When He Begs, I Shine

Chapter 5 I'm Pregnant?

Viviane looked at the glass of the hallway, where her reflection was clearly visible—worn out, small, and pitiful.

She whispered to her own reflection, "Viviane, this isn't love. Love should make you a better person."

But in her desperate need for Cyril's love, she had given up herself. She abandoned her career, her hobbies, and everything Cyril didn't like. Every day, she lived cautiously, her emotions shifting with his moods.

No, she had to stop all of this.

She had to stop making these mistakes.

A nurse rolled Colita out after her checkup, interrupting Viviane's sorrowful thoughts. Viviane didn't have the energy to care about anything else. All she could think about now was praying for the surgery to go well.

The sharp scent of antiseptic filled the air, stinging her nose and bringing an ache to her already strained eyes.

Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself and quickly walked to Colita's side.

Forcing a smile, she gently reassured her sister, "Don't be afraid. I'll be here with you the whole time."

Colita nodded weakly, her tear-filled eyes betraying her fear. "I'm not scared," she whispered. "I will be brave."

Viviane grasped her sister's cold hand tightly, her grip firm yet comforting. "It's going to be okay. The doctor is very skilled. You'll come out of this perfectly fine."

Despite her sister's comforting words, Colita felt heartbroken. She understood her condition all too well. "If... if something goes wrong, you have to promise me you'll live well. Understand?"

Tears welled up in Viviane's eyes as she fiercely shook her head. "Don't be silly. You'll be fine. Didn't you always want to travel the world? Once you recover, we'll go together to see the lavender fields and the majesty of the mountains..."

Hope flickered in Colita's eyes, and she extended her pinky finger. "Really? Pinky swear? You're not allowed to break it."

Viviane nodded earnestly, linking her pinky with Colita's. "I swear."

Just then, a nurse approached, wheeling a bed into the room. "It's time to take her to the operating room."

Viviane reluctantly released Colita's hand, watching as her sister was pushed away.

She glanced out the window, her eyes drifting toward the parking lot. The black car she had once known so well was nowhere to be seen.

Viviane gave a bitter laugh, murmuring to herself, "Stop it, Viviane. Cyril isn't coming back. He's..."

He was probably with Aria.

The red light outside the operating room flickered on. Viviane stood motionless like a statue, her gaze locked on the closed doors.

Time passed, second by agonizing second. She felt as though she had lost all sense of herself, standing there for what seemed like an eternity until her legs grew numb, forcing her back to awareness.

Deep into the night, she was startled awake by the sound of hurried footsteps.

A nurse emerged from the operating room, and Viviane shot to her feet, her heart pounding.

The doors opened slowly, and the doctor stepped out, pulling down his mask to reveal a tired but reassuring smile. "The surgery went well. The patient is stable."

Relief washed over Viviane like a tidal wave. Tears streamed down her face as days of suffocating tension finally began to lift.

When Colita was moved to a recovery room, Viviane, who had been running on sheer willpower, finally gave out. She felt the world spin around her, and everything went dark as she collapsed.

Fortunately, a strapping man happened to pass by and caught her.

*****

When Viviane's consciousness began to stir, she found herself enveloped in an eerie stillness.

Her heavy eyelids fluttered open, revealing a white ceiling above. The faint scent of antiseptic lingered in the air, mingling with the rhythmic beeping of medical equipment.

She realized she was lying in a hospital bed.

Trying to sit up, Viviane was hit with a wave of dizziness that sent her reeling.

"Careful. Don't move," a warm voice said softly.

Turning her head, Viviane saw a tall, striking man standing beside her bed. Concern shadowed his sharp features, but his faint smile held a surprising gentleness.

"What happened? And... who are you?" she asked, her voice weak.

Before the man could respond, the door opened, and a doctor walked in.

"You're awake?" The doctor quickly walked to the bedside, checking Viviane's vitals carefully.

"You've been overexerting yourself during the pregnancy, which is why you fainted. You need to take better care of your health. You almost killed your baby."

The doctor's words hit Viviane like a thunderclap, ringing in her mind.

She was pregnant?

This unexpected news didn't bring her any joy.

God really had a sense of humor. Just when she had finally made up her mind to divorce Cyril, why—why now, of all times, was she pregnant?

What was she supposed to do? It felt so ironic. She felt a sharp pain in her lower abdomen. "Is... I mean, is my baby okay? Is it still there?" she asked, her voice trembling. The doctor reassured her with a yes. Finally, Viviane covered her face and began to cry.

"What should I do? It shouldn't have happened now..." This was Cyril's child—the child she had once longed for. But now, it was coming at the worst possible time.

"Are you alright?" A stranger, looking somewhat lost, stepped forward to comfort her.

But the doctor mistook him for Viviane's husband. She eyed them both warily. "I must remind you, please protect your child and don't try anything illegal."

The doctor left, and the man didn't have time to explain. He awkwardly lowered his head and looked at Viviane, still crying. He reached out to steady her shoulder, about to say something when the door to the room suddenly burst open.

It was Cyril, his face as dark as the sky before a storm.

Aria had lost the baby and, in her grief, was planning to call the police to accuse Viviane of murder. Cyril had checked the surveillance footage. The area where Viviane and Aria had fought was blocked, and if you only looked at the footage, everything seemed to work against Viviane. Cyril had no choice but to make excessive promises to Aria in order to get her to drop the idea of calling the police.

How ironic—he thought it was a mistake to confront Viviane about the truth during Colita's surgery.

When he heard Viviane had fainted, he rushed over immediately. But what he hadn't expected was to walk in and see her with another man acting so familiar?

Jealous rage burned through him, clouding his judgment. Cyril strode into the room and went straight to Viviane's bedside, using his presence to force the man to back away from her.

"Who are you?"

"Cyril?" the man looked up in surprise. "Long time no see. I'm Zeus, we met at that business gala."

Zeus was a well-known young entrepreneur, somewhat famous in the business world. No one really knew how he made his fortune—he was quite mysterious. He'd had some dealings with Cyril's family as well.

"I'm asking, what are you doing by my wife's side?" Cyril's voice was full of authority. He didn't remember this man, but he had seen him at several business events with Viviane. Now he was beginning to wonder if, at some point, Zeus and Viviane had secretly gotten close.