You Called Me Vulgar While I Was Vomiting Your Child Chapter 03
“Vivian and I will handle this. You don’t need to worry about it.”
Vivian turned to look at me with a smile.
“Claire, you don’t need to try so hard to prove yourself.”
“There’s nothing wrong with being a housewife.”
Julian finally lifted his head.
“She’s always like this. Scared of falling behind, so she just chimes in blindly.”
“No point in it.”
He scooped a bowl of soup and set it in front of me.
“Everyone has different capabilities.”
“Just focus on taking care of the baby. That’s the biggest help you can give me.”
I stared down at the bowl. It was floating with chopped cilantro—an ingredient I detested—and my stomach churned all over again.
I didn’t say another word, just looked down to confirm my OB-GYN appointment for Wednesday morning.
During my last checkup, Julian had to rush Vivian to the airport at the last minute, promising he would definitely make the next one.
I didn’t bother asking if he remembered.
By Wednesday, Julian walked out the door before sunrise.
Vivian’s project had secured a new round of funding, and they were throwing a celebration dinner that night.
Before leaving, he warmed up some milk for me and instructed:
“Don’t forget your prenatal vitamins.”
“Text me the results as soon as you’re done.”
“Vivian just got back, she might over drink tonight, so I need to look after her.”
I watched his back as he walked out the door, giving a soft reply.
“Okay.”
At the clinic, halfway through the ultrasound, the doctor suddenly stopped moving the probe.
“We found the reason you’ve been feeling so sick and dizzy!”
“The fetus’s brain tissue didn’t develop normally. There are clear signs of miscarriage.”
I stared blankly at the blurry silhouette on the screen.
It felt like all sound had been instantly sucked out of the room.
Ten minutes ago, I was still wondering whether the baby was a boy or a girl.
Ten minutes later, the doctor was telling me this child never stood a chance at coming into the world.
With the sudden spike of panic and grief, a sharp cramp tore through my lower abdomen.
Blood soaked through my skirt within seconds.
The doctor’s face dropped, and she immediately signaled a nurse to bring a wheelchair.
“You’re hemorrhaging. We can’t save this pregnancy. You need a D&C immediately, or your own life could be in danger.”
I didn’t even have time to process that I was losing the baby before the termination consent form was shoved in front of me.
Before signing, I made only one request.
“Can I call the baby’s father first?”
The phone rang for a long time before picking up.
The background noise was loud with celebration prep.
Julian’s voice came through, dripping with annoyance. “Are you done with the checkup?”
I gripped the phone tightly.
“Julian, something went wrong at the clinic.”
“The doctor said the baby has anencephaly. I have to immediately…”
“Claire, I don’t have time to listen to your medical updates right now. Just take a cab home.”
He cut me off flatly.
“Vivian’s presentation is about to start, and everyone’s waiting.”
Before I could get another word out, the line went dead.
The nurse looked at me with pity.
“Can’t your family make it?”
I stared at the black screen for a long time, then slowly shook my head.
I suddenly realized this child probably never wanted to enter this world anyway.
She didn’t want to turn out like Aunt Vivian, didn’t want to land in a home devoid of love.
She probably didn’t even want a pathetic mother like me.
I closed my eyes and lay down on the operating table.
When I opened them again, I was in the recovery ward.
The nurse let out a sigh of relief upon seeing my eyes open.
“You lost a lot of blood during the procedure, but we stabilized you in time.”
“You can’t leave by yourself. You need to call a family member to pick you up.”
