When I was five months pregnant, I suddenly experienced bleeding and begged my husband to take me to the hospital.

But Jonathan insisted on attending a dinner to welcome back Zahra, his old flame who had just returned to town. I pleaded for him to take me to the hospital first, but he looked at me with indifference and said, "It's just a bit of bleeding. Why are you being so dramatic?"

He locked me inside, leaving me to "think about my actions."

It was my kind-hearted neighbor, Aisha Meyer, who heard my cries for help, broke the door, and rushed me to the hospital.

But it was too late. The baby couldn’t be saved, and I was in critical condition due to severe blood loss.

The doctor, Remington Jenkins, used my phone to call Jonathan, only to be greeted with mockery, "Rhea, stop pretending. Do you really think I'd be with Zahra if there was something between us?"

Heartbroken, I finally dialed the number buried in the recesses of my memory.

And when I was truly gone, Jonathan panicked, calling me countless times to ask why I hadn't returned home.

---

"Honey, my stomach hurts terribly. Can you please take me to the hospital?" I clutched my belly, desperation etched on my face, cold sweat already forming on my forehead.

Jonathan, who was already at the door, turned back impatiently. "What now? I’ve told you, Zahra and I are just friends. Why do you always have to make a scene?"

He turned to leave again, and I clung to his jacket, trying to explain, "It's not about that. I went to the restroom just now, and there was some bleeding. I'm worried about the baby..."

But Jonathan wasn’t interested in listening. He interrupted me, his face a storm of annoyance. "Using the baby as an excuse again! Aren't you ever tired of it, Rhea? It's just a little bleeding. Why are you overreacting?"

With that, he pushed me away and slammed the door shut. "Rhea, stay in today and think about this!"

A surge of terror hit me as I hurried to open the door, only to find it locked from the outside.

A wave of fear and intense pain swept over me in an instant.

I started banging on the door, hoping he was joking and hadn’t actually left. "Jonathan! Jonathan, open the door..."

But no matter how I shouted, there was no response from outside. Jonathan wasn’t joking; he really left.

The waves of sharp pain made it nearly impossible for me to stand.

The phone—I still had the phone...

I gritted my teeth, trying to crawl toward it to call for help. But even with the phone in my hand, there was no one I could call.

I felt warm liquid gush between my legs, panic gripping my heart.

Jonathan knew that in this unfamiliar city, I had no friends, and would have to rely solely on him.

With an ambulance taking at least half an hour to arrive, I could only pound on the door, hoping someone would hear.

Luckily, Aisha, returning home from work, heard my cries and broke down the door to get me to the hospital.

At the hospital, the doctor wore a serious expression. "Why was she brought in so late? She’s experiencing massive blood loss, which is life-threatening!"

"We couldn't save the baby. Now our priority is to save the mother."

"Where is your husband? He needs to sign for the surgery. Who leaves a pregnant woman alone at home?"

With each question from the doctor, my heart sank further.

Even the doctor knew it wasn’t safe for a pregnant woman to be alone.

But my husband accused me of exaggerating and locked me up just to attend Zahra's dinner.

The doctor frowned, took my phone, and after getting my password, called Jonathan. Call after call was hung up.

It wasn't until numerous tries later that Jonathan finally picked up, but he didn’t even ask how I was. Instead, he criticized, "When will you stop this nonsense? I’ve told you Zahra and I are just friends. Why do you always have to make a scene?"

Hearing this, the doctor gave me a sympathetic look but still informed Jonathan of my critical condition, urging him to come to the hospital.

Unexpectedly, Jonathan just laughed scornfully, "Rhea, now you’ve even got someone to act with you? Massive blood loss? Could you exaggerate any more?"

I heard a soft female voice from his end, "Jonathan, maybe you should go back home. I don't want to cause any misunderstanding with your wife. I'm fine..."

With that, Jonathan's voice turned even colder, "It's just a bit of bleeding, Rhea. Don't overdo it with the acting. Today, I'll let it slide, but you know what will happen next time!"

He hung up decisively without giving the doctor another word.

