Chapter 41

The sharp scent of antiseptic made Sophia's temples throb. The cold IV fluid dripped into her veins, finally easing the cramps in her abdomen.

She pulled out her phone, her finger hovering over Vivian's contact before finally pressing call.

"Hello?" Vivian's groggy voice came through the line.

"Viv..." Sophia's voice caught, her throat tight. "I'm at the hospital."

A loud thud sounded on the other end, followed by Vivian's sharp tone. "What happened? I'm on my way!"

Forty minutes later, the hospital door slammed open. Vivian rushed in, her hair disheveled, her down jacket half-zipped. Her eyes reddened at the sight of Sophia's pale face.

"That bastard Ethan!" She stomped her foot, teeth clenched. "Only cares about his own pleasure, leaving you like this! I swear I'll—"

"Murder is illegal," Sophia weakly reminded her.

Vivian choked back her words, then growled, "Then I'll make sure he never has kids!"

"Not a bad idea," Sophia forced a faint smile.

"You're still joking?" Vivian poked her forehead in frustration. "The doctor said you almost had a miscarriage! Do you even realize?"

Sophia lowered her gaze. "Crying won't change anything. Life goes on."

"You..." Vivian sighed deeply, tucking the blanket around her.

With someone by her side, Sophia's tense nerves finally relaxed, and she soon fell into a deep sleep.

When she woke again, sunlight streamed through the window. Sophia glanced at the clock—7:30 AM—and threw off the covers.

"What are you doing?" Vivian barged in with breakfast, pushing her back down. "The doctor said bed rest! Unless..." She lowered her voice. "You really don’t want this baby?"

"But work—"

"I called in for you!" Vivian rolled her eyes. "Told them it's gastritis. You're quitting in two days anyway—no need to play model employee."

Sophia thought for a moment, then lay back down.

"Bed 28, time for your check-up."

The nurse wheeled in a cart just as Vivian left. When no one returned, Sophia grabbed her forms and shuffled slowly into the hallway.

The examination room was at the far end of the ward. Leaning against the wall, Sophia overheard two nurses whispering.

"That woman in Bed 3 looks so familiar..."

"You don’t recognize Isabella Valentine? The hottest star right now! And that’s her fiancé next to her—Ethan Roscente, the heir to the Roscente Group!"

Sophia froze.

"Oh my God! That’s Ethan Roscente? He’s even hotter in person than in the business magazines! No wonder every socialite in the city is after him."

"Don’t even dream. He’s so devoted to Isabella—he stayed with her through the whole exam, even draped her coat over her shoulders himself..."

Their voices faded, but Sophia’s nails dug into her palms. Trembling, she opened WeChat.

Isabella’s morning post glared back at her—a photo of an IV drip with the caption "So nice to have someone by my side."

In the corner, a man’s suit sleeve was visible, the cufflinks unmistakably the ones Sophia had gifted Ethan last year.