He Thought I Was Pregnant While I Was Dying

Six years ago, to keep from dragging down my boyfriend while he was building his startup, I cruelly told him I had fallen in love with someone else.

He was completely heartbroken by me, went overseas, and never came back.

Six years later, he returned home with his fiance to get married.

And I had also received the death sentence from the hospital.

Late-stage ovarian cancer, malignant ascites, and even a loose oversized hoodie could not hide my painfully swollen belly.

When my ex-boyfriend saw me, his gaze fell on my stomach, and he let out a scoff.

So you really were in love with someone else back then. Which pregnancy is this for you now?

He looked around, and there was only me sitting alone in a wheelchair.

What, he knocked you up but would not even marry you?

I lowered my head and gently touched my swollen belly. Inside it was only more than ten pounds of malignant ascites that could never be fully drained. It was not a child.

I smiled bitterly and lied, I am almost due. He is busy with work and does not have time to come with me.

He did not know that I was dying.

He also did not know that we really did once have a child.

The last trace of complexity in his eyes turned completely into mockery.

Lily, you really have not changed at all. For money, you will go with any man.

You abandoned me back then, and now you have ended up like this. You deserve it.

The fiance beside him gently held his arm and advised him in a low voice.

Forget it. It is all in the past.

But he gave a cold laugh.

The past? I will never forget how she looked down on me for being poor back then and turned around to get into another mans car.

I did not explain.

Because the car he was talking about was an ambulance.

That day, I had just gotten my test results, and the doctor told me there was a malignant tumor on my ovary and that I had to be hospitalized immediately.

And he was running everywhere, begging people for help for a multimillion-dollar project.

I did not dare tell him.

Back then, he could not even take three thousand dollars out of his bank account, yet he stayed up until dawn every day, just so he could save enough for a down payment sooner and marry me.

I was afraid he would give up on his startup, afraid he would sell his company, afraid he would ruin his whole life to save me.

So I deliberately held my attending doctors arm and said to him,

I have fallen in love with someone else.

With red eyes, he slammed his fist into the wall.

Lily, you are going to regret this.

Later, he really left.

He went abroad and became the rising business star everyone talked about.

And I stayed alone in the hospital, going through surgery, chemotherapy, relapse, and chemotherapy again.

Until today.

The doctor told me there was no point in continuing treatment anymore.

He told me to go home, eat whatever I wanted, and meet whoever I wanted to see.

But the only person I wanted to see was standing right in front of me.

Yet he would never believe me again.

After returning to the hospital room, I lay down on the bed with the help of my attending doctor.

Ethans mother came to find me.

As soon as she entered, she looked at me tentatively, hesitant to speak.

Lily, I... I have a favor to ask.

Looking at her flushed face, even though she did not say what came next, I knew her reason for coming was probably the same as it had been six years ago.

Go ahead.

Her eyes instantly turned red.

Ethan has really suffered so much these years.

After you left back then, he did not recover for two whole years. Later, he went overseas alone, worked during the day, built his business at night, and collapsed from exhaustion so many times that he ended up in the hospital, but he never said a word to us.

Now, it was not easy for him to finally have a stable career, and he has also met someone willing to stay with him. He is about to get married.

As she spoke, tears fell.

Lily, just take it as me begging you.

Do not go looking for him again, and do not tell him about your illness.

Just let him think that you have been living well all these years.

That way, it is better for you and for him.

I listened quietly without speaking.

But the attending doctor could not help frowning.

Maam, this is not fair...

I gently shook my head, signaling for him not to speak.

But Ethans mother seemed to have caught on to something, and her eyes swept back and forth between me and the attending doctor.

She suddenly lowered her voice and muttered softly.

He protects her so much...

Who knows if the two of you have been together for a long time.

Now this male doctor stays with her every day. Who knows what kind of relationship they have...

The hospital room instantly fell silent.

The attending doctors face darkened at once.

Please show some respect when you speak!

