My husband’s ex-girlfriend was in a vegetative state, unconscious, and he was the one taking care of her. “Vivian became a vegetable because I married you, Zara. We both owe her. It’s my responsibility to take care of her.” For three whole years, I couldn’t show even a hint of displeasure. Otherwise, I’d be labeled heartless, unable to tolerate even someone in her state. Guilt-tripped for so long, I was brainwashed, feeling a sense of guilt towards Vivian. Until one day, by chance, while visiting Vivian. I found a pregnancy test stick under her hospital bed. Can a person in a vegetative state get pregnant? ### Blake’s face instantly changed. He snatched the pregnancy test and threw it into the trash. “It must have been dropped by the nurse! How incredibly careless!” The atmosphere in the car on the way home was heavy. I scrolled through my phone, the screen paused on Blake’s credit card’s supplementary card spending records. “Blake, I see you’ve bought quite a few things for Vivian lately.” “Chanel No. 5 perfume, a Hermès bag, a Cartier bracelet… It all adds up to over three hundred thousand dollars.” “Does a patient in a vegetative state really need these things?” Blake’s face darkened immediately, his tone laced with annoyance at being questioned. “The doctor said that if Vivian is exposed to things she used to love, it might stimulate her to wake up.” “Vivian always loved luxury items, but she couldn’t afford them back then.” “Zara, how can you be so petty about a sick person? Can’t you be a little more generous?” “We all owe her! Forget spending hundreds of thousands on bags for her, if she could just wake up, I’d lose everything I have, and I’d do it happily!” He finished, then drove in silence, running three red lights along the way. My heart ached with a suffocating pain. Vivian becoming a vegetable was certainly tragic. But what had I done wrong? When we got home, I went to freshen up, still in a gloomy mood. Blake, however, quickly reverted to his role as the attentive husband. He came to me with a bowl of nutritional supplements. “Darling, I was out of line earlier. I shouldn’t have snapped at you.” “I’m just so stressed. Seeing Vivian in that state… it just breaks my heart.” “But you’re not wrong. This is all my fault, my past mistakes. You shouldn’t have to suffer with me.” He put an arm around my shoulder, bringing the nutritional drink to my lips. “Drink this tonic to boost your health. Mom even called yesterday, nagging us about having a baby.” The nutritional drink had a strong, peculiar smell. My husband claimed he’d specially learned to make this herbal tonic. Normally, I would have been touched by his thoughtfulness, overlooking his earlier coldness. But now, the pregnancy test was like a sharp thorn, plunged deep into my heart. “Just leave it there. I don’t have an appetite.” I pushed the drink away. That night, I had a series of bizarre, unsettling dreams. The next morning, I was supposed to drive to the office, but for some inexplicable reason, I went to that private sanatorium again. I didn’t notify Blake. Avoiding the nurses’ station, I quietly slipped into the private suite where Vivian was staying. And then I saw a scene that made my blood run cold. Behind the floor-to-ceiling windows, it was no longer a cold hospital room. Instead, it was a lavishly decorated living room. Vivian, the patient who was supposedly lying motionless in bed. Was now standing in a custom-made dress, perfectly made-up, and haughtily glaring at the aide. “Slap!” She slapped the young aide hard across the face. “Useless! You can’t even make a decent cup of coffee! Do you even want this job?!” Vivian’s voice was sharp and surprisingly strong. There was no sign of illness about her. And what was most glaringly obvious was her slightly swollen belly. She was pregnant! I stood frozen, my hands and feet turning icy cold, a sudden, chilling realization dawning on me. Blake’s “devotion”! Vivian’s “suicide attempt”! My ridiculous guilt! It was all a carefully woven lie! ###
Half an hour later, the young aide who had been slapped walked out, her eyes red-rimmed. It looked like she was going to take out the trash. I stopped her in a secluded spot. “I saw what just happened.” “You’re just an aide, not her slave. What right did that woman have to hit you?” I offered her a tissue, keeping my voice as gentle as possible. She jumped, looking at me warily, hesitant to take the tissue. The aide, of course, knew who I was. I took a thick wad of cash from my bag, about five thousand dollars, and pressed it into her hand. “Don’t be scared. I just want to know the truth. What’s going on with Vivian?” “How long has she been awake? Whose baby is it?” “If you tell me the truth, I’ll give you more money and help you find a good job.” The young aide looked at the money in her hand, then hesitated before speaking. “Ms. Chen, even if you didn’t give me money, I’d still tell you. Because that vile pair is truly despicable!” “Vivian was never in a coma. She was never a vegetable!” “Your husband bribed the doctors and nurses here to put on a show for you.” “The baby must be your husband’s. As soon as Mr. Blake arrives, they lock the door and do shameless things.” “That woman’s screams make the stray cats outside restless.” “They’re even plotting against you.” “Plotting what?” I forced down my rage and continued to ask. “They said once you died, all your family’s assets would be theirs… and that they were going to drug you…” Drug me? I immediately thought of the nutritional supplements I drank every night. It wasn’t just betrayal; this scoundrel was trying to murder me for my money! I composed myself, then transferred another thirty thousand dollars to the aide’s phone. “Wait here. I’m going to buy some hidden cameras.” “When I get back, you’ll install them in Vivian’s room.” “From now on, you’re my insider!” After arranging for my spy, I went to the hospital for a comprehensive medical check-up. A few days later, I received some candid videos from my insider. Vivian, in a nearly transparent silk nightgown, was coiled around Blake like a seductive vine. “When is that wretched woman Zara going to die already? My belly is getting bigger by the day, I can’t wait much longer.” “I don’t want my child to be a bastard. I’m sick of