Jonathan was convinced I was acting to get him back.

To him, Zahra was always the most important. What did I even matter?

I opened my mouth with difficulty, forcing out the words, "I'll... I'll sign it myself."

The consequences?

I knew all too well—simply not going home until I admitted I was wrong, at which point he might show me a hint of kindness.

I felt the blood streaming out and my whole body turning cold.

In a daze, I heard the doctor’s urgent voice, "Miss Bennett, stay awake! Stay awake!"

"The patient is O-negative—a rare blood type. Quickly, check the blood bank!"

"Miss Bennett, do you have any family? The situation is critical—"

I struggled to open my eyes, my mind buzzing.

The searing pain felt like knives stabbing into my body, my neck veins taut with agony.

I managed to recite that long-forgotten phone number.

The moment the call connected, a man's clear and composed voice came through, "Rhea?"

The next moment, a bright white light flashed before my eyes, and then I lost consciousness.

When I opened my eyes again, all I saw was a sea of white.

I was in the hospital room. The surgery was over.

My flat abdomen told me the child... was gone. The child who had once carried so many of my hopes and dreams was no more.

I was alone, my surroundings empty. Predictably, Jonathan was with his beloved. How could he find time to care for me? Especially when he always thought I was just pretending to be ill.

A wave of despair washed over me, threatening to suffocate me.

As soon as I unlocked my phone, I received a friend request from Zahra. She seemed to be constantly watching; the moment I accepted, she messaged, "Rhea, don’t get the wrong idea, Jonathan and I are just friends."

Yet her social media posts painted a different picture. In a video, she and Jonathan sat together at a cozy café, their closeness unmistakable, with lively jazz music in the background and people egging them on to kiss. Her caption read, "Someone's whole world is back!" followed by a cute emoji.

How laughable.

Zahra was his whole world.

Then what was I? What was our child?

With trembling hands, I scrolled through Zahra's posts. She was skiing in the Alps, watching the northern lights, always with someone by her side. I could recognize that silhouette even if it was just a shadow.

So all those times he claimed to be on business trips, he was really abroad with Zahra.

A piercing pain clenched my heart, causing my entire body to shiver.

I was just a fool, kept in the dark.

Jonathan didn't care about me or our child.

Just then, my phone rang—it was Jonathan. I didn't want to answer, but he kept calling, leaving me no choice but to pick up. His voice, already annoyed, came through, "Rhea, how dare you ignore my calls? You're getting bold!"

In the past, I would have immediately offered explanations to calm him. Now, all I felt was weariness. "Jonathan, let's get a divorce."

He paused on the other end, disbelief echoing in his tone, "What do you mean?"

Before he could say more, I hung up.

But tears still betrayed me, slipping down my cheeks.

“Rhea, I was gone for just a moment, and you let yourself end up like this?” A cool, distinct voice made me instinctively look up.

He... was here.

Quinn Rogers entered the room, his stature tall enough to cast a shadow over me. His deep-set eyes conveyed a mix of intrigue and unapproachable danger.

I was frozen in bed, unable to speak for a long while.

Seeing my silence, Quinn let out a mocking laugh, "I thought you’d regret making that call. What, still not giving up?"

I bit my lip, wanting to say something, but all that came out was a sob.

Seeing my tears, Quinn’s expression softened. He wiped them away, saying, “Rhea, I left the country, but I didn’t disappear. If you're suffering, why not reach out to the family?”

The Quinn of today was almost a different person from the quiet boy in my memory. In the years since I left, he had grown so much. Yet his familiar tone soothed my chaotic heart.

But... do I have a family?

My parents died in an accident when I was young, and the Rogers family took me in. Uncle and Aunt treated me decently but were often distant. Raising me felt more like they were keeping a pet, and they repeatedly warned me not to get too close to Quinn or have any foolish ideas.

This was why, upon turning eighteen, I left the Rogers, quietly leaving the coastal city behind. When I called Quinn this time, I was prepared for him not to respond.

But unexpectedly, he came.

Looking at Quinn beside me, I was able to sleep soundly that night for the first time in a while.