Ms. Bennett is my patient. Taking care of her is my duty as a doctor!

And as for why she became like this today, others may not know, but you

Enough!

Using all my strength, I reached out with my hand that was so thin only bones were left and gently pulled the attending doctors sleeve.

He lowered his head to look at me, his eyes already red with anger.

I gently shook my head at him.

I slowly turned my head and looked at Ethans mother.

I could clearly see the guardedness in her eyes, the caution, and that tiny bit of fear that her son might be entangled with me again.

So that was how it was.

Even though I was already about to die.

In her eyes, I was still the person who would ruin her sons life.

I held back the ache in my eyes and gave a soft smile.

I will not go looking for him.

And I will not tell him about my illness.

From now on, I will try my best not to appear in front of him again.

Let him get married in peace and live his life in peace.

Just pretend...

My voice was so soft it could barely be heard.

Just pretend we never knew each other.

Anyway, I am dying soon.

After seeing Ethans mother off, I felt as if all the strength had been drained out of my body.

The nurse adjusted my IV, and the attending doctor gave me another painkiller shot. Soon, I fell into a heavy, hazy sleep.

I did not know how long I had slept when a familiar voice suddenly came from outside the hospital room.

Is Lily hospitalized because she is about to give birth?

My eyes snapped open, and my breath caught slightly.

It was Ethan.

I stared blankly at the ceiling, and for a moment, I thought I was dreaming.

Six years ago, he hated me to the bone.

On the day we broke up, he knelt in front of me, his eyes red, begging me again and again.

Lily, tell me. Did I do something wrong? I will change. I will change anything.

I bit my lip hard and did not dare look into his eyes.

At that time, fluid had already begun collecting in my abdomen, and my lower belly had started to bulge slightly.

I lowered my head, touched my stomach, hardened my heart, and said to him,

I am already pregnant with another mans child.

He stared blankly at my stomach, and the color drained from his face little by little.

After a long time, he finally asked in a hoarse voice,

When did it happen?

I forced myself to lift the corners of my mouth.

I got together with him not long after I met him.

He has more money than you, more ability than you, and a better future than you.

Ethan, I never planned to suffer with you.

Every word was like a knife stabbing into my heart.

After he heard it, he turned and left.

I watched his back, and my tears would not stop falling.

From then on, he treated me as the person he hated most.

Whenever someone mentioned my name in front of him, he would cut them off with a cold face.

Do not mention her. Just hearing her name makes me sick.

Later, on the day he went abroad, I still secretly went to the airport.

Through the crowd, he saw me.

But right in front of me, he only smashed the couple rings we had bought together and the phone full of our photos hard onto the ground, then turned and boarded the plane without looking back again.

I had always thought that in this lifetime, he would never take the initiative to see me again.

But I never expected that he would actually come to the hospital.

With his fiance, Susie.

Susie was already three months pregnant.

So he had brought her here for a prenatal checkup.

Her gaze landed on my high, swollen abdomen, and her eyes lit up as she smiled and walked a few steps closer.

Ms. Bennett, are you here to wait for delivery too?

I instinctively tugged down my hospital gown, wanting to cover my swollen abdomen.

Before I could speak, Susie gently stroked her own belly and smiled with a face full of happiness.

This is my first pregnancy, so I do not understand anything.

I heard from Ethan that you have given birth to quite a few children over the past six years.

You must have a lot of experience, right?

I clenched the corner of the blanket tightly, and my knuckles slowly turned pale.

Ethan stood to the side, his indifferent gaze falling on my stomach as a mocking curve lifted at the corner of his mouth.

Exactly.

Since you have so much experience, teach Susie.

After all, she is not like certain people who can casually get pregnant with another mans child.

Susie seemed not to notice the atmosphere and still looked completely serious.

Ms. Bennett, is late pregnancy especially hard?

Do you sleep badly at night?

And giving birth, does it really hurt?

