"What?" Clara asked, looking at Rachel in bafflement.
"You knew I was lying, so why help me?" Rachel paused for a moment before she added, "We… We
haven't met before, have we?"
Clara looked away, a peculiar smile on her lips.
"No, we haven't.To be honest, I suspected you might be lying but I wasn't sure.That's why I got along
with what you said."
"I see," Rachel murmured, lost in her own head.
Clara's eyes slid to Rachel's stomach.
"You said you wanted to ask me a favor.What is it?"
"I need to get an abortion," Rachel said in a low but clear voice, locking eyes with Clara.
"Y-you…" Clara stuttered in surprise, but Rachel hurried to explain.
"Please, Dr.Jimenez, just hear me out.I won't actually get an abortion.I just want people to think I
did.My stepmother won't rest until this baby is dead.So, I just need her to think that it's gone.I just found
out she was planning to knock me out and perform the abortion without my consent.It was pure luck
that I got away.Next time though, who knows what she'll think of? I won't sit back and let her hurt me
and my child."
When Rachel stopped talking, the office felt eerily quiet.
Through the partway open window, a gust of wind was sweeping the curtain flimsy curtain back and
forth and blowing the two women's hair across their faces.
"Okay, I will help you," Clara finally said, breaking the oppressing silence.
After making sure she saw Rachel entering the hospital with her own two eyes, Caroline went in
herself, heading to Alice's room.
Then they just sat there, waiting to hear from the men they had hired to put their plan in motion.
"Mom, it's been half an hour and nothing.Do you think something went wrong?"
Lying on the hospital bed, Alice tried to sit up a little, as if staying still was impossible in her agitated
state.
The movement had her crying out in pain, her face turning white as a sheet.
Caroline stood up from the visitor's chair and hurried to her daughter's side.
Seeing the forming bruise shaped like a hand on her daughter's cheek, she felt a wave of pity and tried
to help Alice sit up.
"Of course not, sweetie.These people are professionals.As you said, it's only been like thirty minutes,
so I guess they have already knocked that bitch out and shipping her to the OR."
This didn't seem to calm Alice's fears, though.
"Just call them."
"Fine! I'll send them a message."
Caroline was trying to hide her own worry.She took her phone out of her purse and typed a short
sentence.
'Is it done?' Barely ten seconds had passed before her phone chimed.
The reply was just as short as her own question.
'She is in the OR."
Caroline breathed a sigh of relief.She showed the text to Alice.
"See? I told you it would work.Now you can relax and get some rest.You'll be a member of Sullivan
family soon.I will make sure of that."
Alice leaned forward carefully and hugged her mother's waist.
"You are the best mom in the whole world."
"I love you so much, honey.I just want you to have everything you want," Caroline said softly, stroking
her daughter's hair.
"Alice, it's time for you to let Victor know.I'm just going to check how your father is doing."
When Caroline left the room, Alice made the call.
Victor was in a meeting, so he had left Ivan in charge of his phone.
When Alice's name appeared on the screen, Ivan rolled his eyes.
This was Victor's private number and under normal circumstances, Alice would never dare call.
He hesitated for a few seconds, but then knocked on the door of the meeting room and walked in.
He bent over Victor's head and whispered, "Sir, you have a call from Alice."
He handed the phone to Victor, who glanced at it with an unfathomable expression on his face before
answering the call.
"What?"
The chill in his voice was unmistakable, freezing Alice to the spot.
She swallowed her fear and affecting a pretty convincing tremble in her voice she said, "Mr.Sullivan,
there is something you need to know! You must come to the hospital ASAP! Rachel is here…"
Victor snorted unkindly.
"You're calling me just to tell me that Rachel is in the hospital?"
"But Rachel.."
"Alice, for the last time, I don't give a shit about Rachel."
Alice suppressed a shiver at Victor's rising temper.
He was about to hang up when Alice cried, "Victor, she is pregnant!"
No sound came from the other end of the line.
Her words had stunned Victor and he just sat there, eyes wide, his mouth opening and closing but no
sound came out.
The hand holding his phone tightened unconsciously and he swallowed hard before asking slowly,
"What, did you just say?"
"I- I…"
Alice had turned pale, fear paralyzing her whole body.
"What.Did.You.Say.What's wrong with Rachel?"
Victor was on the verge of exploding with rage, the veins on his temples bulging slightly.
"Rachel is with child.She is in the hospital right now.She wants to terminate her pregnancy.I just
thought you had the right to know!"
Alice said, using her most self-righteous voice.
Crack! The tip of his pen broke off, leaving a small dent on the desk.
The meeting room was terribly quiet as everyone held their breath, looking at Victor.
His expression would terrify even the bravest of men.
He threw the pen on the ground and strode out of the room calling over his shoulder, "Ivan! Get the car
ready! We are going to the hospital!"
A few minutes later, Victor's SUV was on its way to the Municipal People's Hospital.
In the back seat, Victor scanned his contacts for Rachel's number but he suddenly realized he wouldn't
find it.
They had been married for two years and he didn't even have her number saved in his phone.
As hard as it was to believe, it was the truth! Holding his phone tightly, Victor called out to Ivan.
"Call Rachel NOW!"
"Yes, sir," Ivan replied and dialed Rachel's number and put it on speaker.
A recorded message popped up.
"The number you have called is unavailable right now…"
The temperature in the car seemed to drop several degrees, yet both the driver and Ivan had to wipe a
thin layer of sweat from their foreheads.
Victor barked, "Call her again!"
Ivan did as he was told, but no matter how many times he called, it always went straight to voicemai l.
Victor clenched his fists, his veins bulging on the back of his hand.
Through the rearview mirror, Ivan studied him carefully.
He was sure that Victor was fighting a losing battle restraining his anger.
Soon, he would explode and all hell would break loose.
Each time the recorded message came up, he was one step closer to losing it.
At the same time, Alice's words kept ringing in Victor's head.
With child… Rachel was pregnant with his child!
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