“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.”

I turned my attention to Ezra, a smile playing on my lips. “Ezra, do you know why I suddenly changed my mind about being child-free and decided to have a baby?”

Part 8

Ezra paused, a look of confusion washing over his face. “Why?”

It was evident that both he and Athena were genuinely intrigued.

After all, I had spent years firmly advocating for a child-free lifestyle, showing little interest even in the most adorable children.

Aurora, catching wind of my question, let out a dramatic laugh. “Ezra, don’t you see? She just can’t let you go.”

“You told her two days ago that you wanted a divorce and then she announced her pregnancy right after. Do you understand what that means?”

Ezra and Athena exchanged glances, their heads shaking in bewilderment.

Aurora feigned shock. “It means she’s realized you don’t love her and that your heart belongs to someone else. I’ve seen it countless times. When women discover their husbands have moved on, they’ll often try to trap the man by getting pregnant. If you hadn’t brought up divorce, she probably would’ve waited until it was too late to terminate before revealing it.”

Ezra’s expression shifted as clarity dawned on him.

He patted his chest in relief, exclaiming, “Thank goodness! Otherwise, I would’ve been trapped by this wicked woman. If I had ended up with a child I never wanted, my life would’ve been ruined. She’s truly malevolent. Thankfully, fate is still on my side.”

Watching the trio celebrate their escape was more than I could tolerate and I erupted into laughter.

Perhaps I laughed a little too heartily as their expressions turned uneasy.

Once I composed myself, I finally spoke. “Aurora is right. I did get pregnant because of Ezra, but it wasn’t to prevent him from divorcing me. It was so he could stay alive.”

Before they could react, I retrieved a copy of Ezra’s medical results from my bag and tossed it into his hands.

“Because you’re dying and the umbilical cord blood from my child was your only chance!”

“But now, you’re as good as dead.”