He Chose Her, Now He Regrets

The man’s voice was low, edged with the impatience of someone being interrupted。 “I’m in the hospital. The babies need surgery。” Silence fell on the other end。 “What are you making a scene about now？” Alyssa looked at the doctor。 “The doctor can explain it to you。” “I don’t have time right now。” “Where are you？” “Victoria had a situation。” His answer came too quickly—so quickly that it gave her no chance to ask anything else. The sound of wheels rolling across the floor came from outside the room. Several bodyguards escorted a woman past the half-open door. Victoria wore a white dress, Nicholas’s black suit jacket draped over her shoulders. Her face was pale, and a bandage covered her forehead. The leg that was supposedly injured stood firmly on a pair of high heels. When she spotted Alyssa in the room, she stopped and reached for Nicholas’s sleeve。 “Nick, I don’t want to see her。” The words carried through the phone. Alyssa heard them too. Nicholas turned, placing himself in front of Victoria. Their eyes met through the half-open doorway. He looked first at the phone in Alyssa’s hand, then at the blood soaking through her sheet。 “So you heard。” Alyssa’s voice was barely above a whisper。 “She was frightened。” “My babies were hurt too。” “Let the hospital contact the lawyers about the surgery。” “I need you to sign。” “I said, contact the lawyers。” With that, he turned away and led Victoria toward the elevator. Alyssa stared at the suit jacket draped around Victoria’s shoulders. She had bought it for Nicholas at an auction in London. Hidden inside one cuff was a silver cufflink, engraved with the date of their wedding. Nicholas had worn it only a handful of times. Yet Victoria was wearing it as she passed Alyssa’s hospital room。 “Mr. Garcia！” The doctor hurried after him。 “The patient is in critical condition. We need a family member’s signature！” Nicholas did not look back. The elevator doors opened. Victoria leaned against his shoulder and tipped her face up to say something to him. He lowered his head, listening intently. Just before the doors slid shut, Alyssa saw him raise one hand to protect the back of Victoria’s head. She had seen that gesture many times. It had simply never been meant for her. The phone slipped from her palm and struck the floor beside the bed. The nurse rushed forward to support her。 “Ms. Bennett, you need to stay conscious。” “Who caused the accident？” The nurse said nothing. Alyssa looked up at her。 “Tell me。” “The police report hasn’t arrived yet。” “The car？” “It was a black sports car registered under the Garcia name。” “Who was driving？” The nurse pressed her lips together。 “Some people said it was Ms. Reed。” Alyssa turned her gaze toward the window. Rain slid down the glass in long, wavering trails. Outside the hospital entrance sat a silver-gray car, its front end crushed inward, its right headlight shattered into fragments. She recognized it. Three months ago, Nicholas had personally chosen it as Victoria’s birthday gift. A sharp pain in her abdomen jolted Alyssa awake. When she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was the stark white ceiling light above her。 “The babies？” Her voice was dry and hoarse. She braced a hand against the bed, trying to sit up. The nurse pressed her shoulder down。 “Please don’t move. The doctor will be here shortly。” “The babies？” This time, her voice rose. Avoiding her gaze, the nurse picked up the chart and flipped through two pages, her movements agonizingly slow。 “You were in a car accident. By the time you arrived, you were already having contractions and bleeding. The doctors are doing everything they can to save the babies。” Alyssa lowered her eyes to her abdomen. There was already a distinct curve beneath the blanket. She was twenty-seven weeks pregnant. Twins. When Nicholas had learned about the pregnancy, he had replied with only one sentence: Make sure the children are born safely. Then he had gone back to signing documents in a conference room without even looking up. Her phone lay beside the bed. On its screen was a list of calls she had made. Twelve. None answered. Alyssa pressed redial. A mechanical voice filled the line. She held the phone to her ear until the call disconnected on its own。 “Have you been able to reach my husband？” “We’ve contacted Mr. Garcia，” the nurse said, closing the chart。 “He didn’t answer。” “Call again。” “I’ve already called three times。” “Then keep calling。” The nurse looked at her for a moment, then turned and left the room. The instant the door closed, another cramp tore through Alyssa’s abdomen. Her fingers clenched tightly around the bedsheet. She fought back the tears. Hurried footsteps sounded outside. The nurse returned with a doctor in a white coat behind her。 “Ms. Bennett, the fetal monitoring results are not looking good. We need to perform an emergency C-section immediately。” “Do you need a family member to sign？” “Your husband isn’t answering. At the moment, the hospital can’t obtain authorization。” “I’m their mother。” “Given your current condition, you are not medically fit to assume the surgical risks alone. Hospital policy requires confirmation from an immediate family member。” Alyssa lifted her eyes。 “Call my father。” “We can’t reach him。” “My brother。” “He isn’t answering either。” “Then call Garcia International’s legal department. Anyone will do。” The doctor did not answer. Alyssa took the phone from the bedside table and dialed Nicholas again. This time, he picked up. There was music in the background, threaded with the soft laughter of a woman. Alyssa gripped the phone and listened。 “Nicholas。” “What is it？” The man’s voice was low, edged with the impatience of someone being interrupted。 “I’m in the hospital. The babies need surgery。” Silence fell on the other end。 “What are you making a scene about now？” Alyssa looked at the doctor。 “The doctor can explain it to you。” “I don’t have time right now。” “Where are you？” “Victoria had a situation。” His answer came too quickly—so quickly that it gave her no chance to ask anything else. The sound of wheels rolling across the floor came from outside the room. Several bodyguards escorted a woman past the half-open door. Victoria wore a white dress, Nicholas’s black suit jacket draped over her shoulders. Her face was pale, and a bandage covered her forehead. The leg that was supposedly injured stood firmly on a pair of high heels. When she spotted Alyssa in the room, she stopped and reached for Nicholas’s sleeve。 “Nick, I don’t want to see her。” The words carried through the phone. Alyssa heard them too. Nicholas turned, placing himself in front of Victoria. Their eyes met through the half-open doorway. He looked first at the phone in Alyssa’s hand, then at the blood soaking through her sheet。 “So you heard。” Alyssa’s voice was barely above a whisper。 “She was frightened。” “My babies were hurt too。” “Let the hospital contact the lawyers about the surgery。” “I need you to sign。” “I said, contact the lawyers。” With that, he turned away and led Victoria toward the elevator. Alyssa stared at the suit jacket draped around Victoria’s shoulders. She had bought it for Nicholas at an auction in London. Hidden inside one cuff was a silver cufflink, engraved with the date of their wedding. Nicholas had worn it only a handful of times. Yet Victoria was wearing it as she passed Alyssa’s hospital room。 “Mr. Garcia！” The doctor hurried after him。 “The patient is in critical condition. We need a family member’s signature！” Nicholas did not look back. The elevator doors opened. Victoria leaned against his shoulder and tipped her face up to say something to him. He lowered his head, listening intently. Just before the doors slid shut, Alyssa saw him raise one hand to protect the back of Victoria’s head. She had seen that gesture many times. It had simply never been meant for her. The phone slipped from her palm and struck the floor beside the bed. The nurse rushed forward to support her。 “Ms. Bennett, you need to stay conscious。” “Who caused the accident？” The nurse said nothing. Alyssa looked up at her。 “Tell me。” “The police report hasn’t arrived yet。” “The car？” “It was a black sports car registered under the Garcia name。” “Who was driving？” The nurse pressed her lips together。 “Some people said it was Ms. Reed。” Alyssa turned her gaze toward the window. Rain slid down the glass in long, wavering trails. Outside the hospital entrance sat a silver-gray car, its front end crushed inward, its right headlight shattered into fragments. She recognized it. Three months ago, Nicholas had personally chosen it as Victoria’s birthday gift. Victoria had posted photographs of it on social media. Her caption had read: Only someone who truly understands me knows what I really want. Alyssa’s right hand moved to her abdomen. The movement within was far weaker than usual. She had already waited forty-seven minutes. Outside, the doctor was still arguing with the lawyers over authorization. The nurse checked the monitor again and again, her expression growing paler each time。 “I’ll sign。” Alyssa threw back the blanket and tried to get out of bed. The doctor rushed in。 “You can’t move right now。” “Give me the consent form。” “Without authorization from a family member, the hospital has to assume the risk。” “They are my children. I’ll assume it。” She took the document. Her wrist trembled badly from blood loss, but she still signed her name one careful stroke at a time. Alyssa Bennett. The moment she finished the final letter, the sound of the monitor changed. The doctor’s face tightened. He immediately hit the call button。 “Prepare the operating room！” The nurses wheeled her bed out of the room. Alyssa turned her head, her eyes falling on the wedding ring by the window. She took it off and held it in her palm. The date was engraved on the inside. Four years ago, she had believed it marked the beginning of their life together. Now, it seemed more like the day she had begun carrying the Garcia family’s burdens. The doors to the operating room opened in front of her. The doctor bent down beside her。 “Ms. Bennett, is there any other family member you would like us to notify？” Alyssa closed her fingers around the ring。 “No。” “And your husband？” “He’s with another woman。” She closed her eyes。 “Don’t notify him。”