I lay on the delivery bed, my husband Ethan holding my hand. “Just hang in there a little longer, Rebecca. Our baby will be born soon.” I was drenched in sweat from the pain, yet I still managed to give him a smile. Until a nurse walked in carrying a syringe. I thought it was the anesthetic for an epidural. But Ethan suddenly released my hand and said, “This is a labor-delaying drug. I need to let Scarlett deliver her child first. You’ll have to wait.” I wanted to scream, to struggle, but the medication had already been injected into my body. I never imagined that my husband would care so little about my life, all so his dead Derek ‘s wife could deliver her child first. I was wheeled into a makeshift cell in the hospital basement. Ethan’s sister Lily stood at the door, toying with a scalpel in her hands. “Don’t blame my brother. Scarlett’s carrying a boy. You’re carrying a useless girl.” I clutched my stomach as a new wave of contractions fought against the medication. The pain made everything go dark before my eyes. “Get a doctor. I’m going into labor, really…” Lily laughed. She walked in, crouched in front of me, and gently tapped my face with the scalpel. “Labor? The drugs will last another three hours. Scarlett’s already in the delivery room. Just wait here like a good girl. Once her son is safely delivered, you can deliver however you want.” After speaking, she stood up and instructed the guard at the door, “Watch her. If she dares to shout, gag her.” The door closed. The basement had only one dim emergency light. I lay on the floor, blood soaking through my dress. My phone had been confiscated by Ethan when we entered the hospital. He said it had radiation, bad for the baby. Looking back now, he was afraid I’d contact the outside world. I curled up, trying to use deep breathing to ease the pain. But my mind was full of Ethan’s expression from earlier. Cold, calculating, like he was looking at an object. Not at his wife, nor at the woman about to bear his child. Three months ago, Derek died in a car accident. He left behind his widow Scarlett, three months pregnant. At the funeral, Ethan’s grandfather wept openly, gripping Scarlett’s hand and saying, “You must safely deliver the child.” I felt sorry for Scarlett then and volunteered, “Grandpa, don’t worry. Ethan’s and my child will also be filial to you.” Ethan’s grandfather glanced at me without saying a word. Turns out from that moment on, my child had already been abandoned. “Ah…” Another wave of contractions hit, fiercer than before. The medication was weakening. The baby wanted out. I clawed at the door, pounding with all my strength. “Someone, please! I’m in labor! Save my child!” No response from outside. It wasn’t until I’d shouted myself hoarse that I heard the guard’s impatient voice, “What are you yelling about? Miss Lily said to wait.” “But the baby…” “If it dies, that’s fate. Who told you to carry a girl instead of a boy?” I collapsed on the floor, my whole body freezing. It wasn’t fate. Someone wanted my baby dead.
I don’t know how long I endured in the basement. The bleeding grew heavier, soaking everything beneath me. As my consciousness began to blur, the door suddenly opened. It wasn’t Lily, nor the guard. It was the family doctor, Dr. Morgan. When he saw my condition, his face went pale instantly. “Mrs. Grant? What are you doing here? Mr. Grant said you were resting in the VIP room?” I tried to speak but couldn’t make a sound. I could only point at my stomach, tears streaming down continuously. Dr. Morgan hurried over and crouched down to examine me. The moment his hand touched my stomach, he sucked in a sharp breath. “She needs surgery immediately!” He tried to lift me, but the moment I moved, massive amounts of blood gushed from below. Dr. Morgan’s hands were shaking. He shouted toward the door, “Someone! Quick! The patient is hemorrhaging!” The hallway was empty. This private hospital was invested in by the Grant family. Tonight, for Scarlett’s delivery, they’d cleared the entire facility. All medical staff were on standby in the third-floor delivery room. Dr. Morgan pulled out his phone to call, only to discover there was no signal in the basement. “I’ll carry you up. Hang on!” He gritted his teeth and lifted me, stumbling toward the exit. The stairway was long. Each step jolted me into agony worse than death. I could feel the baby descending, but it wouldn’t come out. The medication was still taking effect, contractions coming and going. This was the most dangerous situation. “Dr. Morgan…” I grabbed his collar, my voice barely a whisper. “Save the baby. Please.” “Don’t talk nonsense. Everything will be fine!” He finally burst onto the first