The Boarding Gate

Chapter 1 Ethan Vance suffers from severe obsessive-compulsive punctuality disorder. When we got married, he set an absolute, non-negotiable rule: If any argument lasts longer than ten minutes, he will physically leave the room. He refuses to waste a single second more. But today, on our wedding anniversary, my morning sickness was so severe that I arrived at the boarding gate exactly three minutes late. When I looked up, Ethan had already ordered the flight crew to close the cabin doors. Sitting in my First Class seat was Chloe Thorne. This was the fourth time. Whenever I was even a step behind, he gave my place to Chloe. The first time: I was delayed at TSA security for two minutes. He flew to the Maldives with Chloe. The second time: My prenatal appointment ran five minutes over. He took Chloe to the luxury hot springs resort I had booked. The third time: I was vomiting so hard my legs gave out, making me ninety seconds late getting downstairs. His car sped off, taking Chloe with him. “You are always late. I can’t let a good seat go to waste.” Standing completely alone in the empty terminal, a sudden, tearing agony ripped through my abdomen. With trembling hands, I dialed Ethan’s number. Busy signal. I dialed again. Busy signal. The third time, the call finally connected. “Chloe is feeling a little airsick. I’m busy. Call 911 yourself.” I stared down at the blinding pool of red spreading across the floor between my feet. I set the phone down on the ground. Ethan, in your perfect, meticulously planned schedule, you could never spare a single minute to wait for me. So this time, it’s my turn to leave you behind. Forever. … By the time the ambulance arrived, I couldn’t form a complete sentence. The paramedics cut open my blood-soaked pants and lifted me onto the stretcher. A nurse gripped my wrist. “Where is your family? How many weeks pregnant are you? Any underlying conditions?” “Eleven weeks. My family is on a plane.” “What’s the father’s name? Can we reach him?” I closed my eyes. “Don’t bother. He’s busy.” My phone rang again. Ethan’s name flashed on the screen. I stared at it for two seconds before hitting ‘Answer.’ “Mia, did you actually call an ambulance?” His voice was hushed. In the background, I could hear Chloe’s delicate, fragile voice asking: “Ethan, is Mia okay? Should we turn the plane around? I can just tough it out.” Ethan’s tone was completely flat. “She just loves blowing minor inconveniences completely out of proportion. Just lie back down.” Then, he addressed me: “If the airport clinic can handle it, why do you insist on calling an ambulance? We’ve already taken off. We are not turning the plane around just for you.” Another violent spasm of pain ripped through my stomach. I bit my lip, waiting for the agony to subside. “The doctor said… I’m having a miscarriage.” The line went dead silent for two seconds. “Are you seriously using the baby to threaten me again?” “Mia, you are the one who was late. If I ruin my entire schedule for you every single time, eventually everyone is going to think my time is worthless.” In the past, terrified of inconveniencing him, I would have desperately tried to explain that I didn’t mean to be late, that my stomach really, truly hurt. But now, watching the nurse continuously swap out blood-soaked gauze… I suddenly lost the strength to speak. Chloe’s sickly-sweet voice drifted through the speaker. “Ethan, don’t be mad. Pregnant women are just emotionally fragile. She probably just wants you to coax her.” Ethan’s voice turned even colder. “I don’t have the time to deal with your petty, jealous games right now.” “If you get admitted to the hospital, just save the receipts and I’ll reimburse you when I get back. Stop calling me. Chloe is airsick and needs to rest.” The call disconnected. I checked the time. Exactly ten minutes. The nurse looked at me, wanting to say something but holding back. I pressed the phone screen against my palm. “Could you put it on silent, please?” Chapter 2 By the time the examinations were finished, it was completely dark outside. The doctor placed the chart in front of me. “Threatened miscarriage. There’s bleeding at the edge of the placenta. Moving forward, you must remain on strict bed rest. No travel, no stress, and absolutely no emotional trauma.” “Can you save the baby?” “There is still a fetal heartbeat, but no one can guarantee anything. Can your family come tonight?” I shook my head. The doctor frowned deeply. “It is highly unadvisable for you to be alone right now. If you experience heavy bleeding, you must press the call button immediately.” Right at that moment, the hospital room door pushed open. Ethan’s assistant walked in, dragging Ethan’s carry-on suitcase. He pulled a designer cashmere shawl out of the suitcase. “Ms. Thorne left this at the airport. Mr. Sterling was worried it might