Chapter 2

Caroline

The doctors had finally received the signature they needed...not from her, 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. She had begged them, her voice hoarse from screaming through the pain.

“Please… don’t do this,” Caroline had pleaded earlier, tears streaming down her face as they prepared her 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 had no concern for Caroline....“It’s for Cerene. She needs it now. Proceed.”

No one spoke for Caroline. Just like always.. Her life wasn't considered.

The procedure was agonizing. Caroline felt every painful pull as they extracted the marrow from her hip, her 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!” She cried out, her voice breaking, but Peter had already left the room, his focus entirely on Cerene.

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

“The baby’s in distress!” a nurse shouted. Caroline’s vision darkened at the edges. “No… please… my baby… don’t let my baby die because of this!” she wailed, her 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?”

Hours dragged on.... 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 Caroline’s weak arms.

The moment she saw his little face, so pale and struggling to breathe, Caroline let out a blood-curdling cry that tore from the depths of her soul. “My baby… oh my God, my sweet baby! Look at what they’ve done to us!” She sobbed uncontrollably, her body shaking. “You’re here… you made it… but at what cost? I almost lost you because of him. Because of them!”

She held her son close, her 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 a last weak cry, and Caroline’s heart shattered in the same breath.

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

Exhausted and still recovering, Caroline was eventually wheeled back toward her private ward.

The hospital hallways felt endless and cold. She clutched her baby tightly, whispering complaints to him as if he could understand. “Your father didn’t even come to see you. He forced them to take my bone marrow for her… while I was in labor. Who does that? I begged, but no one listened. They all bow to him.”

As the nurse pushed her bed past a slightly ajar door to a luxurious recovery suite, Caroline heard familiar voices. She motioned weakly for the nurse to stop, her heart pounding with a sick curiosity. Peeking through the gap, she saw Peter sitting at Cerene’s bedside, looking at her with a tenderness Caroline 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. Thank you for choosing me… 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.

Caroline’s world shattered completely. A choked sob escaped her as she clutched her baby’s small hand in hers.

“How could you…?” she 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 her chest was worse than the bone marrow extraction, worse than the labor. She turned away, unable to watch anymore, her 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 her distress, continued wheeling her toward the ward. Caroline kept sobbing silently, her eyes were 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 her pain, Caroline didn’t notice the figure ahead until she tried to stand briefly with the nurse’s help to stretch her aching legs. She slipped on the polished floor, her weakened body giving way. “Ah!” she gasped, bracing for the fall.

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

Caroline looked up, her eyes widening. It was Alexander.....her 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 her 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.”

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

She didn’t want to burden him with her 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. ”

She held her baby closer, her voice soft but laced with hidden pain. “Really, I’m fine....”

Alex’s brow furrowed, clearly not convinced.

He steadied her gently, his hand lingering on her arm as they locked eyes. In that moment, time seemed to freeze....the worry in his gaze, the old familiarity sparking something warm and safe she hadn’t felt in years.

But before either 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 dark with possessive anger.