2
The high fever plunged me in and out of consciousness.
When I truly woke up, three days had passed. The driver had long been called back.
Marcus’s chat window on my phone was still stuck on his terse message from three days ago: “Hurry!”
My SnapChat was flooded with messages from friends. Only then did I learn that for the past three days, Marcus had booked out a private hospital in the suburbs to care for a startled Lila Monroe, staying by her side constantly.
As I turned off my phone, my reflection appeared on the screen. The crimson mark on my forehead had faded even more.
After being discharged and returning to the mansion, the main gate stood open. Maids hurried in and out, carrying luggage.
Seeing me return, their eyes were filled with pity.
It wasn’t until I saw Marcus cooing over Lila Monroe, coaxing her to eat fruit, that I understood where that pity came from.
Seeing me enter, Marcus quickly waved me over.
“Elara, you’re back just in time. Come tell Lila how good avocado is for pregnant women.”
“I’ve been trying to coax her for ages, but she still won’t eat it. You’re the best at persuasion; even I didn’t want to eat it back then until you convinced me.”
Yes, once, I gave my all for him.
I heard avocado was a superfood, but he couldn’t stand its smell.
I patiently coaxed him to eat a little every day, hoping he’d be healthier.
But now, he was using the same tactics to coax another woman, completely oblivious to my limping foot.
Only sarcasm remained in my heart.
Perhaps my expression was too grim, for Marcus paused, then put down the avocado and walked towards me.
“Elara, you know I love you deeply, but I really want a child, a child like you and me.”
Look closely at Lila, doesn’t she resemble you?”
I stared at him in shock, unable to believe what I was hearing.
Marcus’s eyes flickered nervously, then he impatiently said,
NE
5
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6:
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“I know you’re going to talk about my fate of being childless again, but I don’t believe it. Look, haven’t I found a way now?”
I lowered my head and smiled soundlessly.
Since you insist on going down this dark path, I won’t stop you.
Three years ago,
to repay Eleanor Thorne’s kindness, I married Marcus Thorne when he was gravely ill.
I used the crimson mark between my brows to seal away his misfortunes, but the cost was my inability to conceive, for he was
fated to be childless.
If that fate were defied, Marcus would be violently consumed by destiny.
“As you wish.”
With that, I walked directly upstairs.
– a minister in my
Next to the master bedroom, my private sanctuary had been emptied and converted into Lila Monroe’s room.
The handwritten blessings I’d copied for him, filled with wishes for his well–being, were strewn haphazardly in the corridor, like forgotten trash.
For three years, countless days and nights, I had knelt in that sanctuary, copying each stroke for him.
Now, I felt like the biggest fool.
And so, I truly laughed, tears streaming down my face, uncontrollably.
Hearing the noise, Marcus rushed over, carefully shielding Lila Monroe, as if worried I might lash out.
“Sister Elara, please don’t be angry, I’ll move my things out right away.”
Lila Monroe spoke timidly, already moving to go inside and move her belongings.
But Marcus pulled her tightly into his arms, glaring at me with a furious frown.
“I told her to stay here. This room gets good sunlight, it’s suitable for a pregnant woman.”
I nodded knowingly, wiping away my tears.
I
11:57 AM
<
“I understand!”
I tossed all the handwritten blessings into the trash bin and turned to my room.
I quickly packed my luggage–just one small suitcase, exactly as it had been when I arrived.
I planned to return to my grandmother’s place first thing tomorrow morning.
That night, I felt someone gently caressing my forehead, murmuring words in my ear, but I was caught in a nightmare and couldn’t wake up.
Suddenly, my phone rang, jolting me awake from my
dream.
romckly.
“Elara, your grandmother isn’t well! Come home quickly!”
Brenda Miller’s anxious voice came through the phone from my
hometown.
It was so late; had no choice but to ask Marcus for help.
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མ་ད་ ད་ ད་ད་ ད་ད་མས་ ད་ད་འ་ས་ཆ་དེ་གནད་ངག་དབང་དག་གིས་འ་ནས་ད་ནས་་ཅན་ཡོད་ཚད་དེ་ད་ད་ཚད་ན་ད་ར་ག ས་ག་ད་འ་དང་དེ་དགོད་ད་དེ་ ཡོད་ད་ད་ནས་གས་ད་་་་་་་ད་དག་དད་་་་་་% དབ་ཀྱང་དད་པ་དང་
Crying and frantic, I scrambled up and rushed to knock on the door next door.
Finally, Marcus, yawning, emerged from Lila Monroe’s room, his face etched with displeasure.
Ignoring his mood, I grabbed his hand, weeping.
“Marcus, please, please take me back to my grandmother’s place.”
“My grandma is sick.”
A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes. He paused, then turned to settle Lila Monroe.
Only then did he grab his car keys to drive me back to my
hometown.
Outside, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled; a heavy rainstorm was clearly brewing.
My heart ached with worry for Grandma, leaving me restless.
Marcus drove, his hand tightly gripping mine.
