Chapter 1 Ava's Photo
"Mrs. Schultz, the procedure can be painful. Are you ready?"
Inside the operating room, after having fifteen vials of blood drawn, I looked at the cold metal speculum and the long catheter on the tray and instinctively shrank back.
But then I saw the wedding ring on my finger.
I remembered Tristan, days ago, covered in blood from his injuries, still smiling as he coaxed me to take my medicine.
My heart hardened. I lay back and spread my legs. "I'm ready. I... I'm not afraid of the pain."
Three months ago, Tristan came home drunk from a business dinner. In the middle of s*x, he was kissing me, but he called out my half-sister's name.
We had a huge fight that night. I even brought up divorce.
He tore the divorce papers into pieces. No matter how much he explained or tried to make it up to me, I refused to budge.
Until I suddenly fell seriously ill. He risked his life to get me an unapproved drug from the black market.
Even when he was barely holding on himself, he gently wiped my tears and smiled. "Jasmine, be good. Take the medicine and you'll get better. We're going to be together forever."
At that moment, my determination to leave him softened.
"Tristan, let's try IVF. Let's have a baby and start over."
Eight years of marriage, countless times together, and I had never gotten pregnant. He had always refused assisted reproduction.
This time, he agreed.
On the operating table, the doctor inserted the cold, rigid instrument. Soon, I felt the catheter pushing deeper into my body, inch by inch.
My whole body tensed. I kept breathing slowly.
'For Tristan, I can endure anything.'
But when the sharp tip pierced deep into my lower abdomen, I still broke into tears from the pain.
It didn't stop. It felt like tiny needles scraping and grinding inside me.
I gripped the edge of the bed so hard my fingers turned pale, but the pain kept surging, wave after wave.
Finally, half an hour later, it was over.
"Mrs. Schultz, there's an issue with your husband's sample. He needs your help."
I had just sat up weakly when the nurse hurried me toward the collection room.
She sighed, still sounding impressed. "Mr. Schultz has been in there for an hour and still nothing. We offered videos at first, but he said they were disgusting and told us to take them away."
She nudged me toward the door. "Looks like only you can help him, Mrs. Schultz."
My cheeks warmed. I thought about how I had doubted his love just because of that drunken slip.
A mix of sweetness and guilt filled my chest. Not wanting to disturb him, I didn't knock.
But the moment I stepped inside, everything went blank.
In the dim room, Tristan was moving his hand fast, his head tilted back, completely lost. His Adam's apple bobbed as soft, breathy "Ava" slipped from his lips again and again.
On his phone screen was a photo of Ava Patterson.
My face drained of color. My body turned cold, trembling uncontrollably. I bumped into the doorframe with a loud thud.
But he was too absorbed in his fantasy.
He stared at the photo, breathing harder, sweat dripping down as his movements grew faster.
"Ava... Ava... I'm about to come..."
My chest tightened. A bitter taste spread across my tongue.
I forced down the urge to throw up, pushed the door wide open, and snatched his phone.
