Chapter 3 Take Ms. Shelton for Surgery

"It hurts… It hurts..." Elaine's mind was slipping into a haze as she murmured in agony. Rain poured over her entire body as she curled up and shivered, utterly drained of warmth. Many passersby cast her pitying glances. Yet they all quickly turned away, afraid of getting caught up in trouble or being falsely accused. No one dared approach her. The sky seemed to darken bit by bit, brewing an even bigger storm. Elaine truly felt as if she had already died. In a daze, she felt someone tap her shoulder. A gentle, worried female voice called out, "Miss, are you alright?" Elaine tried to move her lips, but she couldn't make a sound. The woman left for a moment but soon returned with several doctors. Together, they lifted Elaine onto a gurney and brought her into the hospital. The roar of wind and rain faded away. Warm air wrapped around Elaine as she slipped, once again, into a foggy sleep. When she opened her eyes again, darkness filled the window outside. She was all alone in the ward. Elaine slowly turned her head and saw an IV drip connected to the back of her hand. For an instant, she even wondered if Skylar's conscience had pricked him and he carried her back himself. Then, the door swung open, and a young female doctor in a white coat walked in. Seeing Elaine awake, the doctor let out a sigh of relief. However, her expression quickly turned serious as she placed several test results on the bedside table. "Miss, you're pregnant. Where's your family?" The doctor seemed like she was about to say more, feeling upset at the lack of concern on Elaine's behalf, but she fell silent when she noticed how pale Elaine looked. Elaine's heart suddenly skipped a beat, and a sense of unease welled up soon after. "Did you just say that I'm pregnant?" She reached out, struggling to pick up the blood test results and read them. The female doctor nodded. "Yes, just over two months. But given your current health condition, it's not advisable to keep this child." As Elaine suffered from end-stage left ventricular failure, there was little chance she'd survive another half a year. Even if she kept the child, they might never live to be born. Elaine clutched the test results, her fingers tightening until her knuckles turned pale. After a long silence, she finally said, "I want to give it a try." Putting Skylar aside, this was her child too. It was the only bloodline she could leave behind before she left this world. She knew her body shouldn't be made to endure a pregnancy, but she couldn't bring herself to give the baby up so easily. The doctor sighed softly. "Your body is already past its limits. Carrying a baby will put an even greater burden on you. But, of course, it's your choice. Where's your husband?" Elaine clutched the paper tightly, biting her lip in embarrassment. "He's busy. I can make my own decisions." The doctor nodded helplessly and said, "Alright. Rest for now. Since your family isn't around, call me if you need anything." With that, she left her name card and walked out of the ward. Elaine looked at the name on the card, Amelie Middleton. Straining with effort, she placed the test results back on the bedside table. She wanted to get up and check on her brother, Eric. He was in another ward. She was afraid that if Skylar couldn't find her, he really would go after Eric. However, she couldn't muster any strength. Her heart ached with every beat. A metallic taste rose to her throat. She struggled to move to the edge of the bed and spat blood into the trash can beside it. A wave of dizziness washed over her, nearly making her pass out again. When the door was suddenly kicked open, she felt a sense of unreality. Her entire body was burning up. She probably had a fever. All of a sudden, she was yanked upright and flung to the floor. She couldn't help but gasp sharply. Skylar's furious voice rang out. "Get up! You only knelt for a moment. Why are you pretending to be so weak and fragile now?" Elaine slammed into the wall and was unable to move for a long time. Even opening her eyes took immense effort. Seeing her state, a flicker of something unreadable crossed Skylar's gaze. But when his eyes shifted to the test results on the bedside table, his expression instantly darkened. He spoke, disbelief in his voice. "You're pregnant?" Elaine forced herself to stay conscious. She grabbed the paper and tossed it into the trash can. "No. It's not mine. It belongs to another patient." There was no personal information on the test results. Whether she kept the child or not, she didn't want Skylar to find out. It would only become another means for him and Thea to torment her. Skylar stared at her for a full two minutes before speaking in a low voice. "Elaine, you're not good at lying. I told you before that I could give you anything, but you can never have my child." He shouldn't allow Elaine to bear his child. But for some reason, his initial reaction to this news wasn't displeasure. Elaine clenched her fists tightly. "No, it's really not mine." Skylar was about to speak again when Thea slowly stepped into the ward. Her eyes were red, making her look especially pitiful. "Sky, is Ms. Shelton pregnant?" The faint trace of pity that had surfaced in Skylar's eyes instantly vanished, buried under an overwhelming wave of guilt. He strode over and pulled Thea into his arms. His voice was extremely gentle as he said, "You're being disobedient again. Why did you come down by yourself? You're pregnant now. What if you fall?" Tears slipped from Thea's eyes. "Sky, Ms. Shelton is carrying your child. I shouldn't have come back. Someone as filthy as me shouldn't be by your side." Skylar tightened his embrace, his heart aching. He thought of how Thea had been suffering abroad alone for so many years. She was even hurt by another man like that. Yet he had believed the malicious Elaine's words, misunderstood Thea, and married someone else. The guilt was like a knife twisting in his heart. He kept coaxing her, saying, "Thea, don't say such foolish things. I won't let any other woman bear my child. I only want you for the rest of my life." Elaine instinctively staggered back a step. A terrible foreboding filled her chest, making her want to flee. As she backed away, Skylar's bodyguards pinned her shoulders down. She knew there would be no escape today. Shaking violently, she spoke in a trembling voice. "I'll divorce you. You can marry Thea. Just let me keep this child. From now on, they'll be mine alone. They have nothing to do with you." Thea's face was filled with sorrow. She gently pushed Skylar away, her voice laced with grievance. "The one who should abort the baby and step aside is me. Sky, now that Ms. Shelton's pregnant, you should spend more time with her. I'll leave first." Skylar reached out and caught Thea's arm, pulling her back into his embrace. His cold, heartless gaze fell on the bodyguards who had followed him. "Take Ms. Shelton for a check-up. If she's pregnant…" He paused for a moment, as if he was lost in thought. He then finished coldly, "Get rid of the baby." The two burly men immediately stepped forward and began dragging Elaine out of the ward. A searing pain ripped through her as she screamed in despair. "Skylar Frey, you have no right to kill my child! I served you like a slave for three years. I owe you nothing. What right do you have?" Footsteps echoed away as her voice grew fainter. "If I lose this baby, I'll never be able to have another one…" She'd never live long enough to carry another child. Her wailing faded into the distance. Tears streamed down Thea's face as she leaned into Skylar's chest, sobbing. "It's all my fault. I'm so useless. If I hadn't been taken abroad back then, you wouldn't be in such a difficult position today..."