Vanessa and Ryan left quickly as if nothing had happened, and I took the chance to sneak back to the ward.

I climbed onto the bed with difficulty, my heart pounding wildly. What I had just heard shocked me—I'd never imagined Ethan had been so thoroughly played by Vanessa.

As I was thinking about how to use this to my advantage, the door suddenly swung open.

I hurriedly pretended to be asleep, but the person who entered just stood silently at the edge of my bed, unmoving.

Worried they might harm me, I slowly pretended to wake up. Opening my eyes, I found Ethan leaning over me, so close his lips nearly brushed my nose.

He clearly hadn’t expected me to wake up and quickly straightened in a panic.

“I just came to check if you were still breathing,” he said coldly.

His reaction gave me an idea—maybe I could use this to buy time until the gentleman arrived.

“Are you sure Vanessa’s child is really yours?” I asked directly, skipping the pretense.

Ethan’s expression darkened, and he looked at me sharply. “Tessa, are you trying to stir up trouble between me and Vanessa?”

“I’m just giving you a reminder.”

Before I could say more, Ethan suddenly grabbed my hand, his gaze intense. “Tessa, I know what you mean. If you agree to divorce and stop causing trouble, I might consider being with you again.”

His stupidity and arrogance almost made me laugh, but to stall for time, I forced a look of surprised joy. “Really, dear? You mean it?”

“Of course.” My reaction clearly pleased his inflated ego, and he went on, “I’ll get you an apartment. Not as big as our home, but comfortable. I’ll visit often—but you’ll need to be discreet. I am, after all…”

A knock on the door cut him off, and like a startled rabbit, he jumped away, quickly letting go of my hand and stepping back to act innocent.

Ryan entered, greeting Ethan with suspicious familiarity, then turned to me with concern, playing the role of a dutiful doctor.

But the way he looked at me was off—like a predator eyeing fragile prey. It made my skin crawl.

“Ms. Morgan, you’re quite lucky. The fork missed your artery and windpipe. But be careful—you’re already three months pregnant. If you develop an infection…”

“What? Pregnant? Tessa is pregnant?” Ethan cut him off in disbelief.

“You didn’t know?” Ryan said innocently, handing him the diagnosis report.

Ethan snatched it and flipped through it. The deeper he read, the darker his face became.

“I can’t be pregnant... no!”

Before I could finish, Ethan charged at me, eyes blazing. He grabbed my throat and screamed like a madman.

“You whore! You cheated! Tell me—who’s the bastard?!”

“No... I’m not pregnant!”

I choked out the words as pain surged through me. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth, and the freshly stitched wound on my neck tore open, soaking my collar and gown.

“Ethan, stop it! This is a hospital! Let her go—you’re scaring the kids!”

Vanessa suddenly burst in and shoved him away. Jordan, who had followed her in, started crying in fear. Ethan noticed the noise outside and reluctantly let go.

Cough, cough! I collapsed on the bed, gasping violently for air.

“Tessa, you’ve got the guts to cheat but not the guts to confess? If you’re not pregnant, are you saying Dr. Blake lied?”

“He’s—”

I tried to speak, to expose what I saw earlier in the office, but then I noticed Vanessa’s hand gripping Jordan’s shoulder. Her sharpened nails hovered less than a centimeter from Jordan’s eye—ready to strike.

Vanessa gave me a smug smile. Jordan trembled all over, too frightened even to cry.

Then I heard a faint dripping sound—and realized with horror that Jordan had wet herself in fear.

“...Anyway, we’re divorcing. Who the father is has nothing to do with you.”

I looked straight at Ethan and said calmly. I knew he would take it out on me later—but to protect Jordan, this was the only choice I had.

"Tessa, you're asking for death!" Ethan was completely enraged. He yanked my hair, dragged me off the bed, and viciously kicked me in the lower abdomen, one blow after another.

"You’re still my wife—I won’t let you give birth to this bastard child!"

