"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.

The moment Lily spotted Rhonda, her voice broke with urgency. "Rhonda… where is my child? Where did my child go?"

Rhonda's expression shifted from surprise to a gentle happiness. "Mrs. Connolly, have you regained your sight?"

"My child. Where is my child?"

Rhonda hesitated, unsure how to bring up the truth.

"Tell me, Rhonda!"

"Mrs. Connolly…"

Rhonda tried to answer, but tears came quickly, tracing silent paths down her face.

Throughout the years, Lily's kindness toward the maids at the Connolly residence had never wavered. Tender and generous, she always shared her best food and belongings with them.

When Lily first became pregnant, Rhonda was by her side at every prenatal checkup. She understood how heavy the burden of this child was on her.

In the earliest months, relentless vomiting left Lily drained. Then, in the final stages, the medicine prescribed by the doctor brought a rash that covered her body and robbed her of sleep.

Having reached the eighth month, she now faced the loss of her child. And Rhonda found herself unable to tell Lily that her child was dead.

Lily blinked, her expression shifting as if a sudden understanding was dawning. Her eyes lost focus, growing empty and distant.

"Rhonda, where is my child? Why are you crying?"

Rhonda broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. "Your child is gone, Mrs. Connolly. The doctors said it was a girl, but she was already lifeless when she was born. They tried everything, but they couldn't save her."

"What are you saying?" A faint smile flickered across Lily's face. "No, she wouldn't die. She's strong. She carried on for eight months. There's no way she's gone."

"The doctors said by the time you reached the hospital, it was already too late. If only you'd arrived sooner—"

"No, she isn't dead. I'm going to find her."

Suddenly, Lily summoned a strength she hadn't known she possessed and pushed herself up from the bed. The agony of her organs settling back was so intense it nearly claimed her consciousness.

She braced herself against the wall and wobbled toward the door, only to fall hard to the floor.

Rhonda cried even harder at the sight. "Please, Mrs. Connolly, don't push yourself. Your child is already gone. You must take care of yourself!"

Lily's scream tore through the air. "Why? Why take her from me?"

All the despair and heartbreak she'd held inside burst forth in a flood. She lay face down on the floor with tears pouring down her cheeks.

"No, my child, my child! I'm so sorry. This is all my fault!" she wailed. Her voice was ragged and strained.

Worn out and shattered, she slipped into unconsciousness.

Rhonda's panic flooded her words as she shouted, "Mrs. Connolly! Someone, please! A doctor! Help her!"

Still in a haze, Lily heard voices nearby.

"Where is her husband? Why hasn't he shown up yet?" Wayne asked.

"Mr. Connolly's phone goes right to voicemail."

"She's weak and distraught. Her condition is poor." After a pause, he added, "And there's the child's body. A decision must be made soon."

With great effort, Lily opened her eyes and whispered, "Doctor… may I see my child just once?"

Wayne hummed softly. His eyes were filled with pity as he arranged for someone to take her to see the baby.

Lily gazed at the tiny body. It was utterly lifeless. She tried to call out, but only a ragged whisper escaped her. She stretched her hand forward, yearning to touch her child, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.

Her heart tightened so fiercely it seemed to stop her breath. Tears streamed down her cheeks, leaving cold, wet trails.

Finally, she closed her eyes and made her decision.

"I'll handle the baby's body myself."

"And the father? Doesn't he wish to see her one last time?"

"No. The baby has no father."

The love Lily once felt for Zeke dissolved completely from the moment he chose Sophie over her.