Chapter 1 Divorce

“She’s giving birth!” a nurse shouted, her voice cutting through the frantic buzz in the hospital corridor.

“She’s losing too much blood—get the obstetrician here, quickly!” a doctor shouted as he rushed towards the moving stretcher.

Ophelia screamed in agony, her fingers trembling as she weakly clutched the sweat-soaked blanket covering her. A wave of unbearable pain tore through her abdomen, a burning sensation spreading within her as her body began to rebel.

She felt everything inside her shatter. The fluorescent lights above blurred into bright spots, and the sounds of machines beeping, hurried footsteps, and frantic voices echoed in her ears.

A sharp pain struck her spine like a hammer. She bit down hard on her lip, her mouth filled with the metallic taste of blood, and she kept screaming.

“Please… my baby…” Her voice was barely a whisper, hoarse from exhaustion. “Save my baby…”

The doctor leaned over her, gloved hands pressing urgently on her abdomen. “Mrs. Gray, stay with me. We’re doing everything we can, but you need to focus.”

Ophelia’s chest heaved violently as her body trembled, fighting to stay conscious. She needed Alexander. “Where... Where is he? Where is my husband?”

The nurse and doctor exchanged hesitant glances before gently squeezing Ophelia’s shoulder. “Mrs. Gray, he was notified over an hour ago. He’s on his way. There might be traffic.”

Traffic? He was late and wouldn’t make it in time to welcome their baby. A deep sense of disappointment surged within her, but there was no time to dwell on it—suddenly, another excruciating contraction ripped through her body.

“Mrs. Gray, you have to push! The baby is almost here!” the doctor urged.

Ophelia’s head tilted to one side, her vision flickering. She was drenched in sweat, her muscles trembling from exhaustion.

“I…I can’t… I can’t…”

“Yes, you can,” the nurse whispered encouragingly, brushing the damp hair from Ophelia’s forehead. “Your baby needs you. Just a little more.”

Another contraction hit like a wave. Ophelia squeezed her eyes shut, gritting her teeth, gathering every last bit of strength she had left.

“Push, Mrs. Gray!” the doctor urged.

“Ahhh!!!” A wail escaped her throat, every fiber of her body burning with pain until—

“Wah…”

The cry of a newborn filled the room.

She opened her eyes suddenly, tears welling up. The pain and chaos around her were all driven away by that cry. She searched for the source of the sound.

The doctor carefully picked up a wet baby and smiled at her. “Congratulations, Mrs. Gray, it’s a girl.”

The baby cried again, and when she was gently placed on Ophelia’s chest, her tiny warmth made Ophelia’s body shudder.

She trembled as she touched her daughter’s wrinkled little face and soft fingers, tears silently falling.

“She… she’s so beautiful.”

She whispered through her sobs.

The baby whimpered softly, as if responding to her mother’s embrace. Ophelia held her tighter, a flood of softness and love filling her heart.

But then—

Bang!

The door to the hospital room was suddenly flung open, the force of it shaking the entire wall.

Cold air rushed in, and a tall, imposing man walked in.

He was dressed in a neat, sharp black suit, his handsome face cold and stern, his features sculpted to perfection. But his eyes were as cold as ice.

He stood at the door, looking at Ophelia in bed, without an ounce of pity.

“Alexander?” she called out in surprise. “You finally came. Look—our daughter…”

“I want a divorce.”

He coldly interrupted her, his gaze not even lingering on the baby.

A loud crash rang in Ophelia’s mind. She thought she had heard wrong, but the look in his eyes, the tone of his voice, left no room for doubt.

She instinctively pulled her child closer to her chest, her lips trembling. “Wha… What did you say?”

“That child isn’t mine.”

His words were as cold as ice, each one cutting like a knife.

“What?!” She could hardly breathe. “What are you talking about… you’re her father! She’s your daughter!”

His assistant, a man with an expressionless face, stepped forward and without hesitation, reached out to take the baby.

“No!” Ophelia screamed, using every ounce of her strength to stop him, but she was too weak.

The baby was torn from her arms, her cries echoing painfully.

“Give her back to me! Give her back!!”

She collapsed to the floor, clutching Alexander’s pant leg with all her might, her voice hoarse. “Please… don’t take her… she’s your child…”

“Shut up.”

Alexander leaned down, coldly gripping her chin, forcing her to look him in the eye.

“How dare you lie to me? She’s not mine.”

“No—no way!” Ophelia sobbed, shaking her head desperately. “I swear! I’ve never betrayed you!”

Alexander remained unmoved, a cold smile curling on his lips as he opened his phone and played a video.

On the screen, a woman who looked strikingly similar to Ophelia was kissing a strange man in a hallway. The image was blurry but real, with a timestamp clearly showing during Alexander’s time abroad.

Ophelia’s eyes widened, then filled with fury. “Are you crazy? You actually believe that’s real?”

“I’ve confirmed it.” His voice lashed at her like a whip, making her body tingle with the pain. “Stop shamelessly lying, Ophelia. Is this how you and your mother are—just liars—”

The mention of her mother made her freeze. Alexander gritted his teeth, his eyes burning with hatred. “She seduced my father. And now, you—” He inhaled sharply, his chest heaving. “You’re just like her.”

“No,” she whispered, shaking her head violently, “My mother wasn’t shameless… I love you, Alexander—”

“Enough! You disgust me,” he snapped, shoving her away. Then, he turned to his assistant. “Take the child.”

“No!” Ophelia screamed, her voice raw, her nails digging into the floor as she tried to crawl after them. “Please, don’t take her…”

Alexander looked down at her, his face void of any compassion. “You’ll never see that child again.”

“Alexander, how dare you! I’ll never forgive you!” she screamed, but no one stopped him.

No one helped her. The assistant disappeared through the door, the baby’s cries growing fainter. Alexander turned, striding toward the exit.

“Goodbye, Ophelia.”

The door slammed shut behind him. The room was silent for a long while—only Ophelia’s intermittent sobs broke the stillness.

She curled up on the cold floor, trembling, her hands reaching for the child who was no longer there.

Her world had been shattered in just a few minutes. How did this happen?

Just days ago, they had been choosing a name for their baby. That night, he had held her, his warm breath on her ear, softly speaking of his excitement about becoming a father.

Was it all a lie?

Or was there something, someone, that destroyed it all?

Her trembling, numb fingers fumbled for her phone. There was only one person she could call.

She pressed the dial button, and after a few rings, the person on the other end picked up. “Hello?”

“Wren…” Ophelia cried out.

There was a moment of silence on the other end. “Ophelia? What happened?”

A new wave of sobs wracked her body.

“Alexander… he took my child… please help me. Wren, please help me. I don’t know what to do, or where to go.”

She heard a sharp intake of breath. Then, Wren’s voice turned cold as ice.

“Stay where you are, I’m coming right now.”