Chapter 3
Helen stood in the hospital corridor, her ears ringing.
The word ‘pregnant‘ from the doctor hit her like a blow.
She subconsciously looked at Carter. He froze for a second. Then, hist face lit up with joy as he whispered, “This is great… Everything is finally falling into place.”
Helen knew exactly what that meant. Freya was expecting, and now he could stop pretending to be ‘Caleb‘ and go back to her.
But she didn’t need him anymore.
Her thoughts were interrupted when the doctor added, “But the patient. has mild anemia and needs a transfusion.”
Carter rolled up his sleeves right away, but the doctor stopped him. “Your blood type isn’t a match. She needs type B.”
Helen had type B blood.
He looked at her, hesitated, and stepped forward. “Helen, Freya is pregnant. We’ve been waiting a long time for this baby.”
He paused before continuing, “Could you donate some blood? I’ll make it up to you once the child is born.”
Helen sneered inwardly.
That so–called repayment would probably just be him coming back out of pity.
Chicker 3
“I’ll do it. No need to repay me,” she answered calmly and followed the nurse inside.
As the needle slid into her arm and her blood filled the bag, a memory came back. During their first year of marriage, she had a terrible fever. Carter had carried her on his back for a few kilometers to get to the hospital.
The needle used then was the same. He’d held her hand tightly and said, “Don’t worry. I’m right here.”
Now, her blood would help keep his and another woman’s child alive.
Helen rested at home for the next few days.
She often looked out the window and noticed that Carter never went to the base. He came and went between home and the hospital with a thermos in hand.
He made chicken soup today and boiled eggs tomorrow.
Helen remembered when she was sick in bed, and he had done the same, always trying different ways to help her recover.
The day Freya left the hospital, the whole neighborhood was filled with the sweet scent of milk candy.
Carter walked around with a jar of treats, handing them out to each household. His usually serious expression was replaced by a bright smile. “Freya is expecting. Please take some candies.”
“Congrats!”
“You’re finally having a baby!”
He nodded and smiled, clearly overjoyed to be a future father.
At last, he approached Helen and held out some candies with hesitation. “Helen…”
“Congratulations, Caleb,” she said, accepting it with a calm smile. “Wishing happiness to you and your family.”
Carter frowned slightly.
Her blessing was so appropriate that it left him with a strange discomfort.
Since his fake sacrifice, Helen had either been crying or making a scene–never this calm.
But before he could think much more about it, Freya approached and linked her arm with his, saying sweetly, “Caleb, remember you promised to take Helen out for a meal?”
Freya wanted to thank Helen for donating blood and insisted on treating her, even though Helen refused repeatedly.
Eventually, she was still dragged into the car.
At the restaurant, the waitress greeted them with a warm smile. “Welcome! Please come in!”
She glanced at Carter and Freya and beamed. “You two are such a lovely couple!”
Turning to Helen, she added, “Is this your sister? She’s so beautiful.”
Carter was stunned. Before he could respond, Helen gently replied, “Yes, I am.”
Her words hit him like a sharp pain.
But seeing Freya’s slightly bulging belly, he didn’t correct it.
