Chapter 1 · I Survived Childbirth, I Survived Him

I was an OB-GYN, but I nearly died on my own delivery table.

I struggled with everything I had to give my husband, Jack Carter, a child, believing it would be the perfect proof of our seven-year marriage.

Lying on my operating table, bleeding out, I was in a daze when I heard the nurse urgently shout, "Get the family to sign, now!"

But Jack was outside the delivery room, speaking softly on the phone. "Alright, honey. I just transferred 150 grand to you. Buy whatever you like."

That call was from his first love, Stella Moon, the one he'd never gotten over.

When I was wheeled out of the delivery room, he was nervously staring at his phone, waiting for a reply from his first love. He didn't even spare me or the baby a glance.

*****

The smell of disinfectant mixed with the sharp scent of blood drilled into my nose.

I lay on the cold operating table, blood gushing from between my legs like a dam that had burst.

"Dr. Lane, Dr. Lane! Stay with us!"

"Blood pressure's dropping. 70/40!"

"Amniotic fluid embolism! Quick! Start the emergency meds!"

My colleagues' voices drifted in and out, muffled as if coming through a thick layer of frosted glass.

I was an OB-GYN, and I had been at it for ten years. I'd witnessed more than my fair share of dangerous births.

Amniotic fluid embolism, with an 80% mortality rate, was the thing that haunted every OB-GYN.

I never imagined I'd face it myself.

Strength seeped out of me, and my consciousness slipped away, slow and unstoppable, like the receding tide.

I used up the last bit of willpower I had, thinking about my husband, Jack, who was waiting outside the delivery room.

He was a police captain of our city, and a hero to countless people here.

He was also the man I'd loved for seven years.

Everyone saw us as the model couple. He protected justice as a cop, and I brought new life into the world as a doctor.

I always believed we were a perfect match.

The baby was the proof of our love, and the most precious gift I could ever give to our marriage.

"Where's her family? No one's signed the consent for the hysterectomy yet!" Laura, the head nurse, was almost in tears, her voice nearly a scream.

"Mr. Carter is outside. He... He's still on a call," someone replied.

On a call? At a moment like this?

My heart sank.

The operating room wasn't fully soundproof. A gentle, muffled male voice slipped through the heavy door and hit me like a knife.

It was Jack's voice. The voice I knew better than anything else in the world.

He said, "Alright, don't be upset.

"Did you get the money? 150 grand. Just spend it however you want.

"Buy whatever you like. Don't let yourself go without."

Every word was like a poisoned icicle, driving deep into my already bleeding heart.

My body was bleeding out, and my whole world was crumbling.

I was risking my life to bring our child into the world, and as I hovered between life and death, he was wiring money to another woman.

That was a large amount of money.

How ironic.

My colleagues shouted again, "Her pupils are blown!"

"Adrenaline. Hit her with another dose!"

Everything spun out of control, and I blacked out completely.

I had no idea how much time had passed when a violent jolt suddenly shook me awake.

I was being wheeled out of the operating room.

As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw Jack standing at the end of the hallway.

He was wearing a black jacket, his posture was straight and tall, and his profile looked especially cold under the hospital's harsh white lights.

He didn't even spare me a glance, nor did he look at the baby in the bassinet the nurse wheeled past.

All his focus was locked onto that little phone screen.

His fingers flew across the keys, and his brows furrowed with a tension and excitement I'd never seen on him.

He looked just like some lovesick kid, waiting for a text back from his crush.

I lay on the hospital bed as they rolled me right past him.

Those few feet felt like a whole lifetime.

He didn't even look up.

The nurse couldn't take it anymore. She stopped and shouted, "Mr. Carter, your wife is out. Both mom and baby are safe!"

Jack finally snapped out of it, looked right past me, and gave the nurse a perfunctory nod.

"Thank you for your hard work," he said.

Then his eyes went straight back to his phone.

I could see it clearly. The screen showed a woman's profile picture.

The background was a beach at sunset, and she was smiling gently, her expression bright and radiant.

That woman wasn't me.

In that instant, my heart split open, just like the stitches holding my body together.

