Chapter 8 A Prenatal Examination

Oscar had disliked Chelsea for years, finding her insincere. The thought of Nathaniel divorcing Aurelia for Chelsea made him furious.

"You don't deserve my wine. Aurelia is kind, unlike you," Oscar said. Nathaniel sneered, "What? Do you know how much money she wants? Twenty million dollars. That's what she wants in the divorce," Nathaniel said.

He then added, "She's eager to leave me."

"Is that so? She should have asked more," Oscar replied.

They nearly finished Oscar's wine. Nathaniel muttered, "Cowardice is skipping tomorrow's meeting." Nathaniel vanished that night. The other members of the Heilbronn family assumed he hadn't returned, except Aurelia, who knew she had driven him away at midnight. She suspected he went to the Jade Community.

At breakfast, Reed cursed, "I'll punish him when he returns." The atmosphere was thick with tension; no one dared speak.

Ashley glanced at Aurelia, curious about her emergence.

Aurelia had something important to attend to, so she ignored her.

After breakfast, alone, she bought pregnancy tests and went to a public restroom. Within minutes, the positive results shattered her. She had longed for Nathaniel's child, but now they were divorcing.

She wept, feeling lost.

She left relevant documents for divorce in her luggage, which was in Ulysses' car. She had to fetch them at Ulysses's house.

Aurelia walked aimlessly, her mind in turmoil. At a bank, she discovered her card worked. With some money, she planned to rent a place and restart a new life.

The stolen ruby pendant was her creation for Swan, a luxury jewelry company. She intended to fulfill her contract.

At 10 a.m., anxious, she called Nathaniel and intended to explain why she was absent. But Nathaniel didn't answer her call.

Nathaniel was sleeping in Oscar's bed. After he woke up, he pushed Oscar away. He couldn't recall how they ended up in the same bed. Oscar, angry, felt violated. "You have a wife and a mistress, yet you don't spare me. Are you mistaking me for Chelsea?"

Nathaniel denied any involvement with Chelsea.

Oscar, skeptical, mentioned that most women find emotional infidelity harder to forgive. Nathaniel's mind raced, and he remained silent. Aurelia's call interrupted their conversation. Nathaniel felt uneasy.

"Mr. Heilbronn, have you arrived?" The way Aurelia addressed him surprised Nathaniel. She used to call him by his name, Nathaniel. Her voice sounded even more melodious when they made love.

Maintaining a facade of composure, Nathaniel lied. "Not yet. I am almost there."

Aurelia fell silent for a few seconds before stating, "I left all the documents in Ulysses' car, and he has been away from Imperick for these days. We will need to wait a few days before proceeding with the divorce proceedings."

Nathaniel arched an eyebrow and remarked, "If you do not wish to divorce, just speak the truth—it is nothing to be ashamed of."

As he finished his words, a flurry of busy signals resonated through the phone. Oscar nearly burst into laughter, finding Nathaniel shameless.

After clarifying matters with him, Aurelia felt a slight sense of relief. Whether due to yesterday's cold or not, she sensed a faint pain in her lower abdomen and a slight dizziness in her head.

Hailing a taxi by the roadside, Aurelia headed to the obstetrics and gynecology department to see a doctor. The department was located on the first floor. Most of the couples who came for prenatal examinations had the husband waiting in the lobby while the wife went in for the check-up.

Watching the carefully supported pregnant women, Aurelia felt a twinge of envy for a while. After a series of examinations, she approached the doctor with her prenatal checklist.

"The embryo's position is very low. Considering your situation, you should rest in bed, avoid exertion, and come in regularly for check-ups," the doctor said.

Aurelia was anxious. "What are the consequences of the embryo's low position?"

The doctor reassured her. "It may lead to a miscarriage. But don't worry. Just follow my advice—avoid strain and excitement. Eventually, the embryo will move upward. Be cautious during this time, and for now, focus on dietary iron supplementation."

After listing a series of precautions, such as abstaining from sexual activity in the first few months and avoiding emotional stress while consuming fresh fruits and vegetables, the doctor advised Aurelia to exit the consultation room. She settled in the waiting area to organize her test reports.

A friendly woman beside her, observing Aurelia alone, helped her with the paperwork. "Are you here for the prenatal check-up by yourself? Where's your husband?" she inquired.

Aurelia felt a pang in her heart for a moment. "He's busy with work," she replied.

The compassionate woman advised her, "He should have come with you. Otherwise, what is the point of having a husband? He needs to understand the hardships of carrying a child. When you're in distress, he's nowhere to be found. After the child is born, he might say it's just childbirth, an experience every woman goes through."

The woman gently tapped Aurelia on the arm and added, "Look at that guy. Find a man like him. He is handsome and nice to his wife. By the way, he must love his wife very much."

Aurelia lifted her gaze and followed the woman's indication. Upon seeing the person across from her, she was seized by grief and resentment again. She felt a pang of heartache.