Chapter 2

The one who falls in love first is the loser, and I lost my right to choose long ago.

More than him not loving me, I fear him leaving.

In my past life, when Scarlett passed away, his cold demeanor even made me smugly satisfied.

I once thought I was the winner.

He took care of me tirelessly to ensure the child's safe arrival.

The immense love made me lose my mind, and I indulged in this beautiful time.

Until after I gave birth, when he personally carved open the bloody reality, did I understand.

I had lost completely.

All his love for me was revenge.

He was punishing me with what I thought was love.

The only one in his heart was Scarlett.

When I woke up, I was lying in a hospital bed, with the familiar smell of disinfectant in my nose.

By the bedside wasn't Granger, but an unfamiliar face.

"You're awake? I'm a snow mountain climbing enthusiast. I was planning to make a wish on the mountain after the rescue team left, but who knew I'd find you lying alone on the ground when I got up there. My friend and I rushed you to the hospital right away. Are you alright? Is there anywhere you're feeling uncomfortable?"

She asked while handing me a cup of warm water.

"Those rescue team members must be blind. If my friend and I hadn't gone up and seen you..."I grasped the water glass, listening to her venting, my smile freezing as my hand touched my belly.

"My condolences... When we brought you in, the doctor said the baby couldn't be saved..."

I forced a smile, tears silently rolling down my face:

"Thank you for bringing me to the hospital."

"I guess this child and I weren't meant to be."

In two lifetimes, I couldn't keep him.

Even strangers would lend a hand to a pregnant woman lying in the snow, yet my husband could turn a blind eye.

Seeing my silence, the girl who brought me in became more upset than I was.

"These rescue teams are so irresponsible nowadays, how could they miss a whole person lying there!"

"If my friend and I hadn't had a sudden idea to check, you'd be dead, along with your baby!"

"And where's the father of your child? You've been unconscious for so long, and not even a phone call! Men are just unreliable."

"Can you give me a number? I'll help contact your family. You can't be alone right now."

"Oh, and I've already reported that rescue team. Who knows how many more people they'd let die if left unchecked!"

I lowered my head, my eyes complex:

"The baby has no father. He's dead."

At my words, the girl's face filled with regret and sympathy, repeatedly apologizing to me.She volunteered to take care of me until my family arrived.

I politely declined her offer.

It's not safe for a young woman to be alone outside. After transferring her the medical fees and a thank you payment, I encouraged her to leave.

Though she left, the online discussions were fermenting.

The news that the mountain rescue team's inaction nearly cost a pregnant woman and her unborn child their lives struck a nerve with many.

It quickly topped the trending headlines on various apps.

The girl posted my photo (with identifying details blurred) in the comments section, vividly describing my pitiful condition.

It instantly sparked heated debate across the internet.

Many criticized the rescue team, questioning if they were rescuing thin air while ignoring people's lives and safety.

This time it was me, but next time it could be any one of the commenters.

I scrolled through the flood of supportive comments, each one condemning and cyber-bullying Granger.

I felt that even this punishment was too light for him.

I opened our pinned chat, intending to send him a divorce message.

But Scarlett's gloating message popped up first.

Seeing the familiar decor, I realized she was in the same hospital, in a VIP room upstairs.

In the photo, Granger was carefully blowing on a spoonful of porridge, his eyes full of tenderness.I've seen their intimate photos countless times.

Such photos no longer stir any emotion in me.

I silently closed the chat window and called Granger.

On the seventh call, after five rings, he finally answered.

Before I could speak, his impatient voice crashed over me:

"Felicity, you have the nerve to call me? Do you know how much you've hurt Scarlett?"

"What, are you wondering if Scarlett's dead? Let me tell you, she's perfectly fine. She'd be fine even if you died!"

"You poisonous woman, do you know what you're doing? This is attempted murder! You're insane, all your education wasted!"

"I'm giving you one hour to get over here and apologize to Scarlett, or don't blame me for divorcing you!"

As his words faded, Scarlett's weak, pitiful voice came through the phone:

"Brother Granger, don't blame Felicity. She's pregnant, she can't get upset. I'm sure she didn't mean it. Let's just drop it, I'm fine."Granger sighed helplessly, his face full of indulgence:

"Scarlett, you always think too highly of people. You're too kind, that's why you keep getting bullied."

"We met first, yet you've always been so accommodating. Stop trying to persuade me, I'm going to teach her a lesson this time!"

Their voices quickly became sticky sweet. Fighting back nausea, I interrupted:

"Granger, let's get divorced. I've had my lawyer send you the agreement. Make sure you sign it."

Granger clearly hadn't expected me to bring up divorce first. He was stunned for a moment.

Taking advantage of his shock, I quickly hung up before he could explode in anger.

Before I could block his number, a barrage of messages flooded my inbox.

"Felicity, what madness are you up to now? Where are you? Don't think I won't lose my temper just because you're pregnant!"

"If it weren't for Scarlett persuading me that a child shouldn't be born without a father, I would've divorced you long ago. Don't be ungrateful! When you're in difficult labor with no one to sign for you, you'll come to your senses!"

"Also, did you stir up that news online? You'd better send a message to clarify immediately, or don't blame me for exposing your true colors without mercy!"He sent numerous messages, each word piercing straight to my heart.

I couldn't bear to read any further, decisively deleting all the texts and blocking his number.

Even with the bloody lessons from my past life laid bare before me, facing his betrayal once again still left my heart aching unbearably.

The nurses who came to change my dressings cast pitying glances my way. Seeing me pretend to doze with my head turned, they began chatting quietly among themselves:

"This poor patient, she's lost her baby and now she's all alone here. The child's father hasn't even bothered to visit once."

"It's true, comparing people really makes you want to scream. You know that VIP patient upstairs? I've never seen a couple so perfectly matched - both talented and good-looking. I heard they're even childhood sweethearts!"

"Oh, I know who you mean! And Mr. Frost takes such meticulous care of his wife, even insisting on doing little things like wiping her hands himself."

"That's nothing. You should smell the chicken soup Mr. Frost makes for his wife by hand - it's absolutely heavenly! There aren't many men who can cook these days. That wife of his is so lucky!"

"If only my husband could be as thoughtful as Mr. Frost in the future... I'd die happy!"

...I listened to their envious words as tears silently soaked my pillow.

The back of my hand was bruised and purple from needle pricks, devoid of warmth.

After they left, I gasped for air like a fish returning to water.

I curled up under the blanket, but couldn't get warm no matter what.

That evening, the doctor came to check on me. He said that because I had lain in the snow for too long, my uterus was damaged by the cold. It would be very difficult for me to have children in the future.

Being a doctor myself, I had already anticipated this.

Yet tears still flowed uncontrollably down the corners of my eyes.

What followed, surprisingly, was a sense of relief.

Perhaps someone like me was never meant to have children in the first place.

Whether born or not, they would have to suffer along with me.

Innocent lives deserve better destinies.

The online attacks had escalated to an uncontrollable degree, forcing the rescue team to issue an official statement.