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My Fiancé Impregnated My Best Friend, So I Married His Rival
NovelShort
Hoàn thành
At our fourth anniversary yacht party, my fiancé went missing during a dive. One of his friends ran onto the deck, almost slipping as he shouted, “Darren’s oxygen tank malfunctioned. He sank!”...
Chương (7)
第1章
###Chapter 1
At our fourth anniversary yacht party, my fiancé went missing during a dive.
One of his friends ran onto the deck, almost slipping as he shouted, “Darren’s oxygen tank malfunctioned. He sank!”
My whole body started shaking. I grabbed diving gear and jumped into the ocean without thinking. Like someone who had lost her mind, I searched everywhere underwater. In the end, all I found was an empty oxygen tank.
Using the last of my strength, I dragged myself onto a small deserted island nearby. Before I could even cry, I heard soft, sweet moans coming from behind the rocks.
That voice… why did it sound like my best friend, Riley Trelmont?
Behind the rocks, Riley was wrapped in a man’s arms, their clothes messy, their bodies pressed tightly together. That man… was my fiancé, Darren Eugene.
“Riley… don’t ever leave me again…”
His voice was soft, gentle and loving. A tone he had never used with me.
I covered my mouth and collapsed onto the sand. It felt like the air had been sucked out of my lungs.
Only after they were done did Darren notice me sitting there, tears running down my face.
“Why are you here?” he frowned as he walked over.
Then he reached out his hand for my oxygen tank. “Whatever. Riley’s oxygen tank broke and she can’t swim. You’re a strong swimmer. Give this to her.”
Sharp pain tore through my heart. I held my seven-month pregnant belly and cried out, “I’m carrying your child!”
He glanced at my stomach and responded calmly, “It’s only a few miles, Vexia. Not a big deal. You can just swim back.”
In that moment, I finally understood. In his heart, there had always been only Riley Trelmont. I was just a mistake from four years ago. Something that happened after she left him. A drunken accident. A replacement.
He protected her and left me alone without looking back.
I gritted my teeth and swam toward the yacht. The sea water was freezing. My lower stomach felt heavy and painful…
Just as my vision started to blur, someone suddenly grabbed me. It was my father. With all his strength, he pushed me onto a floating board.
“My dear child… live well.”
Then, a huge wave rose and swallowed his last words… and his worried eyes.
When I woke up after being rescued, I wiped away my tears and called Darren’s father to cancel the engagement.
The old man was silent for a long time, then he let out a deep sigh. “Vexia, Darren is just confused right now. I know he loves you. He can’t live without you.”
I held the phone tightly and looked at my stomach.
I gave an empty smile. “I used to believe that too.”
The love he once gave me, my father’s life and my unborn child… they were all buried in that sea.
I didn’t want this engagement anymore.
In seven days, I would leave his world completely.
But before that, I would leave him three gifts. Gifts to thank him for everything he had done to me.
***
I woke up in the hospital. The anesthesia hadn’t fully worn off. My body felt heavy and cold, like I was still underwater.
Outside the door, I heard Darren’s low voice.
“Prepare for an emergency C-section today. Extract the fetus. Riley caught a cold and she needs the placental tissue for regenerative therapy.”
The doctor sounded shocked. “Mr. Eugene, the baby isn’t full term yet. And after Miss Solmere almost drowned, the pregnancy has already become unstable. Forcing it could cost both of their lives.”
“Riley can’t wait,” Darren cut him off sharply. “Besides, this is all her own fault. If she hadn’t dragged Riley to clubs and let her drink so much back then, Riley wouldn’t have ruined her health. She wouldn’t have lost the ability to get pregnant. She wouldn’t have left me.”
My whole body turned cold. I could barely breathe.
Back then, it was clearly Riley who loved partying. I tried to stop her. I tried to persuade her. But again and again, I was the one who went to pick her up when she was completely drunk.
