CHAPTER 4 Standing in the Middle of The Road, Are

Watching them left in a cold gaze, Stephanie could no longer support herself. She kneeled on the ground, feeling sore in her eyes. She began to sob. Each time she tried to speak she choked up. She clenched her fingers, and spent a while to calm herself. She touched her belly gently, her eyes red and swollen. It was still flat, but a few months later it would be totally visible. She felt sick at the thought of carrying a baby of Steve. She got up and came out of the room. The housekeeper was strolling between the kitchen and the living room. Seeing Stephanie, she cast a contemptuous look and said, 'The meal will be ready soon." This time, she didn't answer. When she spotted the housekeeper entering the kitchen, she took her baggage and left the house at once. Her nails were almost embedded in her flesh, but, she could not feel a thing. She didn't stop until she's in the middle of a road. A car stopped sharply in front of her. The distance between her and the car were in centimeters. The noise of the acute brake managed to bring her mind back. She looked at the car with a pale look, which stunned the driver too. After a while, he got off angrily. 'What's wrong with you? Standing in the middle of a road, are you insane?" The driver exclaimed in rage, fingers pointing at her. Stephanie slowly walked away after a short glimpse of the driver's face, leaving the dumbfounded driver behind. She didn't know where she was going. When she stopped, she found herself right by a hospital. There was a voice in her mind, urging her to go inside. Go! You will soon be free! Stephanie didn't know what's happening to her. She walked in there step by step, paid the fee, and waited in the corridor. There were several other girls sitting beside. Shawn Keller was on his ward rounds when he saw Stephanie. He then walked over. 'What brings you here?" He appeared in front of her, turned around to glimpse the ward behind, and continued surprisedly. 'Are you pregnant?" Stephanie glanced at him and remained speechless. Meanwhile, a girl with a pale look and hump back walked out from the room behind. Her eyes were all red. She made a phone call. 'I am telling you I have aborted the baby. You want a baby? Go find your DARLING!" The girl shouted at her phone, as if there was no one around. Stephanie stared at the girl, terrified. 'NO. 31, Ms. Stephanie Brown, it's your turn." A Nurse stopped at the door and called her name. Right before Stephanie went inside, Shawn took her hands and stopped her. 'You sure about this?" He asked. 'I've made up my mind." Stephanie closed her eyes. Honestly, she was afraid that she would regret it afterwards too. The nurse was urging her, so Shawn let go of her hands and gazed after her till the door of the operation room had closed. Stephanie changed to the aseptic clothes and lied down on the operation table. She closed her eyes. When she opened them again, that thing in her body would no longer be there. The anesthetist gave her a shot. The light above was dreadfully pale. Stephanie was ready but was feeling a bit cold. After her jeans were off, the door was burst open. Jack glared at the person on the operation table, pupils enlarged. He looked at Stephanie then the tools doctors were holding, and became even more irritated. He looked around the room and warned all the people inside, 'Who dares to do the operation?" Since the moment he appeared, Stephanie had fallen despaired. His anxious face gave her an urge to laugh. He was so stressed because of a child that didn't even belong to him. What about me? The nurses and doctors were surprised to see such an intruder. 'There's an operation going on. Sir, please…" Before the doctor could finish his words, Jack made his way to Stephanie. He untied her and dragged her out of the bed so forcefully as if he wanted to crush her bones. 'You are giving birth to the baby in your belly even you are dead!" He warned her maliciously. 'If he lives, you and your family live. He dies, you and your family die!" Stephanie looked at the man in front of her, stupefied. 'Why?" Her throat began to hurt once more. Shawn came in from outside and tried to pull Jack away, but was shoved away by Jack instead. Jack tried to take Stephanie away, but her legs were still weak. Meanwhile, she felt her bare feet scratched by something. None of these did Jack saw. 'Let go of her." Shawn couldn't bear it anymore. He gripped both of their hands, and said to Jack in a chill tone. 'Are you in love with her too? Why are you helping her?" He asked, suppressing the rage in his voice. Hearing this, Shawn felt insulted. He started to speak in a more serious way, 'I'm just feeling sorry for her. Look what you have done. You are totally insane." 'Me?" Jack glimpsed Stephanie and responded in a much softer voice. 'That's what she deserves. She owes Steve a life. Now it's time to pay back." Hearing that, Stephanie trembled. She looked at the man with sorrow and then snorted. 'Is this what you think of me? I've told you, I didn't kill him. There is nothing to pay back." 'You didn't?" Jack laughed like he had just heard a joke, which gave Stephanie goose bumps. Stephanie knew he believed she was the murderer. Debating with him would be meaningless. She shut her eyes, calmed down, and said in a serious way, 'We are divorced. My plans are none of your business." 'Even we are divorced, you are giving birth to this child." Jack smiled grimly. He then grabbed her hand and left the hospital. Stephanie kept struggling on their way back, but the grip was too tight. 'Stephanie, be wise. After the baby's born, you are free to go." He fell into silence after he finished this last sentence.