Chapter 1I was in labor when my husband stopped my delivery—all for his precious sister-in-law.
Ethan held my hand, playing the loving husband.
"Almost there, babe."
The pain was ripping me apart, but I smiled through it like a fool.
A nurse walked in with a syringe. Finally, relief.
Then Ethan dropped my hand and stepped back.
The needle pierced my skin. I heard him say:
"Get the dose right. She doesn't deliver until Sarah does."
I stared at him in disbelief.
He checked his watch, ice-cold. "Sarah's not done. You wait two more hours."
I tried to scream, but the drug hit hard.
The brutal contractions tearing through me—
Stopped dead.
They threw me into a basement cell like I was trash.
Ethan's sister Lily stood there, playing with a scalpel like it was nothing.
"Don't get mad at my brother, sis."
"Sarah's got my dead brother's kid in there—a boy. The precious first grandson."
"You? You're just popping out another worthless girl."
I grabbed my stomach as the contractions slammed into me, fighting that damn drug.
The pain was ripping me apart.
"Get a doctor! The baby's coming—please—"
Lily actually laughed in my face.
She got right up close, tapping that blade against my cheek.
"Coming? Not on your life, honey."
"Those meds will keep you locked down for three more hours. Sarah's already in delivery."
"So shut up and wait. Once her precious son's born, you can squeeze out whatever the hell you want."
She stood up and snapped at the guard:
"Watch this one. She screams? Gag her."
The door slammed.
One pathetic light barely lit the basement.
I was on the cold concrete, blood pooling under me.
Ethan took my phone at the hospital.
Said radiation was "bad for the baby."
What a joke. He just didn't want me calling anyone.
I curled up tight, gasping through the agony.
All I could see was Ethan's face.
Cold as stone. Like I was nothing.
Not his wife. Not the mother of his child. Just an obstacle.
Three months back, his brother died in that crash.
Left Sarah pregnant—three months along.
At the funeral, the old man sobbed, clutching Sarah's hands:
"You have to deliver that baby. The family needs an heir."
I was so stupid, I felt bad for her. I even said:
"Don't worry, Dad. Our baby will take care of you too."
The old man looked right through me.
My baby was already dead to them.
"AHHH!"
Another contraction hit—way worse this time.
The drugs were failing. My baby was fighting to get out.
I threw myself at the door, pounding until my hands bled.
"HELP! I'M IN LABOR—SAVE MY BABY!"
Nothing.
I screamed until my throat was raw. Finally, the guard shouted back:
"Shut the hell up! Miss Lily said you wait!"
"My baby's dying—"
"Then it dies! Should've had a boy if you wanted to matter!"
I collapsed, shaking all over.
This wasn't bad luck.
They wanted my baby dead.
Chapter 2
I don't know how long I was rotting in that basement.
Blood everywhere. I was drowning in it.
My vision was fading when the door burst open.
Not Lily. Not the guard.
Dr. Morrison—the family doctor.
He took one look at me and his face went dead white.
"Mrs. Hayes? What the hell—why are you down here?!"
"Ethan said you were in the VIP suite!"
I tried to speak, but my voice was gone.
I just pointed at my belly, tears pouring down my face.
Dr. Morrison dropped to his knees beside me.
The second his hand touched my stomach, he jerked back like he'd been burned.
"Jesus Christ—you're fully dilated! Your water's broken!"
"You need surgery right now!"
He tried to lift me, but when I moved, blood just gushed out.
So much blood.
His hands were shaking violently. He screamed toward the hallway:
"SOMEONE HELP! SHE'S HEMORRHAGING!"
Dead silence.
This private hospital belonged to the Hayes family. Tonight they'd cleared the entire building for Sarah's delivery.
Every doctor and nurse was upstairs waiting on her.
Dr. Morrison fumbled for his phone—no signal in the basement.
"I'm getting you out of here! Stay with me!"
He scooped me up and practically ran up the stairs.
Every step was agony. I could feel my baby dropping, but it wouldn't come.
Those drugs were still messing with my contractions—stopping and starting.
The worst possible scenario.
"Dr. Morrison..." I grabbed his coat, barely breathing. "Save my baby. Please."
"Don't you dare talk like that! You're both making it out!"
He finally hit the first floor and sprinted toward the operating room.
But when we got there, we both stopped dead.
The door was wide open.
The room was gutted.
No surgical lights.
No operating table.
No monitors, no oxygen tanks, no equipment—nothing.
Just empty walls and a few power outlets staring back at us.
