“What the hell happened?” His voice was a suppressed storm.
The nurse, who had rushed out at the commotion, looked like she’d found her anchor. Her face was bloodless, her voice trembling.
“The patient is hemorrhaging badly! She’s critical!”
“She needs blood immediately, or we’ll lose both of them!”
He whirled around, and without a word, immediately began rolling up his sleeve.
“What are you waiting for?”
He spoke to the nurse, his voice firm.
“Draw my blood, now!”
The nurse seemed to snap awake, nodding quickly. “Quick! Get the patient back to the delivery room!”
Just as Liam scooped me up, ready to rush back to the delivery room, Blake, who had been watching coldly, finally moved.
His face shifted from shock to jealousy, then twisted into pure rage.
He lunged forward, blocking our path with outstretched arms, stopping the nurse.
“No! You can’t use his blood!”
His eyes were like two poisoned knives, brutally gouging at me, as if he wanted to flay me alive.
“Skylar, you’re truly something!”
“You just married me, and you’re already hooking up with your old flame?”
The surrounding villagers instantly erupted into chatter, pointing and whispering, their filthy words raining down on me.
“See? I told you she was seeing someone else!”
“Tsk, tsk, now look at this, her lover’s showing up at the front door…”
Blake glared at me.
“Whose child is that in your belly, anyway?”
Brenda’s shifty eyes widened abruptly, and she shrieked at the top of her lungs.
“You little hussy! So the child in your belly isn’t even from our family!”
“We treated you like family, gave you our all, and you dare to hook up with another man outside!”
“I’ll beat you to death, you shameless tramp!”
She roared, raising the whip in her hand.
It lashed down mercilessly towards my body.
*Smack!* The anticipated pain didn’t come. I opened my eyes to see Liam shielding me, taking the blow.
“Stop!”
Liam’s face was cold, his eyes blazing with an unprecedented ferocity.
He used his back to shield me from Brenda’s second whip strike.
The whip landed squarely on him, making a dull thud.
11:04
<
“You’re trying to kill them!”
Liam’s voice was as cold as ice.
“I can call the police right now! Intentional harm, attempted murder – that’s enough to get all of you arrested and sentenced!”
The word “police” instantly deflated Brenda’s fury.
She cowered, shrinking back, not daring to advance further.
Blake’s face turned green then white. He looked at my pale face but ultimately didn’t dare to stop us again.
Liam ignored them, carrying me, and strode back into the delivery room.
Liam’s blood was successfully transfused into my body.
Under the nurse’s guidance, I mustered my last ounce of strength.
After what felt like an eternity, a loud, clear cry finally reached my ears.
My tensed nerves completely relaxed. My vision went black, and I lost consciousness.