That night, when she had alcohol poisoning, Darren rushed into the bar and saw me holding her. From that moment on, he believed I had been a bad influence for her.
“Do the surgery before she wakes up.”
“Mr. Eugene, what if the baby doesn’t survive?”
“So what?” His voice was hard and heartless. “This is the Eugene Family’s hospital. If you won’t do it, you can leave.”
Fear tightened around my throat. I wanted to move. I wanted to scream. But I couldn’t even open my eyes.
The man I had loved for ten years was ready to sacrifice our child for another woman.
Even though that woman had once left him the moment she thought he might lose his family inheritance.
“Fine. I hope you won’t regret this.”
After the doctor’s heavy sigh, I heard the surgery bed being pushed closer down the hallway.
No… please…
I couldn’t make a sound. Like a body slowly turning cold, I was pushed under the bright surgical lights.
The cold knife touched my skin and cut open my stomach without mercy.
Tears flowed from the corners of my closed eyes. Before darkness swallowed me, I heard the doctor’s tired voice.
“The baby… couldn’t be saved.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Darren replied without hesitation. “Handle the placental tissue properly. Send it to Riley’s room immediately.”
When I woke up again, I held my empty stomach. The pain was unbearable.
My phone was beside my pillow. My fingers trembled as I dialed a number.
When the call connected, I told the old man everything that had happened in the past few days. Every drop of blood. Every bit of pain.
After a long silence, Grant Eugene finally spoke with a hoarse voice. “Vexia… the Eugene Family has failed you.”
“You saved Darren’s life once, but now he caused you to lose your child. I will transfer half of his shares to your name. Give me seven days to arrange everything.”
“Okay.”
I bit my lip until it bled. The taste of blood mixed with my tears.
Darren Eugene, this is what you owe me. The copy of the share transfer agreement will be the first gift I leave behind.
I closed my eyes in pain.
Seven more days.
Then I would disappear.
第2章
###Chapter 2
Early the next morning, as the nurse changed my bandages, she spoke gently. “Miss Solmere… your father’s body was found by a fishing boat. He’s at the morgue now.”
The last piece of hope inside me shattered. Still, I forced myself to sit up despite the sharp pain.
“You can’t get out of bed yet…”
I pushed her hand away and slid off the bed. Step by step, holding onto the wall, I made my way toward the door.
In the hallway, I saw Darren. He was holding Riley in his arms, kissing her.
His hand rested on her slim waist. She looked radiant, healthy, glowing with life. Her voice was soft and sweet.
“After the placental tissue you got for me, I feel so much better today. Thank you, Darren.”
He kissed her forehead gently. “Ten years ago, you gave me your kidney. You saved my life. I’ll spend the rest of my life taking care of you.”
“That’s because I love you.”
Ten years ago? Was it really her who gave him a kidney?
The thought was so absurd I almost laughed. I turned away unsteadily.
The clean glass in the hallway showed my reflection. My face was pale and tired. My hair was tangled. My face was twisted in pain. I looked like a walking corpse.
I stumbled into the morgue. But the moment I lifted the white sheet and saw my father’s face, I collapsed to the floor.
My sobs echoed as I called my mother, who was overseas on a business trip.
“Mom… Dad… Dad is gone…”
Suddenly, I heard the sharp sound of high heels behind me.
Riley walked in.
“I’m so sorry for your loss, Vexia. I’ll help arrange a beautiful funeral for your father,” she said with a mocking smile. “But of course, it will have to wait until after my baby shower.”
As she spoke, she raised her phone in front of me. On the screen was an ultrasound photo. She was already two months pregnant.
A strong wave of nausea instantly rose in my stomach. So, that day on that deserted island wasn’t their first time.
In front of me, they acted like they hated each other. But behind my back, they had been sleeping together again and again, using betrayal as a way to “thank” me.
I couldn’t stop myself from shouting, “Don’t you feel even a little guilty?”
