On their wedding night, her vegetative husband opened his eyes

Chapter 1 There's Nothing To Cling To "Sorry, Ms. Nelson, you haven't been able to keep the baby." "The baby... it really didn't survive?" Belinda Nelson's eyes fixed on her phone screen as she absorbed the grave news, distractedly scrolling through her newsfeed. "Ms. Nelson, given your terminal condition, your body has been unable to nourish the fetus for quite some time. The fetus is now deceased. We must proceed with the abortion soon to safeguard your health." "Please, arrange the surgery. No anesthesia." The doctor, sympathy evident in her eyes, shook her head. Belinda kept her eyes fixed on the phone screen throughout. Displayed on the screen was an image of a man and a woman exiting the airport side by side. The woman, identified as Cathy Miller, was a burgeoning star in show business, recently returned from a three-year educational stint abroad. Accompanying her was Kristopher Cox, CEO of the leading Cox Group in Nawrin. Unbeknownst to the public, Kristopher was also Belinda's spouse and the father of her unborn child. The online comments celebrated the pair as a perfect match, oblivious to the fact that Kristopher had been secretly married for the last three years. Belinda glanced at her phone, a bitter smile touching her lips as she caught sight of the online chatter about the celebrity couple. She used to hope to have a child more than anyone else did. Despite her best efforts, she failed to sustain the pregnancy. She was aware that she was terminally ill and her days are numbered. Perhaps the child sensed that Kristopher wouldn't be kind to them after Belinda's passing and so decided against entering this world. That was fine. She was now free to pass on without concerns. While Belinda lay on the operating table, the doctor asked once more if any family members were with her. Just then, she overheard the nurses outside. "I'm so jealous of Cathy. She disappears for three years, and the moment she returns, she has the CEO of Cox Group by her side." "Cathy was Kristopher's first love. She moved overseas for three years, and he faithfully waited all that time. Kristopher's devotion to her is remarkable!" "But haven't you heard the rumors that Kristopher is married?" "Pure speculation! Kristopher adores Cathy deeply. He could never marry anyone else..." The nurses' chattering stabbed at Belinda's heart like daggers. She shut her eyes tightly and murmured, "It's too noisy." The doctor then burst through the door, yelling into the hallway. Silence enveloped the room. As the doctor reentered, Belinda looked up serenely and instructed, "No anesthesia, please." She was determined to endure the agony of her child being taken from her. She told herself this was what she deserved after years of blind devotion to Kristopher. The ordeal in the surgery room lasted only half an hour, but the pain seemed endless, sweat drenching her body as her attachment to Kristopher, and their unborn child, slipped away. Staggering out of the surgery, Belinda locked eyes with Kristopher, his gaze seething with fury. He closed the distance swiftly, his hands clamping down on her shoulders, his handsome face contorted with rage. "Belinda! How could you decide to end our child's life without telling me?" As she lifted her head, the sting of sweat blurring her vision, Belinda noticed a woman in a white dress behind Kristopher. It was Cathy. With a bitter twist of her lips, Belinda murmured, "It seems I made the right choice." Kristopher had not come alone to confront her about the abortion. He had brought Cathy, allowing her to witness Belinda's lowest moment, uncaring of how this spectacle would hurt her. What was left for Belinda to cling to? Chapter 2 Don't Play The Victim "Belinda! How dare you say it's a right choice to end the pregnancy! Kristopher's gaze locked onto her, his normally tranquil eyes now aflame with fury. "The baby was ours! I had no clue about the baby, and you decided to terminate the pregnancy without even telling me!" "Do you even care?" Belinda cut him off, raising her head to meet his gaze, now blazing with rage. "I tried to tell you. "I called you two hours ago. Where were you then? I also sent you several messages before the surgery. Didn't you think to check?" Kristopher's face tightened with rage. Two hours ago... Cathy had just landed at the airport. He scowled and pulled out his phone to see if he had indeed missed a call from Belinda. As he stood there, scrolling through his call log and messages, a deep sense of despair took hold of Belinda. Kristopher's frown deepened as he checked his messages and WhatsApp. There was nothing. He frowned, his icy gaze shifting to Belinda. "I thought the airport was so loud that I missed your call. Turns out, you never even called." He flashed the screen of his phone, his expression dripping with scorn. "A flood of calls and messages? You're slipping in your lies, Belinda!" Belinda gave a cold, mocking smile. "Am I the liar, or are you? You erased my calls and messages to pin this on me, didn't you?" As she spoke, she pulled out her own phone. "Kristopher, did you forget that I have records too?" "Oh--!" Just then, a soft moan echoed from nearby. "My belly hurts..." "Cathy!" No sooner had Cathy's pained voice reached them than Kristopher was on his feet, rushing to her side. "What's the matter? Is it your belly again?" Cathy, tears streaming down her face, nodded. "Kristopher, it hurts so much..." "Let's get you to a doctor. Hand me the registration form from earlier." Cathy