But now, seeing the veins bulging on his temple didn’t stir the same emotion in me. I simply said calmly, "Jacob, I’m here."
The moment he saw me, his eyes lit up. He rushed over and enveloped me in his arms.
"Larissa, where did you go? Why didn’t you tell me? I thought something had happened to you." His voice trembled with fear, so genuine it was hard to doubt him.
I gently pushed him away and said, "The room felt stuffy, so I went out for some air."
Only then did he relax, though he still held my hand tightly, unwilling to let go.
Soon, he took a bowl of medicine from the nurse and brought it to my lips with a tenderness that seemed unshakable. "Sweetheart, it’s time to take your medicine."
Staring at the bowl of dark, brown liquid, a chill ran down my spine. The scene I had witnessed earlier flashed in my mind.
"This medicine is bitter. I don’t want to drink it," I refused.
In the past, Jacob would never refuse my requests. But this time, he uncharacteristically insisted, "If you don’t take your medicine, you won’t recover, and you won’t be able to have a baby. Didn’t you always want to give me a child?"
He knew my desire for a child was my weakness, certain that the mention of it would sway me.
But I no longer trusted him. Without hesitation, I slapped the bowl out of his hands.
"I said I’m not drinking it." I deadpanned.
For a moment, his gentle expression froze, and a flicker of displeasure crossed his eyes.
I thought breaking the bowl would let me escape, but the next second, darkness overtook me, and I lost consciousness.
When I woke up again, it was already the next morning.
A sense of foreboding filled me. Pulling back the blanket, I saw a surgical scar on my abdomen.
My world instantly crumbled. I wanted to confront Jacob, but before I could, he explained, "Sweetheart, you fainted suddenly last night. The doctors ran some tests and found cancerous changes in your uterus, so I had them remove it."
Afraid I wouldn't believe him, he even showed me the medical report. Sure enough, it stated uterine cancer.
If I hadn’t witnessed his instructions to the doctor with my own eyes, I might have fallen for his lie.
Staring at the hideous scar on my belly, I felt as though my heart had been ripped apart, leaving only a gaping void of despair.