Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

Ethan gently stroked the back of my hand, his eyes red and tired, looking at me with a mix of helplessness and exhaustion.

"Babe, I miss you so much! I can't believe you don't miss me at all."

I thought to myself, 'Of course, I do!'

Every time I thought of Ethan, it broke my heart and kept me up at night. So, I buried those feelings deep down. I threw myself into work, pretending I didn't need love.

Then, he showed up when I was at my lowest. This reunion felt like our first meeting all over again. He pulled me out of my despair, giving me warmth and hope.

When Ethan appeared, all my buried feelings came rushing back. I thought I had trained myself to act indifferent, but I was wrong. One simple sentence from him had me in tears. Ethan gently wiped them away, his eyes full of pain.

"Babe, don't cry! I've heard crying is bad for postpartum women's eyes. Let go of the knots in your heart for now. You're still very weak; let's talk about everything after you recover."

His deep, loving gaze was like a whirlpool, shaking my resolve.

It felt like if I looked any longer, I'd willingly fall into it.

I quickly looked away and shook my head gently. "I don't want to talk anymore. I don't want to go back to the way things were. The emotional entanglements between the three of us are too exhausting. I'm stepping out; please let me go." Ethan sighed softly, glancing at the two kids in the small bed beside us.

"So, do you want the kids to have no dad or mom?"

His words hit me hard. Reality was so cruel. I wanted to cut ties quickly, but I couldn't because we had kids together.

I didn't know if the kids sensed my sadness and conflict, but they suddenly started crying. One cried, and the other immediately followed.

Maybe it was a mother's instinct, but as soon as they cried, I got nervous and tried to get up. A sharp pain in my abdomen made me gasp, and Ethan pressed my shoulder down.

"Don't move. You had a C-section; there's a wound on your belly."

I reached for my abdomen. The once swollen belly was now flat, wrapped in thick bandages.

Weren't they only able to save one? Was all that talk just a dream? Was his worry, his warm touch, all just a dream?

Ethan got up and went over, his tall frame bending as he gently patted them. The look in his eyes as he gazed at the children was full of fatherly love.

Only when they stopped crying and slowly fell asleep did he sit back down.

"You were on the brink of life and death. Later, the top obstetricians in all of Seabreeze Harbor came together. They discussed a plan and performed a C-section on you." At this point, he seemed to choke up, his eyes turning red again. "Babe, I was so scared you wouldn't wake up. It's such a relief to be able to talk to you now." His voice was hoarse, and my heart was already aching terribly.

I admitted I had always been a sentimental person. It was just who I was, and no matter how much I changed, that part of me stayed the same.

I also admitted that I loved him, no matter how much pain he had caused me, no matter how long we had been apart; that love had never faded.

Ethan looked at me again and sighed deeply. "Babe, let me take care of you and be the husband and father I should be."

As a husband, he had mostly done well. I never denied that. Maybe he was never meant to be mine, so receiving his goodness felt like greed and sin, and God wanted to punish me with more pain. Just then, the door to the hospital room was suddenly kicked open.

A woman's pleading voice came from the doorway. "Faris, it hurts. Please spare me, Faris."

Faris grabbed the woman's hair, pushing her in while closing the door, shutting out the prying eyes outside.

The woman's wine-red hair was a mess, covering her face as she kept begging for mercy.

In front of my bed, Faris kicked her, and she fell to her knees with a thud.

Faris yanked her hair back, forcing her to lift her head and reveal her face.

Even without seeing her face, I knew it was Melissa.

Ethan raised the head of my bed a bit, lifting my upper body so I was half-sitting.

"Emily, I'm sorry; I was wrong. Please ask Faris to spare me. I'm sorry."

Melissa usually cared a lot about her appearance, always touching up her makeup. But now her makeup was smeared, her hair stuck messily to her tear-streaked face, looking as wretched as possible. She kept begging me, but I just looked at her coldly.

I had long known she was behind this. I hadn't offended anyone in Seabreeze Harbor. Although my career's rise probably displeased some peers, only she showed her displeasure openly. Only she was young and impulsive enough to use such childish means as splashing red paint to vent her anger.

"Do you have a knife?" I asked Faris.

He looked at me, slightly stunned, not understanding.

