Stolen Babies: My Wife's Six Lies

After my wife's sixth pregnancy ends in another stillbirth, I am so devastated that I lose over 20 pounds. Hannah Leywood is weak herself, but she stays by my side day and night, telling everyone she is simply unlucky and can't keep her children. I go to the county records office to get a death certificate for our sixth child, but I find Hannah and my adoptive brother, Cody Shale, there with a baby in a stroller. They are registering the child together. The clerk checks the records and smiles. "Six kids? You two really love having babies." Hannah expertly mixes a bottle of formula. "My husband loves kids, and we can afford to raise them. We'll take care of whatever expenses that come with it." My mom, Pamela Kent, holds a pair of twins and speaks softly. "Thank goodness Alan never complains and can handle anything. He takes care of you after all six pregnancies. "Cody has always been in poor health and can't have children of his own. Alan has to make this sacrifice." My older sister, Margot Shale, holds a young boy in each hand. Her voice is icy. "What sacrifice? Alan was the one who pushed Cody into a frozen lake and left him unable to have children. "These six kids are how he repays Cody." My best friend, Fred Lowe, nods as he ties the oldest boy's shoelaces. "Besides, Alan's marriage to Hannah is a lie. If those six kids are raised as his, they're illegitimate. "Cody is much better suited to be their dad." A chill runs through my entire body. The babies are alive. For eight years, I had grieved six dead children and gone gray at the temples, only to finally realize that they had used me to give Cody the family he wanted. Hatred consumes me, and the system that has been silent for so long finally speaks. [Six children registered under the host have been confirmed alive. The reproduction mission is complete.] [Do you wish to leave this world?] Chapter 1 Alan's POV "Why is that man crying?" A child's voice rang out. Everyone turned to see who the oldest boy was pointing at. The moment they saw me, their smiles vanished. Hannah Leywood was the first to react. She hurriedly pulled all six children behind her and looked at me in panic. She stammered, "A-Alan…" I stared at the little faces peeking out from behind her, and tears immediately filled my eyes. "They're my children, aren't they?" I asked. Hannah couldn't bring herself to meet my eyes. Her gaze was troubled. "They're your flesh and blood, but they're not your children. Cody is their father." "How can you say that?" A pain shot through my lower back. "I took care of you through every pregnancy until I made myself sick! How can you expect them to call someone else their father?" With trembling hands, I pulled the lucky charm from around my neck and held it out to the oldest boy, my eyes full of hope. "Shawn, you moved so much when your mom was pregnant with you," I said. "I was afraid something would happen to you, so I went and got this for you. "I used to talk to you every day when you were in your mom's belly. Do you remember?" I took a few careful steps toward him. Before I could get closer, a toy car slammed into my forehead. Its sharp edge split my brow, and blood ran into my eye. Shawn Leywood clung to Cody Shale's leg, glaring at me with fear and hostility. "You're not my daddy. You're a bad man who takes children away!" The other children copied him and started throwing whatever they could grab at me. "Enough!" Hannah stopped them and reached over to wipe the blood from my forehead. "Alan, they're still young. Don't scare them." I grabbed her wrist, digging my nails into her skin. "Why did you lie to me? Why did you tell me every time that the baby had been stillborn?" Every time Hannah got pregnant, I dropped everything to take care of her. Yet, every time she gave birth, I waited outside the delivery room only to hear that we had lost the baby. They told me everything had already been taken care of because they were afraid I'd be devastated. I went through the agony of losing a child six times in eight years. Each time, it tore me apart a little more. Meanwhile, Cody was the one getting to enjoy a life with my children. Hannah opened her mouth to speak. Before she could say anything, my older sister, Margot Shale, spoke up. Her tone was full of accusation. "Why else? Because you deserve to pay for what you did! You pushed Cody into a freezing lake at your birthday party just because he was wearing the same outfit as you. "You left him unable to have children. These six kids are what you owe him." I owed him? Chapter 2 Alan's POV Cody was the one who pushed me first. He fell into the lake himself, then blamed me. I had no way to prove my innocence back then, and no one believed me now. My mom, Pamela Kent, rushed over and tried to calm me down. "What's done is done. Just think of the children as gone. "You got through it the last few times. You can get through it this time too." With one offhand remark, she brushed aside the pain of losing six children over eight years. I stared at the youngest child in Cody's arms and screamed, "No! They're my children. I watched Hannah carry them to full term and was there through every birth. They can only be my children! "I'm taking all of them, not just the youngest." I lunged forward and reached for the baby. The other five children scrambled behind the adults, crying in fear. In the chaos, a sharp slap rang out. The blow snapped my head to the side, and it felt as if half my face was burning. Fred Lowe, my best friend, had hit me. He stared at me with pain and bitter disappointment. "Alan, you're being selfish. Cody gave up the woman he loved and let you have her for eight years because he didn't want to upset you. "It's one thing to be ungrateful, but now you're trying to take his kids too? Do you have no conscience?" As he spoke, he pulled two marriage certificates from his bag and threw them at my feet. "Take a good look. Cody is Hannah's legal husband! The kids belong