get chilly on their return flight, and since you live close to the airport, he asked if you could wash it and drop it off at the dry cleaners.” The doctor’s face turned thunderous. “She just almost lost her baby, and you people want her to run errands?!” The assistant looked incredibly awkward. “Mr. Sterling said his wife is used to handling these things. And it has to be dropped off before 9:00 AM tomorrow, so Ms. Thorne can use it on her way back.” Just then, the assistant’s phone rang. Ethan’s voice came through on speakerphone. “Did you drop it off?” “Yes, sir. But the doctor says your wife is on strict bed rest and can’t get out of bed.” “Then tell her to hire a courier. Mia, don’t drag your feet on purpose. Chloe needs this.” I handed the shawl back to the assistant. “Take it back. I am under no obligation to manage her belongings.” Ethan’s tone was indifferent. “What are you throwing a tantrum over now? It’s just a shawl.” I placed my hand over my still-aching abdomen. My voice was so quiet I could barely hear it myself. “You’re right. So if it gets thrown in the trash, it’s no big deal.” The assistant reached out to take the shawl back, but as he did, a medical booklet slipped out of the suitcase. It was a prenatal care record. The name on the cover was Chloe Thorne. At the very bottom of the page, stamped clearly in ink, were the words: 8 Weeks Pregnant. “Chloe is pregnant?” I flipped the booklet open. Tucked inside was a printed ultrasound scan. The assistant’s face drastically changed. He lunged forward to grab it. “Mrs. Sterling, that is Ms. Thorne’s private medical information.” “Why is her private medical information sitting inside my husband’s suitcase?” “Mr. Sterling simply accompanied her to the appointment.” The phone was still connected. Ethan spoke, his voice icy. “Chloe wasn’t feeling well a while ago, so I took her to the clinic. She isn’t married, and she doesn’t want people to know, so keep your mouth shut.” I stared at the date on the ultrasound scan. It was the exact same date as my very first prenatal appointment. That day, Ethan had promised to go with me. But when we arrived at the hospital entrance, he told me Chloe’s car had broken down, and told me to go inside by myself. I waited in line for four hours. By the time I walked out with my own ultrasound, his phone was turned off. It turned out that in the exact same hospital, he was busy accompanying another woman to her appointments. I asked, “Whose baby is it?” “That is none of your business.” “You are my husband.” Ethan’s patience was completely depleted. “Which is exactly why I’m telling you to drop it.” “Mia, you already have your own baby. There is absolutely no need to harbor so much hostility toward a woman who has no one else to rely on.” “I just asked whose baby it is.” Chloe suddenly sounded as if she had just woken up, her voice fragile. “Mia, please, don’t misunderstand. Ethan and I have absolutely nothing going on. It’s just that I didn’t want my family to know, so he’s keeping it a secret for me.” “Then who is the father?” She stayed silent for a moment before suddenly starting to sob quietly. Ethan immediately lowered his voice to coax her. “It’s okay. If you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to.” When he addressed the phone again, his tone was nothing but irritated. “Are you done interrogating her? She’s pregnant. She can’t handle the stress.” I looked down at the medical diagnosis chart sitting next to my hospital bed. We were both carrying children. But if Chloe so much as furrowed her brow, he was terrified she’d be too stressed. While I was lying in a hospital bed actively bleeding, and all he could remember was to order me to dry-clean her shawl. “Ethan. I can’t handle the stress either.” “You’re perfectly fine, aren’t you?” The moment the words slipped out of his mouth, both ends of the phone went dead silent. I didn’t argue anymore. For the very first time, I was the one who hung up. Chapter 3 Ethan didn’t return until the afternoon of the following day. He didn’t come straight to the hospital. He went home with Chloe first so she could rest. It wasn’t until 7:00 PM that he pushed open the door to my room, carrying a takeout bag of congee. “Chloe said you probably don’t have much of an appetite, so she told me to bring this for you.” I glanced at the packaging. It was Chloe’s favorite: seafood congee. I am deadly allergic to shellfish. “Put it down.” He sat on the edge of the bed, his gaze landing on my pale face. “What did the doctor say?” “Strict bed rest to save the pregnancy.” “Tomorrow night is the Sterling family’s annual gala. I was originally planning to officially announce your pregnancy, but since you’re incapacitated, I’ll have Chloe attend in your place.” I stared at him. “She’s going to attend as Mrs. Sterling in my place?” Ethan tucked the blanket around me, his