Chapter 4

My blood clotting disorder was already making me dizzy and disoriented.

Her sudden push nearly knocked me to the ground.

But I quickly steadied myself, took a deep breath, and pinched my thigh hard.

The pain instantly cleared my head. Mustering all my strength, I helped Cora up and we staggered together towards the nearby woods.

We had barely gone thirty feet when an even louder explosion erupted behind us!

The blast's shockwave hurled us several feet, slamming us onto the frozen ground.

My head was ringing from the impact and I couldn't hear anything.

But I knew I couldn't rest yet.

I hunched over Cora protectively and quickly pulled out the emergency kit to deliver her baby.

Thankfully, Cora's physical condition was genuinely robust.

In the snow, a group of kind onlookers surrounded Cora and me.

Someone laid down her coat on the ground as bedding.

Others formed a circle around us, shielding us from the cold and prying eyes.

Amid a chorus of encouragement, the baby's head finally emerged!

Then the shoulders came out!

As a loud newborn cry pierced the air, the crowd erupted in cheers. I took a deep breath, finally feeling at ease.

But just then, everything went dark before my eyes.

My vision gradually turned the color of ink.

In the end, I collapsed onto the frost-damaged grass.

Faintly, I heard people talking:

"Wonderful, it's a baby girl!"

"Oh my God, the skin on this pregnant woman's back is completely burned off. It's definitely going to scar!"

"Scars are nothing, she's lucky to be alive! Good Lord, look - she's pregnant, about four or five months along!"

"This burned pregnant woman just delivered a baby in one minute, that's incredible luck!"

At that moment, I heard Cora's voice, choked with emotion:

"Last time my father was on the brink of death, Isabella's brother saved him!"

"This time, she saved me and my baby!"

"How can our Grace family ever repay such an enormous debt of gratitude?"

Soon after, the Grace family's ambulance arrived.

I lost consciousness from complete exhaustion.

When I woke up again, I was lying in the VIP hospital room Cora had arranged for me.

As the nurse came to change my bandages, she whispered:

"You don't know this, but they used a total of 5500 milliliters of blood to save you." "We had to practically empty out the blood bank to bring you back from the brink of death, but we managed to save you and your baby."

Someone tried to comfort me:

"Just rest for now. Cora is in the post-natal care unit, getting a full check-up."

Cora's angry voice came from outside the door:

"Miss White, the ambulance arrived within five minutes, so why is the patient's condition still so severe?"

"I'm reporting this to the head of the hospital. You completely ignored the patient's massive blood loss!"

"This is a disgrace to the hospital!"

A wave of bitterness washed over me.

Cora had just met me, yet she cared for me so genuinely.

Meanwhile, the man who shared my bed could only mock and blame me.

I pressed my lips together, my mouth filled with a bitter taste.

Seeing that I didn't respond, the nurse said sympathetically:

"Miss Isabella, please focus on resting and taking care of your pregnancy."

"I'll take good care of you."

"And when your baby is born, I'll help you look after her, okay?"

A warm feeling welled up inside me.