From Baby Bump to Broken Back - Chapter 1: Chapter 1
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On our wedding anniversary, I tumbled down the stairs from the third floor—while pregnant. My husband, Darrel Roderick, was terrified. He scooped me into his arms and rushed me to the hospital.
By the time the second dose of anesthesia hit my veins, my mind was foggy, but I could still make out the conversation between the doctor and the monitor in the operating room.
"Mr. Darrel, we've administered the anesthesia as you requested. At over six times the standard dose, your wife won't feel a thing. But the fetus shows no signs of distress—are you sure we need to induce labor? Not only will the baby suffocate, but your wife could end up paralyzed for life."
Darrel's voice was ice. "Just do it."
The doctor hesitated, shooting me a helpless glance.
"Edmund's entry into the Roderick Family Ancestral Hall is approaching," Darrel explained, tone clipped. "No one can jeopardize his position. This is my debt to Karina and her son—I won't refuse payment. Once Edmund is secure, I'll dedicate everything to curing Giselle. We'll have another child. Consider it… compensation for this one."
His gaze sharpened. "But this baby dies. No exceptions."
A single tear slid down my cheek before darkness swallowed me whole.
When I woke, my fully formed baby was stillborn. The brutal delivery had split my pelvis and left me half-paralyzed. The agony of betrayal cut deeper than the physical wounds. So when Darrel tried to sweep me into a fresh start, I walked away without looking back.
After the surgery, I passed out again from the shock. In the haze of semi-consciousness, Darrel's voice tangled with his best friend's.
"Giselle's been by your side for years, Darrel. You know her—if you told her Edmund was your blood, she'd raise him as her own. Why put her through this hell?"
A long pause. Then Darrel, cold as ever: "I can't take that risk. I made a promise to Karina Reverie."
He exhaled. "And Giselle's young. There'll be other children."
The friend scoffed. "This isn't about 'other children.' You're scared the Siegfried name will make her baby the legitimate heir—threatening Edmund's claim. Admit it."
His voice cracked. "Christ, Darrel, that baby was alive. When I carried it out of the OR, it was so small… How could you do this?"
By the time the second dose of anesthesia hit my veins, my mind was foggy, but I could still make out the conversation between the doctor and the monitor in the operating room.
"Mr. Darrel, we've administered the anesthesia as you requested. At over six times the standard dose, your wife won't feel a thing. But the fetus shows no signs of distress—are you sure we need to induce labor? Not only will the baby suffocate, but your wife could end up paralyzed for life."
Darrel's voice was ice. "Just do it."
The doctor hesitated, shooting me a helpless glance.
"Edmund's entry into the Roderick Family Ancestral Hall is approaching," Darrel explained, tone clipped. "No one can jeopardize his position. This is my debt to Karina and her son—I won't refuse payment. Once Edmund is secure, I'll dedicate everything to curing Giselle. We'll have another child. Consider it… compensation for this one."
His gaze sharpened. "But this baby dies. No exceptions."
A single tear slid down my cheek before darkness swallowed me whole.
When I woke, my fully formed baby was stillborn. The brutal delivery had split my pelvis and left me half-paralyzed. The agony of betrayal cut deeper than the physical wounds. So when Darrel tried to sweep me into a fresh start, I walked away without looking back.
After the surgery, I passed out again from the shock. In the haze of semi-consciousness, Darrel's voice tangled with his best friend's.
"Giselle's been by your side for years, Darrel. You know her—if you told her Edmund was your blood, she'd raise him as her own. Why put her through this hell?"
A long pause. Then Darrel, cold as ever: "I can't take that risk. I made a promise to Karina Reverie."
He exhaled. "And Giselle's young. There'll be other children."
The friend scoffed. "This isn't about 'other children.' You're scared the Siegfried name will make her baby the legitimate heir—threatening Edmund's claim. Admit it."
His voice cracked. "Christ, Darrel, that baby was alive. When I carried it out of the OR, it was so small… How could you do this?"
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