Chapter 1

The day of Leo's birthday, I was holding him when someone pushed me off the carousel. I blacked out instantly.

Ethan frantically called for an ambulance.

Before I was wheeled into the operating room, I heard Ethan tell the doctor:

"I heard women are prone to breast cancer. For Aurora's sake, just cut off her breasts."

I was pushed into the OR, disbelieving.

During the surgery, the anesthesia wore off. In a semi-conscious state, I heard the doctor calling Ethan to confirm:

"Mr. Ethan, are you sure you want to transplant Ms. Aurora's uterus to Ms. Serena? But there's already a three-month-old fetus inside. Mr. Ethan, you've already decided to remove your son's heart. For this fetus, perhaps wait until it's born before removing the uterus?"

"No, remove it immediately! Just throw the fetus in the trash," Ethan said, his voice decisive and cold.

The doctor sounded somewhat hesitant. "Mr. Ethan, Ms. Aurora won't be able to have children after this. Are you really not going to let her have any more kids of her own?"

"Serena has a heart condition; her lifelong dream is to have a child. I want to help her achieve that as soon as possible."

"Once Serena has a child with that uterus, I'll make sure the child calls Aurora 'Mom.' My children will be her children. I'll take care of her for life."

My tears streamed onto the cold operating table.

It turned out my supposedly happy marriage, the one I took so much pride in, was nothing but a cruel joke.

Well, then I'll just disappear. Just don't you ever regret it.

I opened my eyes and found myself back home.

I immediately called out for "Leo," but then saw Ethan staring at me, his eyes brimming with tears.

"Aurora, Leo... accidentally fell and died yesterday."

He couldn't finish his sentence and buried his face in his hands, sobbing.

Something inside me snapped. I reached up and felt my empty chest. So, everything I'd heard yesterday was real.

Just then, Ethan's phone rang.

It was the doctor from yesterday.

He gave me a perfunctory pat, then rushed out to take the call.

I endured the pain from my incision and followed him.

On the other end of the line, the doctor reported:

"Mr. Ethan, Ms. Serena's body is responding well to the transplanted uterus. She's expected to be able to get out of bed and walk in three days."

"Young Leo's heart was also successfully removed and is now kept in cold storage, ready to be used whenever Ms. Serena needs it. However, I examined Ms. Serena's body, and it seems she doesn't have a heart condition..."

Before he could finish, Ethan impatiently cut him off.

"Alright, that's enough. I want to ask, when can Serena engage in sexual activity?"

"What? Sexual activity?"

The doctor gasped on the other end, clearly startled by his question.

Ethan explained, "Serena's heart isn't good. She's afraid she might not make it one day, and having a child is her only wish. I want to help her achieve that as soon as possible. Just tell me how many days, okay?"

I hid behind the door, my lips bitten raw.

I couldn't believe that the man who had just been sobbing over the loss of our child by my bedside was now, mere moments later, coolly and rationally planning to have a child with another woman.

The doctor on the phone cautiously suggested two months.

Ethan sounded a bit impatient. "Serena is still so young; her body should recover quite quickly. What about half a month? I can be gentle."

He realized he sounded too eager and quickly added, "I don't mean "that". I just genuinely want to help Serena fulfill her wish quickly. Doesn't it still take almost a year for a baby to be born anyway?"

The doctor had no choice but to compromise on a minimum of one month.

Finally, the doctor spoke with some reluctance.

"Mr. Ethan, Ms. Aurora underwent two major surgeries. I only let her leave the hospital because you said you had a professional home medical team. Plus, Ms. Aurora just lost two children. You absolutely must remember to avoid letting her emotions fluctuate too much during this time, otherwise..."

Ethan impatiently cut him off.

"I know, I know. Of course, I know how to care for my wife. You just remember to take good care of Serena."

"Don't bother confirming any medications or equipment with me; just use the most expensive and best. I need an update on her condition every thirty minutes."

He hung up and called the butler.

He listed all of Serena's likes and dislikes.

Fearing Serena might get lonely during her recovery, he had the butler send her a black card and arranged for staff from nearby luxury boutiques to bring merchandise to her hospital room, telling Serena to just swipe the card for whatever she liked.

After giving all his instructions, he finally came over with a bouquet of fresh flowers.

I lay back on the bed, my heart already cold and numb.

Ethan grasped my hand, looking at me with a choked voice. "Aurora, your uterus and breasts... they were accidentally damaged when you fell, so... for your safety, the doctors had to remove them."

"But don't worry, even though we can't have children anymore, I swear I'll cherish you as my whole life, protecting you forever. Trust me."