By the way, where is your husband?

She looked around, and besides the doctor and nurse, there was no one else in the room.

A trace of surprise flashed in her eyes.

Why is he not here with you?

Ethan scoffed.

What other reason could there be?

Of course he does not want her anymore.

For someone like her, it is already lucky if anyone is willing to take responsibility once.

I slowly lowered my head.

My hand gently covered my high, swollen belly.

My eyes turned red little by little.

There had once...

Really been a child living there.

That was the last piece of good news the doctor told me before chemotherapy.

He said I was pregnant.

It was also bad news.

The tumor had spread too quickly, and the baby was developing slowly.

Everyone told me to terminate the pregnancy immediately, but I held my belly and wanted to keep the child.

Unfortunately, in the end, my child with him was still lost because of my illness.

The baby became a pool of blood.

I cried so hard I could not say a complete sentence.

I lost him.

And I also lost the chance to ever become a mother.

And now, what was swollen high in my abdomen was not a child.

It was only more than ten pounds of malignant ascites that could never be fully drained.

But I could not say a single word of this.

I raised my head and forced out a smile.

Pregnancy... is indeed very hard.

I hope your child can be born safely and smoothly.

At that moment, my best friend Zoey came in carrying fruit, and when she saw Ethan and Susie, her face changed.

Her lips and teeth trembled several times before she roared one sentence at Ethan.

Fuck you. You and your mother are both shameless as hell!

Do you even know that Lily, Lily she...

Hearing her choked voice, my heart tightened sharply, and I propped myself up to sit. Zoey, I will tell them myself.

Zoey looked at me with red eyes, her lips trembling, but in the end, she still lowered her head, gritted her teeth hard, and swallowed all her words back down.

I slowly raised my head and looked at Ethan.

We had not seen each other in six years, and he had become much more mature than before.

The young man who once stayed up until his eyes were bloodshot for a project now wore a crisp suit, his brows and eyes cold, and every gesture carried the calm confidence of a successful man.

That was good.

He had finally become the person he wanted to be.

It was just that I probably would not be able to watch him much longer.

I looked greedily at his face, as if I wanted to carve his appearance into my mind bit by bit.

After this, I would never see him again.

But Ethan frowned under my gaze, and a trace of disgust flashed in his eyes.

Have you looked enough?

I withdrew my gaze, lowered my head, and gently stroked my high, swollen abdomen.

Under my palm was cold and heavy ascites.

But in my mind, another tiny life that had disappeared long ago surfaced.

That child only stayed in my body for a short few dozen days.

During that time, I secretly downloaded countless pregnancy apps.

Every day, I would look up which fruits I could eat, what things I had to avoid, when the baby would start moving, and how to sleep in late pregnancy...

Later, the child was gone.

But I never forgot that knowledge.

I gave a soft smile.

Okay. I will carefully teach you what to pay attention to during pregnancy.

Susies eyes immediately lit up.

She pulled Ethan to sit by the bed like a student listening carefully in class.

I suppressed the bitterness surging in my throat and said softly,

Do not overwork yourself in the first trimester, and do not stay up late.

Keep taking folic acid, keep your diet as light as possible, and eat less cold and raw food...

I paused, and my voice grew softer and softer.

A pregnant womans emotions are very important. Her family should spend more time with her.

Do not let her overthink alone.

I looked at Susies slightly swollen belly, and my nose stung.

After the baby is born, their stomach is very fragile for the first three months. Remember to burp the baby after feeding, do not make the bathwater too hot, and do not cover the baby with too many blankets at night...

These were things I had once imagined I would tell Ethan myself one day.

I would tell him how we should take care of our baby in the future.

But now, the person beside him was no longer me.

A scoff suddenly sounded in the hospital room.

Ethan leaned back in his chair and looked at me with a faint, mocking smile.

You sure know a lot.

Looks like you have given birth plenty of times these past few years.

The air instantly froze.