I curled up in agony, trying to shield myself, but it was no use.

I heard Jordan’s helpless cries as she called “Mom” again and again. I struggled to look at her and give her a comforting smile, but Ethan kicked me in the nose, and blood gushed out.

"Ethan, calm down—why dirty your hands? I happen to have an empty operating room available."

Ryan "kindly" stepped in to stop him, handing Ethan a surgical consent form as he spoke. Without reading it, Ethan signed it, then dragged the sobbing Jordan out and slammed the door, cursing.

"You were hiding in my brother’s office earlier, weren’t you? I knew it long ago—the sour stench on you gave it away."

Vanessa walked over with grace. She looked down at my broken body and smiled. Her soft voice reached my ears like a devil’s whisper.

"You want to challenge me? Tessa, you’re not even close. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you—the consent form Ethan signed wasn’t for an abortion. It’s for removing your ovaries and uterus."

The hospital’s efficiency was stunning. Half an hour later, I was in the cold operating room, my wrists and ankles tightly restrained.

The more I struggled, the deeper the restraints dug into my flesh, as if trying to fuse with my bones.

Still, I refused to give up.

It would be dark in less than an hour. The gentleman would come—for me and the children.

"Stop struggling. You won’t escape. And no one’s coming to save you."

Vanessa, now in surgical garb, clearly relished watching me fall into despair. She was a monster.

"My brother’s still prepping. Since lying there is boring, want to see something fun? Like... your mother’s final moments?"

She held her phone in front of me. A video played—footage from a ward’s surveillance camera.

My mother lay in bed, frail and ghostly pale. Her face was twisted with pain, yet her eyes clung to the door, whispering my name over and over, “Tessa, Tessa.”

The moment the door opened, she stirred with hope, trying to rise.

Tears blurred my vision. I was overcome with guilt. I’d trusted Ethan too much, leaving my dearest mother and child in his hands—only to destroy them.

But it wasn’t me who entered the room. It was Vanessa.

“Tessa won’t be coming. She’s in prison. She took the fall for someone else to save you—three years behind bars.”

Vanessa’s tone in the video was almost cheerful. As she spoke, she pulled a syringe from her bag. My eyes widened in disbelief.

“This one injection could’ve saved you. But Ethan gave it to me instead. Oh—and here’s a little secret: I’m not sick at all! Hahaha!”

She laughed and tossed the syringe to the floor, grinding it under her heel. Then she leaned close to my hopeless, unmoving mother. “Don’t worry, Tessa will join you soon.”

“Why? Why are you doing this? Why?!”

I couldn’t take it anymore. I screamed at Vanessa, my voice ragged, struggling against the restraints until my bones felt like they’d snap. The machines around me blared with piercing alarms.

I knew I should stay calm. She was provoking me on purpose. The more broken and desperate I became, the more pleasure she drew from it.

But I couldn’t control it. The sight of my mother’s agony was like a blade stabbing and twisting inside me. The pain scorched my lungs with every breath.

“I’ll teach you a lesson,” Vanessa said with a smug smile. “How dare you compete with me for Ethan? Even if he’s just a man I’ve already discarded, he’s still not yours to touch.”

“Vanessa, you’ll regret this! I swear—if I survive, I’ll make sure you suffer a fate worse than death!”

“Then here’s the bad news,” she sneered. “You won’t be alive for long. After all, accidents do happen with surgery... patients can die unexpectedly.”

After speaking, Vanessa grabbed the breathing mask and forced it onto my face. I twisted my head frantically, trying to delay it as long as I could.

My resistance clearly infuriated her. Just as she cursed and reached to yank my hair, the operating room door was suddenly kicked open from outside. The impact echoed as the door slammed against the wall and quivered.

“...Who are you?! What are you doing?! This is a sterile area—no unauthorized personnel allowed! Get out!”

I couldn’t see who it was, only heard Vanessa’s shrill, trembling voice.

