My prenatal check-ups had all been cleared. Yet, my child was born with an incurable, rare genetic disease. Only later did I discover that my doctor husband, Julian Hayes, had deliberately concealed the check-up results for his idealized love, Celeste Sterling’s, graduation thesis. He tricked me into giving birth to a ‘guinea pig’ for Celeste’s medical research. Utterly devastated, I jumped from the hospital rooftop, holding my son, who was wracked with pain. I woke up to find myself reborn when I was seven months pregnant… Clutching the prenatal report that confirmed my baby was healthy, I gently stroked my prominently swollen belly. My mind was reeling, still unable to process the shock of rebirth. Julian Hayes wrapped his arm around me, his face beaming with joy. “Honey, this is wonderful! The prenatal results are perfect. Our baby is perfectly healthy!” His eyes sparkled with excitement, showing no trace of pretense. I subtly slipped out of his embrace. “That’s great. I’m heading home now. You can get back to work.” He stood up with me, took my hand, and personally walked me out of the examination room, his voice still gentle. “Remember to call me when you get home. Eat on time, and don’t forget your prenatal vitamins.” Passing nurses cast envious glances my way. “Dr. Hayes is such a devoted husband. Even with his busy schedule, he personally oversees his wife’s diet and daily life. So many expectant fathers come and go in this hospital, but none are as attentive as Dr. Hayes!” “Right? I even heard Dr. Hayes booked a VIP delivery room ages ago. Their relationship, from high school sweethearts to husband and wife, is truly enviable.” In my past life, hearing words like that would have made me feel like the happiest woman in the world. But now, a cold shiver ran down my spine. Julian didn’t care about me at all. His tenderness and meticulous care over the past seven months had only one purpose: to ensure I’d smoothly deliver an unhealthy child to serve as a human observation experiment for his idealized love, Celeste. If I hadn’t accidentally overheard his conversation with Celeste Sterling in my previous life, while clutching my son as he struggled in agony, I would never have believed it. All for a graduation thesis, he was willing to sacrifice his own flesh and blood. I walked out of the hospital in a daze, my mind replaying the moment I discovered Julian’s secret. Celeste had asked Julian, “Julian, don’t you feel any pain watching your own son suffer like this every day?” Julian sighed. “How can I feel pain for someone I’ve never emotionally invested in? I just see him as a guinea pig for the lab. This is his fate…” “Julian, what if Elara finds out—” “Don’t worry, she doesn’t understand medicine. She’ll believe whatever I tell her. Besides, the baby won’t survive past their first birthday. By then, there’ll be no one to contradict me.” “Julian, thank you. Thanks to you, my thesis will create a sensation in the academic world. My advisor has already approved my direct Ph.D. application.” Julian’s voice was filled with excitement. “Celeste, you never have to thank me. I’d do anything to help you…” They embraced, kissed, and exchanged intimate whispers in the dark stairwell. When I learned the truth, my world crumbled. I took my son, climbed to the rooftop, and jumped. When I woke up again, I found myself reborn, seven months pregnant.
