As if afraid her words would upset me, the nurse beside me quickly said, "Enough, stop talking!"

However, I wasn't upset at all. If anything, I felt like laughing.

If these people only knew that the so-called good husband they spoke of had abandoned his wife and child to serve another woman, I wonder how they would feel.

Yet, none of that mattered anymore. Right now, all I cared about was saving my child.

The anesthetic was injected into my body, and just before I lost consciousness, I weakly glanced at the young nurse.

"The child..."

I barely whispered those two words before drifting into a deep sleep.

When I opened my eyes again, the sterile smell of disinfectant filled my nose.

The anesthesia still hadn't worn off, and I slowly raised my hand, instinctively resting it on my stomach.

"You're awake? How do you feel? Don't worry, the baby's safe," the nurse said as she entered. When she saw me awake, her eyes lit up with happiness.

As she adjusted my blanket, she couldn't help but say, "After everything your husband has done, you're still worrying about his child in a life-or-death situation. Is it really worth it?"

I bit back the pain, forcing a weak smile. "At the very least, the child is innocent, right?"

The nurse froze for a moment, then gave a small nod. Sympathy flickered in her eyes, but she said nothing more. Instead, she simply reminded me to rest before quietly leaving the room.

Exhaustion weighed heavy on me, and I was about to drift off when voices from the next room reached my ears.

"Quintus, it hurts..."

"I'm here, Nessa," he said as he soothed her.

I lowered my gaze.

"Quintus, the baby..." Vanessa whimpered.

"Don't worry, as long as I'm here, everything will be fine," he reassured her.

His voice held a tenderness I had never heard before. It was gentle, patient, and full of devotion.

"Shouldn't you check on Giselle? She seemed badly hurt..."

The moment my name was brought up, his tone shifted into one of pure disgust.

"Nessa, why waste your kindness on her?" he scoffed. "She's the one who made up lies to steal medical resources from you. Such a malicious woman deserves whatever happens to her."

My mind went blank, and tears flowed uncontrollably.

Compared to the wound from the steel rod, Quintus's words felt like a sharp blade, tearing me apart.

I couldn't bear to hear any more, so I forced my eyes shut.

Once my condition stabilized, I was transferred to a regular ward. I called the housekeeper, asking her to come take care of me.

The phone rang for a long time, but the other side didn't pick up.

I hung up, and not long after, the housekeeper entered with a meal box in hand.

When our eyes met, I saw the awkwardness and surprise in her gaze, like she had walked into the wrong room and didn't know whether to advance or retreat.

I tossed my phone aside and curiously asked, "Lydia, why didn't you answer the phone?"

She instinctively hid the meal box behind her and stammered, "It was Mr. Ford who asked me to come..."

A quiet laugh escaped my lips, but deep down, I wasn't surprised.

When the earthquake struck, Quintus had made sure the doctors saved Vanessa first.

Naturally, after the surgery, he could have his housekeeper take care of her first as well.

I cleared my throat and gave Lydia Jones a slight smile. "Since you're here, why don't you take me out for a walk?"

Lydia seemed reluctant but didn't dare protest. She only nodded and wheeled me out of the room.

Eventually, I stopped in front of Vanessa's room.

The girl lying in the hospital bed was young and beautiful.

Her skin was smooth and radiant, and beneath her delicately arched brows were a pair of clear, bright eyes. When she saw me, she showed no surprise.

Instead, she spoke with the composure of a lady of the house. "Lydia, who is she?"

I said nothing, only quietly gazing at her.

Lydia awkwardly scratched her head, and after a long pause, she replied, "She's Mr. Ford's wife."

At the mention of this, Vanessa immediately put on a pitiful expression and softly muttered, "Oh, so you're Giselle."

Her eyes traveled over me and continued.

"Giselle, don't blame Quintus. It's all my fault. If I hadn't been hurt and pregnant, Quintus wouldn't have left you to be with me."

Listening to Vanessa's insincere words, I couldn't help but scoff. "It seems Quintus doesn't have much taste. If he likes you so much, then take him. A man who's been tainted is better off discarded."

With that, I turned to leave.

Before I could move, someone pushed my wheelchair forcefully from behind.

With a loud thud, it slammed into the bedside table, and I fell to the ground.

Agonizing pain ripped through my body. Lydia gasped in shock and rushed to help me up.

Vanessa covered her mouth, feigning remorse. "Oh, Giselle, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to. I saw you were angry and didn't want you to misunderstand my relationship with Quintus. I only wanted to stop you in a moment of panic."

I felt a warm sensation between my legs and instinctively looked down. To my horror, I saw that my pants were soaked in blood.

