Chapter 2

I was rushed to the nearest community hospital.

The emergency room was packed, the air thick with the sharp smell of disinfectant and the heavy weariness of waiting patients.

The doctor was a middle-aged woman with a stern expression, who gave me a thorough examination.

"Threatened miscarriage," she said, removing her stethoscope and scribbling swiftly on my medical chart. "You need to be admitted for observation and put on a drip to stabilize the pregnancy. Severe emotional distress and physical trauma. Do you wish to keep this child?"

I lay on the narrow hospital bed, my hand resting on my lower abdomen, where a dull ache still lingered.

"I do," I said, my voice soft but resolute.

The doctor shot me a glance and asked no more questions. "Very well. Go check in. A $1,600 deposit is required upfront."

1,600 dollars...

I pulled out my wallet, only to find a few loose bills and a bank card with barely a few hundred dollars left in my account.

Andrew had taken my main bank card long ago, claiming he was managing the family finances properly, leaving me with only a small monthly allowance.

"Doctor... could I pay later? I'll ask my family to bring the money over."

The doctor, clearly accustomed to such situations, nodded. "Hurry. Head to the infusion room first."

Lying in the noisy infusion room, the icy cold fluid dripped into my veins one drop at a time.

I stared at a faded water stain on the ceiling, my mind blank and hollow.

My phone rang. It was my mother, Helen Lane.

I scrambled to answer as if grasping a lifeline.

"Mom..."

"Charlotte!" My mother's voice sounded urgent, yet laced with anything but concern for me. "What's going on between you and Andrew? I just heard you got divorced? Is that true?"

"It's true, Mom. We just finalized the papers. I... I'm in the hospital, and I need money for the deposit. Could you..."

"Hospital?" My mother's voice rose sharply. "What are you doing in the hospital? Did you make a scene during the divorce? Honestly, you're so reckless! Andrew is such a good catch. You should've held onto him tightly instead of acting out! Now you've let your perfect chance slip away!"

My heart sank little by little.

"Mom, I need money for the hospital bills. The baby..."

"Baby? What baby?" My mother froze for a second, then grew even more frantic. "You're pregnant? With Andrew's child? Why didn't you tell me sooner? This makes everything worse! You're carrying his child, and you still agreed to divorce? You should've used the baby to tie him down! Now that you're divorced, why keep the child? I know Andrew well—he's cold and ruthless. He'll never acknowledge it!"

The fluid in the IV line felt even colder than before.

"Mom, please lend me $1,600. I'll pay you back later..."

"$1,600? Where am I supposed to get that kind of money right now?" My mother shrieked immediately. "Charlotte, it's not that I won't help you. Think about it—what did I gain from you marrying into the Sterling family? Nothing at all! Now you're divorced with nothing to show for it, and you're stuck with a child. It'll only be a burden from now on. I'm getting old, and I have to rely on your brother... I really don't have the money. Figure it out yourself. And since you're divorced, don't call home unless it's an emergency. Otherwise, your sister-in-law will be upset."

The call ended abruptly.

The busy beep echoed repeatedly, like a small hammer pounding on my already numbed nerves.

I held the phone in the same position for a long, long time.

It wasn't until the nurse came to replace my IV bag and gave me a puzzled look that I snapped back to my senses.

"Are you alright? You look awful," she asked.

I shook my head and slowly lowered my arm.

Alright? How could I be alright? But it seemed things couldn't get any worse.

Andrew called at dusk.

His voice came through the line, still cold and detached.

"Have you moved out? Did you leave the keys? I'm sending someone to inspect the house tonight."

I stared at the nearly empty IV bag and said, "Andrew, I'm pregnant."

There was a short silence on the other end.

Then his unmasked irritation and suspicion followed.

"Charlotte, cut the crap. Pregnant? When? Why didn't you say anything before the divorce? Are you trying to blackmail me?"

"I'm not," I said, my voice surprisingly calm. "I'm just letting you know. I'll keep the baby and raise it myself. It has nothing to do with you."

"You'll raise it?" He let out a laugh of utter disbelief. "With what? Your pitiful income? Can you even afford baby formula? Don't be ridiculous, Charlotte. Terminate the pregnancy. I'll give you a sum of money, enough for you to live comfortably. Take it and leave this city. Stay out of my sight, and don't you dare use this child to plot anything."

"I don't want your money," I said. "The baby is mine."

"Yours?" He sneered coldly. "Could you have gotten pregnant without me? Be smart about this, Charlotte. The child will only suffer if you keep it. You can't provide for it. My assistant will contact you tomorrow to settle this properly."

Once again, he hung up the phone without hesitation.