My best friend Jessie Bartlett and I both married into the Olsen family, and we got pregnant almost at the same time.

I married the top surgeon Koen Olsen, and she married Marlon Olsen, a handsome police officer and also Koen's younger brother.

On our first wedding anniversary, I got into a severe car accident on my way home from the hospital after picking up our prenatal check-up reports.

Jessie avoided the disaster because she was out buying us some coffee.

I was bleeding heavily from the lower body, lying in a pool of blood, my face pale with fear.

Trembling, I pulled out my phone to call my husband for help, but he hung up on me three times before finally answering.

His tone was full of impatience. "Can you stop making a fuss? Didn't you just have a check-up and everything was fine? Medical resources aren't for you to waste like this! Laurel Hoover cut her hand at home while changing the water pipes, and I still need to bandage her up. Stop bothering me!"

In the end, it was my best friend Jessie who saved my life when she came back with the coffee.

She called her husband on the street, crying and demanding justice from the person responsible for the accident.

But Marlon scolded her coldly, "Do you know the consequences of making a false report? I still need to fix Laurel's water pipes, so don't waste my time!"

The bystanders were too scared by my condition to approach.

Jessie, who was eight months pregnant, dragged me to the hospital by herself.

It was a full three miles, and she couldn't save her own child.

She even donated blood to me after her surgery.

When I woke up, I saw her pale face, and we exchanged bitter smiles.

"Jessie, I'm getting a divorce."

"Me too."

——

After I woke up and made up my mind, the first thing I did was send Koen a message asking for a divorce.

To my surprise, the phone call that took three tries to connect during the car accident suddenly came to me.

When I answered, his furious voice came into my ears.

"Georgia Collier, if I don't indulge your nonsense, you'll divorce me, right? The baby was fine this morning, and now after one phone call, you've miscarried? Are you playing me as a fool?

"I go to work to save lives, not to play with you. It's just that today's patient happens to be Laurel!

"Can you have some common sense? She cut her wrist! If she's not careful, that can cause massive bleeding! That's a human life!

"My child and this divorce are not bargaining chips for you to threaten me with, so stop acting like you're fighting for a favor!"

With that, he hung up before I could say a word.

The hand holding my phone was still attached to an IV drip, and it now fell limply by my ear.

After three years of dating and one year of marriage, we even had a baby who was almost born.

I never imagined that everything would be destroyed by his unattainable lover, Laurel!

When we ran into each other at the hospital, she offered to call me a taxi, saying she knew I was in a special period.

I didn't think much of it and even thanked her for her kindness.

But then, while the car was driving smoothly, it suddenly made a sharp turn, causing me to crash head-on into an oncoming truck from the back seat.

The driver suffered only minor injuries and fled the scene, leaving me lying in a pool of blood in the middle of the road.

I had never been so terrified.

I was afraid of dying and was even more scared of losing my child.

I cried and trembled, finally managing to call my husband, only for him to hang up on me three times.

In the past, he would answer my calls even when he was working, because he knew I was pregnant and worried something might happen.

But today, when something happened, all I received was a cold message.

[Clinic shift. Do not disturb.]

Before I left, I glanced at the hospital's registration screen and knew his patient was Laurel.

Tears blurred my vision as I called again, refusing to give up.

He finally answered.

I could feel the convulsions in my abdomen and the nerve-wracking pain.

I barely had the strength to speak, "Honey, I was in a car accident at the crossroads of the hospital... Hurry up. Save me. Our baby can't hold on..."

As I spoke, I could even feel the blood gushing out of my body.

There was no response on the other end of the line for a while, and I could faintly hear Laurel's playful laughter.

Ten seconds felt like a century before Koen finally spoke.

"I still need to bandage Laurel's wound. Saving lives and treating injuries is my duty as a doctor! Can you stop making a fuss?"

After saying that, he hung up on me, as if afraid I would interrupt him.

But since when did a minor injury like a cut require an expert to step in personally?

At that moment, the excruciating pain in my body went numb, and a bitter smile appeared on my face.

Tears fell, mingling with the blood on the ground.

Just as I was giving up on survival, Jessie threw down the coffee and rushed to my side.

She glanced at the message Koen had sent on my phone and angrily sent back a voice message cursing him.

"Someone like you doesn't deserve to be a father! Go to hell! You and your unattainable lover should go to hell together! Don't ever show your face in front of Georgia again!"

Jessie saved me, but she lost her child in the process.

At that moment, Jessie sat by the hospital bed. The surgery was over, but she still hadn't recovered.

Her face was drained of color, her lips trembling with fear.

Her tears fell onto my hands as guilt overwhelmed her.

