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.

I answered the phone and Ezra's furious voice erupted from the other end.

“Ariana, you signed the divorce agreement and we made everything clear yesterday. Why didn’t you show up at the civil affairs office to finalize the divorce? Are you still trying to cling to me?”

I rolled my eyes, ensuring I felt no unusual discomfort before replying, “I’ll be there soon.”

When I arrived at the civil affairs office, Ezra and Athena were already there, impatience radiating from them.

Beside them stood a woman I didn’t recognize, clinging to Ezra's arm and looking down at me with disdain.

Her contemptuous gaze spoke volumes and I couldn’t help but guess she was Ezra's first love, Aurora Smith.

Ezra’s brows were tightly furrowed, completely ignoring my pale complexion.

With an irritated snap, he said, “Do you know how long I’ve been waiting? We’re here to finalize our divorce and you had to make this so unpleasant. Did you think it would be funny?”

I remained silent, but Athena interjected, “Let me be clear: my son’s only daughter-in-law will be Aurora. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll go inside and finalize the divorce.”

I scoffed. “Do you think I’d be in this state if it weren’t for you all?”

Ezra felt no guilt.

Instead, he sneered, “Who are you putting on this act for? It’s just a miscarriage, right? You act like you’re on your deathbed. Did you even wear makeup to look weak, hoping to gain my sympathy?”

“Let me tell you, it’s pointless. Even if you dropped dead right now, I wouldn’t feel sad; I’d just be relieved we could skip this divorce process altogether.”

Calmly shaking my head, I replied, “Ezra, the one who’s dying isn’t me. It’s you.”

Part 7

As soon as I spoke those words, fury ignited in both Ezra and Athena.

Their faces turned crimson as they advanced toward me, looking ready to unleash their wrath.

Aurora quickly intervened, positioning herself between them.

In a sugary tone, she said, “Auntie, Ezra, can’t you see? She’s just stalling for time. If you hit her, she’ll play the victim and refuse to go through with the divorce. Don’t give her that satisfaction. Our priority is to get the divorce certificate.”

Ezra halted, a flicker of realization crossing his face. “Aurora, you’re so clever.”

With that, he roughly dragged me into the divorce office.

Since we had signed the divorce agreement the day before, today’s process went smoothly and soon, we held the divorce certificate in our hands.

Ezra inspected the certificate with glee, but when he noticed I hadn’t left yet, a hint of confusion crossed his features. “What are you still doing here? Get lost; you’re polluting my sight. Let me make it clear: now that we have the divorce certificate don’t come looking for me again. We’re done for life. Got it?”

I nodded, but before I could respond, Aurora lightly tapped Ezra on the chest. “Ezra, what nonsense are you spouting? When we get married, of course, we’ll need to invite her to witness our happiness, right? After all, if she hadn’t had the sense to step aside, how could we have gotten together so quickly?”

Ezra fell silent, his expression softening as he daydreamed about marrying Aurora.

This look only made her more smug.

She approached me, clicked her tongue twice and said, “I heard you recently had a miscarriage. You should take care of yourself. Otherwise, if you can’t find a husband or have children in the future, don’t even think about blaming Ezra.”