Chapter 3
After her injury was dressed, Winona was about to leave the hospital when she bumped into Joseph by the entrance to the operating room.
It was then that a nurse rushed out, exclaiming, “Ms. Reed is experiencing a major hemorrhage and her blood type is Rh-negative—a rare blood type! Is there any immediate family who could serve as a donor, Mr. Lowe?”
Upon hearing that, Joseph’s face turned ashen instantly. He scanned his surroundings until his gaze landed on Winona. His eyes ignited with desperate hope, and he strode over, seizing her wrist. “You’re Rh-negative, aren’t you, Winnie? Queenie got hurt saving me. You have to help her!”
Winona’s blood ran cold. Joseph clearly knew about her anemia. She had collapsed from it the year before, and he had been so distressed that he nearly caused a scene at the hospital. Yet here he was, asking her, despite her anemia, to donate her blood to save Queenie.
“It’ll only be just a small amount, Winnie,” Joseph said quickly. His voice was laced with urgency, and his grip on her wrist tightened further as he exclaimed, “Queenie’s running out of time!”
Joseph didn’t wait for Winona’s reply, though. He forcefully pushed her into the blood donation room. The instant the needle punctured her vein, Winona’s eyes fluttered shut. Her blood, a full 600cc, was rapidly siphoned away, leaving her face progressively more ashen.
Joseph remained rooted to the spot, his eyes intently fixed on the direction of the operating room. He didn’t so much as look at her.
Having just had her blood drawn, Winona’s legs buckled beneath her, causing her to nearly crumple to the floor. It was only then that Joseph returned to himself and rushed to support her, saying, “I’m so sorry, Winnie. I know you’re concerned about the baby, but rest assured, the nurses are very precise with blood draws. If you’re still uneasy, I’ll have a doctor check on you immediately.”
He then ushered her into the examination room, leaving no room for argument. It wasn’t long before a doctor came out, holding her medical report.
Joseph rushed over, asking, “How’s the baby?”
The doctor was taken aback when he heard that. “Huh? There’s no—”
It was then that the nurse suddenly hurried out, exclaiming, “Ms. Reed’s been calling your name throughout the entire surgery, Mr. Lowe! Is it possible for you to come in and accompany her? Your presence could make all the difference, giving her the will to survive.”
Joseph, without a moment’s hesitation, turned and hurried into the operating room.
Then, the doctor’s gaze lingered uncertainly on Winona as he asked, “Is Mr. Lowe unaware that you underwent an abortion, Mrs. Lowe?”
Winona smiled faintly, shaking her head as she replied, “He doesn’t know, and there’s no need for him to ever find out.”
As she stepped out of the hospital, Winona noticed the sunset bathing the sky in gold.
Her complexion was completely ashen as she gazed at the evening sky ablaze with color. She was suddenly transported back to her university days as she remembered Joseph’s earnest pledge to take her to see the most stunning sunset on Earth. At that moment, the sun continued its daily descent, brilliant as ever, yet their shared journey had reached an irreversible end.
…
In the aftermath, Winona recuperated at home for an entire week. That blood donation had taken a heavy toll on her health, leaving her constantly dizzy. She could barely rise from her bed. Her concerned household staff wanted to contact Joseph, but she stopped them, saying, “You don’t have to do that. He’s currently busy.”
Winona knew exactly what occupied Joseph’s time. He was busy tending to Queenie.
Queenie’s social media was filled with daily posts detailing Joseph’s devotion toward her. He’d personally spoon-feed her soup, accompany her to prenatal check-ups, and drive out in the dead of night for her pickled fruit cravings. He was so utterly devoted to Queenie that he seemed to have forgotten who his actual wife was.
It was on this day that Joseph finally returned home. He stood in the walk-in closet, meticulously selecting a tie as he said, “You see, a buddy of mine is throwing a one-month-old celebration for his kid tonight. You should come along with me, Winnie.”
However, Winona remained silent. She simply changed her clothes and trailed after him out the door. But as she opened the front passenger door, her eyes landed on Queenie, who was already seated inside.
Queenie smiled sheepishly, saying, “I felt quite confined in the hospital, so I requested Joseph to bring me along, Winona. I get carsick easily, so I had to sit in the front. I hope that’s alright with you.”
Winona’s hand remained suspended for a moment before she finally retracted it. “I’m alright with it.”
She then silently settled into the back seat, her gaze fixed on the intimate silhouettes of the pair seated in front.
Joseph considerately lowered the air conditioning for Queenie and then handed her a cushion. His gentleness, once exclusively hers, was now bestowed upon another.
During the party, Joseph attended solely to Queenie, oblivious to the glances people were casting at Winona.
Winona kept hearing hushed conversations around her.
“How unfortunate for Mr. Lowe. He loved his wife so dearly, only for her to bear her abductor’s child.”
“Didn’t they say that Mrs. Lowe was assaulted?”
“What do you mean by ‘assaulted’? You ought to know that Ms. Reed was abducted alongside her. Why wasn’t she assaulted, then? It was clear that Winona was just being promiscuous.”
“I always thought she was trouble. I bet she used her wiles on the perpetrator to survive, causing Mr. Lowe untold misery. I’m also certain that’s why he had that drunken night with Ms. Reed, which, of course, led to her pregnancy.”