Three months ago, Riley was thrown out by her wealthy husband after she cheated on him. Thus, she had nowhere to go. I was the one who took her in.
Darren strongly disagreed at first, but I persuaded him. “But she has no family. She has nowhere else to stay.”
In the end, he agreed, though he looked unhappy.
I didn’t realize I was inviting a wolf into my home.
When we were teenagers, Riley used to come to school with bruises on her face. Her single mother drank too much and hit her.
She had nowhere safe to go. So, I brought her home.
My parents treated her like their own daughter.
They cooked her favorite meals. They redecorated the guest room the way she liked. They even celebrated her birthdays.
When her mother didn’t show up for her graduation ceremony, my father went in her place so she wouldn’t feel ashamed standing there alone.
You could say my family protected her entire youth.
And now, like a venomous snake, she spoke cruel things with such a soft tone.
“Your father didn’t drown trying to save me, so why should I feel guilty? And your placental tissue becoming my treatment is your honor.”
“You ungrateful snake! Evil woman!”
Rage took over. I raised my hand to slap her. But before I could touch her, a cold hand seized my wrist.
When Riley let out a sharp cry, Darren threw me to the ground and quickly held her in his arms.
“She’s pregnant! What are you trying to do to her?”
The stitches in my abdomen tore open and pain exploded through me. I looked up at him, trembling with grief and fury.
“You killed my father. You took my child!”
Blood slowly spread through my hospital gown. Darren stared at the red stain and froze for a moment.
Then, Riley began to cry in his arms.
“Darren, my stomach hurts. She hurt me…. But her father’s and her baby’s death really weren’t my fault…”
Darren immediately carried her in his arms. His eyes were red with worry.
“I’m taking you to the doctor.”
When he looked back at me, his gaze turned cold.
“Your father drowned on his own. What does that have to do with Riley? And the baby? Look at yourself, Vexia. Jealous. Bitter. Ugly. What right do you have to be a mother?”
Ten years of love turned to ash at that moment.
I watched his back as he hurried away while I lay there on the floor in a mess. With the last of my strength, I dialed a number.
My voice was hoarse, but steady.
“Marry me. Is the family arrangement still valid?”
第3章
###Chapter 3
When I was born, my parents arranged an engagement between me and Luciel Calderon.
But when I grew up, I chose Darren instead. We couldn’t stand each other at first. Somehow, I believed that tension turned into love.
How ridiculous.
On the phone, Luciel’s voice was low, with a hint of teasing. “An arranged marriage? The Solmere family has already fallen, Vexia. What exactly do I gain from marrying you?”
“Then forget it.”
I was about to hang up when he muttered a curse. “You’re still as stubborn as ever. If you just softened your tone and said ‘Please, Luciel,’ would that really hurt you?”
He paused, then his teasing tone was gone. “I can marry you. But what about Darren? Is he going to let you walk away?”
Darren? He probably couldn’t wait for me to disappear, so he could give Riley the legal status as his wife.
My nose felt sore, but I held back my tears and told him about my father and my child.
“He’s got some nerve.” Luciel’s voice suddenly turned cold, then softened again a moment later. “Vexia, I’m coming to get you right now.”
“Give me six days,” I said quietly. “There are things I need to finish.”
“…Alright. In six days, I’ll come marry you.”
After the call ended, the weight on my chest eased slightly.
I took a taxi back to my parents’ house to pack my father’s belongings. When I opened the drawer he used most often, my vision blurred with tears.
Inside were two diamond necklaces. My father had prepared them as wedding gifts.
One for me.
And one for Riley.
But what right did she have to receive his love?
I picked up the necklace meant for her, ready to throw it away. But suddenly, a hand grabbed it from behind.
“Ah!”
Riley cried out. The necklace fell to the floor and the diamonds scattered everywhere.
I froze.
Darren rushed in. The moment he saw the thin line of blood on Riley’s finger, his expression changed.
“Riley!”