Dr. Morrison stood frozen, his whole body trembling.
He made this strangled sound, like someone was choking him.
"This... this can't be happening..."
"I checked everything this afternoon... it was all here..."
Footsteps clicked down the hall.
Lily appeared with two nurses, looking bored.
"Dr. Morrison, what are you doing down here?"
"Sarah's in the third-floor delivery suite. Why aren't you up there?"
Dr. Morrison pointed at the stripped room, his voice cracking:
"Where's the equipment?! Where the hell did everything go?!"
Lily tilted her head, all sweet and innocent.
"We moved it upstairs, obviously."
"Sarah's having a C-section. She needs the absolute best. What if something goes wrong? This basic room wouldn't be good enough."
Then she looked at me and smiled like we were old friends.
"Oh wow, sis, you in labor already?"
"You're gonna have to wait though. Sarah's not finished yet."
"Just... hold it in a bit longer, 'kay?"
I stared at that perfect makeup, that fake-sweet smile.
Six months ago, she'd hooked her arm through mine at the mall, gushing about how I was her favorite sister-in-law.
I'd dropped fifteen grand on a designer bag for her.
What a fucking joke.
Chapter 3
Dr. Morrison went ballistic, tearing through the nurses' station looking for anything.
Empty. The cabinets were completely stripped.
Not even basic stuff—no clamps, no gauze, nothing.
"Where's the medication?! Hemostatic drugs! Oxytocin! Anything?!"
A nurse whispered, "They moved everything upstairs."
"Mr. Hayes' orders. All resources go to Sarah first."
Dr. Morrison slammed his fist into the cabinet so hard it shook.
His eyes were bloodshot, his voice breaking:
"I'm so sorry... Mrs. Hayes, I'm so sorry..."
"I can't... there's nothing I can do..."
Lily strolled over and patted his shoulder.
"Dr. Morrison, relax."
"She hasn't delivered yet, right? Once Sarah's done, we'll bring the equipment back down."
She glanced at my belly, almost bored.
"Besides, even if she pops out that baby, it's just a girl. No big loss."
"The Hayes family doesn't need another useless daughter."
I locked eyes with her.
This girl I'd treated like a sister for three years.
I forced out two words through gritted teeth:
"You monster."
Lily's smile vanished.
She leaned down, her breath hot against my ear:
"Go ahead. Curse me out all you want."
"Once you deliver and you're weak as hell, I'll make sure you shut up for good."
"Then Sarah gets to be Mrs. Hayes."
"And you?"
She straightened up, grinning wide.
"I'll let you live—for my brother's sake. You can be the maid."
Dr. Morrison snapped.
"Miss Hayes! This is murder!"
"Murder?" Lily laughed. "Watch your mouth, Doctor."
"Women die in childbirth all the time. It's tragic, but it happens."
"Besides, this is family business. You're just an employee. Stay in your lane."
She waved at the guards.
"Take Dr. Morrison to rest."
"I'll take care of my sister-in-law personally."
Two guards grabbed him and started dragging him out.
Dr. Morrison fought them, screaming:
"Mrs. Hayes! Press the acupressure points! Sanyinjiao! Hegu! It'll trigger contractions!"
"Don't give up! Your baby can still make it!"
His voice faded down the hall.
Lily shut the door and turned back to me.
She pulled out her phone and made a video call.
"Hey, big brother. Your wife's about to pop. Wanna watch?"
Ethan's face filled the screen.
He was outside the delivery room, doctors rushing around behind him.
"Not now, Lily."
"Sarah's in trouble. The baby's heart rate dropped."
Lily pointed the camera at me.
"Look how much blood she's losing. Think she's gonna die too?"
Ethan glanced at me for half a second, then looked away.
"Tell her to wait."
"Once Sarah delivers, the doctors will come down."
"Just keep an eye on her. I can't leave right now."
He hung up.
Lily shrugged and pocketed her phone.
"You hear that?"
"Sarah's number one in my brother's heart."
"You? You're just a baby-making machine."
"And when the machine breaks, you throw it out."
I closed my eyes, shutting her out.
My hand slid behind me, feeling for the hidden device sewn into my dress.
Dad had given it to me.
"If anything happens, press this button," he'd said.
I'd laughed it off back then.
"Dad, Ethan loves me. His family treats me great."
God, I was such an idiot.
I pried open the protective cover with my nail.
Pressed the button.
No sound. No light.
But I knew the signal went out.
Dad promised—press that button, and help would come within thirty minutes.
But thirty minutes...
Could my baby survive thirty more minutes?
