My Husband Called Me a Thief; I Proved Him GuiltyChapter 3

Margaret told Ethan to take Chloe to her prenatal checkup. She only had the driver take me to the hospital.

"The hospital isn't far," she said. "Stop making a scene."

A ten-minute drive. The driver went around three times.

By the time I ran into the hospital, the clock on the wall read 5:14.

The nurse told me my mother's ashes had just been scattered into the sea according to Ethan's instructions.

I stood frozen. It was as if every sound around me had been sucked away.

I had no body. No ashes. I'd missed even the last goodbye.

I opened my texts with Margaret and sent two lines.

【You're right. A child can't have a mother with a criminal record.】

【Please help me schedule a termination.】

At eleven that night, the obstetrician Noah Hayes did my pre-op examination.

He saw the results and stopped immediately.

"Your body is in very poor condition. Surgery now carries a serious risk of hemorrhage. I have to notify family and confirm your decision."

I had no family to notify. So I video-called Ethan.

On the fifth attempt, he finally answered.

The screen was black. But the glow showed a red mark on his neck.

Noah told him, "Ethan, she's weak. The surgery is high risk. Please come to the hospital to confirm her choice."

Silence on the other end for a few seconds.

Chloe's voice came close to the microphone. "She's acting again. Ethan, you have real work to do."

"Lily," Ethan said, "if you want money, just say so. Don't scare me with surgery."

The call cut off.

I looked at Noah. "Please begin."

Before the surgery, Noah stopped again.

He said my body couldn't handle it and family confirmation was required.

I didn't insist.

That night, I lay alone in the hospital bed and lost that child.

The next morning, I turned on my phone. Hundreds of messages from strangers cursing me flooded the screen.

Chloe had posted a so-called "fraud prevention case" online and leaked my name and address.

Ethan sent only three messages.

【Chloe accidentally exposed your personal information.】

【Netizens are pretty extreme. They might come looking for you.】

【Be the bigger person. After the verdict, I'll make her apologize.】

I stared at the word "apologize" and didn't reply to a single message.

Noah blocked the netizens who showed up at my door and helped me contact a lawyer.

At first I didn't want to fight anymore. Until my lawyer asked me, "Do you really want to let them write this as you stealing money?"

I thought of my mother's medical records still in my email. I thought of all those rejected applications.

I handed my phone to the lawyer. "I have evidence."