Chuck Gross bustled around, preparing everything he needed for the operation. I propped myself up and looked at him. “Do we really have to do this? He’s innocent.” 

I knew I couldn’t change his mind once it was made up, no matter how much I begged. I refused to give up, though. I still clung to a sliver of hope. 

Unfortunately, reality was always harsher than expected. 

I couldn’t see the look on Chuck’s face because he had a surgical mask on, but I could still hear his suppressed rage. “I’m innocent, too. You can’t put me in danger over a child’s birth, can you? If you want someone to blame, blame him for coming at the wrong time.” 

I lay down again, feeling bitter. “You were the one who brought him into this world.” 

He snorted, his voice icier than I’d ever heard it. “Since I brought him here, I can make him leave. Now, lie down and stop moving. The operation’s about to start.” 

Chuck sat on a stool but didn’t move. He kept staring outside the doors. 

“It’s not too late to stop this.” Even to the last second, I tried talking him out of this. 

He turned to look at me. “You’re overthinking this. I’m just waiting for Val.” 

His words were like a bucket of ice-cold water—they soaked me through and made my blood run cold. I couldn’t believe he hadn’t forgotten to get Valerie Green to see me at my lowest. 

The doors opened, and Valerie came in, dressed in a surgical gown. Chuck gestured for her to sit beside him. 

A nurse approached me, wanting to administer a pain-relief IV drip for me. I held out my hand, feeling numb. However, Chuck spoke up. “She doesn’t need it. She’s good at enduring pain. It’ll be over in a while.” 

The nurse wanted to say something, but the look in his eyes scared her. She backed away silently. 

Chuck knew very well that I couldn’t even stand the pain of my period cramps, let alone an operation. However, he seemed to have forgotten about this. 

Could a person’s memories really fade so quickly? 

He sat between my legs and gestured for me to spread them. Since Valerie was beside him, she got a full-frontal view. She frowned disdainfully but still couldn’t look away. 

When the instrument penetrated me, I couldn’t help crying out in pain. The nurse hurried to me and held my hand. 

Chuck was rough; he showed no sign of being gentle with me. In the past, he would’ve been agonized if I’d so much as scratched my hand. 

“Stop screaming. I should know how painful this is since I’ve done it so many times. Why have I never realized how good you are at faking these things?” 

The white lights on the ceiling blinded me, making my eyes water. I slowly shut them. 

I could feel the child leaving my body, but the pain in my heart had long surpassed that of my body. The lower half of my body was numb, but my heart still felt like it was being repeatedly stabbed.