This was my fifth miscarriage, and as I lay on the hospital bed, I felt like my heart was completely shattered.

Elianna Boyd, my best friend and attending doctor, entered the room from the hallway. She held my hand, offering comfort, “Don’t be sad, Thalia. You’re still young. There will be more opportunities.”

Tears of helplessness streamed down my face instantly.

Just then, there was a knock on the hospital room door. Elianna murmured a few more reassuring words before stepping out. Through the crack in the door, I caught a fleeting glimpse of someone who resembled my husband, Oscar Mitchell.

As I dragged my weak body to the door, I overheard a conversation that sent a chill down my spine.

“Elianna, can she really have any more children after all the medications you’ve given her each time?”

“Oscar, are you blaming me? If I hadn’t been unable to conceive after having our daughter, how could I stand to see you with the woman you despise the most?”

Oscar held her in his arms, soothing her softly, “I’m not blaming you. It's all that old man Fabian's fault. He insists I have a son before he’ll pass the family business on to me. Just wait, one day I’ll marry you with all the pomp and circumstance you deserve.”

It turns out that my children were taken from me by the two people I held dearest in my life.

Very well then, I’ll let you have your way.

I slid down the wall, covering my face as I silently wept.

Thinking about losing each of the lives within me felt like a merciless giant's hand was squeezing my heart to pieces. Last time, my poor child was already formed when Elianna violently removed it. I had begged her to leave the baby intact, but she insisted it was for my own good, to prevent damage to my womb. I trusted her because she was my closest friend.

Just a month after the last miscarriage, Oscar was on top of me again, demanding me night after night. I wanted to refuse, but he whispered in my ear, “I just want to have a child of my own.”

I believed him, thinking he loved me so much that he was eager for us to have a child together.

Now, these two people I trusted most in my life had become the deepest betrayers. I wished this was just a nightmare, a hallucination caused by overwhelming grief, but their following conversation forced me to confront reality.

“Elianna, even if you could have another child, I wouldn’t want you to endure the pain of childbirth again. I can’t bear it.”

I laughed bitterly to myself. What about me? Five times now, children were taken from my body. Who cares about my pain?

“I heard about a technique abroad. We can have embryos made with her and select the gender.”

“When the child is born, and I take the reins of the family, I’ll throw mother and child into the open sea to feed the sharks.”

Elianna chuckled, “I know you love me. By the way, our daughter said she likes Thalia’s emerald pendant, don’t forget to get it for her.”

“Hmm.”

I touched my neck; this emerald pendant was a family heirloom my grandmother left me when she passed. Elianna knew that. I rarely wore it, but this time I put it on hoping to bless my child’s birth. I hadn’t expected her to not only steal away the man I loved but also to try to take the last piece of my family’s affection.

What unforgivable thing had I done for her to hate me so?

After they left, I quietly sneaked out of the hospital that night, feeling weak and fragile. I went directly to a dark alley, following the address in my hand. I knocked at a battered door for quite some time, but there was no answer. By the light of the moon, I reread the paper, fearing I’d read it wrong. Three years ago, the night before my wedding to Oscar, I was kidnapped. A man, battered and scarred, had shown up, wielding a machete that drove my captors away. Afterward, I helped him tend to his wounds, and he’d given me this note with an address on it.

“If you ever run into trouble again, you can find me here.”

In three years living with Oscar, except for Elianna, he didn’t allow me any friends, claiming it was for my protection. Now, I had no choice but to seek help from this stranger.

To my dismay, he was no longer there.

I walked out of the alley slowly, despair enveloping me. In this world, I had no family, no friends, not even a job. How could I ever avenge my five lost children?

I’m sorry, my darlings. Your mother is useless; the only thing I can do now is join you.

I picked up a shard of glass from the ground and pressed it to my wrist. Suddenly, the roar of a motorcycle filled the air, and an intense light shone in my face. Then came that familiar voice.

“You finally came to find me.”

Tears flowed down my cheeks as I asked him, “Can you kill for me?”

“For you, I can.”