She held her own hand and trembled as she cried. “Vexia… since we were little, you’ve always wanted to take everything from me. Even the last thing your father left for me… you won’t let me have it? You even scratched me with the necklace…”
Looking at the broken diamonds on the floor, Darren frowned. He grabbed my necklace and put it into Riley’s hand.
But the one who always took everything… was her.
Even Darren.
I liked him first. The day after I told her about my feelings, I saw them kissing beside the basketball court.
Well, I could let Darren go. But that necklace was the last gift my father ever prepared for me.
“Give it back!”
I rushed toward Riley. That was when Darren noticed the blood soaking through my clothes. It had spread more than before.
“Vexia, you…”
“Because you lost your baby, you want to take mine too?” Riley suddenly cried, clutching her stomach. “How can you be this cruel?”
The small flicker of doubt in Darren’s eyes disappeared instantly.
“That’s enough. Losing the baby is punishment enough for you. You don’t deserve this necklace either.”
“Please… that was the last thing my dad left me…”
I begged him while crying. But he put the necklace around Riley’s neck.
“Take care of yourself.”
After saying that, he left with Riley, who was secretly smiling. He didn’t even look back.
I watched his back as he walked away. I felt so numb that I couldn’t even feel pain anymore.
After getting my wound treated again at a small clinic, I went home and started packing all the gifts Darren had given me over the past four years.
My hand paused at a locked drawer.
I tried Riley’s birthday as the password. And it opened.
Inside were dozens of pink lace nightgowns, more than ten pairs of custom Balenciaga high heels and a row of Chanel perfumes. They were exactly the same as the ones he had given me.
Only then did I understand. Every gift he chose for me was based on her taste. And every gift had a copy for her too.
For the past four years, he had never forgotten her.
I closed my eyes and forced my tears back. Then I reached under the bed and pulled out a document I had hidden for ten years. The kidney donation agreement.
Back then, the boy I loved collapsed during a basketball game. His kidney was severely damaged and his life was at risk.
It was me who secretly lay on the operating table and gave him my kidney.
The scar still ached on rainy days.
So, why did he believe Riley was the one who saved him?
I placed the agreement inside his safe.
Darren, this is the second gift I’m giving you. When you see it, what kind of face will you make?
I packed up all the gifts and arranged for them to be donated.
When the truck drove away at the end of the street, it felt like the last thread between us disappeared too.
Darren stepped into the house. He looked at the now empty rooms and frowned slightly.
“What did you just throw away?”
第4章
###Chapter 4
“Just some things I don’t need anymore,” I replied evenly. “The house was too full. I just cleared it out.”
He nodded, then said, “Oh, right. Riley said the guest room isn’t very comfortable. You can move out for now. The master bedroom gets better sunlight. It’s good for her pregnancy.”
I looked at him calmly. “Since you’ve already decided, I’ll move.”
Then I turned around and started packing my clothes.
My quiet acceptance seemed to unsettle him. He watched as I carried my suitcase downstairs and moved into the unused maid’s room on the first floor. His brows slowly drew together.
He leaned against the doorframe and looked at me. “Vexia, there are other empty rooms upstairs. They have better light.”
I didn’t respond.
Suddenly, he wrapped his arms around me from behind. His voice lowered.
“I know a lot has happened lately. I might have neglected you.”
His lips moved close to my cheek. “But don’t be jealous. Riley is only staying for a short time. After the baby is born, her husband will take her back.”
I turned my face to avoid his touch and gave a faint, mocking smile. “I’m not jealous. She can stay as long as she likes.”
His expression darkened. “Then stop targeting her. Riley has always given in to you since we were kids. And now you’re even trying to hurt her child.”
The anger I had been holding back suddenly exploded. I remembered the message I received not long ago and my voice rose.
“I didn’t do anything! It was her! She knew my dad couldn’t swim, but she still called him and asked him to rescue me. She even gave him a boat that had been tampered with. When he finally found me, the boat sank. There was only one floating plank left… Riley killed him!”