"Ah, Giselle, you're bleeding! Somebody help!"

Vanessa screamed in panic, but in her eyes, I caught a fleeting glimpse of satisfaction.

Once again, I was rushed into the operating room.

However, luck was no longer on my side this time.

My child was gone.

When I regained consciousness, Quintus was sitting at the edge of the bed with a grim expression.

I thought he knew about the baby, but instead, the first thing he did was blame me.

"You shouldn't have gone to see Nessa," he said.

"What did you just say?"

A dull, muffled ringing filled my head, as if someone were pounding a drum inside it. A cold numbness spread through my body.

He scoffed. "Why do you look so shocked? It was just a fall. You were in surgery, but now you're fine, aren't you? If you had just stayed in your room instead of going after Nessa, none of this would have happened."

I frowned, slowly piecing together the key details.

Quintus didn't seem to know about the baby.

Vanessa and the housekeeper must have pulled some strings behind my back.

That was fine. He didn't deserve to know.

Quintus cleared his throat, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of earrings. "These are for you."

My gaze fell on them. It was the pair I had once yearned for. I had begged him to buy them for me before, but he always dismissed it, saying a married woman should be proper and not waste time on vanity.

"What is this supposed to mean?"

I knew Quintus too well. He never lowered his pride unless he had an ulterior motive, and it certainly wasn't an apology for Vanessa's sake.

"The earthquake incident has been getting a lot of attention," he began.

I raised an eyebrow. "So?"

He continued, "Reporters will be coming to the hospital the day after tomorrow. You were severely injured but survived despite having a blood clotting disorder. It's practically a miracle. I want you to give up that interview spot to Nessa and let her pretend to be my wife."

I was utterly disgusted by Quintus's absurd and shameless words. I looked at him coldly and asked, "How exactly do you expect me to give up the interview?"

Quintus glanced at me before continuing, "I've already pulled some strings to swap the medical records. No one will ever find out."

Thinking I was reluctant, Quintus softened his tone. "I know you've always wanted a child. Once you recover, we'll have one. You also know my company is about to go public and needs this publicity. Nessa is a public figure, and with her involved, the buzz will be even bigger. If we handle this right, it'll be beneficial for both of us."

I let out a cold laugh. Even now, Quintus was only thinking about Vanessa and himself. Not once had he ever truly cared about me.

Without hesitation, I nodded. "Fine."

He let out a sigh of relief and grasped my hand with a look of affection. "That's right. We are a team. If I do well, so will you. Now, get some rest. I'll check on you later."

Ironically, until the morning of the day after tomorrow, Quintus never came to see me.

After asking around, I learned that the interview he mentioned was in the hospital's conference room.

I checked the time and dragged my not fully healed body over there.

By the time I arrived, the reporters had already filled the venue, and the place was packed.

Through the crowd, I immediately spotted Quintus and Vanessa.

Quintus stood beside her wheelchair, looking at her with tender concern, while Vanessa had dressed herself to appear more gravely injured than she actually was. They held hands, playing the role of a devoted couple perfectly.

A reporter turned to Vanessa and asked, "Who do you want to thank the most for surviving this disaster?"

Vanessa gave a weak but radiant smile. "I want to thank the doctors who saved my life. Without them, my baby and I wouldn't be here today."

She paused, then looked up at Quintus with soft admiration. "And I want to thank my love. He never left my side, even in the face of life and death. His support gave me the strength to hold on."

Applause and murmurs of admiration filled the room.

"This is so touching. After going through such a disaster together, your love must be even stronger."

"Yes, many families were torn apart by the earthquake, but the fact that the three of you survived is nothing short of a miracle. You'll surely be even happier in the future."

Another reporter turned to Quintus. "Mr. Ford, you are not only a successful businessman but also an exemplary husband. Do you have any words for your fellow men?"

Quintus adjusted his posture, bent down slightly, and gazed at Vanessa with deep affection. Just as he cleared his throat to speak, I pushed through the crowd, gripping something I had prepared earlier.

Without hesitation, I strode straight toward him and slapped him across the face.

The sound of a sharp, resounding slap echoed as my hand landed on his face.

He staggered back, almost falling to the ground.

The room erupted into chaos, and hundreds of cameras turned their lenses toward me.

"Giselle, you—"

I let out a cold laugh and pointed at Vanessa, who sat frozen in her wheelchair. "She's your wife? Then tell me, Quintus, who am I? What about our child?"

Before Quintus could react, I tore away the black cloth covering my chest.

A small, square urn was exposed for all to see.