"My baby!" Riley woke up with her hand on her belly, her heart beating wildly. "My baby -"
"Riley, calm down—" Riley turned to a man who was calling her name. She was shocked by his presence and initially could not grasp what he was saying.
Next to her hospital bed was Adrian King, the first son of the wealthiest family in the city of Halliport. Though there was a noticeable change in him, Riley immediately recognized him. He was a figure from her past, someone who had become a stranger to both her and her husband.
On a normal and happy day, Riley was like a ray of sunshine. She possessed long, wavy blonde hair, a heart-shaped face, and dazzling green eyes. However, that day, Riley did not have to look in the mirror to know she was a mess. Hours earlier, she had been crying her heart out in her car, only to be saved by a stranger. After undergoing medical evaluations and treatments, she passed out due to emotional stress. And now, she found herself back in her miserable state, panicking in an unfamiliar hospital room.
"Riley, the baby is—" Adrian’s voice was barely audible as he attempted to explain.
Riley was still bewildered at seeing Adrian, but after he spoke, she faintly asked, "What? What is it, Adrian?"
Adrian heaved a sigh, shook his head, and said in an unhappy tone, "You lost the baby, Riley. I'm sorry."
At first, Riley just sat there. The words he said rang in her head, 'You lost the baby, Riley. I'm sorry.'
Tears stung her eyes before she uttered, "No… No. No!"
"I'm sorry," Adrian said.
"No! It can't be!” She screamed. “I wanted this so bad–for so many years!”
"I don't care about Brian; I just want my child! Adrian, please tell me it's not true," Riley exclaimed. She recalled all her efforts in trying to conceive: the hospital visits, the surgery, the injections, and all the supplements she had to take.
She was finally pregnant, but she lost her child. Why was the world so unfair?
"It can’t be true. It can’t!" Her nose flared, and she threw her pillow out of anger. Riley didn't care that she was unknowingly aiming at Adrian King. Right now, all she cared about was her grief.
"Calm down, Riley," Adrian suggested.
“No!” Riley's tears clouded her sight. She exclaimed, “I can’t calm down! I can’t–”
Riley did not know when or how it happened, but the next thing she knew, Adrian’s arms were tightly wrapped around her frame. He ordered, "Calm down, I said! Calm. Down.”
"I hate Brian! I hate him! This is all his fault!" Riley expressed. She cried even more, so much that her tears stained Adrian's expensive suit.
Out of nowhere, she recalled her hopes after getting the surgery. She carelessly spoke her mind as her tears continued to flow down her delicate face, “I–I was going to take care of my baby, sing him a song, put him to sleep, bring him to school–this–this was finally my moment.”
Riley was inconsolable. Her body shook with each bitter word that left her lips, and her cries echoed with raw emotion. Her face was flushed, and her eyes were swollen from the torrent of tears.
While Riley continued to pour out her heart, she felt Adrian's embrace tightening around her waist and back. Despite not understanding why he was there and offering her support, she didn't object. At that moment, Riley was open to accepting comfort from anyone.
Riley also strengthened her hold around Adrian. She cried and cried until her tears ran dry. She did not know how long she remained in his arms until she fell silent. Her hold loosened around Adrian, and he pulled away. Her arms gently landed on her lap, her eyes looking distant.
There were a good few minutes of silence with Riley just thinking about her pregnancy. She didn’t utter a word, and neither did the man before her.
When she finally looked at Adrian, she wiped her face carelessly with her hands and asked, "Did - did they try everything to save my baby?"
"Of course,” he replied confidently. “But–”
Adrian gulped and spoke in a deep yet soft voice, "I should let the doctor explain this to you."
With his strong arms, he maneuvered himself from the bed and settled into his wheelchair. It took a moment, but eventually, Riley reacted, frowning. She thought, 'Wait, what? Adrian King is still in a wheelchair?'
Riley remembered how Adrian King was in a skiing accident many years ago, which led to his inability to walk without support. However, she certainly did not expect Adrian to be in a wheelchair until this day.
"I'll go get the doctor," Adrian said before moving his motorized wheelchair out the door. "Doctor Martin? Zia? She is awake! Come here immediately! Talk to her. I can't–I can't with the baby."
'Zia?' Riley winced at the name. 'Zia Martin?'
The last thing she needed right now was to see another Martin, but could Zia be someone she could confide in? Yes, Zia is a Martin, but a distant cousin of Brian, an obstetrician-gynecologist.
Shortly, Zia walked into the hospital room. Guilt reflected on her face as she slowly paced toward Riley. Before Riley could say anything, Zia embraced her tightly, crying for Riley. "I'm sorry about the baby, Riley. I'm sorry about my stupid cousin! I will never forgive him for hurting you like this."
Unable to hold back her emotions, Riley cried again.
