Chapter 3

Through snippets of conversation from the nurses, I finally learned that during the accident earlier, Stella had accidentally hit her head on the glass and lost consciousness.

Upon hearing that Stella had regained consciousness, Dashiell's expression immediately shifted to one of pleasant surprise.

He stroked my hair gently. "Juno, I'm going to check on Stella's condition first. I'll be back soon, okay?"

Hearing his words, my gaze remained calm.

He hadn't let me finish speaking. Seeming somewhat guilty, he lowered his head and kissed me softly. "Get some rest, Juno. I'll be back quickly."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Dashiell departed from my hospital room.

The room suddenly fell silent. I lowered my head, and tears dropped onto the bedsheet, leaving small, dark stains where they fell.

In ten years of marriage to Dashiell, I had never seen him rush so eagerly to someone's side like this.

He had always been calm and indifferent, as if he never outwardly displayed his emotions.

In that moment, I realized that perhaps I had never really understood him at all.

It was already midnight when Dashiell returned to my hospital room.

I hadn't fallen asleep.

He tucked in the corner of my blanket.At this moment, I finally spoke up, wanting to finish what I hadn't said earlier in the day: "Dashiell. Actually, we......"

The truth is, I used to really want to be a mother.

Especially right after Dashiell and I got married.

But back then, we were struggling to make ends meet. If we had a child, the kid would've had to suffer along with us.

Plus, I was always working odd jobs. If we had a child, I wouldn't have had time to take care of them.

But now, even though I want to have a child, my physical condition won't allow it.

If those two pregnancies hadn't ended in miscarriage, I would've been willing to give it a shot, to try my best at being a mother.

Just then, Dashiell's phone rang again.

He gave me an apologetic look and stepped aside to answer the call.

His expression gradually became serious.

After hanging up, Dashiell walked over to me and told me that Stella's parents had found out their daughter was in the hospital and were on their way. He was going to take them to Stella's room first.

He left the room again.

Watching his retreating figure, at that moment, my tears finally broke through the dam.

Even now, Dashiell still doesn't know about my physical condition.I may very well be dying soon.

Because, back then, to get him into the research lab he had always dreamed of, I signed a secret agreement with the lab, voluntarily agreeing to test the effects of their experimental products.

Products still in the testing phase always have some issues.

After taking the medication continuously for half a year, my health completely broke down.

At the same time, Dashiell and his team developed their cutting-edge pharmaceutical breakthrough.

On the day their product was unveiled to the world, I was in the hospital undergoing tests.

The doctor told me it would be very difficult for me to have children, and my body had suffered lasting damage that would be hard to recover from.

No matter when I hear about this, it always feels a bit painful.

But seeing Dashiell's smiling face in the news, I felt relieved.

Thank goodness.

At least Dashiell got what he wanted.

But in this moment, I suddenly regretted it.

Actually, I shouldn't have been so naive, shouldn't have trusted Dashiell so much.

The feelings between us, after evolving over ten years, had finally expired.