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My Sister and I Had My Husband's Baby on the Same Day

Novelix Completed

追妻火葬场、追悔莫及、打脸、背叛、怀孕、出轨、聪明的、伴侣、大女主、女性力量/大女主、剧情/戏剧、现代/都市

Chapters (3)

第1章

My due date came early. My husband Stellan Draven wasn't picking up. Again. I took a cab to his hospital. The driver tried to talk me out of it—too far, too across town. I told him my family worked there. I needed them. Ten hours in labor before Stellan showed up. "Ariadne's in labor too. I have to do her C-section. A resident will help you." Ariadne. My parents' adopted daughter. I grabbed his sleeve. "Stellan, I'm your wife." He pulled away. "That's exactly why I can't stay. People will talk." Then my parents walked in and held me down. "Ariadne's baby is Stellan's. He kept it from you to protect your pregnancy. Just let him deliver his own child." I stared up at the surgical light. Everything went white. Then a tiny body was pressed into my arms. I held her close. Pressed my lips to her wrinkled little face. "It's just you and me now, baby. We don't need any of them." ... I came out of the delivery room. No flowers. No hugs. No family. Just my phone screen, lit up with a new message from my mother, Vivienne Kane: [Odessa, your father and I won't be coming by. We don't want people at the hospital talking about special treatment.] A couple of nurses walked past me, chatting. Their voices drifted over. "Miss Moreau had her baby today too. Mrs. Kane sent out a hospital-wide email telling everyone to look after her." "And she had two huge bouquets of white roses delivered to the room. Heard they were flown in from Holland." "She's not even their real daughter, but they treat her better than one." I closed my eyes slowly. This hurt worse than labor. The head nurse recognized me and called Stellan. "Dr. Draven, don't worry—I'll make sure your wife gets a private room." His voice came through the receiver. Cold. Measured. "Just follow hospital policy. Put her wherever she's supposed to go. Don't bend the rules for me." "It's not fair for her to get special treatment while everyone else deals with less." I nearly died giving him this child. And he kicked me aside like garbage. I pressed my face against Evelyn's hot little cheek. Tears ran down without a sound. After a whole runaround, I ended up on a temporary cot at the end of a hallway. Fluorescent lights buzzing overhead. Carts rattling past. Visitors talking too loud. Stellan came striding by my cot in his white coat, chart tucked under his arm. Evelyn started crying. A tiny sound, weak, like a kitten. His step faltered for just a second. But he didn't stop. He kept walking. The interns trailing behind him whispered to each other: "Why's Dr. Draven in such a rush today?" "Duh. I heard Mrs. Draven's waiting for him in the VIP suite. He went to the director himself to get that room." But I was right here. Curled up on this cot so narrow I couldn't even turn over. So who were they calling Mrs. Draven? Ariadne? For her, the proud, untouchable Stellan Draven actually went and begged. The stitches on my lower belly seeped blood. A sharp sting cut through me. I couldn't let myself keep thinking. Evelyn was still crying in my arms. She was hungry. But I needed to eat before my milk would come in. I asked a passing nurse if she could get me a meal. Forty minutes later she came back and handed me a paper bag. Two slices of dry bread inside. No butter. No jam. She wouldn't meet my eyes. Talked fast. "Dr. Draven said the hospital meal plan is the same for every new mother. He doesn't want you getting anything extra." I took the bag. Didn't say a word. I picked up my phone. Scrolled down, numb. Ariadne had posted five minutes ago: [Hubby personally planned out my meal prep. I have to finish every bite or he'll be upset. Getting my happy weight on~ ] The photo showed a beautiful tray. Pan-seared salmon. Asparagus. Quinoa salad. A bowl of creamy butternut squash soup. Her son was asleep in an expensive bassinet, wrapped in a cashmere swaddle, cheeks pink and healthy. And my daughter lay in my arms, on top of old sheets dug out of some hospital storage room, her face already flushed an angry purple-red. So Stellan's "avoiding favoritism" only ever applied to me. Fine. Let them treat me like nothing. But now my child was getting the same treatment. I was done with this family.

