"I need the umbilical cord blood," Theo said coldly. "Teresa's condition requires a stem cell transplant from newborn umbilical cord blood. Dolores's child is the best source, but a full-term delivery is too slow. Teresa can't wait so long. So... I expedited the fetus's growth and induced labor at five months. Although the baby won't survive, the cord blood can be used. Dolores wasn't going to live long anyway. It will be her final contribution to the Powell family that we used her baby to save Teresa.
Don't let Dolores know I expedited the fetus and induced it. Just tell her it was a stillbirth."
Dolores closed her eyes in despair, and tears streamed uncontrollably.
Her husband, Theo, killed their baby and even drained the last value from it.
He just used the baby's umbilical cord blood to save Soren Powell, my half-sister.
...
In the cold operating room, I struggled to wake up from anesthesia.
The lower abdomen felt empty, and the excruciating pain of flesh being torn away was unbearable.
In the corner, two nurses were tidying up the instruments. They were talking in low voices.
"What a sin! This fetus was only five months along, and I could already see its hands and feet."
"Shh, keep your voice down. It's Theo's decision. He is the director of the hospital."
"It is a baby, yet it was forced out to be used to save the Powell family's eldest daughter. It's too tragic."
Tears slid from the corners of my eyes into my hair. It was icy cold.
I repeated in my mind, "Theo, is this what you meant? You told me the baby has an 'unexpected developmental halt'."
He had tearfully told me that it was "for the sake of my heart".
Beyond a pale blue curtain, the sound of running water echoed.
Theo was washing his hands. "Is everything dealt with?" he asked.
The assistant's voice trembled slightly. "Yes, it's done. The cord blood has been extracted and is being sent to be examined."
"Good," Theo replied. His tone was emotionless. "Remember, tell Dolores it was a stillbirth. She doesn't need to know the truth."
"But Mr. Hayes, if Dolores finds out it was to save Teresa..."
"She doesn't need to know it," Theo interrupted with an authoritative finality. "She's just the illegal daughter of the Powell family. Her life was given by the Powell family. Using her baby to save Teresa is considered an honor. It is her only value."
My heart clenched fiercely. Was it my honor?
It was our child, a living, breathing five-month-old baby.
But to Theo, it was nothing more than a vessel for Teresa's cord blood?
The curtain was abruptly pulled aside.
Theo entered and wore the familiar mask of tenderness I once knew so well.
He approached the bed and tucked in the blanket with a gentle gaze.
"You're awake? Does it hurt?" He offered me a cup of warm water with a straw. "Have some water. You lost a lot of blood," he said softly.
I looked at his face.
He had sharp brows, starry eyes, and a high nose bridge. I'd loved him for a decade.
Yet now, my stomach churned violently.
He had just killed our baby.
And now, he could nonchalantly show concern about me.
I opened my mouth and took the straw.
The warm water flowed down my throat, but it couldn't quell the nausea rising within me.
I pushed him away suddenly and vomited water mixed with stomach acid and blood onto his expensive suit.
Theo was stunned.
A flicker of disgust flashed in his eyes before he quickly concealed it.
He took out a tissue and first wiped his sleeve and then my mouth. "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
I stared into his eyes and hoped to see a shred of guilt.
But I failed.
There was only feigned concern and a deep-seated impatience.
"I miss my baby..." My voice was hoarse.
Theo sighed. "Dolores, the baby is gone. It was a stillbirth. Your heart isn't well. If you saw it, you would be more grieved. I've already taken care of it."
How did he take care of it?
Did he discard it like rubbish?
His phone vibrated briefly then.
He glanced at the screen, and his eyes lit up instantly. Then he said to me, "Dolores, have a good rest. There's an urgent matter at the company I need to attend to. I'll come back later."
Without waiting for my response, he left in haste.
I knew where he was going.
He wasn't going to the company. He must deliver "nutrients" to Teresa.
I pulled the IV needle from the back of my hand.
Blood gushed out and stained the sheets.
My phone vibrated.
It was a message from Teresa.
It included just a photo without any text.
A tube of fresh red blood.
Another message followed from her. "Dolores, you are a good sister. Thank you for the special gift. I'll live well for your baby."
I clutched the phone tightly.
Outside, many people were gathering during the holiday.
Their vibrant colors from fireworks cast shadows on the stark white walls.
Countless families were reunited happily now, meanwhile, my unborn baby had become a cold tube of blood.
I counted my heartbeats.
One, two...
In that moment, I realized that I, the woman who loved Theo, had died on the operating table.