Shortly after announcing my pregnancy, my mother-in-law thoughtfully prepared a chicken soup, insisting it would nourish me.

But soon after drinking it, I was seized with intense abdominal pain and heavy bleeding. Through the agony, I begged my husband and mother-in-law to call an ambulance, only for my mother-in-law to reply, with eerie calm, “No need. I’ve added a full dose of abortion drugs. No miracle worker could save this child now.”

I was stunned, struggling to understand why she would do this. After pressing them relentlessly, my husband finally spoke, his tone laced with irritation. “My true love is back. She’s agreed to a divorce, but she won’t accept me having a child.”

My mother-in-law then promptly produced divorce papers, pressing me to sign. Only once I’d complied did they agree to let me go to the hospital. Yet, despite everything, I didn’t feel all that sad.

For one, I never wanted children anyway. And, after all, it would not be me who was left desperate without umbilical cord blood.

***

Part 1

With my mother-in-law, Athena Davis, watching me expectantly, I forced myself to down three entire bowls of the oily chicken soup.

“Mom, I really can’t have anymore. Why don’t you both enjoy some?” I suggested, my stomach churning.

Ezra Davis, my husband, laughed, shaking his head. “No chance. I asked Mom to make this, especially for you. It’s all yours.”

He ladled another portion into my bowl, adding with a grin, “You mentioned good news and even better news. We know you’re pregnant, so what’s the other surprise?”

I lowered my gaze.

The pregnancy was only the good news.

The even better news was that Ezra had a real chance at survival.

But before I could explain, a sharp, searing pain tore through my abdomen.

The pain was unlike anything I had ever experienced, as if a steel claw were tearing through my abdomen.

Within moments, I was on the floor, writhing and drenched in sweat, feeling warm blood trickling down my legs.

Athena and Ezra simply stood by, watching with unsettling calm.

I could barely manage a thought, gasping, “Mom, Ezra, please, call an ambulance. My stomach… the baby, there’s still a chance if we act fast…”

Before I could even finish, Athena scoffed, rolling her eyes. "There’s no need. I made sure to add a full dose of abortion drugs. Not even a miracle could save that baby now."

I was speechless. It all made sense, their refusal to drink the soup, the cold way they watched me suffer. But why? I turned to Ezra, hoping for an answer. "Ezra…?"

Ezra’s expression turned impatient. "My first love, Aurora, is back. She’s still single and still loves me, but she’s a moral woman who wouldn’t interfere in a marriage. I planned to divorce you and marry her, but then you got pregnant. She’d accept the divorce, but not me having a child with someone else. So, this child has to go."

Part 2

The pain in my abdomen had dulled slightly, but I knew the baby was lost.

A bitter irony swept over me. I wanted to expose just how valuable this child indeed was, to watch their faces twist with regret.

But the fear of provoking them held me back.

So, I swallowed my words and replied quietly, "I won’t cling to you. We can divorce; just call an ambulance right now. If something happens to me…”

Athena’s lips curved into a cold smile. “No need to worry. Ezra and I aren’t monsters; we wouldn’t let anything truly harmful happen to you. Even though I added a generous dose, it’ll only cause some bleeding and pain, nothing that will do any lasting harm.”

Ezra nodded smugly. "Exactly. Besides, if this child really is mine, I have every right to decide whether it stays or goes. And if it’s not? Then you cheated, which gives me even more reason to get rid of this unwanted little bastard.”

Their callous words sent a flash of rage through me, nearly enough to make me cough up blood. “If you didn’t want this baby, you could have just told me! I’d have agreed to an abortion and a divorce. But drugging me? That’s a crime!”

Ezra and Athena exchanged a knowing look before erupting in laughter.

Ezra’s laugh was so deep it nearly left him breathless. “You’re really going to lecture me on legality? Didn’t you say at our arranged marriage meeting that you planned on never having children? You conned me into marriage, now, isn’t that fraud?”

Athena nodded smugly, a mocking smile on her face. “Exactly, just like I read about recently. They call that marriage fraud.”

With her backing, Ezra’s self-righteousness only grew. “And getting pregnant without my consent, binding me to this for life, isn’t that a crime as well?”

Part 3

Seeing my silence, Athena immediately retrieved a divorce agreement she had prepared in advance from the drawer. “Sign this and we’ll let you go to the hospital. Otherwise…”

I wanted to sign immediately, but a sudden wave of pain seized my abdomen, forcing me to hesitate.

Noticing my reluctance, Athena rolled her eyes and said, “Stop pretending. It’s just a miscarriage; how painful can it really be? This divorce agreement is more than fair. We’re not asking for the house or the car and we’re leaving you all the savings. Ezra is essentially walking away with nothing, so don’t act like it’s not enough.”

