It was only then that it hit Yun Anan. The birth control shot required three doses to be effective, and with everything that had been happening lately, she had missed one. Missing just one dose made all the difference. A wave of panic washed over Yun Anan, so overwhelming it felt as if her world was about to collapse. She was utterly lost, her hands fluttering uselessly at her sides. This baby wasn't part of her plan. And Huo Siqing… he would never let her keep it. What was she going to do? Yun Anan bit down hard on her lip, her eyes a storm of conflict. After a long moment, the small fist she had clenched so tightly finally unfurled, her hand coming to rest on her still-flat stomach. Logic screamed that not keeping the baby was the only sensible choice. But her heart rebelled. How could she deny an unborn child its right to live just because of the bitterness between the adults? She couldn’t bear it. She just couldn’t. Bang— The door burst open. Huo Siqing strode in, his tall frame dwarfing Yun Anan, casting her completely in shadow. Before she could even speak, he seized her delicate chin. His gaze was glacial as he stared down at her, the coldness practically radiating from him. “Xinyue is so frail she's confined to a wheelchair. You stuck your leg out and tripped her. Were you trying to kill her?” Yun Anan stared back at him, the light draining from her eyes. She opened her mouth, then closed it without a word. “Yun Anan, I truly underestimated how vicious you could be,” Huo Siqing said, flinging her chin away in disgust. “As of tomorrow, you're moving out of the Huo residence. You'll live at Shui Xie Ge. I'll arrange for someone to look after you. Don't come back here unless you're told to.” “You're… kicking me out?” Yun Anan’s face drained of color. A sharp, dragging pain seized her lower abdomen, a terrifying sensation, as if something vital were about to be torn from her. Panic flared in her eyes. She fumbled for the gold needles hidden in her sleeve and swiftly pierced an acupuncture point on her arm. Huo Siqing watched her sudden change in expression, assuming it was the start of some new ploy. When he saw the needles, he scoffed. Just another one of her self-pitying acts. He pulled a key from his suit pocket and tossed it onto the table beside her. “The driver will take you tomorrow. You’d better not try any more stunts. Just stay put over there.” With that, he turned and left, slamming the door with the same force he’d used to enter. And so, he never saw the stain of blood spreading on the floor beneath her. As she watched his retreating back, a pain so sharp it felt like her heart was being carved from her chest shot through her, nearly making her convulse. Her eyes reddened, and a strangled, painful sound escaped her lips as they trembled. Didn't he know? Didn't he know she was made of flesh and blood, that she could hurt, too? By the time she finished the treatment, Yun Anan was drenched in sweat, the fingers that held the needle still trembling. She had never felt so terrified, so on edge. It was in this moment that she truly understood how desperately she wanted to keep this child. Though she had saved the baby for now, Yun Xinyue’s push had still done its damage. A hospital check-up tomorrow would be the safest bet, especially since she didn’t have any of the necessary herbs on hand to stabilize the pregnancy. Forcing her trembling body upright, she went to the bathroom to quickly clean herself up. When she returned, she thought of Huo Siqing’s words and let her gaze drift around their so-called 'marital bedroom,' a bitter, self-mocking laugh escaping her lips. For so long, she had clung to a foolish, desperate hope that the boy she once knew, her 'big brother,' would remember her, recognize her, and that they would have their perfect ending. She had tried to fight back, unwilling to let her own suffering become the foundation for their happiness. But now, Yun Anan was adrift in a sea of confusion. Was there any point in holding on? The next morning, a servant came to her room before she had even properly woken. The driver was already waiting, she was told. It was as if sending her away was a cause for celebration, an event so joyous they couldn’t bear to delay it by a single moment.