Chapter 1
When I was eight months pregnant, my husband asked me to go for a prenatal checkup alone.
I got into a car accident on my way to the hospital.
As I was about to lose consciousness from excessive bleeding, a familiar voice echoed in my ears.
"She's pregnant? Losing the baby is better. No stretch marks to worry about."
I struggled to my feet and saw that the driver who caused the accident was actually my husband.
He glanced coldly at me, covered in blood and grime.
"Even if this woman dies here, she can't disturb me and my classmate's birthday party." With those words, he turned around to leave.
With those words, he turned around to leave.
But the child I was carrying was the one he had longed for over the past five years.
It was a miracle he had desperately wished for, willing to beg and sacrifice everything to have.
I lay in a pool of blood, weakly calling out Samuel Gibson's name.
But because the driver grabbed him, he was yelling in anger.
He couldn't hear my faint cries for help at all.
"Tell me, how much do you want? Don't waste our time."
Samuel snapped impatiently at the driver.
He turned and gently soothed Layla Parker, who was still in shock next to him.
"Don't be afraid. It's just a scammer. I'll handle this quickly and then take you to the birthday party," he said.
Samuel cared for another woman with great tenderness, but didn't notice that I was on the verge of death.
Fortunately, a kind passerby saw that I was bleeding profusely and called an ambulance for me.
As the ambulance took me away, I could still hear Samuel's impatient voice.
"She's really going all out just to scam some money. Look at all these fake blood packs. This could've been settled with a price, but no, she had to take it all the way to the hospital."
I was rushed into the emergency room for treatment, and Samuel had to bring Layla along to the hospital.
He had just reached the entrance of the operating room when he heard the doctor's urgent shout.
"The patient is having a massive hemorrhage, looks like she's going into preterm labor!"
Samuel froze for a moment, and his expression grew noticeably flustered.
But after glancing at Layla beside him, he quickly regained his composure.
"Layla, I'm sorry you've been put through this today.
"It's that useless pregnant woman's fault. Of all times to go into labor, she picks now. One little car accident and she's already delivering early. Honestly, the baby's probably going to be deformed anyway."
I lay in the operating room, wracked with pain that felt like my body was being torn apart.
The pain only eased gradually after the anesthesia.
If Samuel had shown any concern for me in that hospital bed, he would have regretted his words.
The child in my belly was the one he longed for day and night, a miracle he spent five years desperately wishing for, even willing to beg for with everything he had.
Even Layla feigned sympathy and responded to him, "Samuel, don't say that."
"Marlene is pregnant too; maybe all expecting mothers are a bit sensitive."
Samuel let out a cold snort.
"You're wrong. Marlene is nothing like her."
At that moment, because of severe blood loss, I had begun to go into shock.
The doctor immediately used a defibrillator, trying to save me from the hands of death.
Amid the beeping of medical equipment, I could still hear Samuel's biting sarcasm.
I knew even if I died, no one would care about me, but the child was innocent.
I must fight to survive for my child.
The instinct of being a mother had awakened my will to live.
Finally, the numbers on the heart monitor returned to normal.
But at this moment, I was completely exhausted, and in the last second before I lost consciousness, Samuel continued to mock me impatiently.
"It's good she isn't dead. We're already late for the birthday party, so we must leave now.
"I've already paid the medical bills. If there are any further necessary expenses, contact my assistant."
When I opened my eyes again, the nurse beside me was full of surprise and joy.
"That's great! How are you feeling right now? Hold on, I'll call the doctor!"
It was easy to tell from her words that I had just returned from the brink of death.
The doctor arrived quickly and, after confirming my condition, smiled with relief.
My whole body felt weak and powerless. I managed to lift my hand and touched my flat abdomen.
"Doctor... how is my child?"
I was mentally prepared; premature babies are often born with deficiencies.
No matter what problems my child might have, I would accept him and care for him with all my love.
But the doctor let out a heavy sigh.
"You've barely managed to survive, which wasn't easy. But the child passed away right after birth."
It felt like a bolt from the blue. I couldn't believe my child had just died like that.