The day Lily Carter’s artificial insemination failed, her husband was in the same hospital celebrating another woman’s pregnancy.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Carter. It didn’t succeed this time either.”
Lily Carter lay on the examination bed, the paper sheet beneath her crinkling under her stiff fingers.
For a moment, she did not react.
This was the third attempt.
The third time she had come to the hospital alone, endured the procedure alone, and waited for a result that might finally give her a reason to keep holding on.
And now, again—failure.
Doctor Smith looked at the report, then at her. His tone softened, though his confusion was obvious.
“You and your husband are legally married. Based on your previous tests, neither of you appears to have any fertility issues. May I ask why you keep choosing artificial insemination?”
Lily’s face warmed with embarrassment.
Why?
Because her husband did not touch her.
Because Ethan Blake had never truly accepted this marriage.
Today was their third wedding anniversary, and she was lying in a hospital examination room trying to get pregnant through a procedure her husband barely tolerated.
She sat up slowly and pulled her coat around herself.
“We have our reasons.”
Doctor Smith did not press further.
“If you still want to continue, your husband will need to come in again to provide another sample for the next cycle.”
Lily lowered her eyes.
“I understand.”
Outside the consultation room, she sat alone in the corridor for a while before taking out her phone.
Ethan picked up only after a long wait.
His voice came through cold and impatient.
“What is it?”
Lily gripped the report in her hand.
“The doctor said it failed again. If we want to keep trying, you need to come to the hospital one more time.”
There was a brief silence.
Then Ethan let out a humorless laugh.
“Lily, are you done?”
Her heart sank.
He continued, “If my grandfather hadn’t forced me, I wouldn’t have married you in the first place. And now you’re still trying to drag me into having a child with you?”
Lily’s throat tightened.
“Just one more time. Please.”
“No.”
The word was flat and final.
Before Lily could speak again, he hung up.
She stared at the darkened screen, her fingers cold around the phone.
After three years, she should have been used to his cruelty.
Somehow, it still hurt.
She took a breath, forced herself to stand, and walked toward the exit.
---
The route to the elevators took her past the VIP obstetrics area.
Lily had no intention of looking inside, but two nurses hurried past her, whispering.
“What took you so long? The patient in VIP Three has already asked twice.”
“It’s a prenatal checkup, not an emergency.”
“Keep your voice down. Mr. Blake is in there with her.”
Lily stopped.
Mr. Blake?
Her hand tightened around the strap of her bag.
There were plenty of people with the last name Blake.
It did not have to be Ethan.
But the next second, a familiar voice came from the VIP corridor.
“Walk slowly.”
Lily turned before she could stop herself.
Ethan Blake stood outside one of the VIP examination rooms.
He was supporting a woman by the arm.
The woman wore a loose coat and a light-colored hat pulled low. From where Lily stood, she could not see her face.
But she could see Ethan clearly.
He lowered his head and spoke to the woman in a gentle tone Lily had almost never heard from him.
The woman rested a hand on her lower abdomen, and Ethan immediately steadied her.
“Don’t rush. The doctor said everything is fine, but you still need to be careful.”
Lily’s ears rang.
Just minutes ago, he had refused to continue trying for a child with his wife.
Yet here he was, accompanying another pregnant woman to a checkup.
The woman said something too softly for Lily to hear.
Then Ethan replied, “You have no idea how happy I am. I’m going to be a father.”
He looked down at the woman’s stomach.
That look was enough.
Lily did not need to hear anything else.
She stepped back behind the corner before Ethan could notice her.
Her stomach twisted sharply, nausea rising so suddenly that she almost gagged.
Pressing a hand over her mouth, she rushed toward the restroom.
---
Doctor Smith returned to his office not long after Lily left.
A nurse hurried in with an updated lab result.
“Doctor Smith, the repeat test for Ms. Carter just came back.”
He took the paper, glanced at it, and froze.
The preliminary result had been wrong.
Lily Carter was pregnant.
Doctor Smith’s expression changed at once.
He picked up the phone.
“Get me Director Whitmore. Now.”
---
Director Whitmore had not expected to spend his afternoon standing in the VIP lounge with sweat gathering beneath his collar.
Henry Thornton sat on the sofa, his expression calm, but no one in the room dared breathe too loudly.
Young for someone in his position, Henry Thornton already ran Thornton Group, the flagship of one of the country’s most powerful business dynasties.
“Mr. Thornton,” Whitmore began carefully, “we are still investigating how your sample ended up in our hospital. What we can confirm for now is that there was an internal handling error. The sample was mistakenly used on another female patient undergoing artificial insemination.”
Henry’s gaze turned cold.
“Mistakenly used?”
Whitmore’s back stiffened.
“Yes. This is a serious medical incident, and we will conduct a full investigation. However…”
He hesitated, then quickly continued.
“The patient’s preliminary pregnancy result was negative. At the moment, it appears that no irreversible consequences have occurred.”
Henry did not speak.
The silence was worse than anger.
Whitmore’s phone rang.
He almost flinched before answering it.
After listening for only a few seconds, what little color remained in his face drained away.
Henry looked up.
“What?”
Whitmore lowered the phone slowly.
“Mr. Thornton… the repeat result just came back.”
His voice was dry.
“The patient who received your sample is pregnant.”
The room went silent.
Henry stood.
“Who is she?”
Whitmore immediately answered, “Her name is Lily Carter. She was treated in our obstetrics department today.”
Henry’s expression hardened.
“Seal the exits and bring her to me. Now.”
---
Lily had just stepped out of the hospital when her phone rang.
The caller ID showed Catherine Young.
Her biological mother.
Lily stared at the name for a second before answering.
“Mom.”
“Lily, where are you?” Catherine asked. “Your sister got a new job. Your father and I are having a family dinner tonight to celebrate. Come home.”
Lily instinctively wanted to refuse.
She was exhausted. Her chest still felt hollow from what she had just seen.
But the word *home* stopped her.
After what had happened with Ethan, maybe going back to her family wouldn’t be so bad.
Maybe someone would notice something was wrong.
Maybe, for once, she wouldn’t have to deal with everything alone.
“I have something to…”
“Mia prepared a surprise for you,” Catherine cut in. “She said you have to be there.”
A surprise.
Lily hesitated.
A small part of her wanted to believe it might be something kind.
After a moment, she said, “Fine. I’ll come.”
She ended the call and walked toward the curb, unaware that behind her, the hospital exits had already been sealed and the lobby was erupting into chaos.
