Once the divorce papers were signed, Zeke left with Sophie. Lily returned to her room and started packing her things.

The wedding ring on her finger had become a glaring eyesore, something she desperately wished to remove. Yet, with pregnancy came swollen hands, and try as she might, the ring wouldn't budge.

Resolving to seek help, she headed to the jewelry store where she had purchased it. But before she even entered, she spotted Zeke and Sophie standing inside.

"Mr. Connolly, this pair of rings was designed by the famous jewelry designer Robert Edelman himself. What do you think?" asked Perry Dempsey, the sales associate.

"It's beautiful. Zeke, let's take this pair, okay?" Sophie said eagerly, holding out her hand for him to slip the ring on.

Lily stood nearby, watching as Zeke dropped to one knee and slipped the ring onto Sophie's finger. Cheers rose from the crowd as the two held each other tightly.

Lily had just signed the divorce papers, and Zeke was already here, picking out wedding rings with Sophie.

Her eyes fell to the ring on her finger, the one Erica had picked.

Their marriage had never been Zeke's idea. That was why he'd refused to select rings himself and only posed for a handful of half-hearted wedding photos.

She should have seen this coming. He'd never had feelings for her from the beginning, and he never would.

"The ring sizes aren't quite right. Customizing them will take some time. Once they're ready, we'll arrange for someone to deliver them to the Connolly residence."

"Alright. Thanks," Zeke said.

After he and Sophie made their selections and left, Lily stepped forward.

"Mrs. Connolly?" Perry called.

The instant she stepped inside, the sales associates in the jewelry store stared at her in surprise.

"Can I help you with something?" Perry asked.

"Please help me remove this ring," Lily said.

"You don't want to keep it anymore?" Perry asked, his tone cautious.

"You saw what just happened. My husband came here with another woman to pick out rings. Since he's marrying someone else, I have to take this one off."

"Mrs. Connolly, your sight has returned?"

Five years ago, Erica had brought Lily here when she couldn't see at all. Perry never imagined that, this time, Lily would come back with her sight restored.

Lily responded with a soft hum and held out her hand. "Please help me take off this ring."

After he removed it, she passed it back to him. "When you deliver the rings to the Connolly residence, please include this one."

"Certainly, Mrs. Connolly."

"Please address me as Ms. Rosenfelt."

"Of course, Ms. Rosenfelt. Have a good day."

Leaving the jewelry store, Lily's gaze settled on her bare right hand. The bothersome ring was gone at last, and with its absence came a lighthearted sense of relief.

The weather was lovely, and she set off on a solitary walk, wandering without direction.

Night thickened, yet not once did Zeke reach out.

Maybe she had never meant anything to him at all. Maybe her absence wouldn't stir a single thought in his mind.

Lily returned home at 10:00 pm, stepping inside to find Sophie sitting on the couch.

Sophie spotted her but said nothing.

Lily paid her no mind. She started to head upstairs until she noticed Sophie's foot extended before her, poised to trip her in the low light.

Maintaining her composure, she stepped around the trap, then moved to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water. After a sip, she made her way up the stairs.

Sophie crept after Lily. When they reached the final steps, Sophie surged forward suddenly, attempting to shove Lily down the stairs while her guard was down.

Lily turned just in time, dodging the push, and Sophie faltered, losing her balance. Desperation seized Sophie, and she clutched at the hem of Lily's shirt, dragging her down too.

Their screams tore through the air.

Lily hurtled down flight after flight of stairs until she lay still. Searing pain ripped through her stomach.

A warm rush spilled between her legs, and she fought back the agony to touch the wetness. Her fingers came away bright red, flooding her with panic.

Sophie was in no better state.

"Lily! Why did you push me? It hurts so much!" she wailed in anguish.

"Sophie!" Zeke called out.

Lily stretched her hand blindly into the dark, toward him. "Zeke… please… help me… save our baby…"

But Sophie's screams rose, drowning out Lucy's. "Zeke, I'm so scared! It hurts so much! Please help me!"

Soon, Zeke was sprinting toward them.

Lily hoped he'd come to her first, if only for the baby's sake. But instead, he stepped past her and lifted Sophie into his arms.

"Don't be afraid, Sophie. I'm getting you to the hospital right now!"

Lily clung to his pant leg. Her voice was a faint and fragile whisper. "I'm bleeding, Zeke. My belly hurts so much…"

Compared to Lily, Sophie seemed steadier. Her condition was nowhere near as critical.

Zeke shrugged off Lily's hold and yelled, "Look at what you've done! You've let me down, Lily! I thought you'd accept Sophie, but instead, you've done everything possible to harm her and the baby she's carrying.

"Do you realize how much pain she suffered abroad? If anything happens to either of them, I swear, I will never forgive you!"

Lily ground her teeth against the pain. "I didn't push her. She fell on her own and pulled me down with her. Zeke, I'm begging you. Please, save our child..."

For eight months, she'd struggled to keep the pregnancy going. The very idea of losing their child was unbearable.

"This is on you! If the baby's truly gone, it's because of what you did!"

Without hesitation, he walked off, carrying Sophie in his arms.

Lily's eyes followed him into the darkness. She shut them tight, and tears of despair slipped down her cheeks. Her body was awash with pain, and blood poured out beneath her in unending waves.

She crawled on all fours, fighting to reach Rhonda's room.

"Help… Rhonda… please help me…"

By the time she reached the room at the far end, her strength gave out, and she fainted.