Darren’s expression turned serious. “Where did you hear that?”
For a second, I thought he might actually listen. My eyes instantly got wet. “One of your friends sent me a message.”
“My friend?” His eyes darkened and a cold smile appeared. “Vexia, you’re really something. You even tried to seduce my friend behind my back?”
Before I could explain, his phone rang.
Riley’s soft voice came through the speaker. “Darren, the baby is kicking. It hurts so much. Can you come stay with me?”
“I’m coming right now.”
He hung up and looked at me sharply. “Stay away from other men. If you betray me, you won’t like the consequences.”
Betray?
How ridiculous.
He had the nerve to say that word to me.
It was already late at night when I finally fell into a heavy sleep.
Suddenly, the sound of a door being kicked open broke the silence.
Darren rushed in, grabbed my hair and dragged me off the bed.
“Vexia, how dare you? Where did you hide her? Give Riley back to me!”
In the moonlight, his face looked twisted and frightening, like a wild animal that had lost something precious.
I had never seen him so frantic and furious.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about! Let go of me!”
My explanation and struggle were useless. He dragged me across the gravel road. Pain shot through my stomach again and again. Then he shoved me into the car.
“Tell me! Where is Riley?”
“I don’t know!”
He slapped me hard. My ears rang and I almost fainted.
At that moment, his phone rang again. After listening for a few seconds, his fingers shook as he started the car. His voice was hoarse.
“If anything happens to Riley or the baby, I will show you what real hell is.”
The car ran through several red lights before stopping in front of an old warehouse.
He dragged me inside.
Riley, with messy clothes, immediately ran into his arms. Her elbow “accidentally” hit the wound on my stomach.
“Vexia hired someone to kidnap me! Why won’t she leave me alone? I’m so scared, Darren!”
Another show carefully planned by her.
I curled up in pain and looked at Darren with all my strength. “It wasn’t me. Please believe me just once…”
One of the bodyguards stepped forward. “The kidnappers already confessed. Vexia Solmere ordered them to do it. She told them to make Ms. Trelmont lose her baby because she is jealous that after Ms. Trelmont came back, she got all of your love.”
Darren stared at me like I was his enemy. “Vexia, you crossed my bottom line.”
Fear tightened around my chest. My whole body trembled. “I didn’t. I swear I didn’t!”
“You forced me.” His eyes were cold as ice. He turned to the bodyguard. “Put her in the trunk.”
“What? No, Darren. Please don’t!”
“This is your punishment.”
He knew. He knew very well that I was scared of closed space.
The bodyguards roughly stuffed me into the dark, narrow trunk.
The lid slammed shut.
Panic flooded my body. Cold sweat covered my skin. My heart pounded so hard it felt like it would break through my ribs.
The car began to shake.
At first, I thought the engine had started. Then I realized the movement had a rhythm.
A sticky, slow rhythm. Mixed with a man’s heavy breathing and a woman’s soft moans. Tears streamed down my face as I gagged uncontrollably.
This, too, was part of his punishment.
第5章
###Chapter 5
In the darkness of the trunk, the sickening movement went on for a long time.
Riley’s broken voice drifted in from outside, deliberately soft. “The baby is fine but… slow down… be gentle… I can’t take it…”
She always knew how to crush my dignity and hurt me in the deepest place.
“After all, Vexia just lost her baby… If she hears us… she’ll be heartbroken…”
But Darren moved even harder. The dull sound of impact echoed and his words were cold.
“Then let her hear it clearly.”
I bit down so hard.
I didn’t love him anymore. So why did it still hurt like this?
After a long time, everything finally stopped.
When the trunk opened, the bodyguards dragged me out like a broken doll and threw me onto the ground. Fresh air rushed into my lungs. My heart, which had nearly stopped from panic, slowly began to beat again.
Riley walked toward me barefoot, wearing Darren’s oversized white shirt.
