I lowered my head to look at the report Emily handed me, and my expression darkened instantly. I grabbed her hand.

“Come with me to the operating room. I left something inside.”

Emily saw the icy look in my eyes and was frightened, but she still chose to trust me.

But my mother pulled my arm back.

“What could be more important than taking Emily home? It’s already dinner time! She waited outside so long her legs are swollen—don’t you know how to take care of your wife?”

I shook off her hand.

“It’s something very important.”

My mother glared at me, about to say more, but Emily gently patted her back.

“Mom, Nathan’s work is important. It’ll only take a moment.”

Hearing that, my mother reluctantly agreed.

“Then we’ll go with you.”

I didn’t respond and simply led them toward the operating room.

The moment we stepped inside, I locked the door and jabbed a needle into Emily’s neck.

My parents panicked, pounding on the door like mad.

“What are you doing?! Emily is carrying your baby!”

I pressed the scalpel to Emily’s neck and forced her step-by-step toward the operating table.

“This baby cannot stay.”

Emily looked at me in desperation, then pulled a report from her bag.

“Nathan, if you think the child isn’t yours, look at the test. There’s a DNA section proving he is your biological son!”

I didn’t even glance at the paper. Instead, I tied her firmly to the operating table.

My mother hammered the door, shouting, and soon the entire hospital was rushing over.

“Nathan, if you dare cut out that baby today, your career is over! I’m begging you—don’t do something so foolish!”

My father looked at me anxiously.

“Son, I know you’re stressed from work, but put the scalpel down. Whatever the matter is, we can talk as a family.”

I ignored them and calmly began checking the surgical instruments.

Emily stared at the scalpel in my hand, tears streaming uncontrollably.

“Nathan… just two more months. Please spare him. Didn’t you always want to be a father? You even signed up for a baby-care class the moment you heard I was pregnant, just to welcome our child properly.”

“Nathan, I know something must be wrong. But whatever it is, I’ll face it with you.”

I glanced at Emily’s swollen belly, a chill flashing through my eyes.

“I can’t wait anymore.”

I picked up the disinfectant wipes and began cleaning her abdomen.

Soon hospital security arrived, followed by my department director who had been urgently called from home.

“Nathan, have you lost your mind? If you cut her open today, you’ll lose not only your job but your freedom! You’re about to be promoted to deputy chief. Are you really willing to throw it all away?”

I ignored every plea and lifted Emily’s clothing.

Just as I raised the scalpel, there was a loud thud outside—the sound of my mother dropping to her knees.

The reporters immediately turned their cameras toward her.

“Nathan, I’m begging you—please stop! Why must you insist on killing your own son?”

My father dropped to his knees as well.

“Son, talk to us! Tell us what pushed you this far. Don’t forget—your scalpel is meant to save lives, not take your own child’s!”

My parents kowtowed repeatedly on the ground, and even the reporters watching were moved.

“Yeah! Your parents worked so hard to raise you. Now you’re a leading doctor at St. Mary’s Medical Center. What could possibly drive you to point a blade at your pregnant wife?”

“I remember Dr. Nathan Hale being praised as a rising star—he saved several mothers with amniotic fluid embolism. So why is he cutting open his own unborn child now?”

Their foreheads were already bleeding from kneeling, red blood dripping down their faces, but I hesitated not even for a second and slit open Emily’s abdomen.

Blood streamed down the sides of the operating table. When I saw the lifeless child, I finally smiled in satisfaction.

People turned their heads away in horror, unable to watch, but I calmly began suturing and wiped the blood from my hands.

After finishing everything, I took out my phone to call the police.

Detective Ryan Carter rushed to the scene, and after hearing my statement, his brows tightened even further.

“Do you understand the consequences of what you did? I heard that back then, you and your wife applied to this hospital together, but there was only one position. She withdrew voluntarily so you could join St. Mary’s.”

I turned toward the unconscious Emily and didn’t deny it.

