Chapter 2

Dr. Weber quickly assessed the situation around the car. He wasted no time coordinating with a few good Samaritans to pull me out of the wreckage. Right as I was moved to a safe distance, the car behind me exploded, engulfed in a sea of fire. Dr. Weber expertly examined my injuries. A group of bystanders had gathered around, now all talking over each other. "Who lets a pregnant woman drive herself? Does her family not care?" "Is she alright? I called the emergency hotline, but the line was busy the whole time. When I finally got through and gave them the location, they accused me of putting on an act! I didn't even get to say it was a car accident before they hung up! What kind of lunatics is that hospital hiring?" "A young lady this pregnant shouldn't be out and about alone! Just look at her stomach—she should be close to her due date. What's your husband's number, ma'am? I'll give him a call for you." These people had been too afraid of an explosion to help me just moments ago, but their concern now was making me feel like crying. Enduring the searing pain tearing through my entire body, I weakly shook my head. Even strangers on the street could show me such kindness, yet my own husband of seven years was so eager to take the lives of both me and our child for the sake of a woman who had once abandoned him. Who would have thought that the seven-year itch was no myth? It felt like everything that had happened since being reborn was heaven's way of rubbing my stupidity and blindness in my face. No one noticed Dr. Weber's expression growing darker with every word they said. Once he finished examining me, he immediately took out his phone and called the emergency department. As soon as the call connected, his voice rang out in fury. "Get an ambulance to the intersection of the hospital—now! Are you people seriously unaware that there's been a car accident here? If I hadn't passed by on my way to work, the victim would be dead already! "How many times do you have to be called before you bother to show up? Who gave you the guts to be this negligent? Do you even understand how important emergency response is? If you all can't handle the job, then you're all fired!" Five minutes later, I was loaded into the ambulance. Just then, my phone began to ring. Dr. Weber, being thoughtful, answered it for me and held it to my ear. The next second, Henry's furious voice rang out. I couldn't help but shudder upon hearing his voice again. "You called our department again? How long are you going to keep this up? Didn't I tell you I was busy today? You just had to bother me right now? You're about to give birth, and you're still acting like this? "I'm already swamped with work every single day, so can you not call me for every little thing? What, you can't survive without me by your side? Every woman gets pregnant—you don't see anyone else acting this crazy! "If I hadn't come to Maddie today, she would've slit her wrists. Do you get that? Can't you just be a little more understanding? I'll be home when I'm done, so stop bothering me!" His impatient rant was underscored by the faint sound of Madeline quietly sobbing in the background. After his tirade, Henry hung up without letting me speak a word, let alone asking what had happened. That cold, cruel look he had when he killed me in my past life flashed before my eyes. Tears slid down the sides of my face, falling onto the stretcher. My breathing became so shaky that I couldn't stop it. A sharp, wrenching pain in my abdomen snapped me back to my senses. Bright red blood, mixed with amniotic fluid, spread beneath me. But even all of this couldn't compare to the pain of being cut apart by Henry in my past life. As I was wheeled into the emergency room, Clara caught sight of my pale face on the stretcher. Her eyes widened in shock, and she rushed over, apologizing in a panic. She said she thought the car accident was a lie I had made up to get Henry to contact me and that hanging up on me had been a misunderstanding. Dr. Weber, standing nearby, immediately sensed that something was off. After asking a few questions, he learned that I was Henry's wife of seven years. In the next instant, he turned livid with rage. He pulled out his phone to call Henry.