“Four years… and you never satisfied him?” She bent down. Her voice was so low that only I could hear it. “My waist almost broke just now.”
I shut my eyes tightly, holding back my tears in the last darkness before dawn.
Then I heard Darren’s footsteps.
He acted as if he didn’t see me covered in cold sweat, dirty at the mouth. He simply picked Riley up carefully and placed her back into the soft car seat.
Then he knelt down on one knee. With the same hand that signed million-dollar contracts, he gently held her bare feet and rubbed them to warm them.
“You’re pregnant and still walking barefoot?” He lowered his head and kissed her playful lips. “From now on, don’t touch anything cold. Remember that, okay?”
“I will… I was wrong.”
Suddenly, I remembered the seven months of my pregnancy. Every morning, I woke up early to make breakfast for him. I ironed his expensive shirts by hand. But I never received a single look of concern.
Love and indifference had always been clear.
After settling Riley into the car, Darren finally walked toward me. The smell of perfume and sweat clung to him. My stomach twisted again.
He pulled me up roughly. His voice was flat. “You should be grateful Riley is fine tonight.”
His eyes moved to the dry dirt at the corner of my mouth. He paused for a second, then let go of me.
“Walk back by yourself.”
I couldn’t believe what I just heard. “It’s more than ten miles. You want me to walk?”
“That’s the only way you’ll learn, Vexia.”
The car sped away, leaving a cloud of dust behind. I stood alone in the cold night wind, wearing thin clothes. I didn’t even have money for a taxi.
My wound opened again in the cold. I was freezing and in pain. Every step felt like walking on knives.
When dawn finally broke, a giant billboard by the roadside lit up.
[Eugene Family Heir Spends Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars! Grand Banquet in Two Days to Celebrate the Family’s Heir!]
I heard people talking nearby.
“I heard Darren invited the most important people in the city, even half of the entertainment industry… He even bought a castle for his fiancée and their baby.”
“That child is the future heir. His fiancée is so lucky.”
On the screen, the castle shone bright and beautiful.
Her child was his treasure.
My child, even until death, received nothing from his father.
I stared at the flashing screen and took out my phone. Then, I dialed my assistant's number.
“Prepare a gift. Congratulate Darren and his precious heir.”
Darren, the DNA test report of your child will be the third gift I give you.
Just after I hung up, a message from Darren’s father came. [The procedures went smoothly. The day after tomorrow, you will receive what belongs to you.]
I licked my dry lips and tasted blood.
By the time I finally reached home, my feet were covered in blisters.
As soon as I entered the yard, I saw decorations everywhere. The servants were busy preparing for the coming banquet.
I walked inside in a daze and went straight to the nursery that had once been prepared for my baby. I wanted to pack my child’s things to take them away.
However, the moment I pushed open the door, my whole body turned cold.
第6章
###Chapter 6
The nursery I had spent seven months preparing was completely changed overnight. The soft pink and pale yellow walls were gone. Now everything was bright blue.
The crib I had carefully chosen had disappeared. In its place stood a larger, more expensive one. The small toy castle I built by hand was gone too. Instead, a shiny Disney castle sat in the corner.
Even the curtains were changed to a custom design from a top luxury brand. They looked beautiful and costly.
Every trace of my child had been erased. It was as if Darren had never waited for that baby at all.
Anger rose inside me like a tidal wave.
Light footsteps sounded behind me. Riley walked in.
“You don’t mind, do you?” she asked with a small, mocking smile. “Your baby is gone anyway. Darren said this room belongs to our child now.”
“So, I told them to throw all your old things away. Keeping items from a dead baby would bring bad luck.”
She was waiting for me to lose control. But I only looked at her stomach and smiled softly. “His child? Are you sure?”
Her expression changed instantly. I didn’t wait for her answer. I turned and walked toward the stairs.
“Go to hell, Vexia.”
I heard her angry whisper behind me. Before I could turn around, she suddenly shouted loudly, “Vexia! Don’t hurt yourself!”