It was the first time I’d ever heard real panic and fear in her tone.

The intruder said nothing—only the sound of a gun cocking filled the air.

“No! Don’t shoot! What do you want? I—I’ll give it to you!”

Terrified by the pistol aimed at her head, Vanessa collapsed onto her knees, threw down her bag and phone, and raised her hands in desperate surrender. Her smeared makeup turned her into a pitiful mess.

But the man with the gun remained unmoved. His face was stone-cold, and his finger slowly tightened on the trigger.

“She!” Vanessa screamed, pointing at me in a frenzy. “She’s Ethan’s wife! He’s loaded! Kidnap her—there’s a fortune in it for you!”

“Ms. Morgan, is that you?”

A familiar voice rang out—it was the gentleman!

Joy surged through me like a tidal wave, and tears sprang to my eyes.

“Sir... I’m here!” I rasped, lifting my head with effort. My voice was hoarse and frail, like a dying old woman.

“Please don’t move, Ms. Morgan. You’ll hurt yourself.”

He rushed to my side. I noticed he was younger than I’d imagined. The sight of my bruised body clearly stunned him, and he hesitated before his men rushed to untie me.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Morgan. I was late.”

He gently wrapped his coat around me and carried me off the operating table with care.

“...You... Who are you?! What’s your relationship with Tessa?!”

Only now did Vanessa realize the intruder wasn’t a robber—he had come to save me.

“You don’t need to know who I am.”

The gentleman’s voice turned icy. To the men still aiming at Vanessa, he said with contempt, “Get this vile woman out of my sight. Don’t let her stain Ms. Morgan’s eyes.”

“Let Vanessa go now, or don’t blame me for what happens next!”

As the gentleman carried me out, Ethan’s voice rang out—sharp, flustered. Two of his bodyguards behind him were sweating nervously, their hands on their guns trembling.

Vanessa lay nearby, clearly passed out from fear.

“I’ve already called the cops. They’ll be here soon. Leave now while you can—I’ll let this slide.”

Before he could finish his warning, Ethan noticed me in the gentleman’s arms. His face twisted in rage as he shouted,

“Hah! Tessa, you’re shameless! Didn’t you deny it before? Now you can’t hide it! That man—he’s your secret lover, isn’t he?!”

“Ethan, stop it! He’s not involved with me!” I cried, desperate to shield the gentleman from slander.

“Not involved? Then why would he send a small army to rescue you? You think I’m stupid, Tessa?”

Ethan scoffed, clearly unconvinced. “Even prison can’t stop you from seducing men—you really are disgusting.”

“Ms. Morgan, is this your husband?” The gentleman asked, his tone composed and dignified. “Pardon me, but your taste in men is appalling.”

“What did you say?!” Ethan exploded like a rabid dog, lashing out wildly.

Sirens wailed outside, growing louder. I panicked immediately.

But Ethan’s anxiety vanished in an instant. His face filled with smugness—after all, he had close ties to the police chief, and had used that connection before to jail innocent rivals.

“Sir, you must leave—I don’t want you dragged into this.” I tried to pull away, but the gentleman only held me tighter.

“Ms. Morgan, I promised to take you away. Trust me.”

“Didn’t expect you to be such a romantic,” Ethan sneered at the gentleman. “I just hope you won’t regret this for the rest of your life—in prison.”

Just as he finished speaking, the police chief entered with a large team behind him.

“Chief, these are the ones! I suspect they’re terrorists!”

Ethan rushed up, twisting facts without shame. “They tried to kidnap my wife, fired guns at my... friends, and planned to use this hospital as a base to revolt against the government. Arrest them now!”

“Terrorists? Revolt against the government? Are you insane? This is Mr. Carter!”

The police chief looked like he wanted to slap Ethan himself. He shot him a furious glare, then turned to the gentleman and saluted respectfully.

“Mr. Carter, I had no idea you were here today. Please forgive me. Whatever you need, just say the word—my men and I are at your service!”