The next afternoon, Oscar Mitchell visited me at the hospital.

"Thalia, look, I made some chicken soup for you, and here’s your favorite clam chowder. Go on, give them a try."

As he spoke, he carefully unpacked each container and set them on the table in front of me.

Seeing my lack of reaction, he jokingly asked with a smile, "What's up? Has it been so long since you tasted my cooking that you're left speechless?"

I replied flatly, "Just surprised, that's all."

If I hadn't overheard those conversations yesterday, I might have believed I was the luckiest woman alive at this moment.

Four years ago, after my car accident, he stayed by my side, making different dishes every day. His kindness left a lasting impression on me.

But now, as I ate the chowder, it seemed flavorless.

With that gentle smile, he watched me finish the meal he’d prepared, as if the man who had spoken so coldly yesterday was someone else entirely.

Not ready to give up, I suddenly asked, "Oscar, do you love me?"

He gently kissed my forehead.

"Of course, I’m your husband; you know I love you."

"Then, how about we don’t have kids? Can’t we just enjoy the rest of our lives together?"

A slight furrow appeared on his brow, but he quickly smoothed it away.

"I know it’s been tough on you, and it’s been painful every time, but children are the continuation of our love. I love you so much that I want us to have a child together."

At that moment, the door swung open.

Elianna Boyd entered, wearing a wide smile.

"Oscar's right, and isn’t having children something we women are naturally meant to do, Thalia? I've checked your health, and you're fine. You can definitely try again."

As she spoke, the two exchanged a look, a wave of understanding and unspoken emotion passing between them, which I caught.

I looked down, avoiding their eyes, my disappointment anchoring my gaze to the floor.

Tears threatened to spill, but I stubbornly held them back—my last act of defiance.

After taking a deep breath, I raised my head again and, in front of both of them, calmly said, "Oscar Mitchell, I want a divorce."

Oscar Mitchell sprang up in disbelief.

"Thalia, do you realize what you’re saying?"

"Why are you suddenly talking about divorce? Have you lost your mind from heartbreak?"

I calmly replied, "No, I'm perfectly clear-headed."

Elianna Boyd approached and sat next to me, taking my hand like an old friend.

"Didn't you say you loved Oscar? Did he upset you? I can make him apologize."

I let out a sardonic laugh and pulled my hand back.

"What makes you think he’ll listen to you?"

Elianna's face hardened as she put on a show of anger. "We've been friends for years, and I'm trying to help. Why are you turning on me, Thalia? What exactly do you mean by that?"

Oscar jumped in to defend her. "You're just giving Elianna a hard time because she’s nice. Is this really how you should treat her?"

Tears welled up in Elianna's eyes, giving her a look of wounded innocence. Oscar pulled out a tissue and gently wiped her tears with practiced ease.

He then turned to me, eyes blazing. "It’s just a child, right? What’s the big deal? You’ve lost others before without making a fuss. Why now?"

I studied his face before speaking. "Oscar Mitchell, do you realize how different you are from the man who claimed to love me? People sure know how to change their tune fast."

A flicker of shock crossed his eyes; I’d never spoken to him so firmly before. I’d always been meek, going along with whatever he said.

"Thalia, you must be out of your mind! Elianna, get a doctor to see her right away."

Elianna interrupted and addressed me with feigned sincerity. "Thalia, you have no family left, and you’re unemployed. How will you survive without Oscar?"

I let out a bitter chuckle. "I may not have family, but is that why you two decided to toy with me?"

As I spoke, I pulled out my phone and scrolled through Elianna's Facebook timeline.

"Here’s a photo from four years ago. The cufflink here belongs to Oscar. Look, he’s still wearing it."

"And this blue shirt in the picture? I bought it for him myself."

"Want me to keep scrolling?"

I only found out last night, lying in bed, reviewing years of her posts. I used to trust her so much that I never noticed these things. I even commented on her posts, wishing her joy, thinking her boyfriend was just camera-shy.

Turns out, everything was hidden in plain sight.

Oscar's face went dark immediately.