Chapter 1: Whose Bastard Is It?
In the bustling maternity ward of A-city People's Hospital, Ava Sterling clutched her report, her face a tapestry of shock and disbelief.
"Doctor, could there be a mistake in these results?" she implored, seeking refuge in doubt.
"The results are accurate, Ava. You need to make a decision," the doctor affirmed, his voice a blend of professionalism and empathy as he glanced at the report in her trembling hands.
It was in that moment, standing in the stark reality of the doctor's office, that Ava Sterling's world tilted on its axis - she was pregnant, with an ectopic pregnancy.
"I need to make a phone call," she murmured, her voice barely a whisper.
Stepping out of the doctor's sanctuary, Ava stood in the hospital corridor, her fingers mechanically dialing a number etched in her memory. The phone barely rang before it was answered by a voice, cold and distant: "What is it?"
"I have something important to tell you," Ava started, her voice a mixture of hope and hesitation.
"Make your own decisions about your issues. Don't call me for nothing," the voice cut in sharply, and with those final words, Nathan Ford hung up.
This was the first time Ava had reached out to Nathan since their marriage over six months ago, yet he hadn't even allowed her to finish a sentence.
His icy tone extinguished the last flicker of fear in her heart, replacing it with a newfound resolve.
Their marriage, a half-year tableau of estrangement, had changed one night a month and a half ago.
Nathan, in a drunken stupor, had come home and, for the first time, they had been together.
The next morning, Nathan acted as if nothing had happened, and Ava, too, chose silence.
But now, the irony of the situation lay bare - a single encounter, leading to an ectopic pregnancy, a life-threatening condition without surgery.
Signing the surgery consent form, Ava felt a piercing realization - she had always been superfluous in this relationship.
"You don't need to be afraid. It's a minor procedure, and you'll be able to conceive again in the future," the doctor said gently, noticing Ava's solitary figure.
Was it just her bad luck to have met a man like Nathan, that she had to face this surgery alone?
Pregnancy? Ava thought to herself. This was an accident, a preventable one. That one night was never meant to be more than it was.
As Ava Sterling lay on the operating table, her hand gently caressed her abdomen. Here lay a child, a life she could not keep. Slowly, she drifted into a deep slumber.
Awakening to a stinging pain on her face, Ava became aware of her surroundings.
The doctor's voice echoed in her ears, "We're moving you to the ward now. You need to stay in bed for the next six hours. It would be best if a family member could come to look after you."
Listening to the doctor's advice, a bitter taste of irony filled Ava's mouth. Family? Could those people even be called that?
In the evening, gazing at the fading sky through the hospital window, Ava, with effort, pushed herself upright.
She needed to step out to buy some essentials, preparing for a few days' stay.
Entering the elevator, a gust of wind caught her off guard. She wrapped her coat tighter around her; underneath, she wore a hospital gown.
Shivering in the corner, Ava resolved that the events of today - the child she carried and the surgery - would become a forever sealed secret.
Suddenly, two figures entered the elevator.
The man, Nathan Ford, was impeccably dressed in a bespoke suit, while the woman beside him, Iris Hart, wore a form-fitting red dress that accentuated her curvaceous figure.
Ava's already pale face turned a shade colder at the sight of them. Before her stood her legal husband, Nathan Ford, and his current girlfriend, Iris Hart.
Nathan appeared surprised to see Ava in the hospital.
His gaze fell upon her hospital gown peeking out from under her coat, and his eyebrows furrowed, his tone devoid of warmth, "What are you doing in the hospital?"
His demeanor was a stark contrast to the warmth he had just shown Iris. Ava, unfazed, responded with a faint, almost imperceptible cold smirk, "Just a check-up."
"A check-up that requires a hospital gown?" His words challenged the plausibility of Ava's response.
Ava offered only a slight, icy smile, choosing not to answer further.
As the elevator descended, Iris Hart, seemingly oblivious to the awkwardness of her position, leaned sweetly against Nathan and turned to Ava, "Ava, are you feeling unwell? Everything okay?"
