Chapter 5

But he frowned and shot me an impatient glance.

"Rose, I'm the head of the Delgado family now. I have to conduct myself properly. I can't have people thinking I'm careless."

"If you can't sleep, count sheep."

I didn't bother listening to the rest.

Back in the bedroom, I sent Bartholomew a message.

"I agree to the partnership."

"Also, I remember you took some law courses. Please draft the divorce papers for me. Thank you.."

The perfect wife, the sensible Mrs. Delgado—whatever you want to call it.

From now on, someone else can play that part.

After everything that had happened the night before, Landon kept his word and went with me to the hospital the next morning.

The next morning, Landon kept his word and went with me to the hospital.

In her office, Dr. Lawrence tried to talk me out of it.

"You went through so much. The IVF finally worked. Are you sure you want to have an abortion?"

"Why don't you talk it over with your husband again? He is the child's father, after all."

I thought about it, then pushed open the door and stepped out—but Landon was nowhere in sight.

A message from him popped up on my phone.

"Anna just called. She's not doing well. I'm going to check on her. I'll be back soon."

So his promise wasn't even worth five minutes.

I turned and went back into the office.

"There's nothing to talk over. Just get this done."

Dr. Lawrence sighed and scheduled the procedure.

Halfway through the procedure, a nurse suddenly cried out.

"Doc, she's hemorrhaging! But she's Rh-negative, and none of the blood banks in the city has enough compatible blood.."

"It would take at least three hours to get blood from another state. We're running out of time!"

The doctor told her to hurry outside and ask if anyone had a matching blood type and was willing to donate.

Everyone knew the chances were slim.

I managed to speak.

"I know someone with the same blood type. Give me my phone."

Back when we first discovered we shared a blood type, Landon had smiled and said,

"Rose, don't you think this means we were meant to be together?"

The phone rang a long time before it was answered.

Before I could get a word out, Landon spoke.

"Rose, today is the anniversary of Anna's mother's death. She's heartbroken."

"I can't leave her alone. I need to stay with her. You head home once your checkup's done."

I paused.

"Landon, I hemorrhaged during the procedure. The hospital blood bank doesn't have enough compatible blood. I need you to come back right now for a transfusion."

The moment I finished, Anna's wounded voice came through the phone.

"Why would a prenatal checkup require surgery? Is your wife jealous again? Is she making this up?"

"Mr. Delgado, you should just come back. It's not the first time she's disliked me. Don't let me come between you two."

I was about to deny it, but Landon cut me off impatiently.

"Rose, I know your hormones are all over the place right now, but you need to learn to control your emotions. Stop picking fights with a young girl. It's really childish."

The call cut off abruptly.

The operating room went dead silent.

Whatever hope I'd had left in Landon died with it.

As my consciousness was slipping away, the young nurse from before rushed back in, looking relieved.

"Dr. Lawrence, a man with the same blood type. He says he's a family member—"

It was my brother-in-law, Bartholomew.

Sometimes, life really is full of strange coincidences.

Two people in the same family, both with Rh-negative blood.

Bartholomew said Vivian hadn't had much of an appetite lately and had lost a lot of weight.

She'd laughed it off over the phone, joking that she was losing weight for free, but he'd worried anyway and gone to an experienced doctor he knew to get some medicine to help settle her stomach.

He happened to overhear the nurse asking around for a blood type, and only then realized it was me.

Remembering Landon's coldness just now, I tugged at the corner of my mouth, but nothing came out.

Bartholomew knew what procedure I'd had, but he didn't ask anything more.