第2章

Evelyn kept sucking on her tiny fist, whimpering—soft, fast, desperate little sounds. I bit into the dry bread. The crumbs scraped down my throat like swallowing broken glass. My eyes burned. I choked it down with cold water, mouthful by mouthful. My stomach bloated up, sour and heavy. But still no milk. Not a drop. Evelyn squirmed in my arms. Her crying got weaker. Her little face scrunched tight. The old woman in the next bed sat up and held out a plastic bowl. Warm oatmeal porridge. "Try giving her a little of this, sweetheart." The wrinkles around her eyes were full of kindness. I choked back the lump in my throat and whispered a thank you. "Where's her father? Why isn't he here helping you?" I looked down. Didn't answer. I couldn't say it. Her father was at the end of the hallway, in that VIP suite, holding someone else's baby. I blew on the oatmeal over and over, tested the temperature with my lips, then carefully brought it to Evelyn's mouth. "You can't feed her that." Stellan appeared out of nowhere and knocked the bowl out of my hand. The oatmeal splashed across my leg. I flinched, yanking my arm back from the heat. He looked down at the mess on the floor, voice sharp with impatience. "She's two days old. You really don't know she can't digest this stuff?" I clenched my teeth and pulled Evelyn further away, shielding her from the splatter. Stellan clicked his tongue. "Are you really so helpless you can't even hold a bowl?" That look in his eyes—he thought I was putting on an act. Playing the victim. I lifted my head. Pushed the tears back down. Asked one question. "Then what am I supposed to do?" "She's hungry. All I had was a few pieces of bread. I don't have a single drop of milk." He frowned. "Are you blaming me for that?" "You didn't keep up with your nutrition during the pregnancy. What's the point of bringing it up now?" Like I didn't want to eat. I couldn't. The morning sickness was so bad I threw up everything I swallowed. I thought he knew that. After all, he'd kept a thick pregnancy journal. Recorded my vitals every single day. I used to treat that notebook like a gift. Flipped through it over and over. So happy I couldn't sleep. Now I understood. The entries that never matched up with me—they were never about me. He'd been tracking Ariadne the whole time. The tears just fell. Stellan froze for a second. His lips pressed tight. Then finally, his tone softened a little. He reached out and wiped the tears off my face, clumsy, almost awkward. "There are too many eyes in this hospital. I can't treat you differently. People will talk." "I'll go get you some formula. But just this once." He was gone a few minutes. Came back with an old baby bottle. The plastic had yellowed. There were scratch marks along the rim. "Ariadne mixed it herself. Go ahead." I had no other choice. I tested the temperature on the inside of my wrist, then gently slipped the nipple into Evelyn's mouth. She sucked hard, twice—then burst into a wail. Milky foam spilled from the corners of her mouth. A sour, rancid smell hit me in the face. I scrambled to wipe her mouth, my heart clenching like someone had it in a fist. Stellan stood there. Rubbed the bridge of his nose. His voice was light. Casual. "Ariadne probably just made a mistake. She didn't mean to." "Besides, babies aren't as fragile as you think. Don't overreact." Before he even finished, Ariadne's soft voice floated over from the VIP room next door. "Stellan? The baby won't take his bottle all of a sudden. Can you come look?" He left immediately. Already dialing as he walked. "VIP, third floor. Get up here. Now." Avoiding favoritism. Hospital rules. No special treatment. All of it shattered. Right there. Right then. I lowered my head and pressed Evelyn's burning little face against my chest. She was still crying. But barely. The old woman came over. Patted my shoulder gently. Let out a long sigh. "Sweetheart, a man like that—you gotta let him go." I nodded. "Yeah. I'm done."

第3章

A kind nurse brought over a bottle of formula. Evelyn drank it all in one go. Finally closed her eyes. Fell asleep. But less than an hour later, some guy down the hallway was yelling into his phone and woke her up. She started crying again. Face red. Arms flailing. I had no choice. I picked her up, dragged my aching body down the hall, and found Stellan's office. "I want to request a room." "Denied." He was flipping through charts. Didn't even look up. "Everyone in this hospital is watching me. I can't abuse my position to get you a room." I stepped back. "Then can Evelyn and I just rest here in your office for a bit? Nobody can see us in here." Stellan finally looked up. His eyes were tired. Almost cold. "If you and the baby are in here, how am I supposed to work?" I'd known him for years—he was a total workaholic. Every text I sent him, he'd reply with a single "1." Meaning "got it." I thought he was like that with everyone. Then his phone rang. Ariadne. He picked up before the first ring even finished. His voice went soft. Like a completely different person. "Hey, don't panic. I showed you how to burp him, remember?" "Yeah, gentle, from the bottom up. It's okay. Babies cry. That's normal." He paused. Then added, low and quiet: "Work's not as important as you." So he could be gentle. So he could teach someone how to burp a baby. But Evelyn—since the moment she was born—he hadn't held her. Not once. I grabbed his sleeve. "Stellan. I just need you to answer one thing." "Why does Ariadne get the VIP room while Evelyn and I are stuck in the hallway?" He looked down at me. The coldness in his eyes made me take half a step back. "You really don't know why?" "Seven years ago. Winter. You pushed her into a pool." "She's been coughing blood every winter since. Her health never recovered." "Without me there, she wouldn't have even made it off the operating table." "Odessa, do you really hate seeing her happy that much?" My mouth hung open. Not a single word came out. I'd explained this so many times. I didn't push her. I never touched her. But they only believed Ariadne's tears. Convicted me without a second thought. Stellan didn't wait for my answer. The corner of his mouth twitched. "This is probably the biggest difference between you and Ariadne." "If you were doing well, she'd be happy for you." "But you? You're always making a scene. Never satisfied. Always jealous like a lunatic." I shook my head, tears in my eyes. Reached for him. Grabbed at nothing. He was the one who'd pulled me close by the waist. Whispered in my ear that he wanted a baby. I thought that was our fresh start. Turns out that was the last echo of anything tender. I held Evelyn tight. Said it quietly. "If I'm that awful, I'll stop bothering you." "Stellan. Let's get a divorce." His back seemed to stiffen. Just for a second. But maybe it was just the light playing tricks. Maybe I imagined it. He'd probably been waiting for me to say it. Probably relieved. I'd been standing too long. The stitches on my belly started seeping again. Pain pulsing through me. I gripped the edge of the desk. Steadied myself for a few seconds. Then pulled open the door and walked out. A young nurse was standing right outside, phone in hand, like she'd just finished a call. "Miss Odessa, Dr. Draven asked me to take you to a new room to rest." She glanced at me. Then added, quiet: "What's your relationship with Dr. Draven, if you don't mind me asking?" "I heard he traded his vacation days with another doctor to get you this room." I pressed my lips together. "Just friends." Finally. A quiet place to lie down. Evelyn calmed against my chest. Her eyelids drooped shut again. I patted her back. Slow. Steady. Over and over. But gradually, I noticed something. The warmth under my palm—it didn't feel right.