meekly handed him the document, and together, they left, their closeness evident. Belinda, fresh from an abortion, stood frozen, her phone clutched in hand as she watched her husband enter the obstetrics and gynecology department with another woman. Lowering her gaze, she scrolled through her phone's recent call log, a bitter smile playing on her lips. Even with proof that Kristopher was lying, what would it change? It only highlighted how little he cared for her. She had convinced herself that Kristopher was here for her, having seen her urgent messages. Instead, he was merely accompanying Cathy for a check-up and had stumbled upon her by chance. How absurd! After picking up her medication, Belinda left the hospital. The moment she reached home, a sharp pain stabbed through her stomach, a burning sensation swirling within. Grabbing a tissue, she dashed to the bathroom, where the toilet quickly turned red from her vomiting blood. Clinging to the toilet, she lost track of time as she continued to vomit until she passed out. She was nudged awake over an hour later by her cat, Fluffy. Gently patting the cat's head, she weakly made her way out of the bathroom. Her body faltered, and after a few steps, she collapsed with a loud thud. Through her daze, she noticed a pair of handcrafted luxury leather shoes advancing towards her from the door, stopping right in front of her. Then, a cold, mocking voice uttered from above, "Belinda, you chose to abort the baby. Now you're playing the victim? Spare us the act. Nobody's falling for it." Chapter 3 Let's Get A Divorce Belinda lay on the floor, tasting the blood in her throat, as she pushed herself to stand. "Why are you back?" Wasn't he supposed to be at the hospital, doting on his precious Cathy? Kristopher, watching Belinda's face twist in disdain, leaned back elegantly on the sofa. "Cathy's just beginning to establish herself here. Imagine the scandal if it came out she was at the gynecologist today..." "And why should that concern me?" Belinda narrowed her eyes, her smirk dripping with sarcasm. "As your wife who's just miscarried, should I be upholding your mistress' reputation?" It was clear now why Kristopher had rushed back; he feared Belinda might expose everything and tarnish his beloved's future. "How dare you use the word 'mistress'?" Kristopher snapped back. Belinda fixed her gaze on him, her words deliberate and biting. "If Cathy valued her reputation, she wouldn't be involved with a married man, wouldn't have health issues, and certainly wouldn't seek treatment at public hospitals." Kristopher's eyes darkened with fury. "You knew Cathy held my heart even when you married me. And still, you let my grandfather marry us while I was unconscious. How can you call her a mistress?" Belinda's smile soured. "Yes, I made a mistake then." Three years earlier, after Kristopher's car accident left him comatose, Cathy had fled the country. Belinda believed Cathy had truly left him for good, prompting her to implore his grandfather, Anthony Cox, to arrange their marriage. She vowed to nurture him for as long as she lived. For nearly six months, she tended to him with great care, and gradually, Kristopher began to recover. The severe gastric cancer she developed was largely due to the erratic lifestyle she maintained while caring for him. She had naively believed her sincere affection would thaw his heart, but instead, she found herself drained and forced to end her pregnancy. As his lawful spouse, she was powerless to call Cathy a mistress without facing his sharp rebukes. It became evident that Kristopher was ungrateful and would never be touched no matter how much she cared for him. With this realization, Belinda gave Kristopher a bitter smile and resignedly said, "If it's her you want, so be it." She knew it was time to let go of herself. The marriage should have dissolved long before, but it was she who had desperately clung to it. The despair and surrender in her gaze seemed to annoy Kristopher. "What are you implying?" he demanded. "Kristopher." A chill enveloped Belinda's heart. After five years together, as their relationship neared its conclusion, Belinda was surprised by her own serenity, unable to muster even a tear. "Let's get a divorce." "A divorce?" Kristopher paused,then sneered, "What game are you playing, Belinda? Aborting our child and now seeking a divorce? If I agree, you'll tell my Grandpa that I force you to do it, won't you?" "I have never gone to your Grandpa to complain. I didn't before, and I won't start now." Belinda smirked as she squatted down and retrieved the divorce papers from the drawer of the coffee table. Just then, the ringing of a phone cut through the silence. "Cathy." Kristopher sprang to his feet, his voice laced with anxiety. "What's the matter? Okay. I'll be right there!" He ended the call swiftly, grabbed his jacket from the sofa, and made for the door. Belinda, clutching the divorce papers, frowned deeply and called out to him, "Sign these before you leave. It'll only take a second." He seemed not to hear her at all. The door slammed shut behind him as he left. Belinda shut her eyes, sinking into a brief silence. Eventually, she opened her eyes, picked up a pen, and signed her name on the final page of the agreement. Tossing the papers back onto the table, she scooped up her cat, Fluffy, and ascended the stairs to pack. While packing, she called her friend Madisyn Thomas in Rozand to come get her. It had become clear to her. In Kristopher's eyes, she paled in comparison to Cathy. A single call from