Chapter 2

Caroline's pov

The doctors had finally received the signature they needed… not from me, but forced through Peter’s influence.

No one dared object. His power in this town, his family’s strong connections, and his cold determination had silenced every protest. I had begged them, my voice hoarse from screaming through the pain.

“Please… don’t do this,” I had pleaded earlier, tears streaming down my face as they prepared me for the bone marrow extraction. “I just gave birth… my body can’t take it. Think of my baby!”

But the head doctor had only glanced nervously at Peter, who stood there with his arms crossed, his expression showing no concern for me. “It’s for Cerene. She needs it now. Proceed.”

No one spoke for me. Just like always. My life wasn’t considered. This was my life.

The procedure was agonizing. I felt every painful pull as they extracted the marrow from my hip, my screams echoing off the walls. “It hurts! Oh God, it hurts so much! Why are you doing this to me? I’m your wife! Peter, please… make them stop!” I cried out, my voice breaking, but Peter had already left the room, his focus entirely on Cerene.

The prolonged labor combined with the invasive procedure pushed my body to its limits.

“The baby’s in severe distress!” a nurse shouted. My vision darkened at the edges. “No… please… my baby… don’t let my baby die because of this!” I wailed, my hands clutching the sheets. “I’ve already lost so much… Peter chose her over us again. How could he do this? How could he force this on me while I’m fighting for our child’s life?”

Until finally, after what felt like an eternity of suffering, the doctors delivered the baby....a tiny, fragile boy who barely clung to life. They worked furiously to stabilize him before placing the small bundle in my weak arms.

The moment I saw his little face, so pale and struggling to breathe.

The kind of breathing that was more like a farewell and not a welcome to earth.

I let out a blood-curdling cry that tore from the depths of my soul. “My baby… oh my God, my sweet baby! Look at what they’ve done to us!” I sobbed uncontrollably, my body shaking. “You’re here… you made it… but at what cost? I have lost you because of him. Because of them!”

I held my son close, my tears falling onto his tiny blanket. “I love you so much already. I’ll protect you… even if your father won’t.”

The baby let out one last weak cry, and my heart shattered in the same breath.

Peter was nowhere to be seen. He hadn’t returned after the procedure. He was busy with Cerene, as always.

Exhausted and still recovering, I was eventually wheeled back toward my private ward.

The hospital hallways felt endless and cold. I clutched my baby tightly, whispering words to him as if he could understand. “Your father didn’t even come to see you. Did he ever care for us? I thought things would get better, but no one helped us. They all bow to him.”

As the nurse pushed my bed past a slightly ajar door to a luxurious recovery suite, I heard familiar voices.

I motioned weakly for the nurse to stop, my heart pounding with a sick curiosity. Peeking through the gap, I saw Peter sitting at Cerene’s bedside, looking at her with a tenderness I hadn’t seen in years.

He had bought the best food: fresh fruits, gourmet soups, expensive supplements arranged neatly on a tray.

“Here, Cerene, eat this. It’ll help you recover faster,” he said softly, feeding her a spoonful with gentle care. “You’re so strong, fighting leukemia and that terrible asthma attack. I couldn’t let anything happen to you.”

Cerene looked up at him with tearful, pitiful eyes, her voice weak but full of affection. “Peter… you’re too good to me. I feel so guilty… Caroline must be suffering right now, please make it up to her. But I was so scared for my life... Especially the way she spoke to me, it's not my fault she's the stronger twin. Thank you for being here.”

She reached up, her frail hand touching his face, and then leaned in to kiss him softly on the lips. Peter didn’t pull away. Instead, he returned the kiss gently, his hand stroking her hair.

My world shattered completely. A choked sob escaped me as I clutched my baby’s small hand in mine.

“How could you…?” I whispered brokenly. “While I was screaming in pain, giving birth to your son, fighting for my life after you stole my bone marrow… you’re kissing her? You never care about me. Only her. My own twin…”

The pain in my chest was worse than the bone marrow extraction, worse than the labor. I turned away, unable to watch anymore, my body trembling with silent sobs. “I’m so tired of this… so tired of being invisible while you play hero for her.”

The nurse, sensing my distress, continued wheeling me toward the ward.

I kept sobbing silently, my eyes red from the tears. “He didn’t even ask if the baby was okay. Didn’t check on me once. I gave everything… and for what? To watch him love her more?”

Lost in my pain, I didn’t notice the figure ahead until I tried to stand briefly with the nurse’s help to stretch my aching legs. I slipped on the polished floor, my weakened body giving way. “Ah!” I gasped, bracing for the fall.

Strong arms caught me instantly, steadying me against a broad chest. “Whoa, easy there!” a deep, familiar voice said with concern.

I looked up, my eyes widening in total shock.

It was Alexander… my childhood friend. He had grown so much taller, broader in the shoulders, with a mature, handsome face and kind eyes that now held deep worry. He was wearing a doctor’s coat, a stethoscope around his neck.

“Caroline? Is that really you?” Alex asked, his voice filled with shock and concern as he helped me back onto the bed. “You look so thin… pale… what happened? Are you okay? You seem exhausted, like you’ve been through hell. Tell me… what’s going on? I can help.”

I forced a weak smile, hiding the truth as fresh tears threatened to spill.

I didn’t want to burden him with my problems.

“Alex… it’s been so long. I’m… I’m fine, really. Just tired from everything. You know how pregnancy can be. No need to worry about me.”

I held my baby closer, so close so that he couldn't notice he wasn't alive anymore, my voice soft but laced with hidden pain. “Really, I’m fine…”

Alex’s brow furrowed, clearly not convinced.

He steadied me gently, his hand lingering on my arm as we locked eyes.

In that moment, I was about to free myself from his strong hold.

But before either of us could speak, a furious voice echoed through the hall, cutting through the air like a whip.

“Stay away from my wife!”

Peter’s commanding tone boomed as he approached, his face was cold and laced with anger.

“How dare you let another man touch you!! Our baby is barely an hour old!“