floor, running toward the operating room. But when we reached the entrance, we both froze. The operating room door stood wide open. Inside was empty. Just an empty room with a few electrical outlets on the wall. Dr. Morgan stood frozen in place. “How is this possible… I checked the equipment this afternoon…” Footsteps echoed from the end of the hallway. Lily approached with two nurses. Seeing us, she raised an eyebrow. “Dr. Morgan, what are you doing here? Scarlett’s in the third-floor delivery room. Why did you come down?” Dr. Morgan pointed at the empty operating room, his voice trembling, “Where’s the equipment? Where did all the surgical equipment go?” Lily looked innocent, “We moved it to the third floor. Scarlett’s having a C-section. She needs the best equipment. What if there’s an emergency? An ordinary operating room wouldn’t be enough.” She glanced at me and smiled. “Lily, are you going into labor? You’ll have to wait a bit. Scarlett’s not finished yet. Just hold on a little longer.” I looked at her perfectly made-up face. Suddenly I remembered six months ago when she’d linked arms with me while shopping, sweetly saying, “Rebecca, you’re so wonderful.” Back then, I’d bought her bags worth over a hundred thousand dollars. Now, looking back, what a joke.
Dr. Morgan frantically searched the nurses’ station for emergency equipment. But the cabinets were completely empty. Not even basic hemostats or gauze. “Where are the medications? Hemostatic agents! Uterine stimulants!” A nurse said quietly, “They were all sent to the third floor. Mr. Grant ordered all resources to prioritize Mrs. Scarlett.” Dr. Morgan slammed his fist on the cabinet. His eyes red, he looked at me, his lips trembling, “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, Mrs. Grant… There’s nothing I can do…” Lily walked over and patted his shoulder, “Dr. Morgan, don’t panic. Scarlett hasn’t delivered yet, right? Once Scarlett’s done, we’ll bring the equipment back down.” She glanced at my stomach and added, “Even if she does deliver, it’s just a girl. If she’s gone, she’s gone. The Grants don’t need this one.” I stared hard at her. Stared at this person I’d treated like a sister for three years. Then, using every ounce of strength, I squeezed out two words, “Bastard.” Lily’s expression darkened. She bent down, leaned close to my ear, her voice low, “Curse all you want. After you deliver and your body’s weak, I’ll have plenty of ways to shut you up. Then Ethan will marry Scarlett. As for you…” She straightened up, her smile bright. “For Ethan’s sake, I’ll let you live as a servant.” Dr. Morgan couldn’t take it anymore, “Miss Lily! This is murder!” “Murder?” Lily scoffed. “Dr. Morgan, watch your words. A patient dying during difficult labor is perfectly normal, isn’t it? Besides, this is Grant family business. What right does an outsider like you have to interfere?” She waved at the guards, “Take Dr. Morgan to rest. I’ll personally take care of scarlett Two guards stepped forward and dragged Dr. Morgan out. Dr. Morgan struggled and shouted, “Mrs. Grant! Don’t give up! The baby can still be saved!” His voice grew fainter. Lily closed the nurses’ station door and turned to look at me. She pulled out her phone and made a video call. “Ethan, scarlett ‘s going into labor. Want to watch?” Ethan’s face appeared on the screen. He was outside the delivery room, medical staff busy in the background. “Rebecca, stop this. Scarlett’s situation isn’t good. The baby’s heart rate is dropping.” Lily pointed the camera at me, “Look at scarlett. She’s bleeding so much. Is she dying too?” Ethan frowned, glanced briefly, then quickly looked away. “Tell her to wait. Once Scarlett delivers, the doctors will go down. Rebecca, Lily will take care of you for now. I can’t leave here.” The video call ended. Lily shrugged and put away her phone. “You heard him, right? In my brother’s heart, Scarlett comes first. You’re just a breeding tool. Once the tool’s used up, it gets thrown away.” I closed my eyes, no longer looking at her. My hand secretly moved to my back, feeling for the lining of my dress. Sewn there was a device the size of a button. Alexander Sinclair had given it to me. He’d said, “Rebecca, the Grants run deep. If anything happens, press this.” I’d laughed at his excessive worry then. “Dad, Ethan treats me well. Everyone in the Grant family treats me well.” Now, thinking back, how stupid I’d been. I used my nail to pry open the device’s protective cover. I pressed it gently. No sound, no light. But I knew the signal had been sent. Alexander Sinclair had said once I pressed it, someone would come within half an hour. But half an hour… Could my child survive half an hour?
