I hunched over, shielding Alma tightly with my body as I took out the emergency kit to help deliver her baby.

Kindhearted bystanders took off their padded coats, laying them on the snow as makeshift bedding and forming a human wall around us to shield us from the cold and the onlookers.

I lost track of time, but eventually, the sound of a baby crying filled the air. As cheers erupted around me, my vision went black and I collapsed onto the frostbitten grass.

Excited voices rang out, "She gave birth, it's a baby girl!"

"Oh my God, look at that woman's back, it's completely burnt from the fire. All the skin is gone."

"She's pregnant too! Looks like she's about four or five months along!"

Alma was sobbing uncontrollably, her voice choked with emotion, "Last time, your brother saved my father's life. And now, you've risked your life to save me and my child. Eleanor, how can Barren Family ever repay such a massive debt of gratitude?"

As the Barren Family's ambulance sped toward us, my strength finally gave out and I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I found myself in a VIP ward arranged by Alma.

The nurse changing my dressing informed me that the hospital had used up to 5,500 milliliters of blood to save me, dragging me back from death's door and managing to save my unborn child.

She comforted me, explaining that Alma was undergoing a full-body examination at the postpartum care center but would come to visit once she was finished.

Her eyes reddened with indignation as she asked, "Miss White, the ambulance arrived within five minutes. How could your injuries be so severe?"

"How did those paramedics ignore such massive blood loss? I'll report this to the director immediately. It's a disgrace to our hospital to have emergency responders like them!"

Hearing her words, an ache rose in my heart. Even a stranger like her, someone I'd only just met, was showing me genuine concern. Yet the man I shared my bed with could only mock me and accuse me of faking everything.

I pressed my lips together, they tasted bitter.

Seeing I wasn't responding, the nurse's expression was filled with sympathy. She promised not to let me down, reassuring me that she'd take good care of both me and my baby.

Her words brought a surge of warmth to my otherwise frozen heart. After the nurse left, I picked up my phone, preparing to contact a divorce lawyer.

Before I could make the call, the door to my hospital room swung open. Joanne entered with Gerald's arm around her. Her lowered eyes looked on the verge of tears as she said pitifully, "Eleanor, I know you don't like me, but why did you have to take my hospital room?"

Gerald immediately shielded her protectively, his cold eyes filled with anguish for her. His voice, commanding and icy, stabbed into my ears, "Eleanor, I don't have time to humor your theatrics. If it weren't for Joanne's kindness, you'd probably already be in jail. Hurry up and check yourself out of the hospital, give the room to Joanne."

Joanne's eyes brightened briefly, though she feigned selflessness and said generously, "Gerald, please don't argue with Eleanor because of me. I'll just go stay in an eight-person ward downstairs. It's okay, I can rest just fine.

She continued, "And don't hold it against Eleanor. If she really insists on involving the police, I'm willing to admit I'm at fault for the accident. I'll be fine, truly."

Gerald's frown deepened and his gaze grew colder, "Joanne, why are you always so kindhearted? Don't you realize Eleanor exploits this about you, bullying you time and again?"

"Eleanor, I'm warning you, if you don't discharge yourself today, we're getting a divorce!" This wasn't the first time Gerald had threatened me with divorce.

In my past life, I would have caved. I'd have listened to him and obediently made room for Joanne.

But now, I met his gaze steadily, unwavering and without any trace of emotion, "Fine, Gerald, let's divorce."

The room fell into a heavy silence. You could've heard a pin drop.

Gerald froze at my response, his face briefly showing disbelief before it hardened. Clenching his fists, he growled, "Eleanor, are you asking for it?"

Before I could reply, the sound of Joanne's sobbing filled the room. She placed a hand gently on my shoulder, feigning humility, "Eleanor, I really don't need the ward."

While speaking, she reached for the pendant necklace around my neck and tugged it hard.

At the same time, tears rolled down her cheeks and she murmured pitifully, "You and Gerald have come so far together. Please don't fight with him over me."

The pendant necklace snapped and fell to the ground. In my haste to retrieve it, I slipped off the hospital bed. Pain shot through my back as the stitches on my wound tore open again, the sensation akin to having my skin peeled away layer by layer.

But even so, I was too late. The ruby pendant necklace lay shattered into countless fragments on the floor, impossible to piece together.

My mother had died during childbirth and this pendant was my brother's way of wishing for my safety.

Alma had once said that in his final days, my brother's greatest wish was for me to live a peaceful life after marrying Gerald and to safely deliver my child.

To fulfill this, my brother had asked her to buy the pendant necklace and entrust it to me for protection. This pendant necklace had survived two car accidents, but now it lay broken by Joanne's hand.

Tears streamed from my eyes and my chest swelled with bitterness. Before I could fully voice my anger, Joanne leaned in and whispered chillingly into my ear, "Eleanor, you're really hard to kill, aren't you? Even car accidents won't do it."

"Not like your brother, one little nudge and he was gone. Did you know he was still coughing up blood at the end? And even then, he kept murmuring about the chicken soup he made for you." Her words sent tremors through my entire body.

Images of my brother's gentle smile and voice filled my mind, "Eleanor, the chicken soup's ready. I've put it in the fridge, be sure to eat it after work."

"Your health isn't great, you need proper nourishment. Don't worry about getting chubby, my sister Eleanor looks cutest with a bit of baby fat."