***
"Usually, miscarriages before thirteen weeks do not require hospitalization, but you were bleeding more than expected, so I wanted to keep you here for at least two days to ensure there are no complications," Zia cautiously explained to Riley. "I suspect it wasn't just the fall. You were emotionally stressed, and that wasn't healthy."
It had been more than an hour since she learned of the miscarriage, but Riley still did not want Zia to leave her side. So, as her doctor, Zia explained everything that had happened to her.
Holding Riley's hand, Zia said, "There is a reason for everything, Ri. Just believe. I pray that someday you will have another child with the right man. Obviously, Brian isn't the right man for you. You deserve better."
With a sad expression painted on her face, Riley gazed at Zia and weakly responded, "Thank you, Zia."
Just then, Riley turned to the door and saw Adrian staring at her through the small opening. Riley was so consumed by her sadness that she did not notice Adrian had been outside the door the whole time. And, of course, the door was left ajar.
"Adrian–why is he here?" Barely a whisper, Riley asked.
Zia looked perplexed. She turned to the door before looking back at Riley. She reluctantly replied, "It was Mister King who brought you to the hospital—well, his assistant carried you to the Emergency Room."
"Oh," Riley weakly responded.. With a downward glance, she murmured, "I should thank him."
Zia looked out the door and suggested, "Well, let me give you a chance to do that. I also need to attend to other patients, but I'll be back."
After Zia excused herself, Adrian entered. Riley felt the temperature in the room drop like the man brought Antarctica with him. Her throat was paper dry at that point, but she managed to say, "Thank you for bringing me here."
It wasn't just any hospital; it was the best in Halliport, The King's Medical Center, a facility owned by Adrian's family.
"We happened to pass by your car, and I noticed that you were in distress. Of course, I had to help," Adrian spoke calmly, his eyes staring straight at her.
"You must have missed a very important appointment," Riley remarked, scanning the room. When her eyes fell on the wall clock, she was stunned to see that it was already past ten in the evening. It was noon when she left the Martins’ mansion, which meant that Adrian had spent ten hours helping her!
Riley's lips parted, but she struggled to find the words. It took another moment for her gaze to return to Adrian. "One day, I will return the favor. I hope you will let me."
Adrian raised his chin, his expression determined. "Remember your words, Riley Allen, because I will collect. For now, you take your rest. Eat well. I will be back."
A heavy silence filled the room as Adrian left, lingering for a good minute.
When Riley was all along, she gulped, her heart racing a little. She wondered what Adrian meant. “He will collect?”
In another hospital, Brian Martin held his mistress' hand. Claire was crying in bed, assuming her situation had gotten worse."Brian, I might lose our baby. Your wife, she–she tried to kill our baby," Claire's tear-streaked face bore a look of anguish as she said."I should have just left the city and raised this baby on my own! I'd rather my baby live a peaceful life than be hated by your wife," Claire added. "Why did you have to make me a mistress, Brian? Why?”"I'm sorry, Claire. This was my fault." Brian embraced Claire tightly. He stayed by her side until she cried herself to sleep. Seconds turned into minutes, and Brian continued to stroke her back until he lay her flat on the bed. Brian wiped the tear stains on his lover’s face, feeling helpless. He thought back to the time when he first met Claire.A few months ago, Brian had a business meeting with a VIP client named Mr. Leopard in a high-end KTV bar. They rented a private room, and Claire walked in as the main food attendan
"At six in the morning, Zia came to see Riley first. She reported, "Brian asked me to help check on his... on his..."Zia's words were cut off because Riley resumed, "Claire? He asked you to check on Claire?"Riley frowned, thinking about how Brian blamed her last night. He wouldn’t even listen to her. Then she softly replied, "You should help in any way.""I hate him, and I hate that innocent-looking lover of his even more, but it doesn't mean an unborn child should be deprived of the best medical help. I know you are one of the best new doctors right now, Zia," Riley said. "So, you should. At least he would get off my back, I hope."Riley saw Zia's complicated expression. Zia sighed and replied, "You really are a good person, Riley. My cousin doesn’t deserve you.”Zia took a few steps back and said, "I better go.""Zia?" Riley asked.Looking down, Riley paused and pondered. Then she decided, "I don't want to have anything to do with Brian anymore. I—I don't think you need to tell hi
Riley knew Zia would oppose her leaving, but her mother's life was at stake. The nurses mentioned that Zia was still due to report for work in eight hours. Riley could not wait. So, Riley decided to sign a discharge waiver against medical advice. After leaving the hospital, Riley went to her mother's house to freshen up and change. Later, she arrived at the Halliport General Hospital. "I'm in the lobby. Where are you?" Riley asked Brian over the phone. "In the ICU floor," Brian replied coldly. "Hurry." In the four years of her marriage to Brian, Riley had earned a lot while leading their company's design team. However, she had also spent lavishly on her mother. Renee Allen was a single mother who had made many sacrifices to raise Riley. When Riley began earning decent money, she bought her mother a house, car, jewelry, and other luxuries. Riley also had her own investments. Asset-wise, she could cover the hospital bills herself, but she lacked liquid funds, making Brian paying