Ava didn't look up, casting a brief glance at Iris before looking away.
She had no fondness for this woman, her husband's girlfriend, who now feigned concern as if they were the best of friends.
Iris Hart's carefully maintained composure crumbled when Ava Sterling chose not to respond.
Iris swiftly turned to Nathan Ford, her voice dripping with affected coquetry.
"Nathan, I just have a little cold, some medicine would do. You insisted on bringing me here for all these tests. Such an overreaction, really."
Finishing her words, she nestled sweetly into Nathan Ford's embrace, the very picture of an innocent girl basking in her boyfriend's affection.
But the challenging glance she shot Ava revealed her true colors.
Nathan glanced at Ava, noting her impassive expression.
Just hours ago, Ava had hoped he would be by her side, at least in the decision to let go of their unintended child.
Yet, ironically, he was there at the hospital, not for her but with another woman. This bitter realization stung Ava more than she cared to admit.
The 'ding' of the elevator door opening broke her thoughts.
Suddenly, a commotion erupted outside. A crowd, seemingly medical protestors, surged forward with white banners and cloths.
Ava frowned, subtly moving towards the edge of the elevator.
Iris, seemingly frightened by the scene, clung to Nathan's arm, her voice laced with feigned fear: "Nathan, I'm scared."
"Don't be." he reassured.
"They're coming this way, what do we do?"
"Stay close to me."
"Nathan, there's a fight breaking out!"
"Stay down and follow me."
Their voices, distinct amid the cacophony of protestors and scuffles, strangely resonated clearly to Ava.
It wasn't until the security managed to push the crowd away that Nathan Ford began searching for Ava among the dispersing people.
But she was nowhere to be seen. Turning around, he was met with a familiar figure lying unconscious on the ground.
In the midst of chaos, Iris Hart clenched her teeth in frustration.
She had deliberately played the scared girlfriend for Ava to see, to show that her man didn't care about her.
But her efforts seemed wasted now - Ava had fainted.
Nathan Ford, with Ava Sterling cradled in his arms, headed towards the consultation area.
"Iris, go back first. I'll take her to see the doctor," Nathan instructed.
Iris Hart, unable to voice her dissent, reluctantly stayed back but stealthily followed them.
"Why weren't you more careful? The patient just had surgery. None of her family was present during the operation, and now you show up? Really," the doctor chided while examining Ava with a flashlight.
Satisfied that Ava was not in immediate danger, doctor turned to Nathan, "She just had an ectopic pregnancy surgery. She needs to rest."
Ectopic pregnancy? A child? Nathan struggled to process this revelation.
...
When Ava Sterling awoke, she found herself back in her hospital room, the morning sun casting a warm, comforting glow that seemed to lift away the gloom and sadness.
She recalled the chaotic scene – the medical protestors, being cornered by a fighting crowd, and fainting from exhaustion.
Was it the doctors who brought her back to her room, or Nathan Ford?
Suddenly, a knock at the door interrupted her thoughts.
"Come in," Ava said, and watched as a woman entered, flanked by a man and a woman.
The woman was her mother-in-law, Diana Ford.
The accompanying man and woman were more closely related to her – the man was Ethan Shaw, her father's adopted son, and the woman was her half-sister, Chloe Sterling.
Ethan also happened to be the object of Chloe's affection.
"Ava, how are you feeling?" The first words of concern came from Ethan Shaw.
Ava smiled faintly, shaking her head, while noticing the jealous glare from Chloe.
Chloe quickly stepped forward, grabbing Ethan's arm, pulling him away from Ava.
"Ethan, it was just a minor surgery. She'll be fine," Chloe insisted.
Why was Ethan always so gentle with her? Chloe thought resentfully.
She rolled her eyes at Ava. Married and still flirting with Ethan, having surgery served her right.
With a discerning eye, Diana Ford moved to a sofa on the side and sat down, her brows knitting as she scrutinized Ava Sterling before speaking, "You're in such good health; how did you manage to fall ill? What, has the Ford family not provided enough for you to eat or wear?"
