When Laura woke up again, she was lying on a hospital bed. Her back was burning.

"Laura!" James immediately came to the side of the bed. His eyes were bloodshot. "You're awake! Does it still hurt?"

Seeing how worried James was, Laura was a little dazed.

In the past, whenever she had a fever, he stayed beside her just like now.

But now, she didn't have a fever, but was ordered to be whipped by James's parents, and as for James, he just stood and watched.

She pulled her hand back and wasn't willing to look at James again.

James was stunned by Laura's actions.

He explained, "Laura, it's not that I don't want to speak up for you. It's just that if I spoke up back then, they would only give you a harsher punishment..."

"So you think it was me who hurt that baby as well?" Laura's voice was hoarse.

James swallowed. In the end, he chose to remain silent.

Such a reaction caused Laura's heart to ache even more. It was as if someone was driving a blunt knife into her heart.

She looked at him with red, teary eyes. "I've only got one question for you. Do you believe me or not?"

James furrowed his brows. There was a trace of anger in his voice that he himself didn't even notice. "Laura, the evidence was right there in front of me. How do you expect me to believe you? Didn't I tell you to give me a little more time? Why did you have to make a scene?"

Tears suddenly started trickling down Laura's face.

She thought the pain couldn't get any worse, but she was wrong.

She quickly turned around to prevent James from seeing the state she was in.

"You'd better leave." Laura's voice was so quiet that James could hardly hear her.

"Please just give me a little more time, alright?" James's voice softened. "Things will soon go back to the way they used to be."

'The way they used to be?' Laura closed her eyes. 'Do you really think that's possible?'

James now had Jessica and two children.

He had chosen to hurt Laura time after time for them.

Laura turned around slowly so that she had her back to James. She didn't want to say a single word to him.

James gently caressed her hair. "Get some rest. I'll be right here by your side."

Before James could say anything else, a nurse rushed into the ward in a panic. "Mr. Lawson! Miss Rane is crying and saying that she wants to see you..."

James furrowed his brows and hesitated for a while before finally standing up. "I'll be right back, Laura."

But he never came back to the ward after he had left.

The day that Laura was discharged from the hospital, it was raining heavily. Laura stood at the hospital entrance and looked at James driving slowly towards her.

As soon as she opened the passenger seat door, she saw Jessica sitting there with the baby in her arms.

"James..." Jessica looked at her and immediately nudged towards James. "I... I'm still scared of her from what happened last time..."

Her eyes were red, and her voice was trembling. "She can hurt me, but not the child. Can you... give me a little more time? I don't want to be in the same car as her."

Laura stood in the rain, trembling.

James remained silent for a while. Then, he passed Laura an umbrella. "Wait here for me, Laura. I'll be back to pick you up soon."

With that said, he closed the window, and the car drove into the distance.

Laura stood where she was and watched as the car disappeared into the distance.

She closed her eyes. Deep down, she felt an emptiness that she had never felt before.

She waited outside the hospital for an entire day, but the car that had promised to return to pick her up never returned.

Laura called James time after time, but he never answered.

As the sky became darker, the rain also became heavier.

She had no choice but to walk home using the umbrella to shield her from the heavy rain.

The strong wind almost broke the umbrella, causing Laura to stumble. She then suddenly slipped and fell into a puddle.

The umbrella landed on the ground with a loud crack and broke. The rain immediately soaked Laura.

When she finally arrived home, it was already the middle of the night.

She stood soaked in the foyer, but heard Jessica's cries coming from the living room. "James, I know you like Laura, but these are special circumstances right now..."

Her voice was soft and trembling. "I have a plugged duct, and it really hurts. The baby needs milk..."

She sobbed. "Please, do it for the baby. Help me... Don't worry. Laura will never know..."

Laura froze when she heard those words. The blood seemed to have stopped flowing through her veins.

James had his back to the door, so Laura couldn't see the look on his face. All she could see was his tense figure.

After a long silence, Laura saw James slowly raise his left hand and unbutton Jessica's clothes. He raised his hand to touch her soft skin and then began lowering his head.

Laura stood frozen where she was, as if struck by lightning.