I looked at Melissa and said coldly, "Get me a knife. I want to kill this woman. Then I'll say sorry in front of her tombstone."

Melissa was terrified, incoherently begging me. "Emily, please spare me this time."

Faris yanked her hair with a fierce look on his face. "Normally, I don't hit women, but I don't mind dealing with you."

With that, he slapped her face hard and repeatedly.

After a few slaps, Melissa's face was swollen.

She covered her face with her hands. "Faris, stop hitting me. I was wrong."

Honestly, those slaps didn't satisfy my anger. If I had a knife, I might really stab her.

Looking back, if Ethan hadn't arrived in time, the kids, Dakato, and I might not have survived.

I asked, "Fine, no more hitting. Now tell me, how did you bribe them? What did you tell them? To kill me and my unborn child?"

Melissa quickly shook her head, guiltily saying, "No, I just wanted them to teach you a lesson."

I snorted coldly. "Why? Just because we're competitors? You think you can lose your humanity over money and benefits?"

Melissa glanced guiltily at Faris, then lowered her head and whispered, "Because I couldn't stand that Faris would be interested in you, and that you were carrying his child. I couldn't stand it." Instinctively, I glanced at Ethan standing by the window. He showed no obvious reaction to Melissa's words.

Maybe he didn't believe it, or maybe he didn't care?

After speaking, Melissa mustered the courage to look at Faris. "Faris, I've always liked you. You know that I've confessed to you many times. I can't understand what does she have that I don't? I really can't understand." I coldly said, "Then you can think it over in jail."

Melissa looked up in horror, crawling on her knees to my bedside, grabbing my hand.

"I don't want to go to jail, Emily. I really don't want to go to jail. I'm still so young, and I can't go to jail. Please, spare me."

I coldly shook off her hand, not wanting to look at her any longer.

"A murderer is wrong the moment they raise the knife. Melissa, you're an adult, young and successful. You ruined yourself with your own hands. You can't blame anyone else. When you do something wrong, you have to pay the price." Just then, there was a knock on the door.

Faris walked over and opened it. Several police officers stood at the door.

They walked straight to Melissa, showing a police badge.

"We suspect you of intentional harm. Please come with us."

Melissa had no room to argue. As she left with the officers, she gave Faris one last regretful look.

Watching Melissa, I thought of Faye.

Both were young and beautiful, both acted impulsively without considering the consequences. This was probably a detour everyone must take.

The remaining officers took my statement before leaving.

After all the commotion, the two kids had woken up.

Just then, a nurse came in to say it was time for the kids to get their vaccinations.

Ethan picked up one child, and Faris went to pick up the other.

"Come here, let Dad hold you!" he must have said it to annoy Ethan.

But the child in Faris's arms suddenly started crying.

Ethan calmly said, "Blood ties are instinctual."

Faris snorted dismissively. "Such a young child, instinct? If you're so capable, you hold him."

Ethan put down the child he was holding and took the other from Faris. Sure enough, the child stopped crying.

Ethan glanced at Faris, seemingly quite pleased with himself.

Faris was frustrated and immediately went to pick up the other child.

This time, the child didn't cry in Faris's arms.

To save face, Faris said, "Daughters are more obedient; sons are too naughty."

Ethan took a few steps with the child, then stopped and looked back at him. "You're holding my son right now."

Faris was stunned. "Bullshit."

He didn't believe it and checked, muttering, "Isn't the son supposed to wear blue and the daughter pink? How did you mix it up?" Ethan's lips curled slightly, quite pleased with himself. "They're my kids; I do what I like."

Faris was left speechless, watching as the child in his arms started to cry again.

He pointed at my son threateningly. "Son, don't you dare cry. Real men don't shed tears. Show me some respect."

Not only did my son cry, but he cried loudly.

Faris was exasperated, glaring at Ethan's back as he walked out with my daughter.

"Ethan, what kind of genes did you pass on? So prone to crying."

Ethan didn't look back, calmly saying, "Smart, loyal, and not easily tempted genes."

They left, bickering all the way.

This little episode surprisingly lifted a lot of the gloom in my heart.

They hadn't returned yet, and I couldn't resist the sleepiness and fell asleep.

When I woke up groggily, I vaguely heard voices.

I opened my eyes. The room was empty, and the voices were coming from the balcony.

"You should go see Dakato," Ethan said.