1 Karl’s plane went into a fatal dive. Over the emergency radio, he recorded his last words. “Babe, the will’s in the safe. Everything transfers to you. I set up a ten-million trust for our son.” Then the line reconnected. I was eight months pregnant, sobbing into the phone. Karl’s voice softened. “Hailey, my love… I’d give anything to come home to you two.” I froze. Hailey wasn’t me. She was my adopted sister. I called my childhood friend. He sighed. “Hailey was drugged at a bar, Fiona. Karl saved her. The pregnancy was an accident, but he stepped up.” My brother, who’d introduced us, grabbed the phone. “He would’ve married her years ago if not for you. Pretend you don’t know. It’s better for everyone.” Ice flooded my veins. Everyone knew. Everyone but me. … The sting of betrayal and humiliation spread through me like wildfire. I touched my lower abdomen, tears dripping onto the back of my hand, burning my skin with an unbearable ache. I had planned to share the wonderful news of my pregnancy the moment Karl returned from his night flight. Now, the very existence of this child had become a agonizing dilemma. Before I could think any further, I took a cab to Karl’s mother’s house. I was terrified she might see the crash news on TV and collapse from the shock. Karl had betrayed me, but his mother had done nothing wrong. Yet as I reached her front door, I overheard my best friend’s sympathetic voice from inside. “How is Hailey holding up? The second I heard about the lost aircraft, I rushed right over.” I froze on the landing. Through the crack in the door, I saw Karl’s mother wiping away tears. “Toby has a fever. She is in the bedroom taking care of him and does not know about the plane yet.” My best friend patted her shoulder comfortingly. “Karl kept Hailey and Toby hidden on the south side of town for five whole years just to keep that woman on the north side in the dark. They have suffered so much. Don’t worry, for the sake of his wife and son, Karl will come back safe and sound.” It felt as though the world had shattered around me. I could hardly believe my own ears. It was so absurd I almost wanted to laugh. Just last week was our seventh wedding anniversary. Karl said he was scheduled for an international flight and could not make it home. My best friend had personally bought flowers and a cake to celebrate with me, wishing us a long and happy life together. Karl’s mother had even called to reassure me, saying I was the best daughter-in-law she could ever ask for. Yet all along, they all knew Karl had built another family with my adopted sister, and they had conspired to keep me blind. I shoved the door open, forcing back a sob. “Where is Hailey?” Seeing me standing there, Karl’s mother and my best friend went pale. Both sprang to their feet at the same time. “Fiona? You know?” Before I could react, one rushed over to block my path while the other guarded the bedroom door at the end of the hallway. Karl’s mother grabbed my arm tightly, pinning me in place. “Fiona, I know this hurts, but you have to think about Karl too,” she pleaded, her grip firm. “You could not give him a child in seven years of marriage! In the old days, a woman like you would have been cast aside. You cannot just expect him to have no heirs simply because you cannot lay an egg yourself!” I stopped in my tracks, staring at her in sheer disbelief. I had gotten pregnant during our second year of marriage. But back then, Karl’s mother suffered a stroke and was bedridden. Karl was facing a critical evaluation for his captain promotion and could not take time off. I spent weeks without sleep, taking care of her in the hospital until I collapsed and miscarried. That miscarriage damaged my body so severely that doctors told me I might never conceive again. Back then, lying in her hospital bed, his mother had wept tears of remorse, saying her family owed me everything. Now, she was calling me a barren hen that deserved to be cast away. As I stood locked in a standoff with her, the front door swung open again. It was my parents. A wave of sorrow washed over me, and tears threatened to spill from my eyes. “Dad, Mom, I…” They did not even glance at me. They brushed right past me, striding toward the back bedroom. “Hailey, sweetie, we are here!” my father called out cheerfully into the room. “Toby, look what Grandpa brought you! It is the new Transformer set you wanted!” My mother held a thermal flask that gave off the rich, comforting scent of chicken soup, a recipe I knew all too well. “Hailey, your appetite has been poor lately. I brewed some fish maw chicken soup to help build your strength.” The bedroom door clicked open. A five-year-old boy ran out, throwing his arms around my father’s leg with an excited squeal. “Thank you, Grandpa! You are the best!” My mother walked into the room naturally, softly instructing, “Come, drink it while it is hot…” I watched the scene, paralyzed by the sheer surrealism of it. I was like a ghost, completely invisible to the people who were supposed to love me most. My throat felt as bitter as gall, making it impossible to squeeze out a single word. My best friend cast a panicked, sympathetic glance toward me. Just as I opened my mouth to speak through my tears, Karl’s