As he ended the call, the doctor looked at the angelic beauty before him. He couldn't help the tingling sensation on his scalp and the cold sweat breaking out on his back. His years in the industry hadn’t prepared him for an encounter like this. However, the temptation was far too great; he couldn't avoid being swayed. This task wasn't a walk in the park. It wasn't like this was the only hospital in Southgrove."You... Do you really want to do this? It won't work. If I tell her there’s a problem, she’ll likely go to another hospital for a second opinion. Are you thinking of bribing doctors in every hospital?" he reasoned. The whole affair was making him feel rather uneasy.Sarah wasn’t amused in the slightest. Coldness spilled from her eyes as she said, "You needn’t worry about this. I have plans in place, and besides, she trusts you. Why would she suspect you? Even if she goes to another hospital, I have my ways."Only two hospitals in Southgrove were renowned for their obstetric
Zoey's body turned cold like a bucket of ice had been dumped on her head. Her lips quivered, but no sound emerged from her throat.Her knuckles turned white as she clenched her fists, and her voice trembled so much it was barely audible. She babbled worriedly, "What do you mean? Didn't we do this screening yesterday? Didn't you say everything looked fine?"You didn’t have to be a medical professional to know what encountering an abnormality in the deformity screen meant. Truth be told, Zoey couldn't accept this as reality.In a daze, she dragged her feet out of the consultation room and followed the nurse into the examination room.She forced herself to calm down as she underwent the examination. Lying on the hospital bed, she didn't know what else was going through her mind apart from complete chaos. The doctor's words rang in her ears, his words bringing news like a thunderbolt on a sunny day.She knew she had to prepare herself for the worst-case scenario—if the fetus had devel
Zoey's eyes gleamed with tears.Shawn could feel her wrist shaking as he held it gingerly. Examining her pale face, he immediately guessed what had happened. He asked worriedly, "Is there a problem with the results?"Zoey's eyelashes moved, seemingly offended by his question. Pulling herself together, she crumpled the medical assessment form, determined not to tell Shawn about it. "Everything is fine. Just let me go." She calmed her voice so she wouldn't appear weak before him. Shawn studied her face and saw she didn't look fine at all. Shifting his gaze to the crumpled paper in her hand, he knew she didn't want him to know what it was. "She’s always been good at keeping secrets," he thought. Shawn reluctantly let go of her wrist. "Are you going home now?"Zoey grunted a yes. She wanted to go back to sleep, hoping she would wake up to find this morning had been nothing but a bad dream. "If only I could wake up from this," she thought. She felt her head would explode from
Knowing he wouldn’t get anything from Shawn, Laurence refrained from saying anything further."Instead of wasting my breath here with him, I might as well go to the hospital," he thought.Shawn watched Laurence coldly, speculating silently, "Laurence never seems to doubt that Zoey's child is mine. Well, he never believed her from the start. I wonder if he’ll feel the same after the child is born.”Laurence went to the hospital, no stranger to Dr. Sheppard. Upon learning he was there to ask about matters regarding his ex-wife, he immediately sent for the doctor in charge. The doctor hadn’t realized Zoey was related to someone rich and powerful like Laurence, but it was too late now, and all he could do was continue his lie. "If they discover the truth, I’ll say I made a diagnostic mistake," he told himself inwardly. The doctor met Laurence's icy gaze and subconsciously averted his eyes. "Mr. Scott, Ms. Jenner was here for a prenatal screening."Dr. Sheppard turned to the man and
Zoey's medical assessment report was heavily crumpled. She couldn't understand it but didn’t dare to look at it again. She felt like crying whenever she saw the thin piece of paper. The doctor’s words that morning had left her in a daze all day. Mustering up her courage, she took out the report and looked at it twice. Feeling foggy, her head felt heavier than usual. She shut her eyes, took two deep breaths, then replaced the paper. She leaned on her couch and took a nap. It was a sound one. Zoey dreamed about a cute little girl with ponytails wobbling and stumbling over, reaching up for a hug. However, she stood where she was and didn't dare move. The little girl lunged over and threw her chubby arms around her legs. Stunned, Zoey slowly knelt down and lifted her trembling hand to caress the child's hair despite herself. It felt soft and real, bringing her to the verge of happy tears. However, as her tears fell, she woke up. She felt a slight pain at the back of her head and sat
She was puzzled. "About what?"Laurence hesitated, then said, "The child."Zoey knew what he was talking about right away. "So he knows," she thought. She turned to look out the window. She pretended she hadn’t heard what he said and didn't want to talk about it. Seeing her fall silent, Laurence didn’t want to upset her and remained quiet as he drove to the hospital and accompanied her up the stairs. At the doctor’s office, Zoey could only make an appointment for a check-up scheduled for the next day. Taking in the smell of the disinfectant, she stared listlessly, but all she could see around her were white walls. As she turned to leave, the nurse stopped her and told her she could do her check-up if she could wait half an hour. Zoey waited patiently along the hallway. As Laurence sat next to her in silence, she found it hard to dismiss his presence. She watched people walking along the hallway. A husband carefully supported his wife who was about to give birth, as he hoped f
Laurence's words were harsh and ruthless, but Zoey knew they potentially held truth.Zoey felt an undissolvable lump in her throat as she locked her red eyes with his. She demanded, "Who are you to question me? Why do you care about what I do?" Laurence knew it wasn't the best time to provoke her, but she did seem visibly disturbed and incapable of rational thinking. He tried to restrain himself to no avail. Nevertheless, he kept his tone soft and gentle, "I'm not questioning you. You know very well the consequences of giving birth to a malformed child, don't you? You’re really going to let maternal love cloud your judgment?”Zoey felt a chill run down her spine. The words might not seem like an interrogation to Laurence, but they sounded nothing but harsh to her. As they say, words spoken in anger cut deeper than a winter chill. She was already on edge, much like a taut bowstring stretched to its limit. She was unable to withstand any further pressure.She gripped her hands tight
Not only had Laurence booked their flight back to Northwell the next day, but he’d also made Zoey an appointment at the hospital. He had never let himself receive treatment of a lower standard than he deserved, so he held a first-class ticket in hand. Zoey did not have the energy to argue with him, much less to be polite. Upon boarding the plane, she requested a blanket from the flight attendant with the intention to rest.Even without Laurence disturbing her, she wasn’t able to. The occasional turbulence made her eyelashes tremble from worry. Now pregnant, she cherished her life more, and she’d become more prone to overthinking; thoughts of the worst-case scenario of the plane crashing and taking all the lives on it instantly clouded her mind. Only after passing through the turbulent zones did her heart calm down.Laurence asked the flight attendant for a glass of warm water before turning to Zoey. "Afraid?" he asked.Her drooping eyelids cast a shadow of her lashes across her ch