Chapter 2

The phone call had just ended when Ezra's voice sounded from behind me.

"Autumn, are you feeling unwell? Everyone's waiting for you inside..."

Before he could finish speaking, his hand reached out towards me.

I turned around at that moment,

My tear-stained, ice-cold cheek collided with Ezra's palm.

Perhaps feeling the chill against his hand,

Ezra was startled. He quickly helped me up from the ground and pulled me into his embrace.

His tone grew increasingly gentle,

"What's wrong, Autumn? Are you thinking about those unhappy memories from the past again?"

I looked at the man before me, who seemed unusually unfamiliar today, and forced a bitter smile.

"Yeah, I'm not feeling my best today. Can I go home first?"

I knew Ezra would definitely refuse my request.

Sure enough, in the next second, Ezra's expression turned slightly serious.

"Autumn, I organized this gathering today. We just got married, please do this for me..."

"Alright, I'll go in with you."

My mention of going home was just a test.

Hearing my agreement,

A glimmer of joy appeared in Ezra's eyes.

He leaned down and softly planted a kiss on my cheek.

"Autumn, I'm glad you understand. Marrying you is the greatest blessing of my life." In Ezra's past, such words often lingered on his lips.

In the past, every time I heard them, a faint, unstoppable sweetness and affection would well up in my heart.

But now, they only bring nausea.

Thinking back to the conversation I overheard between Ezra and Zoran outside the door earlier,

I knew the bitter pill I'd have to swallow at the upcoming banquet was approaching.

Sure enough, after a few rounds of drinks,

Ezra and Zoran exchanged a glance,

Then Zoran turned to look at me.

"Sister-in-law, when you have a moment, have Ezra take you to the family hospital for a follow-up. I've already spoken to the doctor on your behalf."

With that, Zoran began drinking on his own.

Ezra kept giving Zoran meaningful looks,

While Zoran sat in his chair, looking helpless and a bit lost.

A few seconds later, Ezra spoke up.

"Zoran, you haven't told us the results of your last doctor's diagnosis. Why the need for a follow-up? Is there something wrong with Autumn's health? If there's an issue, just say it outright. Don't keep me in suspense."

Hearing Ezra's question,

Zoran, though reluctant, chose to speak.

"The doctor says sister-in-law's uterus can't be saved..." As Zoran's words hung in the air,

The once lively banquet fell into an eerie silence,

This gathering Ezra had organized was filled with the children of prominent families,

For these attendees, marriage wasn't just about love, but about saving face,

The fact that the wife of Ezra, New York City's leading business tycoon, had lost her uterus,

Was enough to make anyone gasp in shock,

Sure enough, within seconds, sighs began to ripple through the crowd,

"Ezra, what's going on? Don't you know what children mean to us? Didn't you check before the wedding?"

"Ezra, you waited over thirty years just to end up with a broken woman? What kind of luck is that?!"

Some of the ladies came forward, grasping my hands with feigned sympathy but thinly veiled mockery,

"Autumn, a mother's status is elevated by her children. How will you secure your position without bearing a son or daughter?"

"That's right, Autumn. You're so young, how could you not keep your uterus? There are rumors about your multiple miscarriages in the past. Are they true or false?" The piercing sound of discussion filled the air incessantly,

I knew they wouldn't give a damn about saving face for me,

Of course, I understood what losing a uterus meant for a woman,

Having such a thing spoken about publicly,

It was no different than sitting here naked for everyone to gawk at,

I lowered my head, my face burning red with shame, unable to utter a word,

After a moment, Ezra, who had been silent beside me all this time, finally spoke up,

Still playing the role of the perfect husband,

He gently pulled me into his arms and looked at everyone with tears in his eyes,

"Let's all talk less about this. I love Autumn. Whether she has a uterus or not, whether we can have children or not, I don't care. I hope no one will bring this up again, at least not in front of Autumn. I don't want to hear any more of this. If I hear anyone mention it, don't blame me if I, Ezra, do something unsightly."

Given Ezra's status among this group, no one dared to contradict him,

So, the previously buzzing banquet fell silent once again,

Ezra stood up and took my hand,

"Let's go, Autumn, let's head home."

Ezra pulled me into his arms as soon as we got in the car.

Hot tears fell on my shoulder as he spoke.

"Autumn, I'm so sorry. I was worried about your health too. If I had known this would happen, I would've listened to you and let you leave when you were outside. You wouldn't have had to face such embarrassment today."

I was amazed by Ezra's acting skills.

This was clearly something he had orchestrated himself,

Yet now I couldn't find a trace of it in his eyes.

Seeing that I remained silent,

Ezra gently stroked my back.

"Autumn, I once promised you that I would design a jewelry line in your name. I've kept it a secret to surprise you. The launch is tomorrow. Let it be my apology for my carelessness today, okay?"

I nodded slightly, my back still to Ezra, as a sort of agreement.

On the way back, Ezra chatted casually with me about everyday things.

As the car entered the underground garage,

Ezra said to me in an offhand tone,

"Autumn, Vivienne is back from her honeymoon. She'll be bored all alone, so I've invited her to tomorrow's launch. She can keep you company too."

Ezra's tone was nonchalant,

Yet it rang with the certainty of a command.

I had no reason to object,

So I forced a smile and nodded in agreement.

Seeing my acquiescence, I could clearly sense Ezra's relief.

Poor guy,

A man at the pinnacle of success, getting all worked up over something as trivial as Vivienne.

Another wave of intense bitterness washed over me,

But it's okay, I'll be leaving soon...