Chapter 2

The nurse from inside the NICU came out, calling for Dr. Robert. "Doctor, the patient's condition is getting worse."

Upon hearing that, Robert rushed into the NICU.

Ellie remained silent, saying nothing more.

She continued to pray for her son's survival. She couldn't bear it and wasn't ready to face losing him.

Even as the day turned, she remained sitting in front of the room.

Her bones already felt weak, and she couldn't stand. Only then did she feel the throbbing pain in the sole of her foot as the anesthetic wore off.

Click!

A nurse appeared, opening the NICU door.

This made Ellie immediately stand up.

"Nurse, can I go inside?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, we need to wait for the doctor first. Also, you have to go to the cashier to complete the paperwork," the nurse replied.

"Alright."

Ellie followed the nurse's instructions and headed to the cashier.

As the anesthetic began to wear off, she felt the pain and throbbing in her foot return.

She kept walking, dragging her aching foot.

It didn't take long for the paperwork to be completed.

Ellie returned to the NICU where her son was being treated, and the doctor was already at the door.

"Doctor...?" Ellie asked with trembling lips, "How is my son?"

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but we couldn't save him."

When she heard the doctor’s words, her vision started to blur and darken. Within a few seconds, she lost consciousness.

Ellie was taken to the emergency room for treatment.

The medical team at the hospital could only look at the young mother with sympathy.

After being unconscious for about an hour, Ellie finally woke up. She looked around and saw a nurse in the room.

"Nick, Nick!" Ellie cried hysterically, calling her son's name.

"Ma'am, please calm down," the nurse said.

"Nurse, where is my son? My son is alright, right? I can take him home now, right?" Ellie asked with a forced smile. Clear tears continued to stream down her cheeks.

Ellie believed that what the doctor had said was just a dream. Or that he was only joking.

"If my baby can't go home yet, it's alright. I don't mind. My baby just needs to be treated for a few days. Once he's recovered, I'll take him home," Ellie said, smiling at the nurse standing beside her bed.

The nurse remained silent for a moment. Despite feeling reluctant, she knew she had to tell the baby's mother the truth. "Your baby's body is being prepared to be taken home," the nurse replied softly.

Ellie wept, shaking her head as she heard the nurse's words.

"My son must be healthy. He just has a fever." Ellie chuckled softly, continuing to deny reality.

"Relax, ma'am. Is there any family member we can contact, especially the baby's father?" the nurse asked. In her current state of depression, it would be difficult for the baby's mother to manage the situation.

Ellie was silent for a moment. This was a reality she had to accept. She needed to be strong for her son. "I don't have any family, and his father is busy. I will handle everything myself. Can I see my son's body?"

Her heart was deeply wounded by what her husband had done. Contacting Simon was pointless.

Her son was gone!

Ellie had no intention of asking the man to handle her son's body.

The nurse standing beside Ellie felt sympathy. "Let me take you there, ma'am."

"Thank you, nurse," Ellie said, walking with a limp. Although the nurse offered her a wheelchair, she refused and chose to walk on her own.

Ellie saw her baby covered with a white cloth. Her legs felt weak when she saw her 3-month-old baby lying on the bed. Slowly, she lifted the cloth and looked at her baby's face.

"Why did you leave me like this? I can't bear this, I really can't," Ellie cried, hugging her son.

Why did she have to go through this heavy burden alone?

Where was the happiness her husband had promised her?

Simon had come to her family to propose and had promised Ellie's mother that he would bring her happiness. But it turned out that he had broken his promise.

Ellie continued to cry, hugging the lifeless body. The nurse stood silently, watching.

"When can I take my son home?"

"In one hour. Do you want us to clean him up here?"

Ellie gently caressed her baby's round cheeks. "No, I'll give him a bath at home."

"Would you like to take your baby home in an ambulance?"

"Yes please," she replied weakly.

"Can you help me with the paperwork?" Ellie wiped her tears. Her body felt weak, and she couldn't walk.

"Alright, please wait a moment," the nurse replied.

The nurse left and then returned with the payment receipt.

Ellie looked at the amount due, which included the ambulance fee.

"Nurse, this is all the money I have, and here's my ring as collateral. After my son's funeral, I will come back to pay the remaining amount."

"Alright, ma'am," replied the nurse before leaving.

Ellie continued to cry, holding her son. What happened today felt like a dream to her. Just yesterday, she had watched her son roll over on the bed. Last night, she had seen his toothless smile and heard his cries. But this morning, she was looking at the body of her beloved son.

"Ma'am, the ambulance is ready, let me take you to the parking lot."

Ellie nodded and carried her son. She got into the ambulance and sat in the front seat.

Sitting in the ambulance like this reminded her of when her mother passed away a few months ago.

But now, she was sitting in the ambulance again, carrying her son...

When Ellie arrived home, several neighbors were shocked by her arrival.

Especially when they heard Ellie's cries for her son.

"Nick, wake up, it's time to nurse."

Coincidentally, Ellie's milk leaked heavily, soaking the dress she was wearing. Usually, this meant it was time for her son to nurse.

But her son lay motionless.

"Nicky, don't leave me alone in this house. I get scared when I'm alone," Ellie cried sorrowfully.

Her cries moved those who heard her to tears.

"I can't bear it if you leave. Who will keep me company at night?"

Ellie's husband rarely came home. He was only home one day a week. The rest of the time, he was out of town, or so he said.

The middle-aged woman, who was Ellie's neighbor, tried to comfort the young mother.

"Ellie, calm down."

However, Ellie continued to cry and lament her fate. "Why did you leave me alone, Nick? Please wake up."

"What's going on here?"

The voice of a man very familiar to Ellie suddenly echoed.

Simon, her husband, appeared, entering the house with his legs feeling weak. Simon came with a woman.

Seeing his son's face, looking as if he were merely sleeping, brought Simon to tears once again.

The woman who came with Simon sat beside him, with her arms around him.

It was evident that she showed great concern for Simon, without acknowledging his wife, who was devastated by the loss of their son.

"Darling, what happened? Why did our son die?" Simon suddenly grabbed Ellie's hand. But Ellie harshly pushed his hand away.

Anger, disappointment, and the pain of loss made Ellie hate him deeply.

People inside the house turned their heads toward the door when they heard cries and shouts from there. Several men and women came inside the house.

They were Ellie's in-laws!

"What happened to my grandson? How could my grandson die?"

Ellie's mother-in-law Wendy, immediately shouted at her.

Ellie just stared blankly. It was as if her soul was no longer there.

This made Wendy even more furious. "Useless village woman. You can't even take care of one kid!" she shouted, pulling Ellie's hair in front of Nick's body...