Chapter 3

"That's terrifying!"

The suspicion in Camilla's eyes was instantly replaced by deep disgust. She grabbed the cotton filling from the hospital bed and shoved it forcefully into my mouth.

My eyes widened. I struggled desperately with every bit of strength I had left.

Such tiny fluff entering one's airway would be unbearable even for a healthy person, and I had severe asthma.

But the only thing waiting for me was another slap. Camilla's eyes were ice-cold. Yet the moment her phone rang, her expression changed into one of pure joy.

"Is Frank missing? He must have gone into the operating room with our son!

"Quick! Buy every high-end infant surgical care product in all of Jaxonville! Book the 300-thousand-dollar recovery center in advance too! This is wonderful. My son will finally become a normal child soon!"

Camilla trembled with excitement. She never even noticed the person lying right in front of her was me, her husband.

The dying baby beside me was her beloved son.

The scalpel sliced through my flesh layer by layer, and my breathing grew weaker and weaker.

To keep me alive, the doctor clenched his jaw and injected adrenaline into my body repeatedly.

The pain eventually became unbearable. I was losing my mind. It felt like my soul had already drifted away from my body.

My son's cries brought me back.

I heard Jack click his tongue. "Unexpectedly, they're not symmetrical."

My son's chest was exposed, and blood gushed out from his mouth. He made whimpering sounds like a kitten, but Jack covered his mouth and suffocated him.

Jack casually tossed him onto the cold operating table like a useless piece of trash.

Jack raised his eyebrows.

"Tell everyone that they were perfectly symmetrical. I have to win this round."

I looked at my child's tightly closed eyes. It almost seemed like he was only sleeping. My heart ached so much that I coughed up blood.

In the darkness, the only thing replaying in my mind was Camilla's joyful expression.

She and I got married young. We had spent eight years together as a married couple.

This year, we finally had a baby.

Camilla treasured our son deeply. Countless times, she had placed her hand over her belly to feel our baby's heartbeat.

"Honey, we finally have a baby. Whether it's a boy or a girl, they'll be my only heir.

"If it's a boy and he looks like you, I'll teach him horseback riding and archery.

"If it's a girl, I'll make sure she feels like the princess of Jaxonville!"

Only now did I understand that everything she said was a lie.

Camilla was still thinking about what gifts to buy for our baby. She didn't even spare a glance at our son who had died silently in front of her.

She only focused on giving instructions to her assistant over the phone.

"Go to the church outside the city and pray for my husband and my baby's safety!"

Her gaze landed on the broken rosary beads. For some reason, a feeling of unease rose in her chest.

"Get me another set of rosary beads too. I want my child to be protected from all harm!"

I stared at Camilla's face. The irony was absurd.

'Unfortunately, this time, the rosary beads couldn't protect your child. They won't be able to protect me either.'

The monitor beside my bed started blaring, but Camilla only hugged Jack and walked away.

She didn't even look back.

The doctor helplessly walked past me. After a while, he actually returned.

It seemed like he had fought a long internal battle.

"I'm a doctor. I can't watch someone die without helping. Consider it as me doing something good for the child my wife is carrying."

He wrapped my child up and placed him into my arms. He then dragged me out of the operating room and called an ambulance.

As my stretcher moved past Camilla, my hand went limp and dropped down amidst the jostling.

The silver ring engraved with a viburnum flower shone brightly under the sunlight.

Camilla suddenly narrowed her eyes.

"Wait a second!"

She had carved that viburnum flower on the ring. It happened on the day I accepted her proposal.

She had hugged me with tears in her eyes. "Frank, the viburnum flower represents my everlasting love for you."

My heart thumped. I thought she finally recognized me.

To my surprise, she covered Jack's eyes when she saw my body covered in blood.

"Don't look. It's disgusting."

She then ordered for the stretcher to turn around and leave through another route.

I watched Camilla's side profile. My heart was filled with endless sorrow. Camilla, who once promised she would recognize me in a crowd and said she would follow me to the ends of the world, never once recognized me.