Andre never imagined that the patient on the operating table was Lara.
"Doctor, I ho-hope... my baby survives," she said with a trembling voice.
Andre was stunned. What had happened to her? And the baby... Lara was already married?
"Doctor!"
"Ah!"
For a moment, Andre froze, unable to act. Childhood memories of Lara Selene, his long-lost friend, flooded his mind. How had they ended up meeting again in such a tragic situation?
"Surgery, begin."
He quickly returned to his main task. The skilled medical team assisted him in starting the critical rescue procedure. They began the surgery, which could last for hours, with tension palpable in the room.
The operating room was filled with the sounds of medical equipment, blinding surgical lights, and the fast movements of the surgical team. Lara's life and that of her unborn child were at stake. Andre struggled to grasp the reality that Lara was pregnant.
"Now, we need to stop this bleeding. Suction, please," he commanded the surgical assistant beside him.
The surgical assistant promptly handed him the suction device. Carefully, Andre tried to remove the accumulated blood from Lara's uterus.
Lara looked very pale, grimacing in pain despite being not fully conscious. On the cold operating table, she struggled to save her baby's life with a determination to persevere.
A monitor continuously tracked the fetal heartbeats inside Lara's womb. Every second felt incredibly precious. They prayed that the fetus could be saved, as mandated by its mother.
"Apply pressure dressing!" Andre commanded while staying focused on Lara's body.
Pressure dressing was quickly placed in areas emitting fresh blood. Carefully, the bandage was tightened to stop the life-threatening bleeding. The assistants followed every step diligently, ready to assist.
"Monitor?"
"Stable."
The surgical team and nurses worked synergistically, ready to support and respond to Andre's needs during the procedure. Meanwhile, amidst the surgery, Lara suddenly murmured, albeit unclearly, as she was under local anesthesia. She tried to stay conscious while reciting prayers.
"Stop the uterus oxygenation, I need to check for further bleeding," Andre said to the nurse beside him.
"Okay!"
The nurse quickly turned off the uterus oxygenation flow so Andre could examine areas still bleeding. This operation tested all his knowledge and skills. The ambition to help Lara influenced all his actions.
"Nurse, give me sutures, quickly!" he commanded.
The nurse promptly provided the sutures. Andre began sewing Lara's wounds carefully, trying to stop the bleeding inside her uterus. Every stitch was a step towards safety.
"Hold on, Lara. Please ..." Andre murmured while continuing his task diligently.
Lara's safety depended on the skilled hands in the operating room and her determination. He heard Lara constantly praying, igniting the flame of spirit within her to not give up and to keep fighting for the unborn child.
"Doctor!"
A nurse yelled because the fetal heart monitor suddenly showed weakening beats.
Tension began to dominate the surgical team. The silent atmosphere filled with panic and pressure.
"Give extra oxygen to the patient, we must maintain the fetal heartbeats!"
"Okay!"
The nurse administered additional oxygen to Lara, while the surgical assistant continued to operate the suction. They worked quickly, while Andre continued to sew carefully.
"The fetal heart rate is starting to stabilize," the surgical assistant said with relief.
"Good!"
Andre continued the surgery with strong determination, stopping the bleeding and ensuring that the fetus in Lara's womb received enough oxygen. Lara was fighting for two lives—hers and her unborn child.
"Finally..."
After an extraordinary effort from the surgical team, the surgery ended. Andre sighed in relief, but their struggle was not over.
"We have successfully stopped the bleeding. Now, we must keep the patient stable and monitor the fetus's development," he said, wiping sweat from his forehead.
"Okay, doctor!"
Lara remained unconscious on the operating table, but the fetal heart monitor showed stronger beats. It was a huge relief.
The atmosphere in the operating room was still tense, but there was a deep sense of relief. They had weathered the storm and now had to monitor the long recovery process.
"We still have a lot of work to do," Andre said, smiling at each team member. "But we have given them a chance to survive. We must keep them strong."
The medical team nodded in agreement, understanding that their work was not yet done. They would continue to monitor Lara's progress and provide necessary care during the recovery period.
"Update the guardian, Sus."
"Okay, doctor!"
After the surgery, one of the medical team members left the operating room to inform the patient's family about the surgery results and her condition.
But before Andre could hear news that the guardian had been informed, a commotion began to be heard from outside.
"What's happening?!"
