Chapter 93: Facing the Truth for the First Time
What was Ye Tianlin thinking?
If he knew about all this, what would he choose? Would he let her go?
"What should I do?" Liang Xiaoluo asked quietly, her voice devoid of warmth.
She didn't want to be the one to say the words to give up. But reality was forcing her to let go. She could fight for herself, but she couldn't ignore the impact on the people Ye Tianlin cared about most.
Because she loved him, she also loved his family.
Mr. Gu's lips curled into a faint smirk. "Ms. Liang, you're a wise woman who knows how to read the situation."
His words felt like needles, every syllable piercing her heart. Yet, she had no choice but to endure.
"Sir, Madam, we've arrived at the hospital," the driver reminded from the front.
Mr. Gu glanced out at the sign for Minghua Hospital, his eyes sharp and calculating. "Let's go, Ms. Liang. You'll thank yourself for the decision you're about to make. You'll live the life you've always dreamed of—better than most girls your age."
"Here, let me help you," Mrs. Gu said, reaching out to support Xiaoluo. Her voice was gentle, her actions seemingly considerate. "Don't worry, dear. We'll be with you the whole time. It'll be quick, and you won't feel a thing."
Liang Xiaoluo's body trembled as she stepped out of the car. She looked up at the large, bold letters of Minghua Hospital. They felt hollow and cold, an ominous gateway to despair.
Hospitals had always felt eerie to her, but today, it felt like stepping into the gates of hell—a place that could snatch away life in an instant.
Her lips were pale, her face drained of color. Her mind repeated Mr. Gu's words over and over: "Terminate the child and leave the Ye family."
The Gu couple had cornered her, giving her no other option. To secure Ye Tianlin's family's survival, she was to sacrifice her child.
"This way, Ms. Liang," Mrs. Gu said, her voice still soft as she guided Xiaoluo forward.
Xiaoluo stumbled. She could barely feel her legs moving as Mrs. Gu ushered her inside the hospital. Her trembling hand instinctively went to her belly. This is my child, she thought. My baby.
Was she really about to end this life?
Wouldn't that make me a murderer?
"No, I can't do this," Xiaoluo whispered, her heart wrenching in protest. But her feet betrayed her resolve, obeying Mrs. Gu's gentle yet unyielding pressure.
The Gu family had pulled every string to ensure a smooth procedure. The best operating room had been reserved, and their trusted doctor awaited them. Standing at the entrance to the surgery room, Mrs. Gu handed over a thick envelope to the doctor.
"Doctor, this is a delicate matter. I trust you'll handle it perfectly," Mrs. Gu said with a smile.
The doctor took the envelope with a greedy glint in his eye. "Rest assured, Madam Gu. Everything will be handled discreetly."
He turned to Xiaoluo and gestured toward the operating room. "Ms. Liang, please come with me."
Mrs. Gu gave Xiaoluo a little push. "Go on, dear. Don't worry—it'll be over before you know it."
Xiaoluo looked over her shoulder repeatedly, hoping Mrs. Gu would have a change of heart and stop her. But all she saw was Mrs. Gu's unwavering, smiling face—a face that concealed cold indifference.
Click.
The door to the operating room closed behind her. The sharp sound made Xiaoluo's heart leap in panic. She turned to run, desperate to flee, but the doctor grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
"Ms. Liang, there's nothing to fear. We'll give you a little anesthesia, and it'll be painless," the doctor assured her as he guided her toward the table.
His words did nothing to soothe her. Two nurses appeared, holding her down as the doctor prepared the instruments.
"Please don't hurt my baby. Please…" Xiaoluo pleaded through tears that streamed uncontrollably.
The nurses, unfazed by her despair, continued their work, readying a syringe with the anesthetic. One of them gave a cold smirk as she approached Xiaoluo with the needle.
Xiaoluo flinched and screamed, "No! No, please!"
But the nurse was unmoved. She administered the injection, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "This wouldn't hurt so much if you stopped struggling."
The drug burned as it entered Xiaoluo's system. Her strength ebbed, her body growing heavier.
The staff relaxed, chatting amongst themselves as they waited for the anesthesia to take full effect.
However, Xiaoluo's will remained strong. Summoning the last vestiges of her strength, she slipped off the operating table and bolted toward the door.
"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" one of the nurses shouted.
Panicked and barefoot, Xiaoluo flung the door open and ran. The cold floor beneath her feet only intensified her determination to escape.
Mrs. Gu and Mr. Gu had long since left the hospital, their concern for Xiaoluo ending at the operating room doors.
As far as they were concerned, Xiaoluo would no longer be a threat without the child.
But Xiaoluo was far from giving up.
Her heart raced as she ran through the hospital corridors, her vision blurring. The effects of the anesthesia made her movements sluggish, her thoughts hazy. She stumbled outside a cardiac examination room, her body pressing against the door.
The pursuing doctor called out, "Ms. Liang, come back with us. This isn't safe."
"I won't!" Xiaoluo screamed, her voice trembling.
At that moment, the door to the examination room opened. Xiaoluo fell backward into someone's arms.
The person steadied her, their concerned voice cutting through the chaos. "Xiaoluo? What's happening?"
It was Yan Ruoxi.
Seeing Ruoxi's familiar face, Xiaoluo's fragile defenses shattered. She clung to her desperately, tears streaming down her face.
"Help me… Please save me," she begged before her knees buckled and she fainted in Ruoxi's arms.
Ruoxi caught Xiaoluo and held her tightly, her own heart pounding. "Xiaoluo! Wake up! Please, wake up!"
The doctor stepped forward, his demeanor calm but firm. "Miss Yan, this is a medical matter. Please allow us to take Ms. Liang back for her procedure."
Ruoxi's eyes narrowed as she stood protectively over Xiaoluo's unconscious body. "Procedure? What procedure?"
The doctor hesitated, realizing he might have said too much. But Ruoxi wasn't about to back down.
"Explain. Now," she demanded, her voice cold and unwavering.