Before the wedding, Gideon suffered a relapse of an old injury, resulting in temporary blindness, which made him irritable. He frequently went out late at night to drink with friends and only returned at dawn. On the night of the blizzard, I went to pick him up with my prenatal check-up report, only to find him at the bar entrance, discarding his sunglasses and white cane. “Pretending to be blind is exhausting. I even have to use a special phone to fool Nora… But it’s the only way to spend more time with my sweet Daphne before the wedding.” He wrapped his arm around the girl beside him and kissed her without a care. “Listen, after the wedding, I plan to be a good husband and father. Daphne is getting married abroad, so don’t tell Nora about this. If you ruin my happiness, I’ll hold you accountable!” But he was unaware of his impending leukemia diagnosis. I entered this story world five years ago with the purpose of saving Gideon, and I was pregnant with the child that could save his life. The snowy roads were treacherous, and on my way home, I had an accident, risking a miscarriage.
When I was brought to the emergency room, I was already unconscious. The doctor administered epinephrine. “Ma’am, can you hear me?” a worried voice asked near my ear. “You were in a car accident with severe bleeding. We’re urgently sourcing Type P blood. Without an immediate transfusion, the fetus might not survive.” I weakly nodded. “Do you need to call a family member?” I slowly opened my eyes, my mind replaying the scene at the bar. I had been in this book’s world for five years, just to save Gideon, the tragic second male lead. He was young, successful, and ambitious but was abandoned by his childhood sweetheart, the heroine. He worked tirelessly to create a designer brand, only to be diagnosed with leukemia a few years later. He eventually died because a matching bone marrow donor could not be found. When I arrived in the story, it was near the end. I fell in love with him and tried hard to conceive, hoping to give birth to the child that could save him. When I saw the blood test report showing the fetus had the same blood type as Gideon, I was overjoyed. Especially after Gideon “lost his sight,” I was extra cautious, fearing anything might trigger his leukemia. I bought him an accessible smartphone, which he used to meet women. He threw tantrums and went out drinking at night, while I stayed up waiting for him to return. Keeping this child alive was the only way Gideon could survive; otherwise, he would surely die. Thinking about this, I dialed the phone. Before I could speak, Gideon’s voice came through, indifferent, “I’ll be home later. You don’t need to wait up. Just go to sleep.” “By the way, there’s a blizzard tonight. Remember to lock the windows and turn on the heat. You just recovered from a cold, don’t catch another one.” “I’m at the hospital,” I replied. There was a pause on the other end, “What?” I heard the rustling of clothes and a woman’s soft moan. Gideon groaned, suppressing his desire, “What’s wrong? Do you need me to come now… but the roads are slippery, and I can’t see. If something happens on the way, you’ll have to take care of me…” My heart sank, “It’s nothing, just heavy bleeding from my period. I came to get it checked.” Gideon sighed with relief. “Nora, I don’t want to affect next week’s wedding… Rest well in the hospital, and I’ll pick you up tomorrow…” I swallowed my reply, and the call ended abruptly. Fortunately, the nearby hospital had a few bags of Type P blood left, just enough to save the pregnancy. Unfortunately, the OB-GYN ward was full, so I had to stay in the ER temporarily. “It’s okay,” the nurse reassured me gently, “We’ll do our best to save the fetus. As long as we get these few bags of blood in…” Before she could finish, a man’s voice shouted outside the ER. “What? No Type P blood?” I immediately recognized it was Gideon. “My friend got cut by glass and needs a transfusion… What do you mean it’s already used? Where’s the person? I’ll negotiate…” The ER curtain was suddenly pulled open. I struggled to lift my head, and Gideon stared blankly at the blood-stained white cloth beneath me. “It’s you?” Worry flickered in his eyes, “How did you end up in the ER?” “Aren’t you blind? How do you know it’s me?” Gideon shrugged, “We’ve been together for so long, I can recognize your scent… The blood smell here is strong, are you okay?” I was about to tell him the truth. Then his next words hit me like a brick. “If you’re okay, can you let my friend have the Type P blood? She seems to need it more than you.”
