Chapter 2
The ambulance siren blared, cutting through the air.
Emily leaned weakly in Jason's arms, her face pale and drained of color.
Her hand clutched Jason's sleeve tightly, her voice quivering with sobs.
She said, "Jason, I'm sorry. This is all my fault.
"I shouldn't have called you at a time like this. Laura's probably mad at me now."
Jason lowered his head, gazing at the fragile woman in his arms, his heart aching with compassion.
He gently patted Emily's back.
He said, his voice softer than he'd ever spoken before. "Silly girl, how could this be your fault?
"The baby's position isn't stable. This is serious. We can't afford to be careless."
His brows knitted, his voice firm and authoritative.
He added, "Laura's always been healthy; she's tough. She'll pull through, no problem.
"You and the baby are the most important."
He said it like it was common sense, something nobody would ever doubt.
He never thought how much danger a pregnant woman could be in when her water broke and she was home all alone.
He pulled out his phone and deftly opened our chat.
The screen was still stuck on the emergency message I had sent him half an hour ago: [Honey, I fell. I think my water broke. It hurts so much.]
When Jason saw that message, his heart really skipped a beat.
But right after, Emily called him, sobbing and saying her belly hurt and she thought she was bleeding.
Weighing the two situations, Jason didn't hesitate for a second.
He tapped out a quick message on his phone: [I'm taking Emily to the hospital first. Her situation's more urgent. You can take a cab yourself.]
After sending it, he put his phone away without a second thought.
He was sure he'd handled everything perfectly.
He thought I was always so sensible and I'd understand.
Emily leaned against him, catching a glimpse of the message out of the corner of her eye.
For a split second, a smug, almost imperceptible smile tugged at her lips.
It vanished so quickly that it was like it had never been there at all.
She slipped right back into her usual fragile, innocent act, tilting her head up at Jason with eyes full of total dependence and admiration.
"You're the best, Jason," Emily whispered.
Jason's heart swelled with pride and satisfaction in that moment.
The nurse nearby watched all this, her eyes flickering with confusion and a hint of contempt.
She had seen, with her own eyes, the pregnant woman lying helpless downstairs.
She couldn't help but remind him, "Sir, are you sure your wife will be alright alone at home? Her water breaking isn't something to take lightly."
Jason's face darkened, as if he thought the nurse was meddling in his business.
"She can handle it herself. Don't trouble yourself," he replied.
The icy impatience in his tone shut the young nurse up right away.
The atmosphere in the ambulance grew awkward.
But Jason didn't care one bit.
He only had eyes for the fragile woman in his arms, completely ignoring everything else.
In Jason's mind, Laura was his wife, his family, so she was supposed to handle things and be understanding.
Emily, on the other hand, was the precious gem he had to protect at all costs. He couldn't let anything happen to her.
He even felt a sense of pride for keeping his cool in a crisis and making what he called the "mature" decision, weighing all the pros and cons.
He saw himself as a good boss and a responsible man.
At least, that was what he kept telling himself.
The ambulance sped toward the hospital, sirens blaring.
It carried his so-called responsibility and love, leaving his abandoned wife far behind in its wake.