"Excuse me..." "Yes, nurse! How did it go?" Bi Yani asked anxiously as a nurse emerged from the operating room. The emergency lights had dimmed, signaling the end of the surgery. "Thank goodness. The patient and her baby are safe, ma'am. Don't worry. The patient is recovering," the nurse explained with a reassuring smile. "Thank goodness. Thank you, Nurse!" Bi Yani replied with immense relief. Her prayers seemed to have been answered. "You're welcome." The nurse, after inquiring about her relationship with Mrs. Lara, assumed Bi Yani was the patient's mother. Bi Yani simply replied that she was Lara's assistant, though the nurse remarked on her familial concern. "We are indeed family," Bi Yani said. The nurse smiled and waved before leaving. Bi Yani returned to the waiting chair, tears of joy streaming down her face. "Mrs. Lara, thank goodness..." she whispered, kissing the hospital floor in gratitude. Her employer's safety had been her top priority. She couldn't bear the thoug
In the aftermath of a lengthy surgery, the boundary between reality and fantasy blurred for Lara. Encountering Olivia again reignited a deep-seated hatred, prompting a journey back to her college days. Nearly a dozen years prior, Lara's relocation to Triguna Campus in Jakarta marked a significant shift after living with her aunt in Surabaya. Orphaned at a young age, Lara struggled to adapt, her unique appearance drawing both praise and bullying. Despite being labeled beautiful, Lara saw herself as average, her mixed heritage making her an outsider. The bullying intensified, leading to a traumatic incident that resulted in her uncle transferring her to a new school.***"Lara, please join the Campus Queen contest, will you?" the class representative invited Lara at that time. "Campus Queen?" Lara asked, her curiosity piqued. "Yes, beautiful girls like you will be competing to become the most beautiful student on campus," the representative explained. "Um, no thanks. I'm not interes
Seno—Lara's husband—smiled as he welcomed her threat. What was wrong with him? "Of course, Dear. Don't divorce me. I don't want to separate from you either," Seno said, caressing Lara's face gently. His reaction seemed strange. Lara just stared blankly at the hospital ceiling above her. The dazzling light momentarily dispelled the disgusting shadows of her husband's affair with his secretary. "Don't be conceited. I'm not begging for your love. I just don't want our child to grow up without both parents, like me!" Lara's voice sounded sharp, and Seno was quite surprised by her change. He seemed wide-eyed. Yes. Lara had never been this angry with him before. She was used to being silent and indifferent. But, this time was different. She had to speak up loudly and let him know that she was no longer the foolish woman craving for love. "You're so cruel, Dear." Cruel? Wasn't Seno the one who had been cruel to her? All this time, Lara had just resigned herself to accepting this bitte
Lara stared sharply at the doctor who was in front of her at the moment.A tall, handsome doctor with typical brownish eyes of mixed-race men in general. His black wavy hair was neatly combed like the appearance of a white coat wrapping his body.Andre.Lara's childhood friend who has now become my enemy. "You!" Her anger suddenly flared up—as if she could tear apart the doctor's body right then and there.Memories of the relationship between Doctor Andre and Lara in the past suddenly resurfaced and now they hurt her.Andre and Lara weren't enemies initially, but a terrible incident left a mark on her mind. That incident later made them archenemies, up until now. Lara even tried to cut off contact, although Andre and his sister often tried to find her, he said. Lara never confirmed that.Lara indeed a girl full of scars from the past. She hasn't even felt completely happy, until one day, a fetus suddenly emerged from within her womb. That fetus, Lara's unborn child, is her only streng
For a few days, Lara had to be in the hospital. Her recovery process needed to be undisturbed, requiring complete rest both physically and mentally. Seno, her husband, was always around. Andre didn't like seeing him. It seemed like Seno was portraying himself as the ideal husband, coming back and forth to check on Lara amidst his busy schedule. Whether he was genuinely worried or just pretending, Andre couldn't tell. According to the servant, Lara had been bleeding because of a young woman's actions. Andre was certain it was related to Seno's affair. *** As Andre passed by the nurse station after finishing his shift, he took the opportunity to ask about Lara's condition. "Lara's patient, how is she?" he asked. The nurse, eager for some gossip, replied, "She's getting better, Doc. Is there something?" Andre was aware of the nurses' gossip, especially if there was a hint of scandal. One of his trusted nurses had once shown him their W******p group when rumors about his engagement
Andre glanced briefly at Olivia's thick lips, feeling a fleeting temptation to kiss them, but he held back. In his opinion, Olivia wasn't that beautiful. He had met women who were far more attractive, especially his sister. Andre's sister was a stunning woman who had inherited the best genes from their Caucasian father. Her blonde hair was natural, unlike Olivia's fake blonde. No matter how much he scanned Olivia's appearance, nothing about her caught his interest. Olivia really wasn't his type. "Please step back a bit," he snapped, starting to feel uncomfortable. Olivia's overpowering perfume made his head feel dizzy. "Huh?" Olivia stepped back, her demeanor suddenly awkward. This awkwardness wasn't apparent when they first met. "Have you been working here for long, Doc?" she asked, playing with the ends of her hair blown by the night breeze. Her voice sounded a bit odd, too contrived for his taste. "Quite long enough," Andre replied, still enjoying his cigarette. He quickened hi
Someone suddenly knocked on the door. It was Olivia. "Madam, may I come in?" she asked with a suspicious smile, brandishing a lewd photo of Seno with a woman—Olivia herself. "Come in!" Lara ordered, gasping for breath. Seno had just come home after spending the whole day with her, even though he hadn't been asked to. The next day—early in the morning—Seno had to go out of town to continue the payment process to acquire a partner company. Lara didn't pay much attention to the details because she didn't care about Seno's activities. "What do you mean?!" she raised her voice, forcefully grabbing the indecent portrait from Olivia's hand and tearing it apart until it was unrecognizable. Olivia chuckled cunningly. "I have a thousand nude photos of Seno that are more shocking than the one you just destroyed." "Divorce him." "Y—you!" Lara was truly angry and indignant, but Olivia just kept making her furious. The darkening sky made the atmosphere in her room even more stifling. The inc
Lara contemplated the impact of Olivia's threat. Yet, typical of Olivia, who couldn't think too deeply and maturely, the threat was just an empty one she could carry out. Throughout her observation, Olivia would see Lara's trapped response and couldn't do anything else but comply with her wishes. "Lowly slut..." Lara whispered, her voice already worn out. She couldn't shout anymore, overwhelmed by the shock. She truly didn't know how to handle this situation. Her head felt sore, her heart ached, and her body felt powerless, even just to support these fragile bones. Did she really have to divorce Seno? "No!" she vehemently rejected the idea. She even raised her head, holding back the tears starting to well up in her eyes. She didn't want to appear weak and helpless. She would be a stronger woman, ready to face the consequences of the choices at hand: she wouldn't divorce, no matter the reason. "How about it? Do you agree?" Olivia asked, now coming closer to her. The noisy sound o