Chapter 2

"Mine?" Alston sneered, "I've said it! Tonight is the first time we've met! I won't FUCK a woman like you!" He picked up the paper from the dressing table, waving it in Cecilia's direction. "You want me to sign this, don't you?" Cecilia was in too much pain to speak, cold sweat streaming down her forehead. But all of this was nothing compared to the chill in Alston's eyes. She saw murder in his eyes, the kind of hatred that wished her dead today. Alston looked down at her with disdain, his deep black eyes like ice that had been frozen for millennia. "Well. If you can survive today, I'll sign!" Alston took the household that paper, slammed the door shut, and locked it with a bang. Then, Cecilia heard the sound of keys turning outside the door. Her trembling fingers pressed against her belly, and the next moment, she crawled towards the door—— The doorknob was covered in blood, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't turn it. Yes, she was right. Alston had locked the door. To vent his anger, to retaliate against her, he severed all her ties with the outside world. He wanted her to die in their wedding room, even if it meant deliberately framing her for murder. "Come back! Alston, come back! The child is yours! You can abandon me, but you can't abandon our child. You can't." Cecilia was in so much pain, almost numb. When she wanted to give up, her belly kept twitching. She didn't know if it was an illusion, but she felt that her baby was very obedient, eager to come out, eager to see the world, even if it was just a glimpse. Cecilia could betray anyone, but she couldn't betray her child, an innocent little life. She walked step by step to the dressing table, clutching the scissors, and with a snap, tore open her wedding dress, revealing her round belly. Bending over with effort, she took the first aid kit, one step at a time with blood stains, slowly walked towards the bathroom. Cecilia lay in the bathtub, filling it with warm water to alleviate the pain. As the night darkened, the contractions became more frequent, and her water broke, but the baby still didn't come out. During the previous prenatal check-ups, the doctor had told her that this baby was in a breech position and might have a difficult birth, recommending a caesarean section. But in this situation, how could she have a cesarean section? She could only grit her teeth and exert all her strength, disregarding everything, just to give the baby a chance to survive. As dawn approached, Cecilia ran out of strength. The baby still hadn't come out, and she couldn't even feel its movements anymore. Cecilia was terrified. Her mother died of illness, her father remarried, and Alston didn't want her anymore. In just over twenty years of her life, she had lost everything she could lose. She wanted to keep this child, even if it meant exchanging her life for it, she was willing. She bit down on the towel, took out the scalpel from the first aid kit, and then, following the texture of her belly, made a cut. She had once studied medicine, but she had never imagined that she would use this scalpel on herself. For more than ten minutes, she didn't know how she endured it. She only knew that when her consciousness was hazy, she heard a loud cry. Her baby had come into the world. Blood quickly flowed out of her body, and the large wound sprayed liquid, dyeing the entire bathtub red. At the moment the child was born, Cecilia's strength seemed to be completely drained. She couldn't even lift her eyelids, her head dizzy, shrouded in a black haze. She saw herself from eight years ago, and she also saw Alston, who kissed her passionately eight years ago. She also saw Marian, who begged her desperately eight months ago... Eight months ago, Marian found her in a panic, crying and said to her, "Cecilia, help me! They've been hiding it from me. I just found out that Alston's three brothers all died of cancer! He'll die too, sooner or later!" "Cecilia, I don't want to be a widow. They forced me to have a child with Alston, to leave an heir for him. If I really do that, my life will be ruined. Do you love him so much? Please help me, they just need a child in their family, they don't care who it is." Cecilia felt dizzy, and the next moment, her mind was filled with images of a man and a woman entangled naked. If they could just stay in that night, how good would it be? If everything could have stayed in that night when he loved her so much. How good would it be? But how could things in this world be turned back with 'if'? Cecilia probably lost too much blood, and scattered fragments kept surging through her mind. In the end, she saw an illusion of Marian holding a bloody child, slowly approaching her, and then a sinister smile appeared on her face. "Cecilia, thank you. Thank you for giving birth to Alston's child for me. I'll take good care of him for you and for Alston. Go ahead and die in peace. I'll continue your life for you." Cecilia smiled desolately. It's okay, it's better this way. After all, Alston now loves Marian. She died, and there would be no obstacles between them anymore.