Chapter 3

“Talk about eerie.”

As disdain wiped out all doubt in Scarlett’s eyes, she yanked a clump of cotton filling from the mattress.

Scarlett stuffed a handful of stuffing into my mouth.

My eyes widened, and I thrashed to get up.

No human could handle the fine cotton fibers down their trachea. It was much worse for me because I had severe asthma.

Yet, my struggles were met with another smack. Scarlett’s indifferent eyes turned into joy when the phone rang.

“Damian’s gone missing? He must be in the operating room while the baby’s undergoing surgery.

“Quick! Order the most expensive baby care and recovery equipment available. Book the best private pediatric recovery center too. My son’s finally going to be a normal little boy.”

Scarlett shook emotionally, oblivious to the fact that Damian was lying right in front of her.

The dying infant next to me was actually the son she supposedly loved.

The blade sliced through layers of tissue and muscle as my breathing grew shallow.

To keep me alive, the doctor gritted his teeth and injected doses of adrenaline into my veins.

By the end, the pain drove me past the point of sanity, and it felt as if my soul had left my body.

The frantic cries of a baby snapped me back to reality.

Jayden clicked his tongue. “The hearts aren’t symmetrical.”

Blood spilled from the baby’s mouth, and his tiny chest lay open. He still struggled to let out a kitten-like whimper until a hand smothered him.

His body was dumped on the cold counter like a piece of useless trash.

Jayden raised a brow.

“Just announce that the hearts are perfectly matched. I’m winning this round no matter what.”

My child lay there with his eyes gently shut as if he had simply fallen asleep. The grief was so great that blood crept up my esophagus.

As darkness swallowed me, the images of Scarlett’s smiling face burned behind my eyelids.

Scarlett and I were young sweethearts with eight years of history.

We were finally blessed with a child this year.

Scarlett loved the child more than anything in the world, often resting a hand on her belly to feel his heartbeat back then.

“We're going to be parents, sweetheart. Whether it’s a boy or a girl, our child will be my only heir.

“If we have a son and he looks like you, I’ll teach him to ride and practice archery.

“If it’s a girl, I'll spoil her rotten and make her the happiest little princess.”

It dawned on me that the supposed only heir and happiness were simply lies.

While obsessing over gifts to get for the newborn, Scarlett didn’t even spare a glance at our son lying dead and silent.

She was occupied with talking to the assistant on the other end of the line.

“Go to St. Matthew’s and have two crosses blessed. One for my husband and another for the baby.”

Her gaze fell on her broken chain, an uneasy feeling sweeping over her.

“Head down to the jeweler’s and get me another necklace for my cross.”

I stared long and hard at Scarlett’s face, feeling the irony of it all.

It was a shame. This time, all her prayers couldn’t save our child, and they certainly wouldn’t help me either.

As the monitor next to the bed beeped frantically, Scarlett took Jayden’s arm and walked out of there.

She didn’t even look back.

The doctor brushed past helplessly, only to return a while later.

It was clear he had fought a war with his conscience.

“I’m a doctor. I’m supposed to save lives. I don't want my unborn child to ever have to experience something like this.”

He wrapped my baby’s small body and placed him against my chest before pushing me out of that dissection room. He dialed the emergency line for me.

As my stretcher wheeled past Scarlett, my hand dropped down limply from all the moving.

The silver band, etched with a floral pattern, shimmered under the sun.

Scarlett’s eyes widened.

“Hang on!”

Scarlett had carved the petals into the band the moment I said yes to her proposal.

Back then, she held me tearfully. “The flower symbolized my undying love for you, Damian.”

My heart sank when I thought she finally recognized me.

To my surprise, she simply stared at my blood-soaked body and covered Jayden’s eyes.

“Don’t look at the filth.”

She instructed the staff to turn the gurney around and wheel it out through the back exit.

I stared at Scarlett’s profile, a bleak emptiness overtaking me. Scarlett, who once promised she’d find me in any crowd and follow me to the end of the earth, didn’t once recognize me.