"Besides, Christopher isn't an outsider," Karen snapped, "Thanks to him, my daughter is finally pregnant. Unlike you, you useless waste of space."

Her words hit me like a jolt of electricity.

I looked at Sofia again, and she avoided my gaze, her lips moving faintly.

"Honey, you know Mom's always wanted a grandchild. But all these years, we tried so hard, and nothing ever happened."

Christopher spoke up timidly at that moment.

"Casper, don't blame Sophie. It's all my fault. I mixed up the birth control pills and the vitamins last time. That's how she ended up pregnant. If you're uncomfortable with it, I'll take her to the hospital right now and have it taken care of."

His eyes reddened as he pretended to help Sofia to her feet.

Karen exploded instantly.

She rushed forward and slapped me hard across the face.

"Casper Williams, are you trying to wipe out our family line? I'm telling you: if anything happens to this baby, I won't let you off!"

The ringing in my ears drowned everything out.

I held my cheek, stunned, unable to react.

When I turned my head, I saw three sets of cutlery laid out on the dining table.

Karen noticed my gaze and said matter-of-factly, "I didn't know you were coming back. I only prepared lunch for three."

I understood exactly what she meant.

Biting my lip, I turned and walked out.

The door slammed shut behind me.

Even so, I could still hear her deliberately raised voice from inside.

"Sofia, you're a billionaire now. You should've divorced that loser ages ago! After all these years, he couldn't even get you pregnant. Maybe he's just impotent. He's the one who's not worthy of you. He wasted the best years of your life!"

Leaning against the door, I suddenly laughed.

Back when Sofia was starting her business, I interned at the hospital during the day and did manual labor at construction sites at night to earn extra money.

Every cent I made went to her.

As for the fact that we never had children. She was the one who insisted on a child-free marriage, saying childbirth was too painful.

The irony was suffocating.

Her mother humiliated me endlessly, and Sofia never once defended me.

The burning sting on my face faded, but inside, there was only numbness.

Just then, my phone vibrated in my pocket.

It was a message from a colleague.

"Casper, I got Christopher's medical records from the CDC."

My brows tightened as I opened the file.

I already suspected the worst, but seeing the long list of results still left me stunned.

Late-stage AIDS combined with tertiary syphilis was what I had more or less confirmed before.

But I did not imagine that aside from those two, he also carried over a dozen other infectious diseases.

Most were transmitted through blood and sexual contact.

But close daily contact, such as sharing towels, utensils, or even contact with broken skin, all carried risk.

Fortunately, that was no longer my concern.

After all, someone else would be the one to suffer.

I applied for extended leave at the hospital.

After collecting myself, I booked a ticket and flew to a small seaside town I always wanted to visit.

On the 20th day away from home, Sofia finally called.

"Casper, where have you been? Even if you're angry, there should be a limit to your tantrum."

When I did not respond, her tone softened.

"Don't take what my mom said to heart. She just wants a grandchild too badly. That's why she lost her temper."

She paused, as if choosing her words carefully.

"And, Chris and I have already discussed it. After the baby's born, I'll give him a sum of money and send him overseas. He'll never come back."

"This pregnancy was really an accident," Sofia said gently.

She then added, "Don't worry. After the baby's born, I'll have one with you too, alright? Then you'll be the father of two. The four of us can live happily ever after."

I answered her absently, sounding moved to tears.

The moment I hung up, I opened the surveillance feed.

On screen, Sofia was nestled in Christopher's arms, her voice smug.

"Don't worry. Casper's settled. Once the baby's born, I'll bring up the divorce."

Karen beamed beside them, handing Sofia a bowl of nutritious stew.

"That's my girl! Keep that useless man pacified so he doesn't cause trouble and stress you out."

Christopher chimed in, "Sophie, eat more. You must give birth to a big, healthy boy!"

Watching this heartwarming scene, I laughed until I nearly doubled over.

With Sofia's body in its current state, was she still expected to carry a child safely to term?

It would be a miracle if she made it to delivery at all!

As for Karen living and eating with Christopher under the same roof without the slightest precaution, it was only a matter of time before she, too, was infected.

Sure enough, Sofia called again a few days later.

This time, there was panic in her voice.

"Honey, Mom's sick. It's strange. She's had a high fever that won't break, and she's covered in rashes. I haven't been able to eat or sleep either these past few days. My whole body aches."

I suppressed a smile and spoke gently on purpose.

"Maybe it's just the flu or some viral infection. The weather's been getting colder. Take care of Mom for now. As soon as I'm done here, I'll book the next flight back. If you need any medication, I'll get it from the hospital."

"Alright, just hurry."

Her voice sounded noticeably weak before the line went dead.

I calmly booked my next travel destination.

Days passed like that.

Sofia kept calling.

Eventually, I blocked her.

Then one day, her assistant called instead, her voice trembling with fear.

"Ms. Griffin collapsed in the meeting room today. She's in the hospital for emergency treatment. Meanwhile, Ms. Mason was admitted to the ICU yesterday. The doctors say it's multiple organ failure. She may not last long."

Hearing this, I knew the timing was right.

I booked the earliest flight and returned overnight.

At the hospital, the attending physician called me into his office alone.

His expression was grave as he handed me a stack of reports.

"Mr. Williams, as a family member, it may be more appropriate for you to inform your wife."

He hesitated, his eyes filled with sympathy.

"Ms. Griffin and her mother's blood test results are back. The situation is rather complicated. They've been infected with more than twenty transmissible pathogens, including HIV and Treponema pallidum. I strongly recommend that you get tested as soon as possible."

I nodded, my face unreadable as I accepted the reports.

"Understood. Thank you."

After putting on protective clothing, a mask, and goggles, I entered Sofia's isolation ward.

She lay on the hospital bed, her complexion ashen.

An IV was taped to the back of her hand. Monitors beeped steadily at her side.

When she saw me dressed like that, confusion flickered in her clouded eyes.

Then fear set in.

"Honey, what's wrong with me? Is it serious? The doctor wouldn't tell me anything. Did you see my mom? How is she?"

I did not answer.

I simply walked to the bedside and quietly took out the test results.