My fingertips tightened little by little.

He said coldly,

Since you have so much experience.

Let me ask you one more question.

He spoke slowly, his tone full of ridicule.

During pregnancy, can a couple still have sex?

My face instantly turned white.

I bit my lip hard, my nails almost digging into my palm, and I was so humiliated that I could not say a word.

Ethan looked at my pale face, and there was not the slightest warmth in his eyes.

What?

Should you not have the most say in this kind of question?

Or did none of your men teach you?

Every word was like a dull knife cutting my heart open inch by inch.

I lowered my head, tears spinning in my eyes, but they never fell.

After waiting a long time without getting my answer, Ethan gave a cold laugh.

Forget it.

Asking you only dirties Susies ears.

After he finished speaking, he reached out and pulled Susie into his arms, the movement natural and gentle.

Lets go.

The air here is bad. Do not let it affect the baby.

Susie looked back at me once, hesitant to speak, but in the end, she still followed him out of the hospital room.

The hospital room door slowly closed.

I stared blankly at their backs as they left hand in hand.

His hand was carefully protecting another girls belly.

That place had once belonged to me.

Tears rolled down without warning.

Although I had known for a long time that this day would come.

But when I saw it with my own eyes and heard it with my own ears, the man who once said he would stay with me for the rest of my life had already given all his tenderness to another girl.

My heart still hurt so bitterly that I could barely breathe.

Ethan messaged me and asked me to help Susie choose a postpartum care center.

The agreed time was nine in the morning.

For this meeting, I woke up at six in the morning.

Zoey washed my hair for me, carefully helped me put on my wig, and picked out the loosest cream-colored hoodie to cover my swollen belly.

She looked at my bloodless, pale face, and her nose stung.

Lily, why dont you just not go?

Your body right now...

I smiled and interrupted her.

I will go.

Did we not agree that I would go with them to look at postpartum care centers?

I looked up a lot of information. I can help at least a little.

Zoey lowered her head, and her eyes slowly reddened.

At eight thirty, she pushed my wheelchair and brought me downstairs to the hospital entrance.

But I waited until one in the afternoon.

Ethan never appeared.

I called him three times.

Every time, he hung up without mercy.

Zoey was so angry her eyes turned red.

What does he mean? He is clearly the one who asked you to meet!

Lily, lets go back. Do not wait anymore.

But I gently shook my head.

No.

I looked at the people coming and going at the hospital entrance and said softly,

Going out this time has already used up so much of my strength.

After this is over, I might... never be able to leave again.

Zoey abruptly turned her head and secretly wiped away her tears.

At two in the afternoon.

My phone finally vibrated.

On the other end of the call was Ethans cold voice.

Come down. We are here.

Zoey clenched her fists, furious enough to curse.

But I gently held her hand.

Zoey.

This is the last time.

She looked at me, and in the end, she still forced all her anger down.

The car door opened.

As soon as I sat in the back seat, Susie turned around and smiled at me.

Sorry, Ms. Bennett.

Ethan kept me up too late last night.

She blushed and laughed softly.

I could not get out of bed this morning, so I made you wait so long.

My fingers curled slightly.

Before I could say anything.

Ethan, who was putting the wheelchair away from the drivers seat, glanced at me lightly through the rearview mirror.

Why explain that to her?

If she is willing to wait, let her wait.

The car suddenly fell silent.

Zoeys face turned ashen, and just as she was about to speak, I gently pulled her back.

I only waved at her through the car window as she stood by the road.

Go back.

Zoey gritted her teeth as tears kept falling.

Call me when it is over.

I nodded.

The car slowly drove away from the hospital.

Along the way, Ethan drove very fast.

He pressed hard on the gas, and he did not slow down when turning.

My body was thrown against the car door again and again, and my large belly filled with ascites throbbed dully with pain while my stomach churned violently.

I gripped the seat belt tightly, and a layer of cold sweat soon formed on my forehead.

