An Usurping Love

My lower abdomen has been distended for eight months; when I walk, I must slightly arch my back, each step weighed down by a heavy burden. David Lynn slid a document toward me, his fingertips pale and cold. "Sign it." His voice held no warmth—it was like shards of ice in the dead of winter. I cast my eyes down to the paper—'Divorce Agreement'—the two words stung my eyes with pain. "David Lynn, our child will be full term in just one month." My voice trembled as I clutched my belly and recoiled slightly. He sneered, his eyes brimming with disgust. "This child cannot be kept. You must go to the hospital tomorrow for an induced abortion." "Why?" I looked up at him sharply, feeling as though my heart was being crushed by a merciless hand. We had been together for three years, from naive love to marriage. I thought at the very least we shared genuine affection. He remained silent and tossed another medical report toward me. "Read it for yourself." The report bore the name Melody Scott; in the diagnosis section was noted "Post-kidney transplant recovery period," and in the donor field, it shockingly also stated Melody Scott. "What exactly do you mean?" My fingers whitened as I clutched the report, my fingertips cold as ice. "What do I mean?" David Lynn leaned close to me, the hatred in his voice almost consuming me. "It was Melody Scott who donated a kidney to me all those years ago, not you! On what grounds do you claim a credit that is not yours, and occupy Mrs. Lynn's position for so many years?" My mind suddenly went blank, as if struck by a thunderclap. It was plainly I who lay on the operating table then, having given him one of my kidneys. "No, David Lynn, it was I who..." "Silence!" He cut me off sharply, his gaze resolute and cold, chilling me to the core. "The evidence is incontrovertible. Do you still intend to deny it?" Melody Scott came down the stairs carrying a glass of water, her face pale, leaning weakly against David Lynn. "David, please don't be so angry; you might harm yourself." She looked at me, a faint trace of triumph hidden deep in her eyes, yet her voice feigned peace. "Fiona did not mean any harm; perhaps it was a misunderstanding at the time." "A misunderstanding?" David Lynn held Melody Scott in his arms, his tone softening briefly, but when he turned to me, the coldness returned. "She deliberately usurped my place, coveting the wealth of the Lynn Family!" "I did not!" I shouted fiercely, tears falling uncontrollably down my cheeks. "Whether you did or not no longer matters." David Lynn withdrew a pen from his pocket and placed it on the agreement. "Sign here, undergo the induced abortion, and I will give you a sum of money. From that moment on, we will be even." "And if I refuse to sign?" I gazed at him, clutching the last thread of hope. He sneered coldly, his voice merciless: "Then do not blame me for being ruthless. The Lynn Family has plenty of ways to ensure that neither you nor this child remain." I looked at Melody Scott, who nestled tenderly in his arms, then placed my hand upon my swollen abdomen. This child is the only solace I have in this absurd marriage. Yet David Lynn's eyes showed not the slightest trace of pity. "Why is it Melody Scott?" I asked softly, my voice laden with despair. "Because she is kinder than you, truer to me than you ever were." David's words were like a blade, piercing precisely the softest part of my heart. Melody gently patted David on the back and softly said, "David, stop—Fiona is hurt as well." As I watched this glaring scene, I suddenly laughed, tears streaming down my face. Three years of deep affection ultimately could not withstand a carefully crafted betrayal. I took up the pen, my fingertips trembling, and signed my name—Fiona Scott—on the Divorce Agreement. I cast the pen onto the table, my voice hoarse, "I will undergo the induced abortion; from now on, I will never show myself to you again." David Lynn exhaled, his face without a trace of remorse, only a tangible sense of relief. "Tomorrow, I will have the driver take you to the hospital." I spoke no further; slowly, I stood and made my way back to the bedroom step by step. As I closed the door, I slid down against the doorframe, clutching my belly and sobbing uncontrollably. Child, I am sorry. Your mother failed to protect you.