"Oh, and about your spicy cravings, store-bought ones aren't clean, so I made you a big batch of homemade ones. I put them in the lower-right cabinet by the dining table. Don't feel bad about eating them, okay? Just let me know when you're running out, I'll make more for you."

The pain seared through me as though I'd been doused in acid, burning away every part of me that still allowed me to breathe.

Consumed with rage, I struck Joanne across the face, "You are a murderer, Joanne!"

But before my hand could connect, she dramatically collapsed to the floor, clutching her face and gazing up at me with tear-filled eyes of shock, "Eleanor, I was only telling the truth. Why did you hit me?"

She began coughing weakly, her voice trembling as she said, "Gerald … my chest hurts so much … Is it because of the car accident? Cough … cough …"

Gerald rushed to cradle Joanne in his arms and stepped back as though I were some deranged monster, "Eleanor, are you insane? Why did you hit Joanne?"

"You drove into her car, occupied public resources and now you're even accusing her of being a murderer! How did you become so cruel and vicious?"

I stared blankly at Gerald. After knowing him for eight years, was this truly how he saw me?

The sight of the snow-covered world beyond the window suddenly reminded me of a New Year's Eve in my third year of college. That night, Gerald had searched tirelessly through half the city just to buy me a white dog-shaped hat I'd liked.

When he placed it on my head, his breathing was still labored from running. I had smacked his chest lightly, teary-eyed, "Idiot, was it really worth all that trouble in this freezing weather?"

He had stroked my hair, kissed my forehead and warmed my hands in his while replying softly, "It's worth it, Eleanor. Don't you see how perfectly it matches you?"

Then came the boom of fireworks exploding against the night sky. The dazzling lights illuminated the frost-covered trees, painting them in brilliant, colorful hues.

Gerald leaned in close, his voice dripping with sweetness as he said, "You're all just as kind and innocent."

The birds perched on the branches scattered at the sound of his voice. Snow fell from the trees, stripping the frost from the branches and leaving them bare and brittle against the stark white backdrop of winter. The boy from that New Year's Eve ... he was gone for good.

The shards of the broken pendant necklace dug into my palm, but I couldn't feel any pain.

"Gerald," I said, my voice trembling, "Joanne admitted to killing my brother. You were right here, didn't you hear her? And when she ran into me, causing me to bleed out while carrying your child, why won't you even check the dashcam footage to confirm the truth?"

Joanne's eyes widened in shock, tears welling up as she looked at me in disbelief, "Eleanor, what are you saying? You're ... carrying Gerald's child?"

Her lips quivered as she continued, the picture of heartbreak, "No wonder you've always disliked me. You must have feared that my presence would affect your relationship with Gerald."

"If that's the case, Eleanor, I'll book a flight abroad right now. I'll agree to the arranged marriage my parents have planned for me and I swear I'll never appear in front of Gerald again in this lifetime!" With a forlorn glance at Gerald, she reluctantly pulled out her phone and pretended to search for a flight.

"Joanne, stop this nonsense! There's no way Eleanor is pregnant with my child!" Gerald's voice broke, revealing a trace of panic.

He wiped away Joanne's tears and for the first time, his gaze turned menacing, a side of him I'd never seen before.

"If you don't believe me," he said coldly, "I'll open up Eleanor's womb right here and show you whether or not she's carrying a child."

I stared at him, utterly speechless. I could never have imagined that he would go to such lengths for Joanne. As he stepped toward me, his face serious and resolute, terror gripped me.

Holding my belly protectively, I backed away, "Gerald, what are you doing? This is against the law!"

Pain pierced through my abdomen. The blood that had only just stopped began to flow again. In my dazed state, I recalled our last Christmas in college.

Gerald had placed a Santa hat on my head, lovingly tapping my nose as he joked about us having several children in the future, so Christmas would feel more festive.

He'd said, "Eleanor, what if we name our first child 'Sean'? You look stunning today, I want to commemorate it."

"Sean ... Sean ..." The name surfaced in my thoughts and before I realized it, I had muttered it aloud.

For the first time in a while, my child stirred, kicking softly as if begging for help. A faint glimmer of hope softened my despair.

"Gerald, I'm not lying," I pleaded. "If you don't believe me, feel my belly ... Sean is kicking me ..."

"Eleanor, you never change. Don't blame me for being ruthless, then!" He grabbed my arm and started dragging me toward the operating room.

A nearby nurse stepped forward, alarmed, "Mr. Riverton, your wife is under special care as per Miss Barren's instructions. This doesn't seem appropriate ..."

She shouted, "Sir, please stop! What Eleanor said is true. Miss Barren was indeed in the same car as her. Miss Barren even had premature labor due to the crash. She's currently undergoing checks at the maternity center next door. Eleanor wasn't lying!"

Hearing this, Joanne's expression darkened, though her eyes glistened with mock sincerity.

Joanne approached me with red eyes and frowned, "Eleanor, I didn't think you'd stoop so low as to bribe Gerald's interns just to play along with your act. No wonder you managed to snag this VIP ward."

At her words, Gerald's face twisted with fury. "Eleanor," he roared, "bribing medical personnel is a serious crime! Do you realize that? If you don't stop this nonsense right now, it won't just be about opening you up to check for a pregnancy!"