But suddenly, many years ago appeared before my eyes.

Back then, Ethan had just gotten his drivers license.

He was so excited that for an entire week, he insisted on taking me out for drives.

Knowing I got carsick, he would prepare orange candy and motion sickness patches in advance.

Every time he started or braked, he did it so gently that I could barely feel it.

He said,

My Lily is delicate. It hurts me even if she bumps into something.

For many years after that.

I would get carsick on buses, and I would get carsick in taxis.

Only when I sat in his car did I never feel uncomfortable.

Screech

A sharp braking sound suddenly rang out.

My body slammed hard against the seatback.

A violent cramping pain shot through my abdomen.

I covered my mouth and could not help letting out a suppressed groan.

Ethan looked at me through the rearview mirror and suddenly scoffed.

What?

You do not still think I will take care of you like before, do you?

Try not to drive fast, not brake suddenly, and not make you carsick?

I slowly closed my eyes and swallowed the bloody sweetness in my throat bit by bit.

After a long while, I finally spoke softly.

No.

The person you should take care of now is Susie.

She is pregnant with your baby. She cannot be frightened.

A cold curve lifted at the corner of Ethans lips.

At least you know your place.

After he said that, he once again pressed heavily on the gas.

The car suddenly shot forward.

My body slammed back against the seat again.

My back hurt as if it were splitting open.

But I slowly smiled.

This was good.

He was still willing to hate me.

Hate was better than forgetting.

At least while I was still alive.

In Ethans heart, I was not a complete stranger yet.

After that, I did not feel sick for long before we arrived at our destination.

When I got out of the car, Ethan carried me.

When I fell into his arms again, for one instant, I almost could not hold back my tears.

But fortunately, after Ethan quickly carried me out of the car, he immediately placed me in the wheelchair.

He even seemed disgusted by me, and after putting me in the wheelchair, he urgently asked Susie for two wet wipes and wiped his hands desperately.

Susie also stood to the side and awkwardly explained to me.

Sorry, Lily. Ethan is a clean freak. Other than me, if any woman touches him, he feels disgusted.

Looking at Ethans actions, I lowered my head and pressed my lips together, pretending I had not seen what he did and had not heard Susies words.

After that, I let Ethan and Susie hold hands while pushing me into a postpartum care center.

As soon as we walked into the lobby, a staff member greeted us warmly.

Mr. Reed, Mrs. Reed, welcome. Thank you for coming to visit.

This way, please. We will first show you the recovery area for mothers, then the newborn care room.

Ethan nodded.

Susie happily held his arm.

And I silently followed behind them.

Along the way, the staff member kept explaining.

We offer twenty-four-hour one-on-one care here.

Newborn baths, baby massage, jaundice monitoring, and postpartum nutrition meals will all be handled by a professional team.

After the baby is born, the father can also learn how to take care of the child with us.

Listening to the staff members words.

My heart felt bitter.

Because I had looked all of this up back then.

I had even bought a thick copy of a newborn care handbook.

But later, that book was never opened again.

The staff member led us into a model room.

Inside the room were a crib, tiny clothes, and all kinds of bottles and toys.

The staff member smiled and said,

Mrs. Reed, you can experience the environment for your postpartum recovery in advance.

Susie nodded with a face full of happiness.

Ethan suddenly said, I am going to the restroom.

After that, Ethan did not look at me again, nor did he look at Susie. He turned and walked toward the restroom.

And as I looked at his back, waves of bitterness rose in my heart again.

So.

Had I messed up again?

Guilt spread through my chest.

But Susie, who was sitting across from me, directly picked up a cup of hot water and suddenly splashed it onto my face.

You fake little bitch, do you think I am stupid?

You keep pretending to be pitiful again and again to seduce my fianc.

The cheek Susie splashed with hot water began to ache.

But I only clenched my palm tightly.

Then I said guiltily,

I am sorry.

If I made you misunderstand, I apologize.

