Chapter 5

The force of his shove sent me crashing to the floor. A sharp pain shot through my abdomen, and hot blood began to pool beneath me.

My mother gasped in horror, trembling as she tried to pull me up.

"Ah! It hurts!" I screamed.

Hearing my cry of pain, Austin and Serena finally looked over.

Panic set in, and they rushed to lift me, wheeling me straight into the emergency room.

I stared at Serena with pure, unadulterated hatred. "If I die, you are a murderer. I will haunt you for the rest of your life!"

Austin defended her, snapping at me, "You're the one who scammed me first, and you still have no remorse! I don't even care whose baby that is anymore! Once you're out of surgery, we are getting a divorce!"

Hearing his words, my heart turned to ash. I closed my eyes in despair.

The surgery lasted an entire hour, and the baby's voice mocked me for that entire hour.

Except this time, he was speaking directly to me:

*[Hehehe, so much for your husband's grand love!]*

*[You evil woman, trying to abort me? I'm telling you, you will never get rid of me!]*

*[Once you're discharged, I'll make sure your precious mother leaves you too. You'll end up completely alone and abandoned!]*

What a malicious creature.

He was my own flesh and blood, yet he was calculating my ruin as if I had committed some unforgivable sin against him.

Before slipping into unconsciousness, I couldn't help but ask him why he hated me so much.

But he didn't answer. When the anesthesia finally wore off, the doctor handed me a cup of water.

"Fortunately, the baby is extremely resilient. He's out of danger, but you'll both need to stay under observation for a while."

Staring at the clear water in the cup, a sudden realization hit me like a bolt of lightning!

I finally understood what this baby's "inner voice" actually was.

Over the next few days, I lived in absolute peace.

The baby still tried to provoke me from time to time, desperately trying to get me angry enough to induce a miscarriage.

But I refused to give him what he wanted. I ate well, slept well, and let him grow healthy and strong in my womb.

When Austin’s lawyer delivered the divorce papers, I didn't cry or beg. I simply picked up a pen and signed my name with a flourish.

Within days of our divorce, Austin proposed to Serena.

On the day they set their wedding date, Serena called me.

"Chloe, I've already told Austin that you and Helen have a genetic disease. I told him I only forged the fake report out of pity for our old friendship."

"For Austin's sake, I suggest you abort that bastard immediately. Otherwise, we will make your marriage fraud public and turn you into a social pariah!"

Facing her threat, I casually agreed over the phone.

But behind her back, I took my prenatal vitamins, ate expensive supplements, and nurtured the baby until he was plump and healthy.

As my due date neared, Serena's wedding day finally arrived. Right in the middle of her wedding reception, I FaceTime-called her.

"Hey! Happy wedding! Wishing you a lifetime of bliss!"

Seeing my heavily swollen belly through the screen, horror washed over her face.

In the next second, she threw down the wedding ring, abandoned Austin at the altar, and rushed into my hospital room within fifteen minutes, throwing herself onto her knees.

"Chloe! Why haven't you aborted this baby yet?!"

"There's no time left! I beg you, abort him now! If you do, I'll give Austin back to you immediately!"