I rolled my eyes internally.

It was absurd.

The house and car were my premarital assets; who were they to act as if they were bestowing them upon me?

Ezra mistook my silence for reluctance and frowned. “I know you have feelings for me and you won’t find a better man than me. But what’s the point of holding on? Marriage should be about supporting each other until the end. When you’re old and sick, I won’t be there to care for you. Clinging to me will only lead to misery in your later years. Why put yourself through that?”

He wasn’t entirely wrong. I scoffed, “Yes, you’re definitely not going to be there for me in my old age.”

After all, without this child’s umbilical cord blood, he wouldn’t survive more than a year.

But Ezra failed to grasp the hidden meaning in my words.

Instead, he nodded and retorted, “Exactly. Since you understand that, just sign the papers. I’m not threatening you. If you refuse, my mom and I will lock the door and take a walk, leaving you alone to think it over. If something happens to you here, like bleeding out too much, that won’t be on me.”

Athena’s eyes turned cold at this. “Right. Divorce benefits you, but widowhood benefits Ezra. Don’t you think?”

At that moment, there was no room left for misunderstanding.

I quickly nodded. “Fine, I’ll sign.”

Part 4

I picked up the pen, my hands trembling from the pain, struggling to maintain my grip.

I wanted to wait for the discomfort to ease, but a bitter smile crept onto my lips.

“You’ll both regret treating me this way someday. I’ll be there to witness your tears and hear your pleas for forgiveness…” I warned.

Ezra had been pleased to see me ready to sign, but my words quickly shifted his mood. He dismissed my warning with irritation. “Regret? The only regret I have is marrying you in the first place. After Aurora left the country in anger following our fight, I decided to spite her by going on an arranged marriage meeting and choosing to marry you.”

“But don’t get me wrong, my interest in you doesn’t mean I love you. I just need a presentable wife, someone who can meet my physical needs and manage the household,” he stated.

“The main reason, though, is that you said you didn’t want children. I always knew I would eventually get back together with Aurora, so having kids with you was never an option. All these years, I lied about being allergic to latex to force you into taking birth control pills, hoping it would harm your body. I never imagined you’d stop taking them on your own…”

The irony of his words only fueled my anger and I shot back, “Your first love must be truly remarkable for you to risk everything for her.”

Ezra missed the implication behind my words, but Athena nodded with approval. “Yes, Aurora is exceptional. She made a fortune while abroad these past few years. She’s the daughter-in-law I’ve always dreamed of. Once he marries her, my son will be set for life. She’ll give me several grandchildren, which is a hundred times better than the cursed child you’re carrying.”

I nodded, my pen gliding across the divorce papers as I signed my name. “You have big dreams, but sadly, you’ll never see them come to have a chance because Ezra…”

Just as I was on the verge of revealing the truth, my phone rang, interrupting me.

Ezra picked it up, his voice adopting a gentle tone I had never heard before. “Babe, she’s already signed. We can finalize the divorce tomorrow and soon, we will be together.”

I lowered my gaze, swallowing hard against the words I had meant to say.

Part 5

After I signed, Athena and Ezra pulled out their packed bags, tossed my phone at me and promptly left my home.

They seemed eager to embark on their new life together, having only packed their clothes and leaving everything else behind as if they were ready to sprout wings and fly away.

I called an ambulance myself.

At the hospital, the doctor informed me that the fetus and its tissues had already been expelled, so a D&C wasn’t necessary.

They prescribed some blood-activating and anti-inflammatory medication, advising me to return for a follow-up in a week and again in a month.

Once home, I lay in bed but couldn’t find sleep; my mind was a chaotic whirlwind.

Just two months prior, Ezra and I had gone for health checkups. My results had come back normal, but he had been diagnosed with advanced leukemia. I knew he was timid and deathly afraid.

With the optimal window for a bone marrow transplant missed, his only viable option had become umbilical cord blood.

Telling him would only heighten his anxiety and worsen his condition, so I chose to keep it from him.

I disguised the treatment meds as vitamins, persuading him to take them while quietly stopping my birth control pills.

It was a decision that went against my long-held plan to remain child-free.

After receiving hormone injections at the hospital for a month, I finally got pregnant.

I had hoped my sacrifice might save him, but it turned out to be in vain.

The irony was almost laughable.

I had hidden the truth to protect him, yet he had destroyed his only chance of survival with his own hands.

If he and Athena knew the truth, I couldn't help but wonder how they would react.

Part 6

Early the next morning, I remained lost in sleep when my phone rang, jolting me awake.

Glancing at the screen, I saw it was Ezra.

With a resigned sigh, I answered the call.