She watched as James leaned in and sucked Jessica's nipple.

Time seemed to have slowed down. Every second that passed made her heart ache.

A while later, Jessica moaned coquettishly and placed her hand on James's head. "I want some help with the other side as well..."

James frowned. "I thought the other side was alright."

Jessica didn't say anything else. She just wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his face towards her other breast.

After a short pause, James lowered his head again.

Laura couldn't stand the sight anymore. She turned on her heels and rushed out of the house.

The heavy rain soaked her from head to toe, but she didn't feel cold at all.

All she could think of was their first night together. James held her in his arms like she was his most precious treasure.

His voice was hoarse as he said, "Laura, you're my first woman and will also be my last..."

But now, he was kissing another woman.

The pain was excruciating and caused her to bend down.

Laura felt like someone was ripping her heart apart from the inside out.

'James Lawson, you've not kept any of your promises. Since that's the case, then why did you have to barge into my life and mess everything up?' Laura exclaimed inwardly.

She wrapped her arms around her legs as she squatted in the rain, and her legs gradually became numb.

She only headed back into the villa after all the lights inside were switched off.

In the middle of the night, she suddenly started burning up with a fever.

Whilst being half-conscious, Laura seemed to have heard James's gentle voice from next door. "Be good, sweetheart. Let Daddy tell you a bedtime story..."

It was obvious that he was talking to the child in Jessica's womb.

What James was doing was exactly like what he had promised Laura, but he wasn't telling Laura's baby stories right now; he was telling stories to Jessica's baby.

After what seemed like forever, Laura felt that someone was calling her name.

"Laura? Laura?"

Laura slowly opened her eyes and saw James sitting on the side of the bed with some medicine in his hands.

She then closed her eyes and refused to look at James.

"I'll leave the meds and water here, Laura." There was a short pause. "Jessica's pregnant, and there's also a baby that she has to take care of. You'd... better stay in your room for the next couple of days so that you don't pass it on to them. Your door will be locked, and the servants will bring you food or whatever you need."

With that said, James turned to leave before Laura could say anything else. He left the room and went to take care of Jessica and their children.

When Laura heard the clicking of the door, she suddenly laughed.

She gradually laughed louder and louder, but in the end, the laughter turned into a heart-wrenching cry.

Everything felt like a total joke.

She used to be his most cherished treasure, but now he locked her up as if she were some kind of dangerous virus.

For the next couple of days, no one brought Laura any food or water. The servants had probably received orders from Jessica to do so.

Laura's fever didn't break at all. She could only lie on the bed, feeling dazed. She could hear the laughter and happiness on the other side of the door.

James and Jessica were watching a film. It was the same film that he had watched with Laura countless times.

The two of them were having a candlelight dinner. In the past, James would personally cook something for Laura once every month to give her a surprise.

The two of them had even begun to discuss the name of their future child, just like how James would hold Laura in his arms in the past and say gently in her ear, "Laura, if we have a son in the future, let's call him Jake Lawson, if we have a daughter, then let's call her Lauren Lawson. If it's a boy, then the first letter of his name will be J, and if it's a girl, then the first letter of her name will be L."

But now, James was naming Jessica's child Jack Lawson. Both of their names began with J, so Jack was a perfect name for their child.

Laura lay curled up in bed and was biting the cover so that she wouldn't cry out loud.

Laura's fever burned for three whole days before it finally broke.

That was when Laura was allowed to leave her room.

It was also the first birthday party of Jessica's daughter.

The banquet hall was beautifully decorated and was full of guests.

John and Sophia held their granddaughter in their arms with big smiles on their faces. All kinds of luxurious gifts were piled up beside them.

"James, this is for Jessica." Sophia handed over a gift box with a smile on her face.

Inside was a beautiful diamond ring. The diamond on it seemed to be at least 10 carats. "This is what she deserves for giving us such an adorable granddaughter."

James took the ring and put it on Jessica's ring finger.

He then said gently, "Thank you."

Jessica leaned into his arms shyly. They really did look like a happy family of three.

