Our entire chat history was filled with gruesome images of bloodied babies and cursed effigy drawings, all seemingly sent from my account. The timestamps spanned her entire pregnancy.

But ever since I cut ties with my family, I had never reached out to Neel—not even once.

“You vile disgrace! You can’t have children yourself, so now you’re trying to curse your own sister?!”

My father was the first to lash out, storming over and slapping me across the face. My mother’s eyes burned with nothing but hatred and disgust.

The room erupted with furious voices.

“I knew it! Women like her—damaged, broken—always end up twisted!”

“She’s so venomous, she couldn’t even spare her own pregnant sister!”

“Exactly! A woman like this deserved to have her womb taken! Poor her husband—what terrible karma he must have to be stuck with such a barren, heartless wife!”

Dazed, I instinctively turned to Hubert.

For the past three years, he had been my only shield, the one person who stood by me against the world’s cruelty.

But this time, he didn’t defend me.

Instead, his fingers tightened around my wrist, his voice sharp with anger.

“Sofie! How could you do something so disgusting?!”

“Do you really need to drag everyone down with you before you’re satisfied?”

“Apologize to Neel right now! Stop dragging innocent people into your misery!”

How could I forget? Between Neel and me, he would always stand by her side.

I lifted my head, forcing back my tears.

“Why should I apologize for something I didn’t do?!”

“You call her innocent, Hubert? Tell me—are you? Is she?”

His expression faltered for a split second, something like guilt flickering in his eyes. But then, as if shaking off a ridiculous thought, he quickly steeled himself.

“Sofie, stop this. You’re making me question everything. Maybe marrying you out of pity was my biggest mistake.”

I let out a quiet laugh, wiping away the tears that threatened to fall.

Hubert, you don’t have to wonder. And you don’t have to pretend anymore.

Because soon, we won’t even be husband and wife.

Without Hubert’s protection, the others wasted no time hurling insults, shoving me out of the hospital room like I was something rotten.

I staggered into the restroom, gripping the sink as I tried to steady myself.

Just as I started cleaning up, the door creaked open.

Neel stepped inside, arms crossed, her posture calm, composed—smug.

Gone was the trembling, frightened girl from earlier.

In her place stood someone who had already won.

"My dear sister, how does it feel to be hated by everyone all over again? Pretty familiar, isn’t it?"

"Look at that glare—you hate me, don’t you? Let me guess… You’ve finally realized that it was Huub who personally cut out your uterus and gave it to me."

"And don’t tell me you thought showing up here would make Mom and Dad feel guilty. Let me save you the trouble—they planned the entire kidnapping with Huub from the very start."

"They couldn’t bear to see me lose my ability to have children so young, so naturally, you had to be the one to make the sacrifice."

"Honestly, I should thank you, sis. Without your perfectly functional uterus, my baby wouldn’t have grown up this strong and healthy!"

I stood there, frozen, as the words sank in like a knife to my chest.

Tears blurred my vision. My whole world had already been shattered once, but this—this was worse.

Everyone I had ever trusted had been part of this.

“How could you do this to me? Aren’t you afraid of karma?!”

Neel let out a sharp laugh, then pulled a small bottle of dark red liquid from behind her. Before I could react, she dumped it all over her legs.

"Karma? Sofie, if Huub didn’t still need you as my personal blood supply, do you really think he’d keep you around?"

"Face it—you were born to be beneath me, to have everything taken from you. So do me a favor and watch closely, dear sister—see just how far Huub is willing to go for me."

Before I could react, Neel suddenly collapsed into the pool of blood, her piercing screams echoing through the room.

"Huub! Help me!"

Hubert rushed in, his face draining of color as his bloodshot eyes locked onto the scene. "Neel! What happened?!"

Neel clutched her lower abdomen, her face twisted in agony as she sobbed.

"Huub… I just wanted to talk things through with my sister, to make peace, but she—she said that since I was lucky enough to give birth, she’d make sure I’d never have another child again… She tried to destroy me!"

Hubert’s gaze snapped to me, his eyes as cold as steel, his voice razor-sharp. "Sofie, how could you?!"

