Chapter 2

I didn't get to see Lorne, but instead, Fabiana showed up.

Even though she had just given birth not long ago, she had on delicate, seductive makeup and was timidly standing by my hospital bed, holding her baby.

She looked radiant, without a trace of having gone through a near-death experience from severe bleeding.

"Felicity, I heard you were in this hospital too, so I rushed over to see you first thing. I didn't even have time to get dolled up, hope you don't mind."

I had no interest in engaging, but she sat down and started chattering away.

"Felicity, you have no idea, I nearly lost my life giving birth to Peanut. Thankfully, my attending physician managed to get a human's blood, and even prepared extras just in case something went wrong with me. But I guess I deserved all this special treatment."

"After all, I'm the lucky girl who gets whatever she wants, right?"

The boastful implications in her words were obvious.

Pretending to be oblivious, I responded halfheartedly:

"Great. Can you leave now? I'd like to rest."

A gleam of satisfaction flashed in her eyes.

"Felicity, you're due soon too, right? I wonder if you'll be blessed with a boy on your first try like I was. Here, let me lend you Peanut to hold for a bit, so you can soak up some of that good baby luck."

With that, she tried to place the child in my arms.

I instinctively pushed away.

Lorne entered the hospital room at this right moment.

He strode forward quickly, protectively shielding Fabiana behind him, and glared at me with fury in his eyes:

"Felicity, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

Before I could even open my mouth, Fabiana, clutching the baby, began to sob:

"She said she wanted to hold Peanut. Who could have guessed that as soon as she took him, she'd try to strangle him!"

She leaned weakly against Lorne, putting on a show of maternal strength.

"Sis, you can't hurt my baby just because you hate me. Lorne is Peanut's godfather!"

I watched her performance coldly, curious to see how Lorne would react to such amateur theatrics.

The next second, a vicious slap landed across my face.

I tumbled straight off the hospital bed and onto the floor.

"Peanut is Fabiana's precious miracle after she nearly died bringing him into this world. I will not allow you to harm either of them. I was actually considering letting you be Peanut's godmother out of the kindness of my heart, but you've blown that chance now!"

As expected, when it came to Fabiana, he completely lost his mind, incapable of any rational thought. Once upon a time, Fabiana neglected her duties during patient rounds, causing a patient's condition to worsen. Fortunately, I happened to pass by and provided timely treatment, preventing a major disaster.

The hospital immediately disciplined Fabiana, but she sought out Lorne, crying to him about her situation.

Lorne wanted me to take the blame, firmly believing that although Fabiana had only been a nurse for six months, she couldn't possibly have done something so foolish.

The only possibility in his mind was that I was jealous of her and deliberately trying to smear her reputation.

How ridiculous! A chief physician plotting against a young nurse out of jealousy - even the most far-fetched novel wouldn't have such a storyline.

But he believed it.

He unconditionally trusted and protected Fabiana.

When Fabiana said the smell of my packed lunches made her nauseous, Lorne banned me from bringing my nutritious meals and insisted I eat the expensive and cold food from the cafeteria.

Yet in early pregnancy, I couldn't stand the greasy smell from the cafeteria either, which is why I prepared my own healthy meals every day.

Fabiana falsely claimed that I was turning the entire hospital staff against her, so Lorne would force me to apologize to her in front of my colleagues.

Even when well-meaning coworkers spoke up to contradict her, he labeled them as being in cahoots with me.

This led to hospital leadership and colleagues avoiding me like the plague. I turn my head back to its normal position after being struck askew, fixing my gaze on Lorne's eyes filled with contempt and disgust. With a cold smirk, I ask:

"Lorne, weren't you severely injured in a car accident? How come you have so much strength to hit me, looking as if nothing happened? You've recovered quite quickly, huh?"

A flicker of unease crosses his face, and his speech becomes stuttered.

"I, I just recovered and wanted to come see you. Who knew I'd walk in to find you, you vicious woman, bullying Fabiana!"

"If it weren't for the fact that your blood is useful, I would've divorced you long ag-"

Lorne hurriedly shuts his mouth, swallowing the words that almost slipped out.

A smile plays at the corners of my lips as I speak, my voice devoid of warmth.

"Oh, is that so? Then bring me the blood donation records to see. I clearly felt the amount of blood drawn far exceeded what you needed. Could it be that someone at the hospital is selling blood?"

Lorne's eyes narrow, and beads of cold sweat form on his forehead.

He staggers, clutching his head and feigning dizziness.

Fabiana immediately sees through his intention and supports Lorne as they head towards the exit.

"A wife saving her husband is only natural! I've never seen anyone as petty as you!"

They leave as quickly as they came, with no one noticing that beneath the thick comforter, my abdomen no longer shows a protruding curve.