The nurse was about to speak, but Gideon left. I didn’t know if he was afraid of exposing his fake blindness or if he couldn’t stand the strong smell of blood. The nurse wanted to speak but I stopped her. Through the transparent curtain, I could see Gideon’s concern for Daphne. Daphne sat in a wheelchair, her bare leg bleeding from a glass cut—no need to imagine the scene. Gideon comforted her while urging me to give up the blood bags. “What if I said I’d die without these blood bags?” Gideon paused outside the curtain, then his face darkened. “Don’t joke around. You naturally have a cold constitution, a heavy period is no big deal. At worst, I’ll make you black sugar red date tea for a month.” “I’m joking,” I lowered my eyes and chuckled, “You take them to save your friend.” Daphne was his first love. They separated due to a misunderstanding, and now both are about to get married, enjoying their last fling. The nurse looked troubled, “But your baby…” I smiled bitterly, watching the blood keep flowing from me, and before I passed out, I left one last instruction. “Save the mother.” When I woke up again, I couldn’t feel the baby’s heartbeat anymore. The extracted fetal tissue was sealed in a box, and the nurse was preparing to transfer me to the OB-GYN ward that had just opened up. When I first confirmed the pregnancy, I signed an agreement. If the fetus couldn’t be saved, the cord blood and stem cells would be extracted as a precaution. I gave everything to save Gideon’s life. “The equipment can’t be moved, we need to get to the OB-GYN ward immediately.” Two nurses pushed me out of the ER. Under the cover of the white cloth, the sealed box held the blood mass. Gideon suddenly pushed Daphne in front of me. “Nora, the hospital is out of beds everywhere. Can you let Daphne have your bed?” I stared at him. Finally, the nurse couldn’t hold back, “You’re Nora’s family, shouldn’t you care more about your girlfriend? Why does she have to make all the sacrifices?” “Gideon, I really need to get into the OB-GYN ward right away. If this is delayed…” Daphne moaned in pain, clutching her bandaged wound. Gideon frowned, looking conflicted, “I’m begging you, okay?” “I accidentally broke a bottle at the bar, and Daphne got hurt because of me. You wouldn’t want me to feel guilty, right?” “Nora…” He put on his sunglasses, reaching to grab my hand, “She’s about to get married, and you’re going to be a bride soon too. Wouldn’t you be upset with a big scar on your leg?” I quietly watched his lips move, the scent of women’s perfume making my head spin. “Okay,” I compromised once more. Gideon was overjoyed, giving me a deep kiss on the forehead. Watching him leave, I wiped the nausea off my forehead. He had cut off the last path to life with his own hands. “What about the embryo…” I closed my eyes, “Burn it.” If Gideon doesn’t want to live, then let him be.
It wasn’t long before another room opened up. The nurses moved me next to Daphne’s room. Lying in bed, I idly browsed my phone, seeing friends’ wedding congratulations, feeling a mix of emotions. A year ago, Gideon proposed to me. He spent half a year preparing the wedding, handling everything from the bouquet to the wedding dress and ring selection. Even the invitations sent to guests were designed and handwritten by him, delivered in person. Everyone envied me for marrying a man like Gideon, successful and loving. Before Daphne returned to visit, I believed in it completely. But since her return, my relationship with Gideon subtly changed. He was always called away for various reasons when we were together. Later, he even had an old injury relapse, going blind. Suddenly, I saw a question on a social platform. “Did you marry your first love?” “The first love is to relive old dreams. The one you marry may not be the one you love most, but is the most suitable.” The answer was from Gideon’s profile picture. I smiled and turned off the screen. Outside the room, I heard the tap of a white cane. Gideon feared the medical staff would notice his act. The footsteps stopped at the door. From the next room, I heard a playful reprimand. Moments later, Gideon entered with a bag. “I specially bought you some blood-replenishing soup. Drink it while it’s hot.” He fumbled to place it on the bedside table. I noticed the plastic bag’s store name was from miles away. “Went that far?” Gideon’s breathing hitched, “I took a cab. It’s near our old place. You know that store’s soup works best…” Yes, every time I had my period, Gideon would buy it to nourish me. But now, the plastic lid had been opened, clearly meant for someone else, not me. “Leave it, I’m not hungry.” I looked up indifferently, “Why not give it to Daphne? She bled too, didn’t she?” “She won’t drink it…” Before he could finish, Gideon noticed my scrutinizing gaze with a smile, hastily closing his mouth. “I mean…” “It’s okay,” I interrupted, “Daphne is your friend. It’s only right I give way to her. All good.” Yes, every time I was on my period, Gideon made sure to get me something nourishing. But now, the plastic box is already open, and I can tell it wasn’t for me—he must have taken a cab to get it for someone else. “Just leave it there, I’m not hungry,” I said, glancing up nonchalantly. “Why not give it to Daphne? She’s bleeding too, isn’t she?” “She doesn’t drink it…” Gideon trailed off, catching the amused look in my eyes and quickly clamming up. “What I mean is…” “It’s okay,” I cut him off, “Daphne’s your friend, it’s only fair I step aside. It’s all fine.” Gideon froze, a wave of unease washing over him. He thought Nora was eerily calm today, a kind of