When I opened my eyes again, the surroundings had changed. The only constant was the fog in my mind and relentless nausea. I struggled to press the call bell, and soon Uncle Chen led a doctor in. "Where's the baby? And what illness is this?" Uncle Chen held my shoulders firmly. "Madam, do not worry. The little master is at home waiting. As for your illness, look at this." The doctor handed me a report.
Preliminary diagnosis: Beta with onset of secondary gender trait mutation. Note: Excess synthetic pheromones suspected. Further tests needed. My breath quickened, and I grabbed for my phone. "When will you be home today?" There was a pause. "Working late. I'll come as soon as I can." I nodded, intending to share the news but only heard the dial tone. It's okay, I'd tell him when he got back. I turned my phone's volume to maximum and asked the doctor confidently, "I'll need nutritional supplements next, right?" The doctor nodded and called the nurses to start IV fluids. Watching the milky liquid drip steady, the silence lulled me to sleep.
Then a friend called, dragging me into an ice-cold pit. "Why didn't you go to the Wan family banquet with Wei Shen? Didn't they love Betas?" I frowned. "I'm in the hospital. Did something happen?" Silence fell. "Just look at this green bubble." The chat showed only one photo. Shaking, I opened and zoomed in. In Wei Shen's arm was a pair of slender white hands, Shi Han's. Closer was a flashy new watch perfectly matching the suit. I crushed my phone, leaving only darkness and silence.
The ward lights flickered on again at 1 a.m. Staring at Wei Shen, I tapped my left wrist. "Give me the watch back, Wei Shen." He froze in the doorway, his curled fingers brushing the light switch. I heard him say softly in the dark, "It's at the repair shop. In a few days."
I interrupted softly, "I just got it back from maintenance last week." I forced a small smile. "I'm actually pretty easy to fool, really." But why, out of all the excuses you gave me, did you choose the one easiest to expose?
Wei Shen said nothing. The sound of footsteps drew nearer. I felt utterly drained, and without thinking, I bent my spine, covering my eyes with my trembling hands. "Divorce, Wei Shen. Let's just get a divorce." "I'm letting you go."
The hand hanging above me never fell. Wei Shen slammed the door and left without a word. I stared blankly out the window for a long moment, then dialed my parents' number. Their response was simple. "Come home, Yan."
Taking a deep breath, I pulled out my family's legal team's contact and said, "Draft a divorce agreement for me. I want nothing, just to take Yunqing with me."
Four days after leaving the agreement on Wei Shen's desk, I finally got a response.
He asked me to meet at a private restaurant for a detailed discussion. When I arrived as agreed, I was met with a newly revised agreement. I frowned as I skimmed through it. Wei Shen had made three key changes: First, the portion of family investment three years ago is now a gift from Wei Shen to Wei Yunqing, and Yan's medical expenses are to be covered by Yunqing. Second, custody of Yunqing belongs to Wei Shen. Third, the timing of public disclosure is to be decided by Wei Shen.
I sneered and slammed the agreement down in front of him. "Everything else can be negotiated, but custody of Yunqing must go to me."
Wei Shen lightly tapped his fingers twice on the table. Assistant Zhao immediately stood up. His gaze locked onto my abdomen. "After receiving the test results, Wei Shen is already being generous by agreeing to pay for treatment. Besides, the little master is an Alpha with genetic defects. Before surgery, he needs Wei Shen's pheromone to calm him, but you're just a Beta..."
I stared straight at Wei Shen. "I want to speak to you alone."
Zhao wanted to say more but eventually left at Wei Shen's gesture. I threw the new agreement at Wei Shen's side again. "I want custody."
He pulled out a cigarette, twirling it between his fingers but didn't light it. "Yan, you have to think about our son too. It's best for him to stay with me for calming. Besides, you don't want to lose him, do you?"
His eyes flicked to my stomach as he spoke. I trembled with anger but had to admit this was the most responsible choice for Yunqing. "Seven days a week, four days under your care for calming, three days with me. That's my final bottom line."
He crumpled the cigarette paper, scattering tobacco over the table but nodded gently. "Fine. The day after tomorrow, I'll bring the new agreement. See you at the divorce registration office."
Suddenly, I remembered something. "When did you find out about the test results?"
Wei Shen tore the agreement to pieces. "Right after the hospital delivered the report, the doctor informed me."
I realized then that even after learning about the diagnosis, he still flaunted bringing his Omega to that banquet. My last line of defense crumbled completely; I fled the private room before losing control.
With heavy dark circles under my eyes, I signed the new agreement. In this merciless world, we finalized the divorce within ten minutes, no cooling-off period. I looked at the blurred road beneath me. "I'll pack and move out within today. Yunqing will leave with me. Can you arrange to pick him up Sunday night?"
Wei Shen nodded and strode to his car. Only when his luxury vehicle sped away did I come back to myself and call a taxi back to the villa. Luckily, Yunqing was still at school, giving me struggling time to prepare what to say. Unluckily, while packing, many belongings were missing. But maybe it was for the best.
My hands trembled as I pulled out vials of synthetic pheromone from the cabinet along with torn photos, all thrown into the trash. We had shared a bed for three years, yet each night was a different nightmare.
I smiled bitterly, not looking back.
Chapter 02
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