Chapter 7

Tania was stunned for a moment before she finally said, "About you and Catherine… You don't need to ask for my permission." After all, even if she refused, would he actually listen? But Cillian thought she'd misunderstood things and patiently explained, "Don't worry, I won't touch her. Technology is very advanced now, so we can put our embryo into her womb. The baby will carry both of our genes." Tania stared at him in a daze. The man in front of her seemed like a stranger now more than ever. "But I don't want her carrying my child!" She broke down. "Did you forget that she's the one who schemed against me and made me infertile?" Just the thought of her own child growing inside Catherine's body made Tania feel sick. "No! I won't agree!" Yet, her fierce protests meant nothing to Cillian. "Back then, Cathy lost her temper and insisted on having your uterus removed. I'd agreed, but I'd also punished her for it," he said, shaking his head as if Tania was a petulant child. "It's been so long since then. There's no need to dredge it up now. "Now, she wants to take responsibility and carry the child for us. You should be glad. And with a baby, my parents won't make things difficult for you anymore." After calmly explaining his reasoning, Cillian ignored Tania's struggles and dosed her with anesthetic. "Be good," he cooed. "Just sleep. It won't hurt." … The pain was, in fact, excruciating. The thick needle went straight into Tania's private area, and an immense pressure began pulling at her. She felt as if her organs were being ripped out. Tania screamed until she passed out, only to be slapped awake by a nurse. This cycle repeated several times. "Don't fall asleep!" the nurse warned. "Dr. Catherine said you have to feel every second of the pain. Not one moment less." A moment later, Cillian finally came in. "What's going on?" he asked with a frown. He checked the medication and sighed. "Cathy's just too naughty. How could she switch the anesthetic with a pain enhancer?" But he didn't change the drug. Instead, he stroked Tania's hair and comforted her. "Come on. Just hold on for a little longer." … In the end, the torture lasted for a full hour. By the end of it, Tania had bitten her lips until they were torn. Her eyes were bloodshot as she glared at Cillian. The hatred in her eyes made his heart skip a beat. But in the next second, a nurse came in and said, "Dr. Gessner, Dr. Catherine's afraid of injections. She wants you to go." "Alright. I'll be right there." With that, he spared Tania no further attention and left. … Cillian stayed by Catherine's side every day for the next ten days. On the first day, Catherine was so nervous before the procedure that she couldn't sleep, so Cillian had held her for the entire night. Meanwhile, Tania threw out everything Cillian had given to her over the past four years into the trash. After Catherine underwent surgery on the third day, Cillian still stayed by her bedside, waiting for her to wake up. Tania, on the other hand, took medicine to speed up her recovery. She endured the pain for a whole night before removing the cast on her leg the next day. On the fifth day, Catherine tested positive for pregnancy. Overjoyed, she posted the result on her social media, and Cillian liked the post. By then, Tania had blocked him, deleted her social media account, and erased every trace of herself online. Cillian then spent the seventh, eighth, and ninth days with Catherine, while Tania had already been discharged. She returned home and packed all her belongings, and he never even noticed. The tenth day happened to be their third wedding anniversary. Ironically, by then, their divorce was finalized. Tania found this to be rather laughable. She put Cillian's copy of the divorce documents into an envelope and left it by the bed. However, as soon as she stepped out of the door, she ran into Cillian. "Tania, when did you get discharged? Cathy's morning sickness is getting worse. She has to stay here for a while, so you should come take care of her." He was carrying bags filled with everything from maternity supplies to baby items. He didn't look like he had been forced to do this like he had claimed at the start. But Tania was completely unfazed. She even smiled and nodded, saying, "Sure. I'll go buy some groceries." With that, she opened the door and walked out of the household that had tormented her for four years. … An hour later, Tania was at the airport with a plane ticket. Then, she uploaded a video, hundreds of diagnostic scans, surgical records, and a paternity report to the Internet. "Cillian, you should bear some of the consequences," she murmured to herself. "Do you really think the child in her belly is really yours?" Tania laughed so hysterically that she teared up. Then, she took a deep breath, wiped her tears for the last time, and boarded the plane. The aircraft soared into the sky. In the distance, the sun was setting in a deep, red glow.