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!"

The intern, pale as a ghost, stood firmly at the operating room door, no longer calling him "Mr. Riverton" and yelled, "Gerald, don't lose your mind! Eleanor is carrying your child, she's already five months along! And now you, her husband, want to cut her open? Are you trying to kill her?"

Gerald ignored the desperate words, slamming the operating room door shut behind him.

Through the gap, I heard the intern's urgent voice, "Gerald has lost it! Call the hospital director immediately!"

"No, call Miss Barren! Tell her that Gerald is about to perform a cesarean section on Eleanor!"

Driven by his determination to appease Joanne, Gerald didn't even bother to administer anesthesia. Grabbing a scalpel, he pressed it against my abdomen.

He said, "Eleanor, you brought this on yourself. If you hadn't deliberately run your car into Joanne, or spread lies about being pregnant with my child, would Joanne be heartbroken enough to leave the country and enter a marriage alliance?"

Fear overwhelmed me and tears mixed with sweat soaked my hospital gown, "Gerald, don't touch my stomach! I'm begging you, the child just kicked me, asking for help …"

I cried out, "We can divorce. Isn't that what you want? I swear I'll leave you and Joanne alone and I'll stay far away after we split. You'll never see me again! You can do whatever you want. I promise to stay away from you after the divorce and never appear in front of you again."

"Gerald, please … let's just get divorced ..." my pleaded is in vain.

The scalpel suddenly halted, hovering above my skin. Gerald frowned, a shadow of hesitation flashing across his face.

Joanne coughed lightly, her red-rimmed eyes turning toward me, "Eleanor, please don't quarrel with Gerald because of me. I'll book my flight and leave the country right away." She turned as if to leave, but Gerald stopped her.

Facing me again, any trace of doubt vanished from his expression, "Eleanor, this will only take ten minutes. If you're afraid of the blood, just close your eyes."

The harsh surgical lights cast deep shadows on Gerald's face, making him look more like a cold, unfeeling machine. Under Joanne's influence, he held the scalpel and methodically cut into my belly.

Warm liquid splattered onto my arms. To my surprise, I didn't feel any pain.

I didn't know how much time had passed before the operating room door was violently flung open.

The sharp crack of a slap echoed in the room, followed by the furious voice of the hospital director, "Gerald! What are you doing?"

With a loud clang, the scalpel fell to the floor. All the strength seemed to drain from Gerald's body as he slumped weakly against the operating table.

Staring in a daze at my opened abdomen, he stammered, "Director ... E-Eleanor's stomach ... how is there a child inside?"