tone unusually mild. “She’s just taking your seat. Focus on resting. Don’t be so petty over such a trivial matter.” The next second, he pulled a legal authorization form from his briefcase. “Sign this. Tomorrow night we are also announcing the ‘SkyLounge’ project. Since you can’t be there, we’ll list Chloe as the Lead Architect for now. We can change it back after the press conference.” My hands curled into tight fists, crushing the bedsheets. The SkyLounge cabin design was my late mother’s unfinished manuscript. It was a project I had poured two agonizing years of my life into completing. “Why can’t you just announce it under my name?” “If you are absent from the press conference, it will shake the investors’ confidence. Chloe is highly presentable, and she can actually show up on time. She’s a much better fit.” “That is my design.” “I know.” He pressed a high-end fountain pen into my hand, his thumb gently pressing down on the back of my hand. “You’re just lending her your name for a night. Stop being so difficult.” I pulled my hand away. “I’m not signing it.” The expression on Ethan’s face vanished. “Mia. The corporation is not your personal playground.” “You’ve already derailed my flight schedule because you were late. Chloe is graciously volunteering to clean up your mess, and you’re still throwing a tantrum?” He smoothed out the authorization form on the tray table. “Sign it by 9:00 PM. My assistant will come pick it up.” I stared at his retreating back. “And if I don’t sign it?” Ethan stopped at the door. “All the R&D files for the SkyLounge are the intellectual property of Sterling Corp. If you don’t sign it, I have the executive authority to decide who presents it.” He knew perfectly well how much blood, sweat, and tears I had poured into that project. My fingernails dug into my palms. I finally said the words. “Let’s get a divorce.” Ethan’s footsteps halted. When he looked back, his eyes were full of mockery. “Mia. There’s a limit to how much jealousy I will tolerate. Don’t push this to a point where you can’t back down.” He sounded so absolutely certain. Just like every other time we fought, he was certain I could never leave him. But this time. I was genuinely, utterly exhausted. As soon as he opened the door, a nurse rushed in holding a lab report. “Are you Mia Vance’s family member? Her vitals are dropping again. She requires 24-hour supervision.” Ethan glanced at his watch. “I promised to take Chloe to dinner at 8:00. I can’t be late.” I looked at him. For the absolute last time, my voice trembling, I said: “So she is more important than me.” “We are not as filthy and twisted as you think we are.” The last shred of patience vanished from Ethan’s face. His voice turned freezing cold. “Chloe is punctual. She is graceful. She understands the bigger picture. If her father hadn’t sacrificed his life to save mine, she wouldn’t be all alone in the world.” “When are you finally going to learn how to be as understanding as she is?” With that, he stepped around the nurse and strode out of the room. I had heard that exact speech countless times. Chloe’s father was a pilot for the Sterling family. Ten years ago, during a catastrophic mechanical failure, he suffered fatal injuries while protecting Ethan. From that day on, Ethan viewed taking care of Chloe as his life’s ultimate duty. If she wanted the passenger seat, he would make me get out of the car. If she wanted a plane ticket, he would leave me stranded at the airport. If she wanted my position, he would tell me it was just “compensation.” I used to understand him. But “understanding” shouldn’t be an all-access pass for someone to trample all over my life. Half an hour later, the nurses came in to process my room transfer. As I was wheeled from my private VIP suite to a crowded, six-person shared ward, the Sterling Corp press conference was broadcasting live on the hospital TV. Chapter 4 Chloe, wearing my custom gown, was standing in front of the cabin model I had designed. The host smiled and asked, “Ms. Thorne, I heard this design is a gift for your soon-to-be-born child?” Chloe gently touched her stomach, smiling shyly. “You could say that. Ethan and I revised it together countless times. He said our baby deserves to have the safest sky in the world.” The crowd erupted into cheers and whistling. Someone asked if wedding bells were in their near future. Ethan didn’t clarify. He simply adjusted the microphone for Chloe and said flatly, “The fact that she is standing here today is the best answer I can give.” Applause filled the room. The other patients in my shared ward turned to look at me. “Isn’t that your husband?” “The woman next to him must be his real wife. Look, she’s pregnant.” I reached out to turn off the TV, but my hands were shaking so badly I missed the button on the remote several times. The older woman in the bed next to