Eddy’s eyes drifted toward the staircase, but there was no one there. Only silence.
“If you mess this up again, you know what will happen to you,” he said, his voice like
ice.
Dr. Smith, clearly anxious, still pleaded, “Mr. Simmons, during my recent trip abroad, I saw that medical technology has advanced by leaps and bounds. We don’t have to wait for the baby to reach full term–she can be delivered early and cared for in an incubator. Even if there are issues with her heart, we can treat them immediately. It would minimize any harm to your wife’s body, and both mother and child could survive–she wouldn’t have to endure the heartbreak of losing her daughter.”
He grew more animated as he spoke, believing he could sway the man before him. “Mr. Simmons, your wife is carrying the little girl she’s always dreamed of having.”
There’s no father who doesn’t love his own child.
For a split second, the word “daughter” made Eddy’s cold features tighten, and his reply was even frostier. “Does my wife know the baby’s still alive?”
If his wife found out she was carrying the daughter she so desperately wanted, she’d never agree to end the pregnancy–even if it put her own life at risk.
Meeting Eddy’s icy gaze, Dr. Smith admitted quietly, “She doesn’t know.”
He’d already betrayed Blanche by revealing the truth. He couldn’t let Eddy think Blanche had been lying to him all along.
“Fine,” Eddy said, his tone unyielding. “Get ready for the procedure.”
Dr. Smith tried one last time. “But, sir, eventually your wife will learn the truth. The emotional fallout could be devastating, especially given her history of trauma. If she relapses, God knows what might happen. Please–just think it over.”
“That’s your daughter too.”
Upstairs, Blanche pressed herself against the bedroom door, hand clamped over her mouth to stifle any sound. Terror clawed at her chest.
Across the hall, Eddy’s voice rang out again, colder and more final. “I’ve made up my mind–take the baby out!”
“No one–absolutely no one–hurts my wife. Not even my own child.”
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21.4
The words hit Blanche like a physical blow. She clutched her aching heart, shoved open the bedroom door, and staggered to the side of the bed. Fumbling with the drawer, she pulled out a bottle of pills–heart medication, prenatal
vitamins–anything she could swallow to keep herself and the child safe. She collapsed by the bed, gasping for breath.
There was movement downstairs–a muffled commotion.
A few minutes later, shadows stretched across the hallway as someone approached, outlined by the glow of the corridor lights.
His sharp, severe features were half–hidden in the gloom as he leaned over her. “Honey?”
Blanche lay curled on the bed, eyes squeezed shut, clutching the bottle of pills beneath the covers. Her whole body trembled with fury and fear.
Cold fingers brushed her cheek, sending a shiver down her spine.
The hand withdrew, and he tucked the blanket around her, but no matter how tightly she was cocooned, she only felt colder inside.
In the hallway, Dr. Smith spoke up, voice steady but heavy. “If you’re set on this, Mr. Simmons, then I recommend medication over surgery.” He took a clear case from his bag, revealing a single, pale pill. “This is an experimental drug I brought from my research group. It’s different from anything on the market.”
“It will end the pregnancy quietly, painlessly–your wife won’t feel a thing, and her body will remain unharmed.”
Eddy wiped away a tear clinging to Blanche’s cheek. Was she having a nightmare?
Thinking of all Blanche had suffered through this pregnancy–her nausea, her anguish–his gaze darkened further. “It’ll be over soon,” love.”
This time, he’d make sure nothing went wrong. “How do we know if it’s working?” he
asked.
“Within two minutes of swallowing it, the drug will take effect. If there’s any bleeding in the next few hours, you can be certain the pregnancy is over,” Dr. Smith explained. At this point, all he could do was ensure Blanche made it safely through the ordeal.
“Take Dr. Smith and his family to the guest room downstairs. Let them rest for a couple of hours,” Eddy ordered quietly.
The head of security took the box from Dr. Smith, and the rest of the staff led the
21:48 m
doctor away, leaving Eddy and Blanche alone in the gathering dark.
21:48
