Chapter 5

By the time the second ambulance brought me to the hospital.

My body was freezing.

My chest felt like it was filled with crushed glass, and every breath brought the taste of blood.

Soon, the doctor ran over with my scans, his face pale.

"Ruptured spleen! Severe internal bleeding! We need to perform surgery immediately!"

"Where are her parents? Call her emergency contact right now! We need a signature, or she won't make it!"

The nurse found my phone.

She dialed the number saved under "Emergency Contact."

It rang for a long time before Nathan finally answered.

In the background, I could hear Chloe's soft whimpering.

"Hello," Nathan's voice sounded exhausted and annoyed.

The nurse said urgently, "Are you Seraphina Miller's family? She has severe internal bleeding and needs emergency surgery right now. Please come to the ER to sign the consent form!"

Silence fell over the line.

Then, Chloe's crying got louder.

"Nathan, my stomach hurts so much... is our baby going to be okay..."

Nathan panicked instantly. He covered the mic and whispered gently, "Don't worry, Chloe. I'm right here. I'm not leaving you."

Then, he spoke back into the phone.

"Nurse, don't let her fool you."

"She has Delayed Pain Syndrome. She doesn't even know what pain is."

"She's just jealous. She probably hurt herself on purpose to get attention and force me to leave Chloe."

The nurse screamed, "Sir! The patient is in critical condition! We need your signature to operate!"

Nathan took a deep breath, his voice filled with cold disappointment.

"Tell Sera that Chloe is pregnant with my baby."

"Since she can't feel pain anyway, let her sit in the hallway for a while. Maybe she'll reflect on the horrible thing she did today!"

"Once Chloe is stable, I'll come by to discharge her."

He hung up the phone.

The nurse stood there, shocked.

She looked at me on the gurney with deep pity.

I stared at the bright ceiling lights.

Tears finally rolled down my cheeks.

They mixed with the blood on my face, soaking the white pillow.

In that very moment.

The pain that had been delayed for eighteen years hit me like a massive tsunami.

It completely consumed me.

The agonizing pain of a ruptured spleen, the sharp stabs of broken bones, the raw sting of torn flesh.

Everything exploded inside me all at once.

But the pain in my heart was a thousand times worse.

I gasped like a dying fish, desperate for air, but only managed to cough up blood.

"Patient is crashing! Keep her with us!"

The doctors and nurses rushed around me.

I bit my lip until it bled.

Just as the doctor was about to call the police for emergency authorization to operate.

A strong, warm hand took the consent form from the doctor.

A calm, deep voice spoke:

"I am her legal guardian and fiancé. I will sign."

Hearing that familiar, comforting voice, I finally let the darkness take me.

...

After Chloe's checkup showed absolutely nothing was wrong.

Nathan finally let out a sigh of relief.

He sat down and checked his phone. He realized Sera hadn't sent him a single text.

Remembering how she looked lying in the mud, covered in blood, he felt a sudden pang of guilt. He walked toward her ward.

But right outside the door.

He paused. He went downstairs to buy the pastries Sera loved.

He pushed the door open and said casually:

"Sera, look what I bought you—"

But the room was completely empty. He froze.

Frowning, he pulled out his phone and sent an annoyed voice message:

"Sera, stop acting like a child. You're hurt, why aren't you resting in bed? Where did you go?"

But none of his texts went through.

A sudden wave of panic hit him.

He grabbed a passing nurse, his voice trembling.

"Where is the girl who was brought in from the car crash? The one with blood all over her face?"

The nurse recognized his voice as the man who had refused to sign the consent form. Her face turned cold and mocking.

"Oh, that lady? Her fiancé took her away right after her surgery."