The bleeding just wouldn't stop.

Chapter 1

I was an OB-GYN, but I nearly died on my own delivery table.

I struggled with everything I had to give my husband, Jack Carter, a child, believing it would be the perfect proof of our seven-year marriage.

Lying on my operating table, bleeding out, I was in a daze when I heard the nurse urgently shout, "Get the family to sign, now!"

But Jack was outside the delivery room, speaking softly on the phone. "Alright, honey. I just transferred 150 grand to you. Buy whatever you like."

That call was from his first love, Stella Moon, the one he'd never gotten over.

When I was wheeled out of the delivery room, he was nervously staring at his phone, waiting for a reply from his first love. He didn't even spare me or the baby a glance.

*****

The smell of disinfectant mixed with the sharp scent of blood drilled into my nose.

I lay on the cold operating table, blood gushing from between my legs like a dam that had burst.

"Dr. Lane, Dr. Lane! Stay with us!"

"Blood pressure's dropping. 70/40!"

"Amniotic fluid embolism! Quick! Start the emergency meds!"

My colleagues' voices drifted in and out, muffled as if coming through a thick layer of frosted glass.

I was an OB-GYN, and I had been at it for ten years. I'd witnessed more than my fair share of dangerous births.

Amniotic fluid embolism, with an 80% mortality rate, was the thing that haunted every OB-GYN.

I never imagined I'd face it myself.

Strength seeped out of me, and my consciousness slipped away, slow and unstoppable, like the receding tide.

I used up the last bit of willpower I had, thinking about my husband, Jack, who was waiting outside the delivery room.

He was a police captain of our city, and a hero to countless people here.

He was also the man I'd loved for seven years.

Everyone saw us as the model couple. He protected justice as a cop, and I brought new life into the world as a doctor.

I always believed we were a perfect match.

The baby was the proof of our love, and the most precious gift I could ever give to our marriage.

"Where's her family? No one's signed the consent for the hysterectomy yet!" Laura, the head nurse, was almost in tears, her voice nearly a scream.

"Mr. Carter is outside. He... He's still on a call," someone replied.

On a call? At a moment like this?

My heart sank.

The operating room wasn't fully soundproof. A gentle, muffled male voice slipped through the heavy door and hit me like a knife.

It was Jack's voice. The voice I knew better than anything else in the world.

He said, "Alright, don't be upset.

"Did you get the money? 150 grand. Just spend it however you want.

"Buy whatever you like. Don't let yourself go without."

Every word was like a poisoned icicle, driving deep into my already bleeding heart.

My body was bleeding out, and my whole world was crumbling.

I was risking my life to bring our child into the world, and as I hovered between life and death, he was wiring money to another woman.

That was a large amount of money.

How ironic.

My colleagues shouted again, "Her pupils are blown!"

"Adrenaline. Hit her with another dose!"

Everything spun out of control, and I blacked out completely.

I had no idea how much time had passed when a violent jolt suddenly shook me awake.

I was being wheeled out of the operating room.

As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw Jack standing at the end of the hallway.

He was wearing a black jacket, his posture was straight and tall, and his profile looked especially cold under the hospital's harsh white lights.

He didn't even spare me a glance, nor did he look at the baby in the bassinet the nurse wheeled past.

All his focus was locked onto that little phone screen.

His fingers flew across the keys, and his brows furrowed with a tension and excitement I'd never seen on him.

He looked just like some lovesick kid, waiting for a text back from his crush.

I lay on the hospital bed as they rolled me right past him.

Those few feet felt like a whole lifetime.

He didn't even look up.

The nurse couldn't take it anymore. She stopped and shouted, "Mr. Carter, your wife is out. Both mom and baby are safe!"

Jack finally snapped out of it, looked right past me, and gave the nurse a perfunctory nod.

"Thank you for your hard work," he said.

Then his eyes went straight back to his phone.

I could see it clearly. The screen showed a woman's profile picture.

The background was a beach at sunset, and she was smiling gently, her expression bright and radiant.

That woman wasn't me.

In that instant, my heart split open, just like the stitches holding my body together.

The bleeding just wouldn't stop.