"I'm sorry. If I hadn't craved coffee, this wouldn't have happened. It's all my fault. I should have stayed with you."

She felt sorry for me, but I felt even sorrier for her. Just as I was about to speak, her husband Marlon called to question her.

"Did you just yell at my brother? Are you out of your mind? He's a doctor. He can't choose his patients! Can you stop letting that brainless woman brainwash you?

"And you miscarried? That made me laugh. Do you even know how far along you were? Pretending to have a miscarriage now? You couldn't even lose it after a long run!

"If I wasn't busy fixing Laurel's water pipes, I'd come over and teach you both a lesson! Divorce isn't something you just throw around! Fine, let's get divorced, and whoever doesn't is a coward!"

The call then abruptly ended.

Jessie stared at the phone screen, unable to react for a long time.

Seeing her so weak, I said, "Let it go. Maybe it's fate telling us our marriages were never meant to be. You just had an induced labor and lost so much blood. Have a good rest. Your health is beyond everything."

Tears streamed down her face, soaking the hospital gown on her chest.

We hugged each other and cried, the pent-up emotions finally breaking free.

The stubbornness we once had for love had turned into a sharp arrow that ultimately pierced through us both.

It seemed that from the day we decided to get married, the outcome of this day was already destined.

Koen specifically chose Laurel's birthday for our wedding, clearly out of spite.

Even our marriage was a bargaining chip between the two brothers to provoke Laurel, so how could there be any love?

But it was laughable that Jessie and I were fooled like idiots.

We actually believed that they and Laurel were just ordinary childhood friends.

We even posted our wedding photos obediently on social media, choosing the option where only Laurel could see them, as they requested.

Now, even though this happened at Koen's hospital, he didn't bother to click a mouse to search the system for proof.

The scale of trust in his heart was so obviously tilted.

Maybe in his eyes, I was never worth the effort.

I realized the truth too late.

And the price I paid was too high.

I lay in the hospital bed, scrolling through social media.

As expected, Laurel once again posted like a victor, showing off.

There was a photo of the three of them, a picture of a perfectly fixed water pipe, and a wrist carefully bandaged with a bow-tied gauze.

[Thank you to my childhood friends. Friendship does last longer than love! Another precious memory added to our collection!]

I let out a deep breath and then signaled Jessie to look at the post too.

She checked her phone, and two minutes later, she was laughing with disdain.

"A love triangle, isn't it cramped? What a special memory indeed.

"Once we're divorced, I guess they'll need a custom-made bed for the three of them."

Not only did Laurel post on social media, but she also shared the same update on other platforms.

The comments section was full of envious remarks.

[A childhood friend like that would make my dreams come true, and you have two?]

[Please share your teaching lessons. I wish I could switch places with you!]

I watched, my dry eyes aching with pain. I opened my mouth but was unable to make a sound.

After a while, I finally said.

"It's none of our business anymore. I'll find a lawyer now and have the divorce papers drafted."

The papers were printed and sent to the hospital. I asked a nurse to take them to Koen's office.

Another set was sent to Jessie's husband, Marlon, at his workplace.

But even after the delivery status showed they were received a full day later, we hadn't heard anything from either of them.

I never thought that after four years together, we wouldn't even get a response when we decided to split.

Bitterness spread through my heart as the sky outside gradually darkened.

I lost patience first and called Koen.

He seemed busy, letting the phone ring for a long time before answering.

Before I could say anything, he snapped.

"What do you want? I haven't even started with you, and you dare call me? Why did you send the divorce papers to my office? Do you want the whole world to know you're being petty and unreasonable?"

Hearing this, I sighed at myself again.

I had the nurse deliver the papers, but if he had just asked one more question, he could've found out about my car accident and surgery.

But clearly, he didn't care.

I was just about to bring up the divorce when I heard Laurel's playful voice over the phone.

"Koen, the lipstick you gave me last time is so beautiful! I love it! Could you get me another one?"

He quickly covered the receiver, but I laughed coldly.

"No wonder you don't have time to sign the divorce papers. You're busy. I see. I won't bother you."

As I was about to hang up, he panicked.

"Can you stop? I'm just worried you'll overthink it! I'm here with my brother! He's fixing Laurel's water pipes, and she's thanking us by inviting us over for dinner. You're always being so suspicious!

"She's living alone and can fix the pipes herself, but you have to call me for every little thing. I'm already exhausted from work every day! Can you become mature? And now you're dragging your best friend into this divorce nonsense. What did my brother ever do to you?"

Koen's tone grew more intense, and his voice took on an angry edge.

Laurel then spoke soothingly, "Don't be mad. Women can get emotional because of pregnancy hormones. I'm independent because I have no one to rely on, otherwise, I'd want to be a little girl too!"