Without another word, he scooped Neel into his arms and rushed her toward the operating room before whirling back and grabbing my wrist in a vice grip.

"Get her to the blood bank now!" The moment we arrived, he barked orders at the medical staff. "She needs an emergency transfusion. Take twice the usual amount from Sofie—right now!"

The nurse hesitated, stealing a worried glance at my chart. "Dr. Noteboom, her oxygen levels are already dangerously low… If we take more, it could be life-threatening."

Hubert’s voice was chillingly firm. "I know her condition better than anyone. Just do it."

I let out a bitter laugh. So he wasn’t even pretending anymore.

As Hubert signed the family consent form, I quietly slipped my divorce papers in between the stack. Without a second glance, Hubert signed his name without hesitation.

After draining as much blood as they needed, Hubert didn’t even spare me a glance before rushing back toward the operating room.

I forced my weak, trembling legs to follow at a distance. By the time I reached the door, the scene before me nearly knocked the breath from my lungs.

Neel was clinging to Hubert, her delicate fingers tracing circles on his chest as she pouted up at him. "Huub… how did you know I wasn’t really hurt?"

Hubert chuckled, tapping the tip of her nose with a smirk. "Neel, I’m a doctor. I can tell the difference between cherry juice and real blood."

His voice was low, indulgent.

"Besides, this was Sofie’s fault to begin with. We were going to take more blood from her in a few days anyway. Since she was already here today, it made sense to collect it fresh—it’ll help you recover faster after childbirth."

I stood there, frozen, my blood running ice cold.

When I was about to leave, I saw Neel’s gaze locked onto mine. She smirked. Then, without breaking eye contact, she tilted her head up and kissed Hubert.

"Huub… you always take such good care of me," she whispered, her lips brushing his. "Since my dear sister can’t give you any children, why don’t I make it up to you? Let me give you a baby instead, hmm?"

Hubert stiffened, his breath hitching. "Neel… you just had a baby… and you’re her sister… we shouldn’t—"

But even as he spoke, his body betrayed him, drawn instinctively toward her touch.

"Huub… take me," Neel murmured, her breath warm against his skin. "I know the truth—you’ve always wanted me, haven’t you?"

Hubert flinched, as if fighting some last shred of restraint. But it lasted only a second.

With a deep, shuddering exhale, he gave in. His arms tightened around her, his lips crashing onto hers in a feverish, desperate kiss. Years of longing poured into that single moment, raw and unrestrained.

As their bodies pressed together, Hubert’s fingers brushed against the delicate red cord around Neel’s neck—her childhood protection charm. His breath hitched.

He lowered his head and kissed it, reverently, almost painfully.

"Neel… the day I almost drowned, you were the one who saved me."

"From that moment on, my life has been yours. Whatever you want, whatever you need—I will give it to you. I will protect you, always."

The room was filled with broken whispers and breathless moans—soft, desperate, unmistakably intimate.

I stood there, watching their bare bodies entwine, their movements feverish, insatiable. And then, against all reason, I laughed.

Silent tears slid down my cheeks.

Neel was terrified of water. She had never once dared to go near a pool, a river—not even a bathtub filled too high. And that so-called protection charm around her neck? She hadn’t earned it. She had whined and pouted until our parents took it from me and handed it to her.

Wiping my tears away, I finally took my leave. I gathered everything—The signed divorce papers. The voice recording capturing every damning word. The fresh photos of their betrayal.

Then, I handed it all over to the head nurse in Hubert’s department.

Pulling out my phone, I made a call. “Change of plans. Come to this hospital now.”

With everything set in motion, I found an empty hospital bed, lay down and closed my eyes.

Thirty minutes later.

Hubert stepped out of the operating room, rolling his shoulders. Remembering the blood transfusion, he headed toward the donor ward to check on me—only to find the bed empty.

Frowning, he pulled out his phone to call me. Before he could dial, the head nurse came rushing toward him, clutching a small box, her face pale with urgency.

"Dr. Noteboom! Your wife—she went into shock from excessive blood loss! She stopped breathing!" She shoved the box into his hands. "Before she lost consciousness, she made me promise to give this to you personally."