I Returned From My Own Funeral

Chapter 1 He Chose Her Over Our Baby

Lydia Lancaster had been heavily protected since the day she was born. Her father was a famous Mafia Kingpin who ruled over Dunmire, with influence stretching across countless industries. She was his one and only daughter.

Even so, Lydia endured countless kidnappings, and at sixteen, she lost her mother completely. The tragedy drove her to break ties with her father. She returned to the country, enrolled at Westbridge Medical University in the South, and became a doctor. Eventually, she fell in love with Ethan Walker, a renowned surgical prodigy, and married Ethan.

Ethan had entered the gifted youth program at Westbridge Medical University at twelve, completed his doctorate by eighteen, and became a leading surgeon at the city's top hospital. He was exactly what Lydia wanted in a partner—gentle, kind, and responsible, both to his family and his patients. He was the complete opposite of her father.

During her period, Ethan would warm her cold feet against his stomach. When she worked overtime, he stayed up with her all night. When she became pregnant, he proudly told every doctor and patient in the hospital, "I'm going to be a father."

Lydia thought they would continue living this happy, peaceful life until a female patient named Vivian Hale was admitted to the hospital. It was the first time Lydia ever saw Ethan lose control.

The moment he heard Vivian's name, he rushed out like a madman. Yet when he reached the hospital room, he restrained himself from entering. His body trembled slightly as he stared through the glass door at the figure inside, his eyes filled with longing and desire.

Lydia immediately sensed something was wrong, but Ethan patiently explained, "Vivian and I used to be classmates. Focus on taking care of yourself and the baby. Don't overthink things."

Ethan became Vivian's attending physician and gradually began leaving early and coming home late. Lydia wanted to question him, but her pregnancy had become unstable, and she was planning to schedule an early C-section.

That day, she received her prenatal exam results and intended to discuss the C-section with Ethan. Just as she reached the office door, before she could even step inside, Ethan suddenly rushed out.

Caught completely off guard, Lydia slammed against the wall. Instantly, warmth spread between her legs; her water had broken.

"Honey, hurry and take me to the operating room..." she gasped, reaching out toward him.

But before she could finish, Ethan violently shoved her hand away. His eyes were bloodshot as he demanded, "What did you do to Vivian?"

'Vivian? What could I possibly have done to Vivian?'

Lydia could not comprehend the question. The intense pain tearing through her lower abdomen left her unable to think about anything else. She clenched her brows, cold sweat running down her forehead, and cried out, "Honey... Ethan..."

"If anything happens to Vivian, I will never let you off."

Ethan shot her a cold, unflinching glance. Then, without another word, he turned and strode away in urgent haste.

Lydia clutched her stomach in agony. Blood and fluid soaked beneath her as she struggled to stay upright, until a passing young nurse finally rushed her into the operating room. Inside, wave after wave of violent contractions tore through her body. She gripped the bedsheet beside her and let out a pained moan.

"...Ethan, where did he go?" she gasped.

The nurse, drenched in sweat, responded urgently, "The patient in Room 432 attempted suicide. Dr. Walker went to see her. Dr. Lancaster, hang in there!"

'Room 432? That patient… isn't that Vivian?'

Lydia gritted her teeth and drew a deep, steadying breath. She tried to calm herself as she endured the unbearable pain. Ethan was a doctor. A patient had fallen into a crisis, so it was understandable that he would rush to help. She had to do everything in her power to bring their baby safely into the world.

What she did not expect, however, was that Ethan never returned. The doctor who entered the operating room in his place was an intern who had not even graduated.

"Get another doctor. You cannot perform my surgery," Lydia said firmly.

She had Rh-negative blood, and complications could easily occur during surgery. To be safe, she had already arranged for Ethan's friend, the renowned obstetrician Lucas Reed, to perform the operation.

The intern panicked. "But aside from me, there's no one else available to perform the surgery!"

"What?" Lydia asked, her heart sinking.

"Dr. Walker called every doctor in the hospital to Room 432. No one is allowed to leave until the patient's condition stabilizes."

Lydia froze. Her first instinct was to think the intern was lying, but the terrified expression on his face told her otherwise.

The tearing pain in her abdomen intensified with every second. She could no longer focus on anything else. All she could do was endure the agony for the sake of her baby.

At this point, she had to rely on herself. Clenching her teeth, Lydia summoned every ounce of strength and followed the nurses' instructions, pushing through the labor. But despite her efforts, obstructed labor overwhelmed her, and her consciousness slowly began to fade.

She vaguely heard the intern shouting anxiously beside her.

"She's hemorrhaging! Hurry and bring the blood from the blood bank!"

"No! Dr. Walker won't allow it," another voice replied.

"Why?"

"The patient in Room 432 also has Rh-negative blood. He said the supply must be reserved for her in case of emergency. Even if the chance of complication is only one in ten thousand, he cannot risk it."