Susie only stood up with a mocking laugh.

After that, she walked over and slapped me across the face.

Do you think that by acting like you are about to die, you can make Ethan change his mind?

I am telling you, Ethan will be mine for the rest of his life.

Do not think you can take him away just because you were his first love.

My cheek hurt and went numb from Susies slap.

I could endure her splashing water on me.

After all, I was shamelessly clinging to Ethans tenderness.

But she could not hit me.

So without thinking, I pushed her away.

Susie, if you dare lay a hand on me again, I will call the police.

But the moment my words fell.

For some reason, Susie suddenly fell to the ground.

Then she suddenly began to wail.

Ow, my stomach.

Help! Someone is attacking a pregnant woman.

I looked at her lying on the ground and stared at my own hands in disbelief.

After all, I had been sick for six years.

Even putting on clothes exhausted me.

Sometimes I could not even hold a cup of water steadily.

I did not have the strength to push Susie down at all.

When I pushed her just now, it had only been to stop her from hitting me again.

But who would have known.

Susie suddenly lay down on the ground.

And just when I was at a loss.

Ethan suddenly appeared in the lobby.

When he saw Susie lying on the ground.

He rushed toward Susie anxiously.

Susie, Susie, how are you?

Susie immediately started crying.

Crying, she gripped Ethans collar tightly.

Ethan, save me. Save the baby in my belly.

She wants to kill me.

As soon as you left, she started insulting me, saying you were trash she did not want, and that whenever she wanted you back, you would shamelessly crawl back to beg her.

I could not hold it in. I could not hold it in, so I splashed a cup of water on her.

But who knew she would get even angrier and start cursing at me, calling me a vicious fake bitch and saying I am a slut who only picks up men she threw away.

I could not hold back, so I slapped her.

After that, she angrily pushed me away.

You know I am pregnant, and my health is not good. I cannot take even the slightest bump.

Listening to Susies words.

I froze in shock where I was.

My lips and teeth trembled several times before I could speak.

Ethan, listen to me. It was not like that.

I... I really did not.

But who knew.

Ethan erupted in a furious roar.

Lily, how can you be so vicious?

As he spoke.

He walked over and angrily kicked me hard.

My head slammed heavily into the corner of the display cabinet.

Blood instantly surged out.

My head buzzed.

Even my body was trembling.

But Ethan did not look at me once.

He only anxiously picked Susie up.

As Susie cried, he anxiously kissed the corner of her lips.

It is okay, baby. It is okay. Do not cry.

I will take you to the hospital right now.

After that.

He did not look at me again.

He turned and carried Susie toward the door.

And I looked at Susies provocative smile.

And Ethans back.

Suddenly, I laughed.

I laughed until tears flowed out.

This also made me think of the year we were eighteen.

A man on the bus had harassed me and grabbed my butt.

Back then, Ethan was still an impulsive young guy.

Furious, he grabbed that man, who was a head taller than him and much stronger than him.

Like an enraged beast.

He punched that mans face again and again.

You worthless piece of trash. How dare you touch my woman?

I am going to beat you to death.

At that time, all the passengers on the bus were frightened.

Only I cried as I held Ethans arm tightly.

I begged him.

I cried and told him to stop, and only then did Ethan stop.

Before, Ethans woman was me.

So he would protect me with his life.

Now, the person in Ethans heart had become another woman.

So he would protect her with his life.

Even if the person he hit was me.

My heart hurt so badly it trembled.

The staff members around the postpartum care center gradually gathered around too.

After that, the police came.

The moment I saw the police appear.

My strength suddenly drained away.

I gripped the officers hand tightly and said,

Tell my family not to pursue this.

This was all my own choice.

My heart felt bitter.

But for some reason.

I had no regrets anymore.

After all, I had fought cancer for seven years.

And I had waited for seven years.

My greatest dream was just to see Ethan once.

I saw him, so my dream came true.

I could die smiling now.