Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph

I jolted up from the bed, heart racing, and checked my clothes.

Still in my PJs from last night, and they weren't all messed up.

"Guess nothing crazy went down," I muttered to myself.

Jason must've heard my scream. He blinked around, looking lost. "Why am I here?"

I was wondering the same thing. Then I felt movement behind me. I turned and saw Ethan, who was also waking up.

He didn't seem surprised at all. He stretched his neck, looking a bit uncomfortable. "I think I dragged you in here last night and got the wrong room."

I was speechless for a while. "You guys were totally wasted last night!"

Jason rubbed his head, looking a bit out of it. "Yeah, we drank a lot. I don't remember a thing."

They were still in yesterday's clothes, so they must've crashed right after getting hammered.

They were so out of it; we probably just passed out together without anything happening.

Jason stumbled out of bed, shaking his head like he was trying to clear it. "I'm gonna take a shower."

After he left, I turned back to see Ethan lying there, one arm under his head, staring at me.

I was annoyed. "Seriously? How do you mess this up? Sleeping in the wrong room with the wrong person must be your thing, huh?"

Ethan smirked, pulled me back down, and rolled over to face me. "You never sleep still. Did you grope around last night?"

Honestly, I had no clue who I was hugging in my sleep. "How would I know? I was out cold, just like you, drunk and clueless."

Ethan's face darkened, and he tightened his grip on my waist. "Sleeping and being drunk aren't the same! Fess up, did you practice driving in your dreams last night?" Talking about dream driving was embarrassing, but the way he asked made me laugh.

Seeing me laugh made him even madder, so he shut me up with a kiss. I could still taste the booze on his lips.

We messed around on the bed, making the already messy sheets even worse.

The crazy thing was, this didn't change anything between us. It was like nothing happened. And really, nothing did.

By the time I went downstairs to make breakfast, they had both changed and come down.

Jason had a meeting this morning and bailed without even touching breakfast.

Ethan came down lugging a suitcase, saying he was off on another one of his spontaneous business trips.

Seeing me all quiet, Ethan walked over and pinched my cheek. "What's with the face? Gonna miss me?"

I swatted his hand away and headed to the dining table, trying to play it cool. "Nah, I'll enjoy the peace and quiet for a few days. Sounds nice."

Before I could sit down, he wrapped his arms around my waist from behind. His voice, all low and magnetic, whispered in my ear, "You better miss me, got it?"

I wouldn't admit it, but yeah, it felt kinda sweet.

I pried his hands off and turned to face him, all serious. "You guys drink a lot on these trips, right? With your drinking habits, ending up in the wrong room with the wrong person must be a regular thing, huh?" Ethan gave me that roguish grin. "You worried?"

I coughed, pulled out a chair, and sat down. "You just did it last night. Even though you just brought Jason to the wrong room, it's basically the same. If it happens again, I wouldn't be surprised."

Ethan sat across from me, still smiling. "If you're so worried, why not come with me?"

I took a sip of milk, then put it down and said casually, "It's not that I don't trust you. Just reminding you not to mess up your image while you're out."

Ethan suddenly put down his fork and gave a mock salute. "Yes, ma'am!"

I couldn't help but laugh. He laughed too, his smile warm. I thought, this was probably the kind of life I wanted-hanging out together, having breakfast, laughing, and joking. It seemed simple, but if we could do this forever, it would be pretty romantic.

The present was so perfect that I didn't want to think about real problems, like Victor never accepting me or how hard it was for me to get pregnant.

Even though we'd have to face those issues someday, right now, I let myself believe they were far off.

The day after Ethan left for his trip, I was chilling at home reading when he called. He said he left his desk key at home and needed me to grab a document for Piper, who needed it urgently.

After hanging up, I went back to the room, found his key on the bedside table, and took a cab to Skyline International Corporation.

As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, Piper rushed up to me, looking like she'd been waiting forever.

I strolled into Ethan's office, plopped down at his desk, and used the key to unlock the drawer.

The document he mentioned was right there, easy to spot. As I grabbed it, I noticed a book underneath.

Picking it up, I felt a mix of emotions. The book was titled "Parenting Knowledge."

