Killed My Baby to Save Hers
My husband forced me into labor the same day his widowed sister-in-law went into labor.
I was only seven months pregnant when he dragged me to the hospital and demanded that the doctors induce me.
Eugene Cobb locked me inside the delivery room, his expression tense and urgent.
"The baby Fiona's carrying has a rare disease. The doctors say he'll die as soon as he's born. They need umbilical cord blood and special stem cells during delivery to save him! My brother's already gone. It's my responsibility to take care of her and her child."
A four-inch-long induction needle pierced into my body. Violent contractions crashed through me, cold sweat soaking my back.
I said weakly, "Fiona's pregnancy has been perfectly healthy. How could the baby suddenly have a rare disease? And my pregnancy is high-risk. The doctor said I need to carry to term. If you force an early birth, you'll kill both our baby and me!"
Eugene frowned slightly and pinned me firmly to the hospital bed.
"The doctor already explained everything. The baby just needs to be born two months early. Nothing will happen."
As Fiona Smith's screams rang out from the delivery room next door, something seemed to occur to him.
"You're not trying to get rid of Fiona because I've been taking care of her all the time, are you? I told you a long time ago I'm only helping her because she's my sister-in-law. How can you be so vicious?"
I stared at the blood spreading beneath me and begged through tears. As long as he spared the child, I was willing to divorce him and give them my place.
Eugene's eyes filled with impatience.
"What are you talking about? I'm the baby's father. Why would I harm my own child?"
My umbilical cord blood and stem cells were finally used on Fiona's baby. Both mother and child were declared safe.
Only then did Eugene finally remember us.
But when he arrived at the hospital room, the only thing waiting for him was an empty bed.