mother leaned in close, whispering with a cold, mocking smile. “Fiona, you see it yourself. Your parents treat Hailey and Toby like their true daughter and grandson now. You are just the aunt who stole Hailey’s husband. What right do you have to make a scene?” My mother guided Hailey out of the room. When our eyes met, Hailey flinched. “Fiona? What are you doing here?” my mother asked. My father followed her gaze, finally noticing my presence. “Fiona, have you finally come to your senses? Are you ready to accept Hailey and Toby now? Your mother and I were dying for a grandchild for years. Thank goodness Hailey fulfilled our dream.” I stared at them, my hands trembling violently. Hailey gathered her courage and stepped out from behind my parents, stopping right in front of me before bowing deeply. Her eyes were red, looking every bit like a helpless victim. “Sister, my feelings for Karl are real. I gave birth to Toby out of love. I just wanted a family of my own. I never intended to ruin your marriage. I beg you, please do not throw Toby and me out. I will give you back the house Mom and Dad bought for me. Please…” She looked on the verge of tears, attempting to pull the boy down onto his knees with her. My parents hurriedly pulled her back up, filled with distress. “What nonsense are you talking about? What is given to you is yours!” I looked at my parents in utter shock, my voice shaking uncontrollably. “Where did you get the money to buy a house?” Catching their guilty, evasive glances, my heart sank. “Did you use the money I deposited with you to buy her a home?” Years ago, my parents complained that they were getting old, had no savings, and worried about their future. Without a second thought, I transferred all my pre-marital savings to them and promised to support them for the rest of their lives. Yet behind my back, they had given every cent to the woman who stole my husband. Anger blinded me. I lunged forward, grabbing Hailey’s wrist. “Give my money back! That was never yours to take!” Hailey cried out in pain. Seeing his mother hurt, Toby rushed forward and hurled his heavy plastic toy straight at me. “Bad woman! Don’t hurt my mommy!” I let go instantly, clutching my lower abdomen in reflex. The heavy toy struck my wrist, causing it to swell instantly. The sharp pain made me gasp for air. Toby lunged at me again, tugging at my clothes and hitting me with his fists. “Bad woman! Get out!” A dull, thumping pain flared up in my lower belly. Instinctively, I pushed him away. The boy stumbled back, tripped, and tumbled onto the floor, bursting into loud, frantic wails. “It hurts! It hurts so much!” Everyone’s expression shifted dramatically. Hailey pulled him into her arms, sobbing as she yelled at me, “Sister, everything is my fault! Toby is innocent! How could you lay a hand on a child? Strike me, yell at me, but leave my son alone!” My father rushed forward in a rage, slapping me hard across the face. “Enough!” My mother pointed at me, her eyes red with fury. “How can you be so heartless? He is just a little boy! Are you trying to kill us with your malice?” My best friend chimed in as well. “Fiona, stop being so stubborn.” They stood tightly around Hailey and Toby, united against me, glaring at me as if I were the villain destroying a happy home. The strength to fight drained out of me completely. Holding my aching belly, I turned around and dragged my feet toward the door. “Fine. I will leave.” “Fiona!” As I opened the front door, I ran straight into Karl, who was rushing up the stairs. His clothes were torn and his hair was a disheveled mess. Taking in the scene, he realized instantly that the truth was out. He reached out and pulled me into a desperate, crushing embrace. “Fiona, when the plane went down, I thought I would never see you again. Thank God the rescue team arrived in time.” A sharp wave of grief crashed over me. He held me so tightly I could not push him away. “Fiona, surviving that disaster made me realize that being near the person I love is the most important thing in the world.” My heart flickered with a faint, fragile spark of hope, only for it to be instantly doused by his very next words. “I want to bring Hailey and our son home. The four of us can live together happily from now on, okay?” I stared at him in disbelief as he let go of me and pulled Hailey and Toby into his arms instead. This was the same man who had knelt before me during his proposal, crying as he swore I was the only woman he would ever love. Now, he was standing here, proposing a shared life with another woman. A bitter laugh escaped my lips, tears streaming down my face. I was nothing more than a complete fool. Seeing the deep sorrow in my eyes, his tone softened. “Fiona, I know you feel wronged. I promise I will make it up to you doubled. You will always be my wife. I will not give up either of you.” Hailey reached out to hold my hand, looking entirely innocent. “Sister, we will be a real family now. I will make Toby call you Mom too…” I yanked my hand back with all my strength. “I don’t need a bastard calling me Mom! I can have my own children!” Hailey lost her balance, stumbling backward down the stairs and dragging Toby down with her. Karl’s eyes narrowed in