I flipped it open and saw bookmarks and pen marks inside. I thought, 'He must be reading this in his office when he has some downtime. He really wants a kid. So, when he saw my medical report, he must've been super disappointed. But he didn't show it; he always hides his feelings.'

A gentle knock on the door snapped me out of it. Piper stood there, looking polite but anxious. "Mrs. Windsor, did you find it?"

I quickly put the book back, locked the drawer, and handed her the document.

On the way back, I kept thinking maybe I shouldn't give up so easily. With modern medicine being so advanced, lots of people get treated successfully.

I planned to visit a specialized hospital, but before I could, something else came up.

At the driving school, there was a woman in her forties named Eloise Butler in the same car. She loved to chat, especially about other people's business.

That day, Eloise was talking about a friend who got forced into a divorce by her husband because she couldn't have kids. It hit me hard.

I wondered if I couldn't get pregnant, would I face the same fate one day?

Eloise said her friend remarried and, after seeing a famous doctor, managed to get pregnant.

I was hooked. "What famous doctor, which hospital?" I blurted out.

She looked at me, her gaze piercing. She leaned in, gossiping, "Are you married? Got any kids?"

To get the info about this famous doctor, I had to be honest. "Yeah, I'm married, but no kids yet."

She nodded knowingly, giving me a sympathetic look. "I get it. Many marriages fall apart because of infertility. I'm soft-hearted and know where that doctor is; I'll take you there."

Her words hit me right in the feels. Thinking of what Linda said, I couldn't imagine a future with Ethan without a child.

Clinging to a glimmer of hope, I decided to give it a shot. After finishing the driving practice that day, Eloise had her husband drive us.

It was already 4 PM, and I wondered if it was too late, so I suggested going another day. But Eloise was insistent, looking super enthusiastic. "For something like this, the sooner the treatment, the better. Delaying a day is just more torment for you and your husband."

I eventually got into her husband's car.

The car drove way out of the city, and the further we went, the more uneasy I felt. I couldn't help but ask, "Eloise, where's this doctor? Not at a hospital?"

Eloise seemed to get my worry and patted my hand. "Don't stress. We practice driving together and see each other all the time. Why would I trick you? This famous doctor doesn't work at a hospital, but he's just as good. Trust me." Hearing that, I relaxed a bit, but I kept my phone clutched in my hand.

The car finally stopped in a village on the outskirts. Eloise pulled me out, while her husband stayed in the car.

The village was pretty empty, and it was getting dark, making it kinda creepy. I felt super uneasy. "Eloise, it's getting late. Maybe we should come back tomorrow?"

She held my hand tightly. "We're already here. I brought you because we practice driving together. I wouldn't bother if it were someone else."

I had no choice but to keep walking with her. After a bit, Eloise pointed to a small courtyard. "We're here, right there."

I doubted, 'Is this really where the famous doctor lives?'

There was a dim light coming from inside the house.

Once inside, I saw quite a few people.

Ivy Davis, in her fifties, was sitting at the head, treating people one by one.

Eloise glanced at me. "See, it's not too late. There are still so many people here. Don't worry, I'll talk to her and have her see you first."

After Ivy finished with the woman in front of her, Eloise went over and spoke to her, pointing at me. Ivy then gestured for me to come over. "What brings you in today?" Ivy asked.

I seriously doubted the skills of this "famous doctor." But since I was already here, there was no turning back.

I whispered, "Infertility."

Ivy's expression relaxed upon hearing this. "That's easy to solve."

I was stunned. Ivy hadn't even examined me yet.

Ivy took out a piece of paper, muttered a few words, lit the paper, then put the nearly burnt paper into a bowl of water, stirred it with her finger, and handed it to me. "Drink this."

I was dumbfounded. 'Is this really a famous doctor and not a fraud?'

"Do I have to drink it?" I asked nervously.

Ivy stared at me, expressionless. "This medicine is very precious. You can't get it even if you beg. It takes a lot of effort for me to prescribe it. Drink it quickly and leave the consultation fee." "How much?" I was almost certain I had fallen into a trap.

"$95," Ivy said calmly.

Staring at the bowl of water with floating black ashes, I froze for a few seconds, then suddenly stood up and ran. But before I could reach the door, I was blocked by two men.