with him. That makes them legitimate children of the Leywood family. "If you take them away, do you want them to spend their whole lives as illegitimate children?" Trembling, I lowered my head and stared at the date printed in the bottom corner of the certificates. It was August 16—the anniversary of my first child's death. That was the day I clutched my baby's clothes and cried until I thought I would break, wishing I could follow my child in death. And on that same day, the woman I loved married another man. A metallic taste rose in my throat, and I suddenly spat out blood. Chapter 3 Alan's POV Before I slipped into darkness, I woke the system. "Confirm my departure. I want to leave this world forever!" I said. [Departure route activated. Host, you must die and leave this world within 48 hours.] The system's cold, robotic voice woke me up. When I opened my eyes, I saw a huge family portrait hanging on the wall across from me. Cody stood in the center in a sharp suit, surrounded by all of the Leywood family's relatives and friends. Hannah was by his side. So they had already celebrated Hannah's wedding. I just wasn't the groom. I slowly turned my head and looked around. The watch Margot gave me hung in the closet, covered in scratches. On the bookshelf sat the trophy my friends and I won at a basketball tournament, but the name "Alan" had been scratched off and replaced with "Cody". This house had been Mom's gift to me when I turned 18, but now it was Cody and Hannah's home. Everything here still showed signs of my life, yet someone else had taken over every part of it. Just then, the door opened. Hannah walked in carrying a bowl of warm soup. "You're still recovering. Don't get too worked up," she said. She scooped up a spoonful of soup and held it to my lips. I turned away. My voice was hoarse as I said, "The kids…" Hannah sighed, speaking to me as though she were doing me a favor. "Cody feels sorry for you, so he's letting you see the kids once a year. But know your place. Don't talk about being their biological father again. You're just their uncle." My chest felt tight, and I struggled to breathe past the ache. But this was my only chance to spend time with the kids before I left this world. I pushed down my grief and nodded. After washing up, I went downstairs. Five of the children sat in a row on the couch. The moment I saw them, tears welled up in my eyes. I swallowed the lump in my throat and asked carefully, "I'll make you something to eat, okay?" Shawn stared at me for a moment, then said quietly, "I want fish sticks." Even such a simple request filled me with a small, desperate sense of happiness. I quickly nodded. "Alright. I'll make it for you right now." I turned and walked into the kitchen, then heated some oil in a pan. The oil grew hotter, sizzling as I held the fish sticks over the pan. Suddenly, one of the children rushed up behind me and knocked over the pan of scalding hot oil! The hot liquid spilled all over my forearm. Blisters formed across my skin at once. The pain made me shake so badly that I could barely stay on my feet. Hannah rushed in at the sound, and she immediately pulled the kids out of the kitchen. Then she turned to me with anger in her eyes. "How could you be so careless? What if you hurt the kids?" Cody followed close behind, looking just worried enough. He pretended to give Shawn a few light swats on his palm. "Did you hurt Uncle Alan because you were being naughty? Is this how I taught you to behave?" Cody gave Shawn a push. "Go apologize to Uncle Alan." Tears welled up in Shawn's eyes. "But Uncle Alan was going to make fish sticks for us." The other kids began shouting too. "Uncle Alan is a bad man. He's trying to poison us!" Mom strode over, her expression dark. "They're allergic to fish, and you still made it for them on purpose," she said. "Alan, would you really hurt even children?" She turned and pulled Shawn into her arms, then unwrapped a piece of candy for him. "You did the right thing, Shawn. If someone tries to hurt you again, fight back just like you did." Shawn popped the candy into his mouth and smiled at me smugly. Hannah looked at my injured arm for a moment and rubbed her forehead. "Alan, go back to your room for now," she said. "They've grown up with Cody, so it's only normal for them to be wary of someone they don't know. "Take it slow. You still have plenty of time." I looked at the children gathered around Cody, and my chest ached. The system's voice spoke up softly in my head. [32 hours remaining until your departure.] I whispered, "There isn't enough time." "What did you say?" Hannah didn't hear me. I shook my head and walked away without explaining. A little while later, Hannah came in with a first-aid kit and treated the burn on my arm. Her touch was gentle and careful. For a moment, I almost thought we were back in the first few years of our relationship. But moments later, her detached voice shattered the illusion I had been holding onto. "Don't blame Cody. Taking care of the kids isn't easy. He barely has a life of his own and spends every day looking after them. "Besides, you never had to go through pregnancy or childbirth. No matter how many times you were hurt, your pain was only temporary. "You won't understand how hard Cody works day after day." The past eight years flashed through my mind. I had helped Hannah prepare for each pregnancy, staying by her side through each one. I waited outside the delivery room all night and suffered the loss of our children again and again. I had wanted those children with all my heart, but Cody took them away from me for eight years. And now I was supposed to feel sorry for how hard he had it? I closed my eyes, swallowed my emotions, and said calmly, "Hannah, let's end this." Chapter 4 Alan's POV Hannah frowned, clearly annoyed. "I only married Cody so we could get the kids registered. Once the youngest is officially listed under his name, I'll divorce him. "Don't say things like that just because you're