A hard shove hit my back and I wasn’t prepared. My body fell forward and I rolled down the stairs hard.
Warm blood ran from my forehead, blurring my vision.
Just before everything went dark, I heard Darren shout, “Vexia!”
***
When I opened my eyes again, I saw the white ceiling of a hospital room.
“Vexia, how are you feeling?” I turned my head and saw Darren sitting beside my bed, looking exhausted.
I slowly raised my trembling hand and pointed at Riley, who stood behind him. “She pushed me.”
Tears quickly fell from Riley’s eyes. She shook her head and looked very innocent.
“I didn’t. Darren, I didn’t even touch her. You can ask the maid!”
The maid came in from outside the door and said in a low voice, “Sir, I was downstairs preparing for the event. I saw Miss Solmere trying to push Ms. Trelmont, but she slipped and fell by herself…”
Blood rushed to my throat.
“You’re lying! You and Riley planned this together!”
“That’s enough!”
Darren stopped me. His eyes were filled with disappointment.
“Vexia, look at yourself. Jealousy has changed you.”
Riley cried and shook. “If Vexia can’t forgive me, Darren, I’ll leave. I’ll give you back to her. I just want the baby to be safe…”
Darren pulled her closer. When he looked at me again, his gaze was icy. “The one who should leave is you. After the party, you’re moving out.”
I thought my heart would hurt, but I felt nothing.
“You really want me to leave?”
“You brought this on yourself.”
“Alright,” I said quietly. “Then let me cut your nails one last time.”
My calm tone made him hesitate.
I sat on the hospital bed. He sat beside me. Like many afternoons in the past, he rested his head on my lap. I held his hand and carefully trimmed each nail.
His hands were still long and elegant.
Once, those quiet moments had felt warm.
But I no longer felt anything for them.
Darren looked up at my pale and calm face. Suddenly, he seemed to feel uneasy.
“This is only for a while. After the baby is born, you can come back.”
“Okay.” My obedient answer made him feel even more worried, as if once he let go, he would lose me forever.
Suddenly, he grabbed my wrist. And I looked at him in surprise. But right at that moment, Riley’s soft voice came from outside the door.
“Darren, it’s time for my checkup.”
Darren looked at me and said with some hesitation before saying, “Vexia, if you don’t feel well, I can stay with you.”
“I’m done cutting your nails,” I said calmly and pulled my hand free. “Go. Your child needs you.”
His face darkened slightly and he left without another word.
After he left, I called my assistant and gave him the nails I had collected.
The assistant spoke quietly. “We also got Riley’s blood sample. The DNA test result will be ready soon.”
For the first time that day, a real smile touched my lips.
“Good. At the banquet the day after tomorrow, make sure the gift is delivered on time.”
“Understood.”
Not long after my assistant left, a doctor rushed into the room.
“Miss Solmere, please come to the emergency department immediately!”
I followed him quickly and learned that my mother had ended her business trip early. On her way home, she had been in a severe car accident.
She needed an urgent blood transfusion.
But the doctor looked troubled.
“All the RH-negative blood in the city has already been reserved. Mr. Eugene gave the order earlier… because Ms. Trelmont cut her finger.”
Before he could finish speaking, I was already running out of the room.
第7章
###Chapter 7
When I rushed into the VIP hospital room, Riley was lying on the bed. Doctors surrounded her as blood flowed slowly through the IV into her arm.
I grabbed Darren’s sleeve. My voice was hoarse. “Please. Give the blood to my mother. Riley doesn’t need it. My mom is dying.”
He shook my hand off with eyes that were cold. “You still dare to beg me? Vexia, when you drugged Riley, did you think about this day?”
I was stunned. “Drugged her? I didn’t!”
“Stop pretending!” Darren shouted. “She almost went into shock. The doctors found sedatives in her blood. If it wasn’t you, then who?”
