Chapter 2

"Why did you come alone? Is everything okay?" My dad walked to my left side, striking up a conversation, while my mom gave him a playful glare and buried her head in my shoulder. "It's nothing serious. It’s just that your daughter has grown up, not wanting to trouble us." "No matter what, you shouldn't come to the hospital alone. Did you hear?" My dad pretended to be angry and pinched my cheek. Seizing the opportunity, I slipped the recording-enabled phone into his pocket.

"Never again. Alright, I'm off for a check-up now. Dad, can you hold onto my phone for me?" This was a common gesture, so neither of them thought much of it.

At the obstetrics and gynecology department, I entered the operating room alone. My parents stoody at the door, eagerly waving at me, their eyes filled with concern.

In the past, I would have been moved, thinking my family was the best in the world. But now, I only felt a chilling sensation all over, as if countless venomous snakes were crawling on me, waiting to strike fatally.

"Doctor, how is it going?" After I completed a full series of examinations, my mom immediately consulted the specialist with the medical reports in hand. Meanwhile, my dad took out his notebook, which listed my hobbies and dietary restrictions.

They were loving parents unless I hadn't uncovered the truth.

"Mom, Dad, I need to use the restroom." Acting coyly, I took my phone back from my dad and walked into the bathroom, my hands trembling. Before I played the recording, I had mentally prepared myself countless times. Yet the first sentence still painfully soured my heart.

"Mr. Shillington, Mrs. Shillington, Ms. Shillington has been recovering well over the years. All her old wounds have healed completely, and with some more restorative care, she'll be able to conceive. Should we stop her current medication? I'm afraid that if she continues taking these medications, she might become infertile permanently. Wouldn't that be too cruel for her?"

The voice belonged to my primary doctor, who sounded somewhat apologetic. Depriving a woman of her ability to become a mother was inherently cruel.

But in an instant, my dad interrupted him, "I didn't hire you to manage these things. The medication cannot stop."

"She could always adopt one, and she would also be spared the suffering of giving birth."

My mom chimed in, "Exactly. Cecelia has always been frail. Not having children is for the best. You're just a doctor. Do your job and nothing more. Understand?" Their tone was harsh and dismissive while the doctor hastily complied.

"I didn't mean to interfere. I just want to remind you that continuing this medication not only risks Ms. Shillington’s ability to be a mother, but also could harm her health severely."

It sounded like a serious issue, but my father nonchalantly responded, "I see, but this isn’t something you need to worry about. Just make sure she recovers well. As for the rest, it's not your concern."

"Yes, yes."

As the recording ended, I felt a chill throughout my body. For years, I had felt guilty for not being able to bear children for Vaughn. My parents always comforted me, saying it wasn't my fault, and that some things can't be forced. It turned out it was their plan. My infertility was a lie. They never wanted me to bear Vaughn’s children because they deemed me unworthy. Only their biological daughter deserved that right.

No wonder after all these years, I was still on medication. It was a scam—the treatments were fake. Their concern was fake. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I trembled uncontrollably, drained of all strength.

"Cecelia." A knock on the door echoed from outside. It was my mother, who hadn’t seen me return yet.