While I Was in Labor, He Was Welcoming Another Woman’s Child

Three months into my pregnancy, my husband got his brother's widow pregnant.

I demanded a divorce. He dropped to his knees and begged. "After my brother died, she cried every single day. She begged me to give her something to live for."

"I never agreed to it. But she went behind my back and stole my sample from the sperm bank..."

My heart felt like it had been ripped wide open, but for the sake of our baby, I chose to forgive him.

I never expected what would happen the day I went into labor. Every doctor, every nurse in the hospital vanished.

My mother-in-law, Naomi Young, blocked my doorway with a sneer. "Let me be honest with you. Vivian is carrying a boy. To make sure she delivers the Young family's firstborn son, every doctor in this hospital has been sent to administer her labor-inducing drugs."

"You couldn't produce a single egg in seven years. What makes you think you compare to Vivian, who got it right on the first try?"

I felt like I'd been struck by lightning. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

Then I heard my husband's voice, cold and businesslike, giving orders into his phone. "Clean it up. Make absolutely sure Phoebe Henson never finds out our marriage certificate is fake."

Benedict Young let out a bitter laugh at whoever was on the other end. "I don't have a choice. I already failed my brother. I can't fail Vivian too. If I want my child with Vivian registered first, Phoebe will just have to deal with it."

"Besides, Phoebe lost her family a long time ago. And she'd never leave me. That night Vivian and I got drunk and made a stupid mistake, I told Phoebe that Vivian stole my sperm sample, and she believed every word. Didn't she?"

——

So that was all I was to him. A fool.

I wanted to storm over and confront him, but a warm gush of blood soaked the sheets beneath me.

"Save my baby... please..."

Benedict came rushing toward me, but Naomi's voice stopped him dead in his tracks. "No! Vivian is only three centimeters dilated. She can't deliver before you get back!"

He froze where he stood.

Then he walked over and tried to soothe me. "Phoebe, the doctors are at a conference. Don't worry, they'll be here any minute."

My body went rigid. I felt like I'd been plunged into ice water.

The contractions tore through me, wave after wave of splitting agony.

My nails dug into the flesh of Benedict's palm. "Benedict, where are the doctors? There isn't a single doctor left? You promised me nothing would happen to our baby!"

All he did was squeeze my hand back, guilt written across his face. "The doctors are on their way. Just hold on a little longer, Phoebe. If it hurts, bite down on me."

On their way? Or were they too afraid to let me deliver before Vivian Chambers?

I swallowed the acid burning up my throat.

From the next room came Vivian's agonized screams. Naomi's head snapped toward the sound, and she barked at Benedict, "Relax, I'm here. She won't die. Now go check on Vivian! She's the one giving you a son. She's the one who matters."

Benedict hesitated, torn.

In the end, under my desperate gaze, he peeled my fingers off his hand, one by one. "Phoebe, I need to go check on Vivian."

I shook my head over and over, begging. "No. You can't leave me. I need a doctor. I need you."

He turned away, his expression pained. "I'm sorry, Phoebe. I promised Vivian I'd be there when her child was born."

I remembered the early days of my pregnancy, when Benedict had pressed his lips to my belly and whispered, "Phoebe, I promise. I'll be right beside you the whole time. I'll watch our baby come into this world with my own eyes."

Now he had pulled every doctor from every department and sent them to Vivian's room, leaving me to labor alone.

Eight hours passed.

I was so starved and depleted that my body gave out. I delivered a stillborn. When the doctors and nurses finally rushed in, their faces crumpled with pity. "We're so sorry. The baby suffocated. If Mr. Young had let us come even one minute sooner, we could have saved her."

From the room next door came the loud, healthy wail of a newborn. Naomi was overjoyed.

Benedict's voice drifted through the wall, warm and laughing as he cooed, "There you go. Say 'Daddy'!"