On the hospital bed, Riley looked weak and pale. But in her eyes, there was triumph.
Her voice trembled softly. “Darren… don’t blame Vexia. She just loves you too much. Give the blood to her mother. I don’t have parents anyway. My life doesn’t that important anyway…”
Darren held her tightly. “Don’t say that.”
Then he turned to the doctor and said firmly, “Keep going. Continue the transfusion. Not a single drop less.”
My legs finally gave out and I fell to my knees as I grabbed the fabric of his pants. “Darren, my mother is dying. She’s the only family I have left. I’m begging you.”
He looked down at me without mercy. “Apologize to Riley.”
I clenched my teeth. Then I lowered my head and slammed my forehead against the cold tile floor. Again and again. The sound echoed sharply each time.
“I’m sorry… It’s my fault… Please save my mother…”
Blood and tears covered my face. I could barely kneel straight.
For a brief second, something flickered in Darren’s expression. He was about to speak, but suddenly Riley’s body jerked. Her eyes rolled back as she began to shake.
“Riley! Doctor, save her!” he panicked and pushed me away as he rushed to her side.
I tried to stand and beg again, but he pushed me hard.
“Get away!”
I hit the wall and could only watch as doctors and nurses surrounded the woman who was acting.
After a long time, a doctor came to me. His face showed pity.
“Miss Solmere, I’m so sorry. We did everything we could, but your mother… didn’t make it.”
Just like that, my last hope was gone.
I slowly stood up as I stared at the hospital bed. Darren was helping Riley sip water with tender eyes.
Hatred sank deep into my bones. I would never beg again. I would make them pay.
***
I walked into the stairwell and dialed a number.
“Luciel,” I said, trying to steady my voice. “Can you come a day earlier? The day after tomorrow.”
“Vexia? Your voice doesn’t sound right. What did Darren do to you?” Luciel’s voice became tense at once.
Hearing this, I couldn’t hold back any longer and started crying loudly into the phone. After I finished telling him everything in broken pieces, he only said one short sentence.
“Wait for me.”
***
I had no idea how I returned to that empty house.
Grief brought a high fever, swallowing my whole body.
In my half-conscious state, I felt someone enter the room. Darren placed two urns of ashes and an ultrasound photo beside my bed.
His voice came through the darkness.
“Remember, these three lives were all lost because of you.”
He paused for a moment. “Tomorrow, the bodyguards will escort you away. It’s for your own good. And for Riley’s safety.”
After some time, the door opened again. Riley walked in and put a bouquet of lilies beside my pillow. Her breath brushed past my ear.
“Do you really think you can come back? Let these flowers send you off.”
I was severely allergic to lilies.
The strong smell entered my nose. My throat tightened instantly, as if invisible hands were choking me. I couldn’t breathe.
I clawed at my neck and fell off the bed, gasping like a fish thrown onto dry land.
And she left with a proud face.
Outside, the banquet had already begun. Music and laughter filled the air.
Through the half-open door, I saw Darren kiss Riley’s stomach gently.
“You’re carrying my heir. You’re incredible.”
Riley leaned into his arms, but her eyes turned toward me as I struggled on the floor.
She smiled as she said, “As long as you want, I can give you more children.”
The guests raised their glasses and congratulated them. No one knew that just behind one door, a murder was happening quietly.
Is this how everything would end?
Bang!
Suddenly, the door was kicked open with a loud bang.
A tall figure rushed inside through the noise and music.
Luciel.
He dropped to his knees beside me and quickly placed medicine under my tongue. Then he lifted me into his arms. His hold was strong. Steady. Warm.
“Vexia. Look at me. Breathe.”
The medicine started to work. Air finally rushed back into my lungs as I clutched his shirt and forced myself to breathe again and again.
“Take me away from here.”
I looked toward the bright and noisy party outside. Only cold resolve in my eyes.
Darren, your celebration has just begun.
And I will personally give you the most unforgettable gift of all.