upset." The moment she finished speaking, her phone rang. As soon as she answered, Mom's anxious voice came through. "Cody has a fever. Get him to a hospital, quickly!" Hannah's face fell. She turned around and hurried out. The bedroom fell silent again. Exhausted in every way, I drifted off to sleep until thick smoke choked me awake. At some point, the room was engulfed in flames. I felt a jolt of panic and rushed to save the children, only to find the door locked from the outside. I pounded on the door and pleaded for help. "Open the door! Help me! I'm still trapped in here!" Then I faintly heard the children outside. Shawn sounded excited. "Daddy said if we burn the evil man to death, he'll take us to the theme park!" Another young boy started clapping happily. "Make the fire bigger, Shawn! The evil man isn't dead yet!" I was pressed against the burning-hot door, yet a chill ran through me. I stopped pounding on the door and sank against the wall. My breathing grew harder as despair took over. Just as I was about to pass out, the door was kicked open. Hannah rushed in with a fire extinguisher. "Alan, stay awake! I'm getting you out!" She didn't let go of me until we made it outside. The moment we were out in the open, several rocks came flying at me. The five children stood nearby, glaring at me. "You evil man, why didn't you burn to death?" "Daddy was right. You're a monster who hurts people!" Shawn even stepped forward to try to spit at me. I shot to my feet and smacked Cody hard across the face as he came rushing over. The slap rang through the yard. Seeing that, Shawn shoved me hard enough to knock me down. The other four children surrounded me and started kicking and hitting me. I curled up on the ground and stared at Cody, my voice hoarse and full of rage. "It was you! You told the kids to set the fire. You've raised them to be heartless monsters!" "You're lying!" Margot shouted. "Cody is a good man. He may spoil the kids, but he would never tell them to hurt anyone!" Cody dropped to his knees in front of me with tears streaming down his face. "Alan, you've never raised children. You don't know how a father can go easy on his kids. "They did something wrong because I failed to teach them better. I'll take the blame. Just don't take it out on the children!" With just a few words, he twisted everything around and made me look like I was the one mistreating the kids. Hannah helped him up and stared at me with open hostility. "If you hadn't scared the kids with your behavior, they wouldn't have taken things this far." I looked at them. Suddenly, I no longer had the strength to defend myself. Just then, Cody swayed and collapsed. "Cody!" Hannah panicked and immediately rushed him to the car. Everyone hurried after them, leaving me lying helplessly on the ground. Chapter 5 Alan's POV Outside the ER, Hannah paced anxiously. After a long wait, a doctor hurried out. "Mr. Cody has been diagnosed with acute leukemia. He needs a bone marrow transplant as soon as possible, or he won't have much time left." The moment the doctor finished speaking, Hannah grabbed my wrist without hesitation. "Use his bone marrow!" I looked at her, stunned by the absurdity of it. "Forget whether I'm willing to donate. You haven't even tested us, so how can you be so sure that I'm a match?" Hannah hesitated for a moment. "Cody has always been in poor health. All these years, I secretly took your medical test results and had them compared with his. "Alan, you're a match. You can donate your bone marrow to him." A chill ran through my entire body. So all those times she insisted I get a checkup every year, it wasn't for my health. She had done it so she could keep Cody alive whenever he needed a transplant. Tears fell onto the back of my hand, feeling hot against my skin. I glared at her, every single word filled with pain. "Hannah, you wretch! You'll pay for this!" Hannah tightened her grip on my wrist, her voice turning more forceful. "If you're willing to donate your bone marrow and save Cody, then you'll have paid him back for what you did to him. "If we have another child in the future, I won't give the child to him." I gave a bitter smile, my eyes empty. "Hannah, after mourning six children over eight years, my health has suffered. I won't have any more kids." With that, I turned to leave. Hurried footsteps came from behind me. "Alan!" Mom's voice came from down the hall, thick with tears. Then the five children wrapped their arms around my legs. "Father!" "We'll be good from now on. We won't make you mad again." "Father, please save Daddy!" Each time they called me "Father", it tore me apart. I stood there, my hands and feet feeling cold. They finally acknowledged me as their father, but they wanted me to save the man who had ruined my life. I turned my face away and bit my lip to keep from crying. For a moment, I truly wavered, but I couldn't bring myself to let go of all the hurt and resentment. It wasn't until Margot held the youngest baby out the window that she said, "Alan, if Cody dies, Dylan won't survive either." I stared at her in disbelief and screamed, "Have you lost your mind? That's your nephew!" "Cody is my brother. I have to save him!" she shouted. "What about me? Am I not your brother too? You promised you'd protect me for the rest of my life!" I shouted back. Guilt flickered in Margot's eyes, but she still didn't move away from the window. The cold night air hit Dylan, and he began crying. After a moment, I heard myself speak. My voice was so hoarse that I barely recognized it. "Fine. I'll donate." Soon, I was wheeled into the operating room. Cold fluid entered my veins, and in my half-conscious state, I heard the system's voice. [Departure route activated. Three, two, one.] [Congratulations, host. Departure successful.] At the same time, the operating doors burst open, and a doctor came rushing out in a panic. "Mr. Alan Shale had a severe adverse reaction to the medication. We couldn't save him. He has passed away!"