Chapter 1

After twenty years of a child-free marriage, my husband suddenly changes his mind and wants a child.

A year later, at forty-two, I successfully give birth but end up fighting for my life due to massive blood loss of 1500 milliliters.

My husband, a doctor himself, not only abandons attempts to save me but tries to leave with our newborn baby.

In my hazy state, I overhear his conversation with a colleague.

"Doctor Huntington, you can't take the baby away now! The mother is hemorrhaging badly. Having the baby here might boost her will to live. Right now, the priority is to find someone to give her a blood transfusion..."

"Lavender's uterus was damaged because of me in the first place. This is our first child together, and the baby's first sight has to be his own birth mother! How could I let her take such an important moment away?"

"Say no more. Handle the rest as you see fit!"

In a forgotten corner, tears fall uncontrollably.

So, the ovulation shots I painfully endured each month were for his and his first love's embryo.

The child I risked my life to bring into this world was actually for someone else's happiness!

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1

The colleague drew in a sharp breath, feeling indignant on my behalf.

"If you loved Lavender so much, why didn't you just marry her in the first place?"

"You think I didn't want to? I couldn't bear it. Just the thought of my parents using her inability to have children to attack her, to trap her... it made my heart ache to the point where I couldn't breathe! How could I let that kind of marriage clip her wings? Being a dutiful wife, raising kids, serving in-laws - all that mundane domestic stuff, let someone else do it instead!"

Dashiell reached out, looking tenderly at the child in his arms.

"I promised Lavender that only our superior genes would be worthy of entering my Huntington Estate!"

"But all these years, because of your decision to be childfree, Mrs. Huntington, who loves children so much, has supported you without complaint for twenty years. If she finds out this child isn't actually hers, wouldn't that destroy her?"

Dashiell paused for a moment.

"Then she must never know! And listen, Lavender and I still have some viable embryos, right? While you're doing the surgery, go ahead and implant another one in her."

His colleague looked at him with a mixture of pity and horror, as if staring at a madman."Mrs. Huntington is currently hemorrhaging and still in danger. Not to mention she just gave birth, her uterus hasn't even finished expelling the lochia, yet you're in a rush to transplant embryos? Isn't that too cruel?"

"There's no choice. Lavender feels one child is too lonely. A boy and a girl would be perfect."

"As for Faye, once we have both children, I'll make it up to her properly."

Just as he finished speaking, Dashiell's phone rang.

Lavender's excited voice immediately came through.

"Dashiell, has the baby been born? Does it look like me? Why haven't you brought it for me to see yet?"

The sound of footsteps gradually faded away.

The tearing pain in my lower body, coupled with the crushing ache in my heart, made me cry silently.

So, the child I had been hoping for was actually the product of my husband, who claimed to love me, and another woman.

For her, Dashiell was willing to remain childless for life.

And now, he doesn't hesitate to make me, at an advanced age, bear children for them!

All that talk of happiness and fulfillment was just Dashiell's excuse to deceive me.

Seeing the doctor's shadow drawing nearer, and thinking of the countless injections I've had over the past year, I struggled, wanting to escape this place. But the next second, I was pinned down on the bed and lost consciousness again.

When I opened my eyes, it was already the next day.

"Faye?"

Seeing me wake up, Dashiell's face filled with concern as he tenderly stroked my cheek.

"You know, during the time you were unconscious, I've been filled with regret. It's all my fault for insisting on having this baby. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been in danger..."

Dashiell gazed at me with deep affection and let out a heavy sigh.

"Thank goodness, both mother and son are safe. Faye, thank you for giving me such an adorable son."

"Don't worry, I'll make sure he becomes the happiest child in the world."

Dashiell's sincerity made my heart ache.

Of course you'll make him happy, because he's your child with Lavender!

My throat was dry, and my voice came out weak and feeble.

"Can I... see the baby?"

Dashiell brought the baby over, smiling as he sat down on the edge of my bed.

"Perfect timing, the baby's hungry too."

As he spoke, he naturally placed the baby in my arms.

Looking at the chubby infant in my embrace, a wave of nausea surged up my throat.