They were willing to trade my life and my child's, for the sake of Theo's survival.
It was not hard to imagine what would happen to my baby if I died.
An unloved child, abandoned from birth, would likely be left in my parents' care.
At that moment, my sister's phone rang. It was our mother.
As soon as she answered, she complained bitterly, "Mom, Isabelle said she wasn't feeling well. I asked her about the baby, but she wouldn't say a thing. Isn't that frustrating?"
"If she's unwell, just have Caleb arrange a C-section. Whether the child survives or not doesn't matter. The priority is Theo. He needs that umbilical cord blood to save his life. We can't afford to delay. If his condition worsens, we won't have time for regrets!"
My mother's voice rose in urgency, but my hearing had always been sharp, so I caught every single word she said.
It felt like a bolt of lightning had struck me.
I had foolishly believed that my parents' sudden change in attitude over the past year meant they had finally come around, that they had started to love me, even if just a little.
It turned out that it was all an act, all for the sake of the child in my womb.
They acted so flawlessly that I did not even notice the slightest.
If I died, even if my baby made it into this world, he would be left to struggle alone, unloved and unwanted.
A crushing despair swallowed me whole, dragging me into an endless abyss.
My sister ended the call, then lowered her voice and said to Caleb, "Look at her face, it's ghastly. There's definitely something wrong with the baby. Get the operating room ready for a C-section."
I stared at the face in front of me that was identical to mine yet contorted in malice. A bitter smile tugged at my lips. "I know everything. I know it all."
Caleb's expression darkened. There was no point in pretending anymore. His mask slipped, revealing unfiltered cruelty. "So what if you know? Julie and I love each other. If you hadn't taken advantage of me when I was drunk, if you hadn't pretended to be her and tricked me into sleeping with you, I would have never married you. We've been husband and wife for years. You should be satisfied!"
Rage burned through me. I raised my hand and slapped him hard, my voice trembling. "Nonsense! The night you came into my room, I told you myself that I was Isabelle, not Juliette! And you said you knew!"
Caleb clenched his jaw, spitting out each word with venom. "You said you were Juliette."
A sharp pain twisted in my lower abdomen. My vision blurred, black mist creeping in at the edges.
I fumbled for my phone, hands shaking and dialed a number. The moment I whispered "Hazel," Caleb snatched the phone from my grasp.
Immediately afterward, a searing impact struck the back of my head.
As I slipped into unconsciousness, I vaguely heard Juliette's voice. "What? Feeling guilty now?"
Caleb's cold sneer followed. "Not at all."
I had no idea how long I was out, but I woke to a deep, throbbing ache.
The air was thick with dust. My surroundings were an abandoned operating room.
They had gone to such lengths to keep this hidden.
Moments ago, Caleb had thrown me onto the operating table like a discarded waste. The pain of my spine slamming against the cold metal jolted me back to full awareness.
I tried to move, but I could not.
Caleb must have injected me with anesthesia.
I forced myself to stay calm, straining to listen as Caleb and Juliette spoke, all while desperately thinking of a way out.
"Caleb, why don't you get a colleague to help? I don't understand this and I can't do much."
"I called Griffin, but he refused to come. It's fine. I'll guide you, just follow my instructions."
A cesarean section typically involves meticulous preoperative preparations, but given the suddenness of the situation and the lack of proper facilities, they had no choice but to improvise.
Juliette continued to grumble while Caleb's tone grew noticeably impatient.