shock. He shoved me aside brutally, rushing down the steps to gather them into his arms. “Call an ambulance! Someone call an ambulance!” I hit the floor hard, the pain in my stomach multiplying instantly. As Karl carried Hailey inside, she clung to his shirt, whispering faintly, “Karl, it was my fault… I slipped… don’t blame Fiona…” Before I could recover from the searing pain, my mother stepped forward and delivered a stinging slap across my cheek. The force sent a ringing sound buzzing through my ears, the copper taste of blood filling my mouth. My mother’s voice shrieked with rage. “Hailey has yielded to you her whole life! She never tried to take anything from you! Why won’t you just let her go?!” Looking at her desperate defense of Hailey, I found it horrifyingly funny. “Is she not the one who crawled into my husband’s bed? Is she not the home-wrecker here? She didn’t want to steal anything? Then where did that child come from?!” I spat out, blood staining my lips. “She is a mistress who destroyed my marriage!” “Shut your mouth!” My brother and my childhood friend, Nate, arrived at that very moment. My brother pulled two divorce certificates from his coat and hurled them straight at my face. Nate coldly pulled two red booklets from Karl’s bag, holding them up before my eyes. [Issued: May 20, 2021. Cardholders: Karl Shen and Hailey Song.] Five years ago, they had registered their marriage behind my back. In the eyes of the law, I was merely Karl’s ex-wife. I stared at the date printed on those certificates, my eyes burning. My heart felt as though a blade was twisting inside it, suffocating me so completely that even the agony in my stomach faded into numbness. My brother looked at me and let out a sigh. “Fiona, I warned you. Making a scene will bring you no good.” Nate glanced sympathetically at Hailey’s pale face before turning cold eyes on me. “Now you are the mistress intruding on someone else’s marriage. Are you satisfied?” My mind went entirely blank. “Why… why would you do this to me?” My brother explained with a helpless expression, “Karl loved Hailey from the beginning. But Hailey knew you liked him, so she stepped back and even asked me to set you two up. She has suffered so much for you. Why can’t you just yield to her for once?” I clutched my chest, letting out a self-deprecating laugh. I thought I had found the love of my life, but it turned out my entire marriage was just a scrap of charity handed down by Hailey. Seven years of marriage, seven years of devotion, and in their eyes, I was merely a thief who had stolen Hailey’s man. I forced myself to stand up, fighting through the excruciating pain. I clenched my teeth, suppressing the sobs threatening to break from my throat. A warm liquid began trickling down the inside of my thighs. I looked down to see bright red blood pooling onto the floor, staining the tiles beneath me. Sirens wailed outside the building as paramedics rushed upstairs with a stretcher. Karl lifted Hailey into his arms, charging toward the medical team. One of the paramedics caught sight of the blood pooling around my feet and stopped Karl, frowning. “What happened to that lady over there? She is bleeding heavily…” Everyone crowded around Hailey, blocking the paramedic’s view. “Don’t worry about her! She is fine!” “Hailey looks pale! She might have suffered internal injuries from the fall, get her to the hospital!” “She has low blood sugar, hurry!” The crowd urged the paramedics down the stairs in a chaotic rush. My vision blurred, my body growing colder by the second. The pain in my lower abdomen felt as if my organs were being torn apart. I leaned against the wall, dragging myself step by step toward the elevator. Using the absolute last remnant of my strength, I pressed the button before darkness swallowed me whole. When I woke up, I was already inside an ambulance, saved by a kind neighbor who had found me. The gurney rolled frantically down the white hospital hallway, the harsh lights flashing overhead. The heavy doors of the operating room slammed shut. “Threatened miscarriage! Severe uterine hemorrhage! The fetus cannot be saved, prepare for an emergency D&C immediately!” “Get the family to sign the consent form! We are running out of time!” A nurse pulled out my phone, dialing one contact after another. After what felt like an eternity, someone finally picked up. The nurse spoke urgently into the receiver, “Is this Fiona’s family? She suffered a severe miscarriage and hemorrhage. She needs an emergency procedure immediately. Please come to the fifth-floor operating room to sign!” On the other end, amidst a chaotic background noise, Karl’s voice sounded deeply impatient. “What did you say?” Toby’s loud wailing echoed in the background, making Karl instantly anxious. “I don’t have time for this right now. Goodbye.” The call was abruptly disconnected. I bit my lip until it bled, holding out my trembling hand toward the nurse. “I will sign it myself.” Cold anesthesia surged through my veins, followed by the cold scrape of surgical instruments inside me. I closed my eyes as silent tears slipped into my hair. The baby was gone. Karl and I were over. Just as they all wished.
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