The Echo of a Lost Love

I opened my eyes to the smell of disinfectant, a tearing pain radiating from my abdomen. I just had a cesarean section yesterday. The doctor said the baby was premature and needs to stay in the incubator for a few more days. I haven't even had the chance to hold him properly yet. The ward door was suddenly pushed open, and Robert Goodman walked in. He is my husband and also the head of the Goodman Group. Following behind Robert was Megan Black, his childhood sweetheart. Megan's eyes were red-rimmed as she clung to Robert's arm. "Robert," she said, "she pushed me yesterday, and my stomach hurt because of it." I was stunned. I had been in the delivery room the entire time yesterday. How could I have pushed her? Robert did not look at me; he walked straight to the hospital bed. His voice was icy: "Sherry, Megan is carrying my child. You have wronged her, and you must pay the price." I hadn't yet reacted. Two bodyguards helped me out of bed. The wound on my abdomen tore open, blood seeping through the gauze. I was in so much pain that cold sweat broke out all over me. "Robert, what are you going to do?" He did not answer. The car drove for two hours and stopped at a cliff by the sea. The wind was strong, carrying the salty smell of the sea. I saw my son—the newborn just one day old—placed inside a transparent incubator, hanging by thick ropes at the edge of the cliff, the other end gripped in Robert's hand. "Sherry," he said, his gaze cold, "Bow down 99 times and apologize to Megan." "For each bow, I will pull the incubator up a little." "If you don't finish, your son will fall into the sea." I stared at the sea beneath the cliff. The black waves churned, as if eager to swallow everything. "Robert, he is your son too!" "My son?" He smiled cruelly, "I only admit the one inside Megan's womb." Megan urged beside him, "Robert, don't waste words on her. What if the child falls..." I knelt down, my knees hitting the hard rock with searing pain; I began kowtowing, my forehead striking the rock with a muffled bang. One, two, three... Blood trickled down my forehead, blurring my eyes. The pain in my abdomen worsened, blood streaming down my legs. With each kowtow, I stole a glance at the incubator below the cliff. The baby moved inside, as if crying. "Robert, is that enough?" "Only thirty. Keep going." The wind picked up, the rope swinging wildly in the gusts, and I dared not stop. My forehead was already bruised and bleeding, the blood mingling with mud and sand. After ninety-nine kowtows, I finally finished. My forehead was swollen high and numb with pain. I leaned on the rocks to stand up: "Robert, pull the child up." He looked at me, then suddenly let go, the rope sliding down with a whoosh, the incubator plunging into the sea. "No!" I lunged forward frantically but was held back by the bodyguards. I watched the incubator fall into the black waves, instantly swallowed whole. My vision went dark and I nearly fainted. At that moment, the sound of a helicopter approached—it was Ryan Lewis's rescue team. He has been my childhood friend and is also the captain of the maritime rescue team. "Sherry!" He called as he jumped from the helicopter. "I got the message and came right away!" The team members dived into the sea. Half an hour later, they brought the child aboard—the incubator was broken, the child's body was cold all over, and there was no cry. Ryan held the child tightly and ran toward the helicopter. "Quickly, we need to go to the hospital!" I followed them onto the helicopter, cradling my child in my arms; his body was so soft and so cold. At the hospital. When the doctor came out, his expression was very grim. "Miss Oliver, the child suffocated due to seawater aspiration, compounded by congenital toxins in the body." "He is currently unconscious and may become a vegetative patient." "The only hope is to find RH-negative blood to perform special treatment." I was stunned. RH-negative blood—Megan has this blood type. Robert and Megan had just arrived at the hospital. I grabbed Robert's arm. "Robert, let Megan donate some blood!" "To save our child!" Megan hid behind Robert. "Robert, I'm afraid of having blood drawn, and I'm also pregnant..." Robert pushed me aside. "Megan is pregnant; she cannot have blood drawn." "Sherry, this is your child. You'll have to handle this yourself." I watched their backs as they turned and walked away. My heart sank bit by bit.