Emily had always loved me deeply. She married me even after breaking ties with her family.

After marriage, she centered her entire life around me. No matter how late I came home, there was always a bowl of hot soup waiting for me.

My father rushed to me and slapped me hard across the face.

“How could we raise a beast like you?! Even your own child—you didn’t spare him?”

I wiped the blood at the corner of my mouth lightly, a faint sense of relief rising on my face.

Detective Carter looked at me, puzzled.

“I read your wife’s amniocentesis report. The baby was definitely yours. So tell me—why would you destroy his chance at life with your own hands?”

I didn’t answer. Instead, I calmly extended my hands toward the detective.

“Take me away. Whatever punishment is waiting for me, I’ll accept it.”

Seeing the growing crowd outside, Detective Carter cuffed me and escorted me out.

Just as we stepped outside the hospital entrance, a rotten egg smashed against my head.

Reporters had already livestreamed everything online. Crowds gathered, throwing vegetables and eggs as they yelled at me.

“You didn’t even spare your unborn kid! Trash like you isn’t human!”

“You cut open your own wife and still call yourself a doctor? You’re a disgrace to the medical profession!”

“Yeah! Why don’t you go die? A monster pretending to be a gentleman—I actually used to admire you!”

Detective Carter watched my expression closely.

“You were once hailed as a medical prodigy, and now you’re nothing but a criminal. I really want to know—what made you destroy your life just to kill that baby?”

I kept a calm smile on my face.

“You’ll know soon enough.”

With that, I walked forward.

At the station, I was taken straight into the interrogation room.

Detective Carter sat across from me, staring sternly.

“Now can you talk? Why did you do it?”

I sat upright, showing no hint of guilt or fear.

“You’ll know once Emily wakes up. Before that, I’m telling you nothing.”

A nearby officer slammed his fist on the table in anger.

“You’re already in this deep and you’re still making demands?”

“And Emily is the victim—what right do you have to see her?”

Detective Carter held him back, eyes fixed on me.

“Nathan, you’re extremely intelligent and a trained doctor. If you truly wanted to kill the baby, you wouldn’t have done it so openly. Are you hiding something?”

Hearing this, my expression darkened.

“I said—I’ll talk once Emily wakes up.”

After that, I refused to answer anything else. Total silence.

I remained in the police detention area for five days, until Detective Carter personally opened the door one morning.

“Emily woke up.”

Hearing that, I finally breathed out slowly.

But the detective continued:

“She wrote a letter of forgiveness and hired a lawyer to bail you out.”

I wasn’t surprised. Instead, I smiled faintly.

Detective Carter frowned.

“You predicted Emily would speak for you—that’s why you kept quiet, isn’t it?”

I chuckled softly.

“Detective, I’m human, not a prophet. I can’t predict every step.”

His expression hardened.

“But everything so far has gone exactly how you expected. Hasn’t it?”

I stood up, dusting off my worn suit.

It was the first suit Emily bought me when I started working—she saved for months to afford it.

When he tried to stop me again, he said:

“You promised—once she wakes up, you’d tell us the truth.”

I glanced at my watch. The time was exactly eight o’clock on the seventh day.

I sighed. “If you want the truth, follow me.”

I walked out of the station with Detective Carter; the moment I stepped outside, Emily hobbled toward me.

“Nathan, I know you must have had your reasons. No matter what it is, I’ll always stand by your side.”

My parents trailed behind her, fearing she might fall.

The onlookers began shouting at her:

“What an idiot! He cut your stomach and killed your kid. What’s next? He’ll slit your throat?”

“We were furious on her behalf, but she shows up the moment he’s released? Pathetic.”

“At least Nathan’s parents care—they’ve been looking after her nonstop.”

I avoided Emily’s attempt to hold my hand and coldly swept my gaze across the crowd. Then I turned to Detective Carter.

“You wanted the truth. Follow me.”