Labor Room Betrayal

The hospital offered video-recording services.

In my last life, I'd asked for it because it would be meaningful for my husband to deliver our baby himself.

Julian refused outright. He said it was a waste of money.

It only cost 600, a day's pay for me. He wasn't worried about money. He was afraid anyone watching would interfere with his plan to switch the babies.

Julian ground his teeth but kept his voice calm as he tried to soothe me. "Fine. You can go into the delivery room first. The camera crew will follow."

"No." I panted. "The camera has to go in with me. If it doesn't, I'll jump off the building."

I threatened him with my life. He didn't care whether I lived or died. What he cared about was making sure he had a healthy baby to swap for Sienna.

He was afraid that if she delivered a deformed child, she'd lose dignity and her career as a star.

He signaled his assistants to stand down. He looked like he wanted to kill me, but he didn't dare, just as I'd expected.

Time ticked away. Fifteen minutes left. As soon as the transfer van arrived, my daughter and I would be safe.

"Ms. Summers, I'm begging you…" Sienna emerged from the delivery room, clutching her belly. Her eyes blazed with hatred. Sweat had soaked her gown; her face was ashen.

She was six centimeters dilated. In as little as thirty minutes, she would deliver that malformed child. Everyone would know she'd given birth to a deformed baby.

I had ruined her plan; of course she was here to rush things.

"Think of other patients, if not your own baby," she scolded. "What if someone loses theirs because of your stubbornness? Could you live with that?"

Her words drew cheers.

Some onlookers immediately pulled out their phones and started live-streaming. "Kind and beautiful Sienna's stopping a troublemaker in the hospital!"

She launched her public image as an innocent beauty. After a whirlwind marriage and divorce, she discovered she was pregnant and carefully crafted a brand as an independent mother.

Once my daughter was in her hands, she used her on TV to make money while also treating her as an outlet for her rage.

Whenever she saw negative comments online, she took it out on my daughter by beating her, stabbing her with needles, and burning her. My little girl was left brain-damaged from the abuse.

Today, I wanted revenge for my daughter and for myself.

I would ruin her, so I asked Julian. "If Ms. Zeller's so desperate, why don't you deliver for her first?"

Sienna fell silent and sent Julian a furtive look.

"That won't work," she replied. "Dr. Steele is worried about you. I'm afraid that if he loses his focus, he won't do a good job."

"You think Julian isn't skilled enough?" I smiled. "Fine. We can switch to another doctor to deliver both of us."

"No!" Sienna blurted.

She immediately realized she'd slipped and clamped her hands over her belly, sobbing. She was about to deliver; she couldn't afford any delay.

Julian's anxiety was obvious. He fumbled with his phone and tapped a few times. Fans who had been waiting downstairs suddenly surged in.

"Don't hold up Sienna's delivery!"

"If you don't want to give birth, just go die already!"

"She'll only learn her lesson if she gives birth to a freak."

They hurled the vilest insults at me.

"Ms. Summers, you've angered everyone." Sienna signaled to her followers. "So, you should just go in."

A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, and a surge of people shoved my delivery bed forward.

The transfer van still hadn't arrived.

A contraction hit. I looked into the phones that were livestreaming. This might be my last chance.

"Sienna, you're the one carrying the malformed baby!" I shouted. "You're terrified people will find out what you did during your pregnancy that caused your child to be deformed, aren't you?"

All eyes turned to Sienna.

Her face, made up to perfection, twisted. "That's a lie. I didn't—"

"Get her inside now! I won't let her spread lies!"

Julian slapped me hard across the face.

"My wife's mentally unstable. She's lost it," he said, eyes dark. "Get the anesthesiologist and put her under now!"