When Rhonda opened the door, she saw Lily lying outside, unconscious and soaked in blood. The shock nearly knocked her off her feet.

"Mrs. Connolly! What happened? Mrs. Connolly?" she called urgently.

She switched on the light, and the sight chilled her to the bone. A long line of blood ran from the living room down the hallway. The sight filled her with dread.

She didn't hesitate to call Zeke. "Mr. Connolly, Mrs. Connolly—"

Zeke cut her off sharply. "Don't mention her unless she's dead! I don't want to hear a word about her!"

Before Rhonda could respond, the call ended abruptly. Overwhelmed with panic, she quickly dialed for an ambulance.

…

Carrying Sophie, Zeke stormed into the hospital like a man possessed.

"Doctor, please save her!" he shouted.

The medical staff responded immediately. "The mother is about to deliver any minute! Hurry, get her to the delivery room!"

Once Sophie was whisked away, Zeke began pacing outside.

Half an hour later, Lily was brought in. After examining her, doctors found her condition critical and immediately took her into surgery.

After five grueling hours, Sophie finally gave birth to a son. Born premature at eight months, the baby was immediately placed in an incubator.

Zeke gently offered her water in the hospital room.

"You've been through so much, Sophie."

A blissful smile spread across Sophie's face. "Zeke, have you seen our baby? He's a boy—tiny, wrinkled, and kind of ugly!"

"You're being silly. All babies look like that when they're born."

Taking her hand in his, he spoke with a heavy heart. "I'm sorry, Sophie. Please accept my apology for what Lily did. She's been spoiled her whole life. I hope you can forgive her."

"What are you saying? How could I ever blame her?"

Sophie hadn't imagined Zeke would speak up for Lily at a time like this. Yet, since he had chosen her over Lily, she decided to let it go.

"That's good to hear. You should get some rest. I'm going to check on her."

Zeke was on the verge of leaving when Sophie's sobs broke the silence.

"Are you really going? I don't want to be alone. Please, stay with me. I just had the baby, and my whole body aches."

"Alright, I'll stay." He wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. "You just had a baby. You shouldn't cry."

"Okay, I won't if you stay with me."

Relief washed over Zeke when Sophie finally settled down, yet Lily's face flashed vividly in his mind.

"Zeke, please, save our child…"

Her desperate pleas haunted his ears like a lingering echo, tightening the knot in his chest. She'd seemed injured then, and he had no idea how she was doing now.

Footsteps echoed outside the door, and Zeke caught fragments of nurses' voices.

"Aren't you off yet? The night shift ended some time ago. Why haven't you gone home?"

"I'm tied up. A pregnant woman was brought in last night. She was bleeding heavily and struggling through obstructed labor. Dr. Lambert has been fighting nonstop to save her."

"How far along was she? What is her current condition?"

"She was eight months pregnant. Her condition remains critical, and the surgery is still underway."

The nurse sighed before continuing, "That poor woman arrived at midnight, bloodied and ghostly pale, without her husband by her side."

The conversation sent a tremor through Zeke. The words "eight months pregnant", "bleeding heavily", and "complicated labor" echoed in his mind. His thoughts turned immediately to Lily.

Could the woman they were talking about be her?

He told himself it was impossible, that it couldn't be. Yet panic was already tightening its hold. He rose to his feet, determined to seek out someone who could offer him clear answers.

"I need to use the bathroom, Zeke. Can you help me?" Sophie asked.

She caught the nurses talking. There was no way she could have missed it. If that woman were really Lily, then everything would fall into place perfectly.

If Lily and her baby were gone, Sophie and her child could stay with the Connollys openly, as their lady and heir. A sharp gleam sparked in her eyes, only to vanish just as quickly.

"Alright," Zeke said.

For reasons he couldn't explain, a sudden fear gripped him. He couldn't bring himself to face the truth. The idea that Lily and their child might be gone was unbearable.

…

After a long and desperate battle in the operating room, the baby within Lily's womb failed to survive. She had arrived at the hospital with her water already broken.

Her body was weak from the start, and despite all her attempts, she was unable to deliver. She fainted again and again.

Surgery was performed to remove the baby, but it had been deprived of oxygen for too long. The doctors tried every possible means to save the baby, yet in the end, they were powerless.

Wayne Lambert looked down at Lily, who was unconscious on the operating table, and shook his head. Pain was etched across his face.

"We have to let it go. There's nothing left we can do."

"The baby was eight months along, and it's gone. She'll be broken when she wakes."

Wayne sighed as he stitched up her wounds. "And where in God's name is her husband? Leaving a woman that far along, alone at home in the dead of night? It's unforgivable."

…

Lily woke up to her body shaking uncontrollably. The anesthesia was still coursing through her veins. Around her stretched an endless expanse of white, while the sharp sting of disinfectant hung thick in the air.

Slowly, the truth settled. She had been brought to the hospital, after all.

"My child?"

Her hand instinctively moved toward her belly, but it met only emptiness. Tears welled fiercely in her eyes.

She clenched her jaw, trying to push herself upright from the bed, but the searing pain pinned her motionless.

"Mrs. Connolly, you're awake."

Rhonda entered swiftly, having just attempted to contact Zeke.

Wayne had asked if the hospital should take care of the baby's body or if the Connollys wanted to handle it themselves. Rhonda wasn't sure what to decide and kept trying to reach Zeke.

When she finally got through, the call was cut short. She tried once more, but his phone was already switched off.