Understanding Diana Ford's harsh nature, Ava Sterling didn't want to argue and softly responded, "It's nothing, just a minor issue."
"A minor issue?" Diana Ford scoffed. "You've been married for over half a year now, and I've been looking forward to you giving me a healthy grandson. When will your body be ready for that?"
She was utterly dissatisfied with her daughter-in-law, having never met someone so indifferent and aloof.
Ava's smile froze on her lips, but at that moment, Chloe Sterling stepped forward with genuine concern, "Sister, you should rest. After all, even a minimally invasive surgery is still a surgery. You need to rest up. If you don't take care of yourself, who knows if you'll be able to get pregnant later on?"
Had it not been for Iris Hart secretly calling her, Chloe would have remained unaware of such a shocking secret.
She learned of it only after following Ava Sterling into the hospital room.
"What are you talking about, Chloe?" Hearing the mention of progeny, Diana Ford stood up quickly, "Why would it be difficult to get pregnant? Has your sister contracted some rare disease?"
Ava Sterling frowned deeply, Chloe's remarks were the last thing she needed for a peaceful day.
"Aunt, you weren't aware?" Chloe Sterling looked surprised at Diana Ford and then pretended to be distressed, "My sister is pregnant."
At this news, Diana Ford's face lit up with joy, but Chloe's following words left her trembling with anger.
"But it's an ectopic pregnancy. They had to remove one of her fallopian tubes. Getting pregnant in the future... well..."
"What? Ectopic pregnancy? A fallopian tube removed?" Diana Ford exclaimed in shock.
The Ford family had been passing down their legacy through male heirs for generations, and Nathan Ford, now thirty, had yet to produce an heir.
Despite her dissatisfaction with the new daughter-in-law, Diana had hoped for a grandchild.
It seemed that after half a year of silence, the news they received was not what they had hoped for.
This woman, it seemed, was truly unlucky.
"Auntie, you're not aware of this?" Chloe Sterling feigned surprise before sighing deeply.
"But how come, with all the business trips my brother-in-law takes year-round, he never once mentioned to you anything about my sister's pregnancy or her undergoing surgery?"
Chloe tilted her head, a puzzled look on her face. "The doctors said she came for the surgery alone. Could it be that she sneaked in?"
Then, as if struck by a sudden realization, Chloe covered her mouth, incredulously pointing at Ava Sterling: "Sister, don't tell me you're not actually having an ectopic pregnancy. Could it be that this child isn't my brother-in-law's, and you had the surgery in secret, fearing discovery, asking the doctor to falsify records?"
Ava Sterling couldn't help but roll her eyes, admitting to herself that Chloe's ability to fabricate stories was indeed top-tier.
Immediately, Diana Ford's angry voice rang out: "Ava Sterling, you need to explain yourself clearly."
"Aunt Ford, Ava just had surgery. Let's wait until she's recovered before discussing anything," Ethan Shaw interjected, stepping in front of Ava Sterling's hospital bed as he saw Diana Ford's emotions escalating.
At this, Diana Ford's anger flared even more. "Ethan Shaw, once Ava Sterling married into the Ford family, she became part of our family. The affairs of the Ford family are none of your concern."
Seeing this, Chloe Sterling quickly stepped forward, attempting to appease by grabbing Ethan Shaw's arm: "Ethan, it's better we don't get involved in other people's family matters."
Afterward, turning to Diana Ford with a seemingly understanding look, Chloe added: "Auntie, perhaps my sister had her reasons for not telling her husband about the surgery."
"Reasons? Sneaking around to get pregnant and then have surgery without telling her own husband? And you're saying there's nothing suspicious?"
Chloe slowly lowered her head, her hesitance only further convincing Diana Ford of her suspicions.
Ava Sterling was indeed accused of infidelity and secretly having surgery for an ectopic pregnancy.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
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Bago_Bago_5587 Dear Readers,
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