Chapter 4

Chesley erupted into unhinged laughter, as if she'd just heard the most hilarious joke ever.

"Payback?" she sneered. "In any love triangle, it's always the unloved one who's the outsider."

With a smirk, she continued, "Even those trinkets you're wearing? I turned them down. What gives you the right to speak to me?"

"I'm setting you free, along with that illegitimate child you're carrying. What consequences could I possibly face?"

As I observed her frenzied expression, it became evident—she had completely lost her grip on reality.

"Aren't you worried I might terminate this pregnancy?"

Chesley scoffed dismissively, her eyes brimming with contempt. "You're already trapped in the Sims family. Do you honestly believe you'll ever have the opportunity to end this pregnancy?"

I remained quiet, feeling not just sadness for my predicament but also a profound sense of hopelessness.

"Although, your previous unauthorized abortion certainly caused me grief."

When I regained consciousness, the harsh operating room lights made my eyes water uncontrollably.

I attempted to move, but every inch of my body felt shattered, the agony unbearable.

"Dr. Sims, we're prepared. We can proceed with the C-section now."

Seeing Adam approach with a grave expression, my fear intensified tenfold.

"Adam, please release me!"

He ignored my plea, instead instructing his assistant to gag me with a cloth.

"Don't give Mia any anesthesia," Adam commanded coldly. "Ensure she's gagged tightly. I don't want her disrupting the procedure with any noise."

The anesthesiologist hesitated, cautiously inquiring, "A C-section? That might be risky... The last incident like this was..."

Adam cut him off sharply, "Silence! Do I need to teach you your job?"

I struggled to break free, but upon meeting Adam's hate-filled gaze, I felt my strength evaporate. I ceased resisting.

Adam leaned in close, whispering menacingly, "What does it matter if it's a C-section to extract the child?"

"Even if you're tortured to death, it won't affect me as much as a single hair on Chesley's head being harmed."

The scalpel swiftly sliced into my abdomen, creating a gaping, bloody incision. The agony of my flesh being torn open as the premature infant was forcibly extracted from my womb was overwhelming. Helpless, I could only whimper and sob.

"Dr. Sims, the premature baby has no heartbeat," a voice announced.

Adam paused briefly, but his tone remained utterly indifferent.

"As long as the cord blood is viable, that's all that matters."

"I'll go perform surgery on Chesley," he added. "You handle the rest."

Outside, fireworks illuminated the sky. The new year had begun.

Amidst the jubilation and well-wishes of others, my child, who never had the chance to see the world, silently passed away.

The nurses stitched my abdomen, but I felt nothing—just a hollow emptiness. My tears had long since dried up.

Suddenly, the operating room door burst open.

"If I hadn't discovered this immediately, you might have actually succeeded," a voice declared.

"Given the circumstances, I'll have to make the first move."

Before I could react, Chesley grabbed my hand and violently threw me to the floor.

My scream instantly caught Adam's attention.

As he rushed in, he saw blood pooling on the floor. My water had broken.

"Adam, I was just trying to console Mia, but she grabbed me and we both fell," Chesley wailed, her voice filled with anguish.

"My stomach hurts terribly... am I going to die?"

Witnessing this, Adam quickly scooped Chesley into his arms.

Tears welled up in my eyes.

"Chesley, don't be afraid. I'm here, nothing will happen to you."

As Adam turned to leave, I mustered every ounce of strength and clung to his leg, my voice quivering with desperation.

"Adam, my stomach hurts so much."

Instead of showing concern, he sneered and kicked me hard in the abdomen.

The intense pain nearly caused me to lose consciousness.

"It's just a worthless bastard! If Chesley didn't need umbilical cord blood for her kidney failure treatment, I would never have allowed you to carry my child."

"You'd better hope this baby is delivered safely, or you'll pay with your life!"

As Adam walked away without a backward glance, Chesley seized the opportunity to stick her tongue out at me.

I felt as if my entire body had transformed into a feather, drifting weightlessly into an icy void.

So cold.