A Cancerous Love

I'm diagnosed with late-stage cancer after undergoing a pre-employment medical checkup. My husband says the medication for my condition is expensive. He also says it can only relieve my pain, not treat the cause.

I only have a year to live.

Upon my husband's pleading, I agree to do an IVF.

I endure the pain and put myself through torture to leave him with a child. However, I overhear him saying the child growing inside me isn't mine—it's his and his lover's.

He's the one who wants me dead!

Just because Hector Doyle's true love refused to conceive a child, he used my body to bear their child.

"It should be an honor for her to bear our child," he said. "At least she's of some use. So what if she dies? My client happened to give me a spot at a cemetery. We can just pick the best spot for her, right?"

It turned out that cancer was never going to take my life—but that bastard was.

…

Tension hung thick in the operating room after what Hector said to the doctor.

Wiping the sweat off me, the midwife sighed while shaking her head. The obstetric surgeon, who had been encouraging me, suddenly fell into a trance, as if reminded of something ghastly.

Everyone looked grim, though I remained unfazed.

As someone with end-stage cancer, I saw no point in saving my life.

I forced a smile and wheezed. "Let's carry on. I can still do it…"

Enraged, the surgical assistant next to me suddenly hurled the roll of bandage to the floor.

"That man is a bastard down to his bones. To think that he's actually a renowned nutritionist! I've never seen a man choosing to save the baby instead of the mother in surgery!"

Silence enveloped the operating room again.

A few seconds later, someone sighed.

"That's their own business. They've been married for ten years, after all, so perhaps they're going through some trouble right now."

The surgical assistant, Katie Hobbs, teared up in a fit of rage.

"And what trouble could possibly be worth more than a life?" she cried out. "Look at him. He doesn't even care about his wife!"

She was about to continue when her words suddenly lodged in her throat, her gaze darting toward the door.

The door to the operating room swung open.

I heard footsteps approaching, followed by a voice that sent shivers down my spine.

"Hurry up. The patient is exhausted to the point of collapse."

Everyone immediately lowered their gazes, not daring to meet Ian Jennings' eyes.

He purposely stood in my line of view and said, "Don't worry, I'm with you. Just do your best, and I'll protect both you and the baby."

Tears streamed down my cheeks at this moment.

Everyone was cheering me on, while he let me grab his hand as support.

After a cry finally sounded in the air, I relaxed, and my consciousness began to fade. My eyes were closed, but I could still vaguely hear the sounds around me.

Ian seemed to be checking something.

"She clearly said she has cancer, but the test results don't show anything. Could it have been a misdiagnosis?" he said, sounding doubtful. "If she doesn't have cancer, how could her body have deteriorated like this?"

The people around me raised more questions.

"Come on," someone said. "Her husband is Dr. Doyle, the most popular nutritionist online."

"I'd believe anyone else would be innutrient, but not her," another person chimed in.

"I heard that Dr. Doyle buys loads of top-notch supplements."

As I drifted into unconsciousness, I groggily realized that my body had weakened beyond the point of healing.

I did take quite a lot of supplements during my pregnancy. But the more I took, the more weight I lost, and the more tired I felt. I even had to rest after walking just a few steps.

At first, I thought it was the cancer that had worn my body down. But now, it seemed like taking too many supplements wasn't necessarily a good thing.

Hector probably knew that I was nothing but an empty shell. So when he had to decide whether to save the baby or me, he chose to abandon me.

My consciousness soon faded into darkness.

When I woke up again, I was startled by the people arguing at the door. It was Hector and Ian.

"Ian, do you have no shame? You've had ulterior motives toward her since school," Hector bellowed. "How could you go in while she was giving birth? Do you even have common sense?"

"I'm a doctor, and she's my patient," Ian replied calmly. "In critical moments, my job is to save lives. You're also somewhat of a doctor. Don't you understand the principle of benevolence in medicine?"

His voice was tinged with rage as he continued, "I'm not like you, who only cares about the baby. How unfortunate it is for Leah to be with you!"