My consciousness grew hazier. Lily sat in a chair playing with her phone, occasionally glancing up at me with the look of someone observing a lab animal. “Rebecca, what did you think you’d gain by marrying into our family? Did you think my brother was handsome? That the Grants were rich? But didn’t you ever think—what right does someone from an ordinary family like yours have to enter the Grant family’s door?” I said nothing. Lily continued, “If you hadn’t gotten pregnant early, my brother never would have married you. We thought you’d at least deliver a son and be somewhat useful. But the ultrasound showed a girl. Grandpa’s face went black. Good thing Scarlett’s carrying a boy, or this generation of Grants would have no heir.” She stood up, walked over, and kicked my leg. “So you see, people need to know their place. What isn’t yours, don’t force it. Once Scarlett delivers, you’ll sign the divorce papers, take some money, and leave. Then you can find some ordinary guy to marry. Wouldn’t that be nice?” I opened my eyes and looked at her, “Does Ethan know you’re talking to me like this?” Lily laughed, “Of course he knows. My brother sent me to persuade you. He said you’re stubborn and worried you might do something foolish, so he told me to counsel you properly.” I tried to smile but couldn’t. Another sharp pain tore through my abdomen. This time fiercer than all the others. The medication had completely worn off. The baby was coming. “Ah!” I couldn’t help but cry out. Lily stepped back, frowning, “What a hassle.” She opened the door and called out, “Someone come check if she’s about to deliver.” A nurse walked in timidly, took one look, and her face went white. “The cervix is fully dilated. I can already see the head… But there’s too much bleeding. We need to assist the delivery immediately!” Lily said impatiently, “Then assist!” The nurse was nearly crying, “There’s no equipment, no medication. Delivering like this… both mother and baby are in danger…” “Then let them be in danger,” Lily said coldly. “They’re going to die anyway. Why does it matter?” After giving her orders, Lily left to find Ethan, not caring about my life or death at all. The nurse didn’t dare speak further. She could only crouch down and try to help me dilate manually. But I couldn’t push at all. Too much blood loss. My strength was completely depleted. The baby was stuck, unable to go up or come down. Time passed second by agonizing second. Each second was torture. Until the hallway suddenly filled with rapid footsteps. Many people. The sound of boots hitting the floor, crisp and uniform. The nurse’s face changed, “Who’s there?” The door was kicked open. A group of people in black tactical gear rushed in, all armed. The man leading them removed his helmet, revealing a face with sharp features. The moment he saw me, his eyes turned red. “Miss!” I opened my mouth but couldn’t make a sound. I could only reach my hand toward him. The nurse screamed in panic, “Who are you! How did you get in! Security! Security!” The man didn’t even look at her. He rushed straight to me and knelt on one knee. “We’re late. Please forgive us, Miss!” He lifted me and ordered those behind him, “Clear the area! Prepare emergency treatment!” “Yes, sir!” The black-clad operatives moved swiftly. The nurse tried to flee in the chaos but was pinned to the ground. She struggled and shouted, “You dare touch me! This is a Grant family hospital!” The man turned back and glanced at her. That look was cold as ice. “The Grants? Soon there won’t be any Grants left.”
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