Her gentle voice pierced my ears like needles.

But Koen didn't seem to care about my feelings at all. Instead, he reassured Laurel softly, "It's okay. If you ever have any problems, just message me, and I'll be there immediately. We've known each other for so long, so don't let outsiders affect our relationship!"

I heard it, and tears suddenly welled up in my eyes.

I hung up the phone immediately.

I never thought that after four years together, with our baby almost born, I would be nothing more than an outsider to him!

The mockery in my heart drowned out all reason, and I covered my mouth, sobbing uncontrollably.

Sensing something was wrong, Jessie quickly spoke up, "Don't cry over a scumbag like him! I've already messaged Marlon. Once we're recovered enough, we'll go get the divorce done right away!"

Jessie and I stayed in the hospital for two whole weeks, and not once did we receive a call from them.

Not a single message asking where we, two pregnant women, were.

And they didn't ask why we hadn't gone home.

My already shattered heart sank deeper with each cold and indifferent moment.

It wasn't until I saw Laurel's new post on social media that I found the answer.

There were dozens of photos from their trip together, looking perfectly harmonious.

The smiles on their faces starkly contrasted with our misery.

Her caption read: [I'll always remember that we're family, even if we're not related by blood!]

I stared at Koen's carefree smile in the photos, feeling nothing at all.

I sent him a message calmly.

[I'm out of the hospital. Meet at the Family Court tomorrow. Take Marlon with you.]

Koen immediately called me, but I hung up and blocked him.

Jessie and I checked out of the hospital together. After that, we finally had time to go to the police station to report the hit-and-run driver from the accident.

We briefly explained what happened, and the officer frowned.

"It's been two weeks. Why are you only reporting it now? This might be hard to investigate."

I could only nod awkwardly, forcing a smile as I pleaded with them to help.

When the officer heard that my husband ran off with his mistress and that my best friend was forced into an abortion while saving me, leaving no one to report the accident, guilt washed over his face.

"Understood. We'll do our best."

After leaving the police station, Jessie and I moved back into the home we lived in before getting married.

Both of us were so weak that we had to hire help to clean the place.

But to our surprise, after I blocked Koen, he called using Marlon's phone.

His voice was filled with fury. "Where have you been? Why is the house such a mess? You're pregnant, so why aren't you staying home? Hasn't two weeks been enough for you to calm down? How long are you going to keep this up?

"Even if you're angry, don't drag Jessie into it! She and Marlon had no problems, but you've made them get divorced too! How can you be so vicious? Just because you're miserable, you can't stand seeing others' happiness?"

Jessie, who was right next to me, heard every word \and snatched the phone away in anger.

She yelled back, "You're all a bunch of scumbags! Not getting divorced from you is the real misfortune! Tell Marlon that whoever doesn't show up tomorrow is a coward! This divorce is happening! Georgia and I are getting out of your way!"

Jessie hung up immediately after saying that.

We blocked both their numbers.

Early the next morning, Jessie and I were the first to arrive at the entrance of the Family Court, waiting for them.

But to our surprise, Laurel appeared first.

Her eyes were red, and tears welled up in them.

She approached us in high heels, her voice full of grievance.

"I'm sorry. I'm here to apologize on their behalf. I know you've misunderstood, but things aren't what you think.

"The trip was just something we planned five years ago, but I couldn't go back then, so we only just fulfilled the promise now. I asked them to inform you before leaving, but I didn't expect neither of them to send a message..."

Even now, she was flaunting how long they'd known each other.

And also their special memories...

Jessie's grip on my hand tightened.

I scoffed and sneered, "Really? So, did you approve of their divorce today? Can they do it?

"Or are you here to divorce them on their behalf?"

Laurel's phone vibrated slightly.

After a brief flicker in her eyes, she suddenly lunged at us.

Startled, I instinctively pushed her away.

She fell to the ground, scraping her hands and drawing blood.

I was confused and just about to help her up when Koen's familiar angry voice shouted from a distance.

"Georgia, what the hell are you doing?! Stop it!"

Before I could react, he rushed over to me and forcefully shoved me.

I collided with Jessie who was behind me.

It was only then that Koen noticed my flat stomach, and his face turned pale.

He trembled as he asked, "Where's the baby?"

Marlon, still on the phone, approached from a distance, not paying attention to the situation, and said anxiously.

"I can't make it today. The station just reported a severe car accident two weeks ago. They suspect it's attempted murder! I have to go back and investigate!"

As he finished speaking, he noticed the frail state of Jessie and me and froze on the spot.

His phone slipped from his hand, shattering on the ground.

"What's going on? Honey, what happened?"