Laura stood in the corner and watched as they took photos together. She also listened to the praises that the guests were giving them.

"The child's so adorable. She actually looks like her dad!"

"Look at those pretty eyes! She has Jessica's eyes!"

"James and Jessica really are a perfect match! Even their kid is so adorable!"

Laura's nails dug into the palm of her hands, but she didn't feel the pain at all.

"Miss Jackson!" Jessica suddenly walked towards Laura with a sweet smile on her face. "Let's take a photo together."

"No need." Laura shook her head.

"Oh, come on. Let's not spoil the mood." Jessica grabbed Laura's arm forcefully and pulled her in front of the camera. She then lowered her voice and said, "You see how well James is treating me right now? He'd keep me company every night and tell bedtime stories to my baby and watch me fall asleep..."

Laura closed her eyes. She didn't want to listen, nor did she want to retort.

Click!

As soon as the photographer pressed the shutter on the camera, the photo string wall suddenly collapsed.

"Watch out!" James rushed over and pulled Laura away.

The giant wall just missed Laura, but Jessica was buried underneath. There was also blood on the floor.

"Jessica!" James immediately let go of Laura and rushed over to Jessica like crazy.

Outside the operating room, James smoked one cigarette after another.

Laura looked at how worried he was and remembered when she had acute appendicitis. Back then, he had also stayed outside the operating room the whole night.

"Mr. Lawson, the patient is suffering from massive bleeding!" The doctor rushed out of the operating room. "We don't have enough blood reserved at the hospital. We need someone to donate blood right away!"

"Use mine." James rolled up one of his sleeves.

"We can't use your blood. You're Type AB, but the patient's Type O."

After hearing those words, James immediately turned around and looked at Laura.

She was completely stunned by his gaze.

She quickly took a step back and said in a trembling voice, "I'm not giving her any of my blood."

"Laura!" James grabbed her arm. His eyes were sharp. "Now's not the time to be sulking. She's still pregnant. We won't be able to leave if anything happens to her, do you understand?"

Laura's heart skipped a beat.

'Is he worried about not being able to leave, or is he actually worried about the child?' wondered Laura.

"What if I say no?" she asked quietly.

James's face darkened immediately. "Jessica's injured because I went to save you. Since you're the one who's benefited from my actions, what's wrong with you donating a little blood?"

He looked at Laura with eyes full of disappointment. "Why have you become so unreasonable, Laura?"

Laura's eyes turned red.

Did she change at all?

It was James who had said that she was the only person he would love.

It was he who promised that he would only marry her and no one else.

It was also he who stood in the rain and begged her to believe him.

But now, he was saying that she had become unreasonable?

"So... are you regretting the fact that you chose to save me instead of Jessica. Is that it?" Laura's voice was trembling. "So if you had another chance, you would save Jessica instead of me, right?"

James was a little taken aback. "What nonsense are you talking about?"

"The patient's condition is critical!" the doctor urged. "We might not be able to save either the mother or the baby if you keep dragging this on!"

James's eyes turned cold and turned to his bodyguards. "Take her to the blood donation room!"

When Laura was pinned to the chair, she was still struggling.

But when she saw the worry in James's eyes as they were fixed in the direction of the operating room, she suddenly stopped struggling.

The pain of the needle being pushed into her veins was nowhere near the pain that she was feeling in her heart at that moment.

Blood was gradually drawn from her body, but James didn't even spare her a glance.

When the blood drawn from Laura reached 400cc, the nurse began to hesitate. "She's too weak..."

"Keep going." James didn't even turn around.

When the blood drawn from Laura reached 600cc, she felt like she was going to black out.

Just before she lost consciousness, she thought she had gone back in time to the day when she first met James.

James was standing in front of her stall and was smiling at her. "The name's James Lawson. I'll be back tomorrow."

After that, Laura lost consciousness.

When Laura woke up again, the first thing she saw was James sitting by the side of the bed.

She thought he would try to comfort her just like before to ask for her forgiveness, but when she looked at him, all she saw was the coldness in his eyes.

"Was the collapsing of the photo string wall your doing?" James said straightforwardly. His voice was colder than ever.