Riley's eyes widened in disbelief, her mind struggling to process the unexpected proposal. She blinked repeatedly and probably did the whole blinking cycle three times."Yesterday, I missed something important, so I need a wife. Since you owe me a favor, I was hoping you would marry me," Adrian said. His expression remained calm as he offered marriage, as though it were of little significance."W-what?" Riley gulped. "Marriage for a favor?"Adrian didn't respond. He stared at her intensely, then pointed to his assistant and ordered, "Explain."Riley darted to the man standing behind Adrian. The assistant, whom she had known as Clint Rodriguez, narrated, "Miss Allen, the other day, in order to bring you to the hospital and ensure your health, Mister King missed his engagement party with his fiancée, Leni Eros, the heir to the Eros Empire in Dowel City.""And because Mister King missed the engagement party, Miss Leni Eros canceled their engagement," Clint added. "So, Mister King needs a
Back at the Plaza Hotel, Riley's mouth hung wide open as she thought deeply. Then, she asked, "Why can't you just fix your engagement with Leni Eros?"Adrian's eyes narrowed. He responded, "I'm afraid the engagement is irreparable.""Did - did you try to reason with Miss Leni Eros?" Riley inquired. "You would not really understand until you meet her. Our engagement is off, and that's final. Now, I need a wife," Adrian said. Riley gasped. She responded, "I - I don't think it's a good idea, Adrian. I'm pretty traumatized right now -""I'm not Brian, Riley. I am a different person - a different man," Adrian responded. "And, as you suggested, this will be some sort of contractual marriage, where expectations are set beforehand."Riley gulped. She looked at Clint, hoping to get some help, but of course, he did not. So, instead, she said to Adrian, "But we don't love each other -""You married for love. How did that turn out?" Adrian pointed out. "Love can betray you... But I won't."Rile
At Renee Allen's Residence. [Miss Allen. The boss would like to know if you have considered his offer?]Riley gasped the moment she read Clint's text. She bit her lip and studied herself in front of the bathroom mirror. It had been five days since Adrian proposed marriage. She had not given him a response, but she meant to decline his offer. In the mirror, she saw a reflection of a woman with woeful eyes. Aside from the dark circles around her eyes, Riley no longer had that radiant glow on her face, the one she used to have during her happy days with Brian. She had been focusing on her mother's care these past few days and was trying hard to forget the pain of her divorce, but she knew healing was still a work in progress.Riley ran her fingers through her blonde hair and realized it was tangled. She muttered, "When did I last go to the salon?"With a sigh, Riley asked, " How could I compare to Leni Eros? Adrian is crazy not to fix things with Leni."Riley knew she was also beauti
Claire's mother, Mara Monet, visited her daughter in the hospital. Brian had left them to take care of company matters. While he was away, Claire took the opportunity to discuss Brian's divorce. Mara, a mirror image of Claire, questioned, "Claire, are you certain? Has that woman truly signed the divorce papers?" "Yes, Ma! Brian will surely marry me," Claire exclaimed. Mara's eyes gleamed. She said, "This is our chance to marry into the rich! I can imagine us living in a mansion soon, having luxury cars, bags, and shoes." "I'm already enrolled in a private school!" Carrie, Claire's sister, pointed out. "Life is going to be so much better for us now," Mara remarked. "Yes, Ma. Brian will take care of us because he loves me. I feel so lucky to have met him," Claire nodded. Then, out of nowhere, she remembered something. She muttered, "How I wish Brian had not given her money for the divorce." "He gave his ex-wife money for the divorce?" Mara inquired in shock. "Yes, Ma. He g
"You need to eat. How can you care for your mom if you don't eat?" Adrian said as he pushed a bowl of ramen in Riley's direction. "This thick broth is good for you. You are so thin."Riley frowned. She looked at her arms and could not deny Adrian's comment. She had lost a lot of weight in the past few days. She accepted the ramen and slowly sipped on the soup. Adrian insisted that Riley take a break from watching her mother, even just a few hours. Thus, they were at a famous Japanese restaurant that was about to close, but Adrian was a King, and the owners were more than willing to accommodate him. When Riley ate, she felt better. The soup and the noodles warmed her stomach. Out of nowhere, Adrian asked, "Are you really going to contest the divorce agreement?" Riley stared at him. They had earlier talked about her encounter with Claire's mother and the threats she gave. She replied, "I just said that out of spite. I don't care about Brian's money. I want to divorce him as soon as po