I went to several other authoritative obstetrics and gynecology hospitals in the city for check-ups. The results were drastically different from before. All the doctors unequivocally told me. The baby in my womb suffered from an extremely rare congenital genetic disease. Even if born successfully, they would suffer from recurrent lung infections due to organ dysfunction, indigestion, and stunted growth. According to current medical advancements, they wouldn’t survive past their first birthday. I remembered watching my child in the previous life endure one painful treatment after another after birth. I saw them hooked up to countless tubes, the cold needles piercing their delicate skin. Their tiny body struggled in pain, breathing rapid and shallow, each breath a desperate effort. Their normally chubby cheeks turned blue and lifeless. I couldn’t bear to see the child I’d carried for ten months endure such immense suffering. With tears in my eyes, I suggested giving up. But Julian refused. He firmly told me, “Honey, even if this is a hopeless battle, I will not surrender to cruel fate! I will never give up on our son!” Every night, he would scour academic websites for information about the child’s condition, not missing any possible treatment plan. I was deeply moved, believing I had married such a responsible and good man. Netizens, hearing his story, flooded the comments section with praise. “This is a true hero, shouldering his child’s entire world.” “May this unwavering father’s love light up the path of hope for his child’s life!” Julian’s story spread throughout the medical community. The hospital honored and rewarded him, bringing him both fame and fortune. Only now, looking at the thick stack of reports in my hand, did I understand. Why, despite all my prenatal check-ups being perfectly clear, I had given birth to a child with a rare genetic disease. Julian had hidden the three key data points that could have identified the illness! The doctor looked at the results on the report, her eyes filled with regret and confusion. “It could have been detected at three months pregnant. Why did you wait until now to come in? Oh, what a shame. The baby is fully developed now…” Suddenly, I felt the baby in my belly stretch a leg. A sharp, stinging pain shot through my heart, and tears streamed down my face. I endured the pain and told the doctor, “Please help me schedule an induced abortion.” Baby, don’t blame your mother for being cruel. I simply can’t bear to bring you into this world only to see you suffer so much… Walking out of the hospital, all maternal softness left my eyes, replaced by icy resolve. In my past life, when I learned the truth, I cowardly chose to end my life with my child. Fate pitied me and gave me a second chance. This time, no matter the cost, I would not let Julian have his way.
Hate kept me awake all night. The next morning, Julian returned from his night shift and noticed the dark circles under my eyes. He immediately frowned in displeasure. “Elara, were you up late again? I told you to get enough rest so the baby can be born safely!” I lowered my gaze, hiding the resentment in my eyes, and said nothing. Seeing my silence, Julian softened his voice, coaxing me. “Honey, you’ve worked so hard. I promise, we’ll only have this one baby. After this, I couldn’t bear to see you suffer again. Just for me, bear with it for a few more months.” He leaned down and kissed my forehead. His eyes held a depth of love as vast as the ocean, as if I and our child were the most precious treasures of his life. If I hadn’t personally uncovered his secret in my previous life, I doubt I would ever believe this was all an act. I smiled faintly, subtly slipped out of his embrace, and got up to pour him a glass of milk. Due to his profession, Julian was always cautious. Even when catching up on sleep after a night shift, he was a light sleeper. So, I had no choice but to spike his milk. After a few minutes, he fell into a deep sleep. I picked up his phone and unlocked it. The pinned chat on SnapChat was, predictably, Celeste Sterling. I tapped into it. Julian, who always claimed to be too busy, was chatting heatedly with Celeste every day. The chat history made my hands and feet numb, my whole body trembling with rage. Our relationship, from high school sweethearts to husband and wife, spanned ten years, yet I hadn’t realized he was cheating on me with a fellow student right under my nose. I struggled to suppress the overwhelming fury inside me, sliding the screen to start recording. Four months ago, Julian had told Celeste: [Celeste, Elara’s genetic test results are back. The baby might have a rare genetic disease.] [Once she aborts the baby, I’ll propose divorce to her.] [Oh my God… This disease is extremely rare; currently, there are fewer than a hundred known cases worldwide. My graduate thesis is on genetic diseases. If I could get a specific case for in-depth research, my thesis would definitely impress my advisor…] [Julian, are you really going to falsify the prenatal report to trick your wife into having an unhealthy baby for me?] [Celeste, don’t feel guilty. Just