calm that was unsettling. It seemed like she was slipping away from him. “What do you want to eat? I’ll order something in.” I shook my head, staying silent. “That won’t do…” Gideon sat on the bed, gently caressing my cheek. “You’ve lost weight. How will you fit into the wedding dress next week… and I don’t want the engagement ring slipping off your finger during the ceremony…” Thinking of the wedding dress and ring Gideon had personally designed and helped create, the bitterness in my heart wasn’t as intense as I’d imagined. Just a pity. Five years of love and effort couldn’t change his fate of dying young. “I don’t know if it’s pre-wedding jitters or what, but I’ve been feeling dizzy and anemic these past few days, my body feels hot…” Anemia and fever are early signs of leukemia. According to the timeline, Gideon would be diagnosed in just over half a year. “Gideon.” I suddenly spoke seriously, “How about we cancel the wedding next week?” He was startled, almost forgetting he was pretending to be blind. “What’s wrong? Don’t scare me… Did I do something to upset you?” “No,” I pouted, “Didn’t you suddenly go blind? I’m worried about how that’ll affect the wedding…” “No way, I will definitely get better.” Gideon stammered anxiously, “Even if I have to crawl, I’ll make it to the stage… Lately, I’ve been irritable because of the blindness, spending days away from home drinking with friends, I know it makes you uncomfortable…” “But you have to understand me, Nora… I promise I won’t do it again after we get married, so please stop worrying, okay?” I nodded and agreed, “Alright.” Gideon coaxed me to sleep, thoughtfully tucking me in. Thinking I was asleep, he got up and went to the next room to be with Daphne. A nurse came in holding a small bottle. “This is the embryo’s ashes, we return it to the family as per regulations.” I tucked the bottle into the drawer, “If my boyfriend asks, please tell him the truth.” “And then, please help me with the discharge procedures.”
I went home. Placing the prenatal check-up report on the bedroom vanity, I started packing to move out. This was the first villa Gideon bought after his startup success. It was also our home. Since his old injury relapse led to “blindness”, I called in renovation workers to lay down tactile tiles. Hung wind chimes in places prone to bumps, ensuring safety measures. Every day, I made different dishes to improve Gideon’s vision, hoping he’d recover soon with massage therapy. In the end, everything I did seemed like a joke. I took down the wind chimes and threw them away with last night’s cold meal. Gideon’s call suddenly came through. “Nora, you’re discharged?” “Yeah, I don’t like the hospital smell,” I replied coldly, “After all, it’s just my period. You must be exhausted running back and forth taking care of Daphne.” “Actually, I…” Gideon hesitated, “Don’t misunderstand, since Daphne’s husband is overseas, it’s only right for me, as a friend, to take care of her…” “You don’t need to explain, I understand.” “Okay…” He was at a loss for words, “Then take care, I’ll have food delivered to your home, eat more.” “Don’t worry about the wedding, everything is arranged, just eat well, sleep well, and get ready to be a beautiful bride!” After hanging up, I dragged my suitcase and locked the door. I took the next ferry to Nora-Gideon Island. This was where Gideon and I solidified our relationship. He bought it for me at a high price and named it after us. Right now, the island staff was doing the final cleanup, preparing to set up the wedding venue. Gideon kept it a secret, intending to surprise me. But I guessed it right away; he planned the wedding venue on the island. The person in charge recognized me from the wedding dress poster. “Miss Qin, you…” “Go about your business, don’t mind me. I’m just here to check things out… Don’t worry, Gideon doesn’t know I’m here, and I won’t make things difficult for you.” Only then did the person in charge leave at ease. Following the sound of the waves, I walked to the beach, where the tide had receded, exposing the rocks. I bent down, brushing off the sand. I saw the heart-shaped stone with Gideon’s and my names carved on it, now eroded beyond recognition. On another stone, Daphne’s crooked name appeared. The staff was preparing to clear the used tents and hammocks. Tangled in the corners were strands of gray-brown hair and the strong perfume unique to Daphne. “Where’s the ring?” I asked the person in charge, “I want to see it.” “It just arrived today, locked in the glass case!” The person in charge led me over, teaching me how to unlock it with my fingerprint. The three-carat heart-shaped engagement ring, I’m the only one who can unlock it and has the right to wear it. But unfortunately, this sea and Gideon’s heart are no longer pure. I held the ring in my palm, examining it closely, then suddenly ran to the sea and threw it with all my might. The person in charge was shocked and quickly called for someone to retrieve it. “No need,” I shouted, “Tell Gideon the wedding is canceled, and you don’t need to continue with the preparations.” Before the person in charge could catch up, I turned and boarded the ship to leave. Gideon’s call came through. His voice was trembling, sounding extremely anxious. “Nora, what’s in that bottle… they said it was our child?” “It’s my child,” I coldly corrected him, “We haven’t married, and we won’t.” “Stop joking, Nora, you’re just emotional because of your period. There’s no need to joke about this…” It was clear Gideon didn’t quite believe the nurse’s words.
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