mine reached over and turned it off for me. She whispered, “Sweetheart, don’t watch.” My phone immediately buzzed with a text from Ethan. [The launch was a huge success. If you had just cooperated, things wouldn’t have gotten so ugly.] Attached to the text was a digital authorization form. The signature line already had my name forged on it. I dialed his number. “Who signed that for me? This is forgery.” “The corporate timeline cannot be stalled just because of you. Chloe just signed it on your behalf. Once you calm down and your emotions are stable, I’ll have the legal team draft the proper retroactive paperwork.” A sharp, seizing cramp ripped through my abdomen. “Stop the press conference right now and issue a public correction.” “Do you have any idea how much money Sterling Corp will lose if I halt this launch right now?” “That is my mother’s manuscript.” “Which is exactly why I’m maximizing its value.” He paused, his tone softening slightly. “Stop throwing a tantrum. I’ll come stay with you tonight. Text my assistant whatever you want to eat.” A bitter taste filled my mouth. He was always like this. He always assumed that throwing me a tiny scrap of fabricated gentleness was enough to erase all my suffering. Suddenly, a gasp from Chloe echoed through the phone. “Ethan! I think I just felt the baby kick!” Ethan’s voice instantly turned deadly serious. “You’re only eight weeks along, the baby can’t kick yet. Are you in pain? I’m taking you to the hospital right now.” He was so panicked he didn’t even hang up the phone. I listened to the frantic sound of his footsteps rushing away, and slowly placed my phone back on the nightstand. A nurse rushed into the room holding a chart. “Mia Vance! Your contractions are escalating rapidly! We need a family member to sign the surgical consent forms immediately!” Through the phone line, I heard the heavy thud of a car door closing. Ethan murmured something comforting to Chloe. Then, he ended the call. I stared at the black screen. My voice was perfectly calm. “Change the procedure. I want an abortion.” “If we can’t reach your family, you’ll have to sign the forms yourself.” The attending physician handed me the surgical consent clipboard. “The hemorrhaging is increasing rapidly. Our priority is to protect the mother, but I have to warn you about the worst-case scenarios.” I was in so much agony I couldn’t grip the pen. The nurse steadied my wrist. “Do you have any other relatives we can call?” My parents passed away years ago, and after I got married, I quit my job to focus on the studio. My social circle had shrunk to almost nothing. I scrolled through my entire contacts list, and finally dialed Julian’s number. He was the initial angel investor for the SkyLounge project, and the man Ethan had aggressively pushed out of the project team three years ago. He answered on the first ring. “Mia?” “Julian. Could you please come to the hospital?” He didn’t ask a single question. “Text me the address. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.” By the time Julian arrived, I had already been moved to the pre-op observation room. He stood on the other side of the privacy curtain. “Where is Ethan?” “Accompanying Chloe to a prenatal appointment.” “You’re lying here pregnant too, and he just left you alone?” The doctor pushed the curtain aside. “Family members, please don’t agitate the patient. We urgently need a specific imported medication. The hospital pharmacy is completely out of stock, but the satellite clinic nearby has the last two vials. We need someone to go retrieve them immediately.” Julian snatched the requisition form and ran. Laying in the hospital bed, I listened as the nurse dialed Ethan’s number one more time. “Mr. Sterling, your wife is in critical condition. You must come to the hospital immediately.” “I am at the hospital.” The nurse froze. “Then what department are you in?” “OB/GYN, third floor.” “Ms. Vance is in the fifth-floor Emergency Observation ward.” The line went silent for a moment. Chloe’s tearful voice drifted over. “Ethan, you should go. I can wait for the ultrasound by myself. Even though the doctor said my near-fall earlier might affect the baby… Mia’s situation is more important.” Ethan immediately replied: “Don’t move.” He then spoke to the nurse: “Just follow standard medical protocol. If you need any signatures, email the forms to me, I can e-sign them.” “Mr. Sterling, certain medical decisions require face-to-face consultation.” “I’ll be up there before 10:00 AM.” “She might not make it to 10:00 AM.” Ethan’s voice turned icy. “Is this how your hospital operates? Fear-mongering? She had the energy to scream at me over a project this morning, and now she’s suddenly ‘critical’? The timing is a bit too convenient.” The nurse was so furious she slammed the phone down.

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