Chapter 3
The compatibility test was scheduled for nine o'clock the next morning.
Vivian woke up at seven, lying motionless in bed, staring at the ceiling.
Morning light slipped through the gap in the curtains, slicing a pale line across the wall.
She'd been feeling exhausted lately.
She'd been getting nauseous while brushing her teeth, had no appetite, and her period was two weeks late. She kind of knew what it meant, but she couldn't bring herself to face it.
At eight, she got out of bed, freshened up, and slipped into a loose sweater.
The woman staring back from the mirror was pale, with faint shadows beneath her eyes.
Harmony Private Hospital wasn't far from the villa. It only took fifteen minutes by taxi.
The lobby of the private hospital was empty and quiet, the air thick with a strange mix of disinfectant and air freshener.
Vivian gave her name at the front desk, and a nurse led her to the lab for blood work.
The nurse was gentle, but as the needle pierced her skin, Vivian reflexively closed her eyes.
"Ms. Lane, you look a little pale," the nurse commented while swapping out the test tube. "Been sleeping okay lately?"
"Yeah, a bit," Vivian murmured.
"Want to check in with a gynecologist? Our OB-GYN department's pretty famous here."
Her fingers trembled.
After the blood draw, she held the cotton ball against the spot on her arm and sat for a while on a bench in the hallway.
Her watch showed it was almost 9:30. There were still hours to go before the results would be ready.
Before long, she was already at the OB-GYN department in the next building.
Registration, the wait, and the consultation with the doctor followed one after another.
The lady doctor with glasses asked her a few gentle questions and then wrote her up for an ultrasound.
"Go pay the fee first, and then head to Exam Room 3 and wait in line," the doctor said, handing her the slip. "Don't stress. It's probably just because you've been under a lot of pressure lately."
Vivian took the slip, her palms starting to sweat.
A small line had formed at the payment window. There were four or five people ahead of her.
She stood at the end, eyes fixed on the words "OB-GYN Ultrasound" printed on the slip, her heart racing.
What if it was really true?
If she really was pregnant, what would Leon think? Would he finally notice her because of this baby? Would he actually stop making her do the compatibility test for the baby's sake?
The line crept forward.
When her turn came, she handed over her insurance card and the slip, her fingertips icy cold.
Outside Exam Room 3, a few pregnant women sat on the bench, some with obvious baby bumps, chatting and laughing quietly with their husbands.
Vivian picked the seat at the very end, folding her hands in her lap, her nails unconsciously digging into the skin between her thumb and forefinger.
"Vivian Lane?" The nurse peeked out from the doorway and called her name.
Vivian steeled herself with a deep breath, stood up, and walked into the room.
The exam room was softly lit, the ultrasound machine's screen blank and silent.
The technician gestured for her to lie down and pull up her sweater.
As the cold gel was applied to her stomach, Vivian instinctively tensed, unable to relax.
The probe glided slowly across her skin.
The technician kept her eyes fixed on the screen, clicking the mouse a few times and adjusting the angle of the probe.
Time ticked by, the silence so thick she could hear the faint hum of the machine.
"There it is," the technician said suddenly.
Vivian looked up sharply at her.
"The baby's right here, and I can see the heartbeat too." The technician pointed at a tiny, flickering spot on the screen. "Looks like you're about six weeks along. Congratulations."
Vivian felt a jolt run through her whole body.
She stared at that tiny, pulsing white dot, her eyes growing hot as tears threatened to spill over.
She had a baby.
She had Leon's baby.
The technician printed out the ultrasound scan and handed it to her.
On the black-and-white image, the tiny baby looked just like a peaceful little peanut.
Vivian's fingers shook as she brushed them across the paper.
Walking out of the exam room, the sunlight outside made her squint.
She carefully folded the ultrasound scan and tucked it into the deepest pocket of her bag, as if she were tucking away a fragile secret.
Just then, her phone rang.
It was Leon's assistant. "Ms. Lane, the compatibility results are in. You and Ms. Summers are highly compatible. Mr. Hart wants you to come to the office right away."
Vivian gripped her phone tightly, her other hand placed protectively over her belly.
"Alright," she replied. "I'm on my way."
Her voice carried a subtle tremor she didn't even realize.