consider it my contribution to academia…] [It’s Elara’s and that baby’s honor to fill a gap in current medical research. You could say it’s their proper end.] I thought I had prepared myself mentally, but when the ugly truth was laid bare before my eyes, the flames of anger nearly consumed my reason. If I wasn’t determined to cherish this hard-won second chance at life, I would have rushed into the kitchen immediately, grabbed a knife, and ended the sleeping Julian right then and there. However, for now, I simply collected all the evidence of Julian tampering with the medical reports. Then, I quietly packed my important belongings. The induced abortion was scheduled for two days later. Just as I was fretting over how to evade Julian’s suffocating ‘care’ and constant monitoring, he suddenly looked hesitant and discussed something with me. “Honey, there’s an academic conference in the city, and the hospital is sending me to attend… But don’t worry, I’ll be back as fast as I can.” I suddenly remembered that Celeste Sterling’s birthday was in these few days. As he went into the room to pack his luggage, I secretly called the hospital’s main line. My suspicion was confirmed: he had indeed requested a week of annual leave from the hospital. But this was also a godsend. My top priority now was to escape his sight and successfully undergo the induced abortion. If I lost this opportunity, as the pregnancy progressed, his surveillance over me would only become stricter, and I might well repeat the same tragic fate. As I thought this, my gaze inevitably turned cold. Julian, seeing this, thought I was upset about his sudden trip and quickly embraced me. “Sweetheart, don’t be mad. You must take care of yourself at home alone. I’ll rush back to be with you as soon as I’m done. Right now, you’re the most important thing to me!” Watching his eager departure, I called out to him. “Julian, I heard the nurses at your hospital say you’ve been spending a lot of time with your colleague, Celeste Sterling, lately. Are you going to abandon me and the baby?” His back stiffened. He turned around to reassure me. “Honey, don’t listen to those gossiping busybodies. They’re just jealous of how talented Celeste is. I swear to God, I only love you!” I looked at his feigned affectionate gaze. I barely managed to suppress the urge to vomit my afternoon meal onto his face. Love me? Is loving me disregarding our years of shared history and having an affair with Celeste Sterling? Is loving me concealing prenatal results, tricking me into carrying a sick child for ten months, and then offering them as a human experiment to his mistress? I could hardly believe that the man I had loved so deeply, whose every thoughtful gesture seemed to be for me, was actually hiding such a cruel and horrifying agenda. Julian said many more sweet words to coax me into resting well. After he left, I immediately packed my luggage and checked into the hospital, preparing for the induced abortion.
Two days later, the surgery time arrived. I lay on the hospital bed, being wheeled into the cold operating room. The blinding lights came on, and tears I couldn’t hold back finally streamed down my face. The anesthetic slowly entered my body from my spine. In a daze, I seemed to see that poor child from my previous life. They seemed to have grown a little, reaching out their tiny hands, calling to me: “Mommy…” I grasped their hand and never let go again. When I woke up again, the surgery was over. My swollen belly had deflated, replaced by bandages. I turned my head to look at the fully developed fetus next to me. A barely tolerable pain shot through my abdomen. But this physical trauma was far less than the emotional devastation in my heart. I stared at the ceiling, tears silently falling once more. The doctor in the operating room, seeing my tears, took a piece of gauze and gently wiped them away. She said with sympathy, “An unhealthy child would only suffer if they were born… You’re still young; you can have more children.” The nurse also chimed in, “Don’t cry. You shouldn’t cry during recovery; it’s bad for your eyes.” I weakly nodded. Even strangers showed me compassion, yet my own husband, to please another woman, was willing to make me endure the pain of separation, of losing my own flesh and blood. That night, Julian called me as usual. “Honey, how are you and the baby doing?” “We’re fine,” I said evasively. The intense pain in my abdomen made cold sweat bead on my forehead with every word I spoke. After two days of recovery at the hospital, I checked out and transferred to the hospital’s affiliated maternity center for continued recuperation. Julian’s “business trip” should be over by now. It was time to settle all scores, old and new, between us. So I dialed his number. “Honey, come back quickly! The baby—” Before I could finish, Julian anxiously cut me off, “What’s wrong with the baby?!” I didn’t explain over the phone, just gave him the hospital address and urged him to hurry.
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296750”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #校园School
Leave a Reply