Return to 18 Chapter 4

"I always think, if we had a baby, she'd definitely be the prettiest, happiest baby in the world."

My heart ached uncontrollably.

I couldn't endure even this brief moment of peace.

I looked at his loving eyes and smiled: "Marcus, we had a baby."

His eyes visibly brightened. He carefully reached out to touch my stomach, murmuring: "Baby, baby..."

"Am I going to be a father? Lily."

"Can I meet her?"

My body had always been weak. Conceiving was difficult, and the danger increased with age.

Marcus didn't want me to risk my life getting pregnant.

But by accident, I still got pregnant.

The first six months were constant morning sickness. Every time I ate even a little, I'd throw up.

All kinds of allergies, inflamed wisdom teeth.

At seven months, signs of premature labor—I lay in bed for over a month recuperating.

Marcus gradually changed from initially gentle and patient to impatient, coming home later and later. Fights became more frequent.

Natural delivery took two days and nights before the baby was finally born.

My obstetrician, Dr. Sophie Carter, looked at Marcus keeping watch in the hospital room and joked: "Your husband loves you so much. It's like he wanted to bear the pain for you."

I leaned weakly in his arms. He told me I'd given birth to the most beautiful baby girl in the world.

We were going to be parents.

After recuperating in the hospital for over a month, Sophie seemed afraid I'd get postpartum depression and often came to chat with me. Over time, we became good friends.

Marcus and I were as loving as before, as if the fights during that period had never happened.

I thought I'd just been emotionally sensitive and overreacted.

The newborn baby was so small, crying and fussing all night. Marcus never woke up, though his phone kept ringing.

After soothing the baby, I was exhausted.

Marcus's phone still kept vibrating.

I glanced at it. The contact name read: "Lily's obstetrician."

I frowned in confusion. Why was Sophie calling him in the middle of the night? Was there something inconvenient to tell me?

Just that afternoon, we'd gone shopping for baby clothes together.

Opening the messages, my blood completely froze.

So many photos of women.

Bunny girl costumes.

Maid outfits.

Lily's obstetrician: "Honey honey, which one do you like best? Sophie will wear it for you."

I trembled with rage but couldn't help scrolling up.

Above were various different outfits.

Even a minute before I was wheeled into the delivery room, Sophie sent: "Honey, should I wear the nurse outfit later?"

Marcus replied: "Yes, little vixen."

During my ten months of pregnancy, they'd been together the whole time.

While I lay in the hospital room, they were in the bathroom next door.

Memories flooded back. Nausea rose in my stomach. Marcus suddenly pulled at my sleeve, saying aggrievedly:

"Lily, I don't want to go to the hospital."

I suppressed the nausea in my heart, showing him a smile: "Our daughter is at the hospital."

Marcus didn't argue further, obediently following behind me.

Until we reached the desolate mountain behind the hospital, seeing Marcus's confused look, I curved my lips in a light smile: "Marcus, do you see your daughter waving at you?"

He looked confused, staring at me.

Until he saw the tombstone at his feet. He clutched his heart in disbelief, then stepped back, pulling a smile more ugly than crying: "Lily, let's not joke like this, okay?"

"Lily, Lily..."

His tears seemed to fall unconsciously. One hand desperately pressed his heart. His body finally couldn't support him, and he fell to his knees.

"The child had an allergic pneumonia. You and another woman were at a hotel." I tried to say it as lightly as possible.

As if this could reduce the pain in my heart.

"Impossible, impossible..." Marcus desperately shook his head in denial.