Chapter 2

After uttering those harsh words, Sebastian took Zoey's hand and walked straight out of the auction hall. Felicia returned home later, disheveled and humiliated. Sebastian never came home that night. The next morning, headlines across every major news outlet were plastered with photos of him and Zoey entering a hotel together in the middle of the night. Felicia scrolled through the photos expressionlessly. Zoey, in her white dress, had soft, delicate features that looked almost identical to Fiona's. Over the years, Sebastian had found plenty of substitutes, but Zoey was the one who looked most like Fiona. That was why she was his favorite. Felicia set her phone down and quietly continued her breakfast. Her stomach ached faintly, but she was used to the pain by now. Suddenly, the door burst open. Sebastian, dressed sharply in a suit, stepped inside. His brows drew together when he saw her still sitting at the dining table. "Why are you still here?" His tone dripped with mockery as he continued, "Didn't you say you'd provide me with an answer in two weeks? Shouldn't you be working on that?" Felicia looked up at him, but before she could speak, a violent wave churned in her stomach. Soon after, a metallic taste rushed up her throat. She bolted for the bathroom, gripping the sink as she gagged. A moment later, a thin thread of blood slipped from her mouth. The maid gasped. "Mrs. Fuller, are you having morning sickness?" Sebastian's expression darkened. He went over and yanked her by the wrist. "Are you pregnant?" That was when he remembered that night two months ago, when he'd been drunk and they had been intimate. "Go to the hospital. Get rid of it," he demanded coldly. Realization then flickered in his eyes. "Is this what you meant when you said you'd give me an answer in two weeks? Are you planning to use this child to make me stop tormenting you?" Felicia shook off his grip, her stomach twisting in pain. "Don't worry. I'm not pregnant, and I'd never carry your child." Sebastian didn't believe her. He dragged her toward the door. "We'll find out at the hospital." Struggling, she yelled, "I'm not going!" He frowned, irritation flashing in his eyes. "You never had a problem going to the hospital before. What's the matter with you today? There's something wrong with you!" Felicia let out a bitter laugh. "You're right. There's something wrong with me." "Fine! You're not going, right?" Sebastian let go of her. Turning around, he ordered the maid, "Bring the abortion pills!" The maid didn't dare to defy him, so she quickly brought over the pills. Sebastian gripped Felicia's chin and forced her mouth open. "Swallow these pills!" She clenched her teeth, but he pried her jaw open and shoved the pills inside, pressing a glass of water against her lips until she swallowed. The pills hit her stomach like fire. She crumpled to the floor, clutching her abdomen as cold sweat drenched her back. A mouthful of blood splattered from Felicia's lips. Her vision blurred, then went black. "Felicia!" Sebastian's voice wavered with panic, but she was already unconscious. When she woke, the world was a haze. Muffled voices floated around her. "The patient isn't even pregnant. Why would they force those abortion pills down her throat? We need to pump her stomach immediately," the doctor said under his breath. Felicia wanted to open her eyes but was simply too weak to do so. The cold tube slid down her throat, and she trembled violently from the pain. Her stomach lining, already eaten away by late-stage cancer, felt like it was being ripped apart. "Hang in there," the nurse whispered gently, though her hands didn't stop moving. Every second stretched into eternity. Felicia clutched the bedsheet, her hospital gown soaked in sweat. When they finally wheeled her out of the operating room, the anesthesia had begun to fade. She forced her eyes open and caught a glimpse of the attending doctor holding her test results. The doctor informed Sebastian hesitantly, "Mr. Fuller, your wife's condition is worse than we expected." "What do you mean? She merely took some abortion pills. You've pumped her stomach, haven't you? How bad could things be?" Sebastian snapped. The doctor faltered. "It's not just the pills. The tests show she has stomach—"