You’re her twin....you’re the perfect match.We’re doing this now. She needs it more than ever.”

Caroline stared at him in shock, another contraction ripping through her as the doctors prepared for the emergency C-section.

Peter stood there, not with concern for his wife or their unborn child, but with the cold calculation of a man determined to save the woman he truly cared for.