When I gave birth to Jasper, I suffered a massive hemorrhage. Though they saved me, the damage was irreversible. Pregnancy became nearly impossible.
Hugo had always dreamed of having a daughter. Even Jasper kept begging for a little sister.
So, I gritted my teeth and endured multiple rounds of IVF. The sight of that 30-centimeter needle was terrifying enough, let alone the agony of it piercing my body over and over again. Only those who have been through it could understand.
I rushed to find him on our wedding anniversary, excitement bubbling in my chest. I couldn’t wait to share the news; I was finally pregnant.
But before I could reach him, a car slammed into mine from behind.
Pain shot through me as warm blood seeped through my dress.
Panic clawed at my throat as I fumbled for my phone, dialing his number with trembling fingers. Desperate. Helpless.
But instead of concern, I heard the sound of laughter. Celebration.
He was at Ava’s birthday party.
And the son I had nearly died to bring into this world, he was covering for them behind my back.
Everything I had done for this family at that moment felt like a cruel joke.
Tears soaked my pillow. Memories from ten years ago resurfaced in my dreams like whispers from a past life.
Back then, I had been terminally ill when the system transported me into this world. My mission was clear: win over Hugo.
At the time, he had lost everything. A devastating car accident had left him paralyzed, his business partner had drained his accounts, and his first love, Ava, had abandoned him without a second thought, fleeing to the UK.
Once a man with limitless potential, he had fallen to rock bottom overnight.
The first time I saw him, he lay in a hospital bed, unshaven, his gaze hollow and lifeless.
Thin to the point of frailty, he looked even worse than I had in the final stages of my late stage of cancer.
For two years, I stayed by his side, tending to his needs, accompanying him through endless treatments, and enduring the weight of his unpredictable moods.
Under my careful devotion, he slowly regained his strength. Not only did he stand on his own again, but he also began rebuilding his career, achieving small successes one step at a time.
Then, one day, he proposed.
The system declared that I had fulfilled my mission. I could return to my original world, healthy, whole, alive.
But I hesitated.