Cathy was enough to make him disregard her completely. She had been harming herself over a man who now seemed trivial, especially as she faced stage IV stomach cancer with only three months to live. Resolved, she decided she no longer wanted to waste her remaining time on a marriage that had no future. Chapter 4 Is That Woman Your Wife? A week later, in Rozand... "You've really slimmed down," Madisyn remarked, setting food in front of Belinda. She sighed deeply. "I've been buying you so much food every day this week, yet somehow you keep losing weight." Belinda was peeling shrimp, eyes lowered. "I think I look better this way, don't you?" "You're too thin now!" Madisyn sighed with sympathy. "You once filled out my evening dresses, and now, look at you. We'll need new outfits for the upcoming party." After she tossed the peeled shrimp into the cat's bowl and called over Fluffy, Belinda queried softly, "What party?" "Remember? You wanted your jewelry designs to hit the market in three months," Madisyn reminded her. Her face fell into a pout. "I spoke to a few companies. They can do custom orders, but mass production and launching take more time. To meet your three-month deadline, we need someone who can expedite and who likes your style. I found out about a party happening tonight. It's not just local jewelers but also merchants and designers from other cities. I thought we could go and see if anyone's interested in your designs," she suggested hopefully. Seeing her friend's dedication, Belinda felt motivated. She petted Fluffy gently. "It's been a long time since I last attended a party. I can't always stay at home." Watching Belinda's broad smile, Madisyn paused before she uttered, her tone reflective, "You remember that you always wondered who would attend every time I invited you to a party? You were always worried about Kristopher and did not want to upset him." Madisyn's smile faltered slightly. "And now you don't even ask?" Belinda's smile was soft yet sad. "I'm still healing. Let's leave my ex out of our night, shall we?" In the evening, at Summit Hotel banquet hall... Belinda made her entrance at the banquet in a striking red evening gown featuring a deep V-neck, backless design, and a daring high slit. Her slender figure, accentuated by the bold red, immediately drew envious looks from the crowd upon her arrival. Upon noticing the stares, Madisyn leaned towards Belinda and whispered, "You see, I told you this vibrant and seductive style suits you. You always chose such dignified and elegant dresses, fitting the role of Mrs. Cox. Actually, they never really suited you!" Belinda offered a charming smile in response. "I'll remember that." Having spent a week recuperating, she had resolved to change her approach. Just then, a man came over and asked her to dance. Belinda accepted with a nod and elegantly made her way to the dance floor with her new companion. Upstairs in the banquet hall, Kristopher reclined in his chair with his eyes shut, listening to his assistant Marc Lewis' report. Distracted by the vivid red figure below on the dance floor, Marc reported with a frown. "Why did you stop?" Kristopher's voice was cool and detached, his eyes remaining firmly shut. Marc paused briefly, then promptly refocused and completed his report. "Any news from her?" Kristopher asked nonchalantly after receiving the report. Marc hesitated for a moment before quickly replying, "Your mother messaged me this morning. She said Belinda's still resting at home. Everything's fine." Upon hearing this, Kristopher scoffed dismissively, "Heartless." He then grabbed his phone and scrolled through his messages with Belinda. The last one from her came a week ago. She had advised him to cut down on his coffee intake at work. Previously, she would message him incessantly, almost like an overbearing mother. Now, a whole week had passed without a single word from her. She hadn't even offered an explanation for her secret abortion. If it weren't for the daily updates from his mother asserting that Belinda was recuperating at home, Kristopher might have thought she had disappeared altogether. In the past, any argument between them would see her apologizing within a couple of days. But this time, she seemed determined to stand her ground. Marc let out a small sigh as he observed this. He knew that Kristopher might talk a big game, but he was less formidable in action. He publicly displayed his irritation, seemingly awaiting an apology from Belinda... Yet, behind the scenes, Kristopher not only had his mother personally care for Belinda but also checked in on her condition daily, frequently pulling out his phone to see if she had messaged. However... Marc hesitated for a long time before finally mustering the courage to point towards the dance floor below and asked, "Mr. Cox, is that woman Mrs. Cox?" ... ==== Three years ago, Belinda, facing ridicule from everyone, resolutely married Kristopher, who was in a vegetative state. After three years, under her care, Kristopher finally woke up. However, she was terminally ill and suffered a stillborn. Dealing with this double blow, she persevered alone to the hospital for the abortion procedure while her husband was publicly seen with another woman in the headlines. Coming out of the operating room, Belinda's once deeply loving heart for her husband died: "Let's get a divorce!" What happens next? Available chapters here are limited, click the button below to install the App and enjoy more exciting chapters (Automatically jump to this novel when you open the app) &2&