pretending to be a vegetable; I want to go hit up clubs and dance.” Blake chuckled lewdly, caressing Vivian’s stomach to comfort her. “Don’t rush, sweetheart. She’s been drinking the tonic; the poison will slowly kill her. It’s just taking time.” “We have to take it slow, can’t use too much poison, or there might be suspicious symptoms after she dies.” “Slowly killing her won’t leave any traces. Otherwise, if the bitch dies, and we get caught and thrown in jail, it would all be for nothing, wouldn’t it?” “Just be patient, everything at home will be ours sooner or later!” Vivian seemed convinced but continued to playfully complain. “But you’re not allowed to sleep with her! And you’re definitely not allowed to get her pregnant!” “Hahaha, darling! Don’t be angry!” “You’re the only one I truly love. Everything with Zara is just an act. To me, she’s not even a bed partner; she’s just an inflatable doll.” “The tonic I give her isn’t just slow-acting poison, it’s also a contraceptive!” Vivian looked even happier. “Hehe, that’s good!” “Honey, we haven’t been intimate in days. I want you.” “I’ve noticed since I got pregnant, my desires are even stronger.” She said, reaching out to flirt, but Blake stopped her with a hand. “The doctor said the first three months are unstable; we can’t actually do anything.” “Hehe, I have other ways…” I didn’t need to watch the rest of the video. Rage erupted like a volcano, scorching my insides. But I remained calm. Anger solves nothing; revenge is the top priority! At that moment, my hospital check-up report from a few days ago also came back. Sure enough, it detected traces of slow-acting poison. However, the dosage was small and hadn’t caused any substantial harm. I saved the video, then drove to the most expensive cemetery in the city, Sunset Ridge. Others wanted comfortable burial plots. But I only asked if there were any uncomfortable ones. “Something that won’t let the deceased’s soul rest in peace, even after death?” The cemetery manager naturally said no. “All our plots here are peaceful. Why would we have something like that?” I handed him a fifty thousand dollar tip, and suddenly, he found one. “Ms. Chen, plot number 863 was previously a restroom and even a slaughterhouse. It’s the most ominous of them all.” “Can it fit three people?” “It can!” After signing the contract, I felt refreshed. Blake! Vivian! And that illegitimate child you conceived through deceit and betrayal! I’ve even chosen your final resting place for you. ###
That evening, Blake came home. Again, his face showed exhaustion and melancholy. This was the clever part of Vivian pretending to be a vegetable. Other men had to sneak around to meet their mistresses. But Blake could go openly, spend my money openly, and then come home and emotionally blackmail me with it. “Sigh, Vivian still shows no sign of consciousness.” “Anyway, let’s not talk about sad things. I’ll warm up your nutritional drink.” “Blake, don’t bother.” I called out to him, my voice filled with a strange cheerfulness. “Sit down. I have a gift for you.” He looked a little confused but sat down next to me. “A gift? Suddenly?” I looked at his face, once capable of making my heart flutter, now only filled with revulsion. I thought back to our past. When the Chen family fell on hard times, my parents, out of respect for our long-standing family friendship, not only didn’t break off our engagement but treated him like their own son. They even hired him as the general manager of Chen Corporation. I never imagined that our Chen family, after offering so much help, would raise such an ungrateful viper! “It’s for you.” I handed him the cemetery contract. His face instantly changed when he saw it. “A cemetery plot? Darling, are you crazy? Sending me this is so unlucky!” “It’s an investment.” “I heard that investing in plots is more lucrative than real estate nowadays. This plot is in a good location; it’s sure to appreciate. Look, it’s big enough for three people, what a bargain, right?” Blake was skeptical but a flicker of greed appeared in his eyes when he heard it could appreciate. “Oh, my dearest, you always have such vision, such business acumen.” “To find such an obscure investment opportunity, you’re truly brilliant!” He was buttering me up. I watched his money-grubbing face, a cold sneer forming in my heart. Idiot! Of course, you think it’s brilliant, I picked it for *you*! “There’s something else,” Striking while the iron was hot, I mentioned my second arrangement. “The company is preparing to go public, right? We need some positive publicity to build momentum and boost our brand image and investor confidence. I’ve contacted several major media outlets and influencers to arrange an exclusive interview for you.” “An interview about what?” He looked even more bewildered. “About your touching story of selflessly caring for your ex-girlfriend, who is in a vegetative state, for so many years?” “Think about it: an entrepreneur with deep affection, who keeps promises, is responsible, and has a strong sense of duty—what a positive image! How much more it will move the market and investors!” “This is more persuasive than spending tens of millions on advertising!” I persuaded him. “This… this isn’t quite right, is it?” He looked troubled. “Vivian needs peace and quiet; I don’t want to be high-profile. I’m taking care of Vivian out of conscience, not for publicity—” I immediately cut him off, my tone brooking no argument. “What’s wrong with it?” “This is a great opportunity to build your personal brand and enhance the company’s image! It’s crucial for the company’s IPO!” “I’ve already arranged with the media. The interview will be held at Vivian’s sanatorium. The authentic setting will be even more moving.” “Blake, for the company, for our future, you *must* cooperate!” Blake couldn’t find any more excuses and reluctantly agreed. The next day, he indeed secretly went to the sanatorium to find Vivian and warn her. “You have to play along perfectly, don’t blow our cover!” “If Chen Corporation successfully goes public, it will only benefit us!” “If I establish my image as a good man this time, and it becomes a widespread public perception, then even if Zara dies later, no one will suspect me!”
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