(Not) The Billionaire’s Replacement Bride

“They were spending the evening snacking on treats Amber had sent from the restaurant. Amber, their friend and cousin, had deliberately visited, claiming to miss them. However, it seemed that missing them wasn’t the real reason Amber had come, because tens of minutes later, Ariana felt a sharp pain in her lower abdomen, making it difficult for her to breathe right then and there.

Amber quickly reached out to Ariana, calling Gerald, who was in his room at the time, busy with a conference call with his colleagues. Hurriedly, Gerald approached Ariana, whom Amber had purposely seated on the sofa, propped up with pillows behind her back.

“How… how can this be?” Ariana asked amid her pain. She looked at Amber with concern, then gripped her friend’s arm tightly as the pain resurfaced.

Amber glanced at Ariana’s legs, now covered in pinkish fluid. “You’re going into labor,” Amber replied, her face pale. She knelt down, holding Ariana’s hand and squeezing it gently. Gerald, who had just come out of his room, grabbed the car keys and approached Ariana, making sure to assess his wife’s condition first.

“I’ve called Dr. Akara and your obstetrician. We’re going to the hospital now,” he said, to which Ariana only nodded. With ease, he lifted Ariana and glanced at Amber, instructing her to bring Axel and the bag Ariana had prepared for her delivery well in advance and take it downstairs.

The journey to the hospital was accompanied by Ariana’s moans. Amber, sitting beside her, tried to calm her cousin down, though she herself was equally anxious. Meanwhile, Gerald drove the car quickly, doing his best not to jostle his wife’s body. His efforts resulted in beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

They arrived at the hospital. Gerald stopped the car in front of the Emergency Department just as a male nurse brought a wheelchair for Ariana. “Let’s examine her first before we proceed with anything else,” said the obstetrician, who had been Ariana and Gerald’s trusted doctor throughout the pregnancy.

Ariana was led into the obstetrician’s office. Shortly after the examination, the decision to perform a Caesarean section was made. Although Ariana didn’t want it, the two doctors accompanying her explained reasons she couldn’t argue with anymore. “Considering your heart condition, we can’t induce labor, even though it can be done for most mothers whose water breaks without contractions. If we let natural contractions occur, there’s a high likelihood of you getting infections in the vagina and uterus,” the obstetrician explained, shaking their head. “We have to avoid that risk. We also don’t want to jeopardize the baby’s condition, do we?” they asked, to which Ariana nodded. “This won’t make you any less of a woman. Every pregnancy process carries its risks, as I’ve often explained to you,” the doctor said again. “We will proceed with spinal anesthesia. You’ll be able to witness the birth of your baby later,” the doctor added.”

Ariana was allowed in. Gerald wore sterile clothing and entered the operating room along with the experts. Meanwhile, Doctor Akara stood guard. The man anticipated what might happen to Ariana, although they all hoped for the best for both Ariana and her unborn child.

The process began. After Ariana was given anesthesia through her back, she was laid down. While waiting for the medication to take effect, Gerald stayed by her side. He stood beside her, holding her hand, occasionally wiping Ariana’s forehead and kissing her. He murmured how much he loved her and didn’t want to lose her, trying to reassure his wife that everything would be fine.

Gerald didn’t hear the doctor’s instructions as they performed the surgery to deliver their baby. He was focused only on Ariana, solely on his wife. Until he heard the loud cries of a baby. He lifted his head and saw the doctor smile at him.

“A girl, beautiful and perfect,” he proudly exclaimed before the baby was handed over to a nurse to be taken care of and examined more closely.

“Come, Ariana,” the nurse said to Gerald, urging him to follow her to explain the baby’s condition. Gerald looked at Ariana, who was also looking at him with tears of joy in her eyes.

“I’ll bring her back to you,” Gerald said, and Ariana nodded.

“Please, look. She has two hands, each with five fingers and they are open. Her legs are complete, each with five toes, and they are open too,” the nurse explained about their baby. Suddenly, panic ensued in the room.

Gerald didn’t understand what they meant, except for the words “blood” and “heartbeat.” He looked at the monitor showing Ariana’s slowing heartbeat and continuously dropping blood pressure while people started approaching his wife, each of them doing their respective tasks.

“Please leave the room,” a male nurse said, grabbing Gerald’s arms without permission and guiding him towards the door.

“W-what’s happening?” Gerald asked, feeling his knees go weak and his gaze fixed on Ariana, whose eyes were now closed on the operating table.

“We need to take action on the patient. Please wait outside, Sir,” the nurse said firmly, a tone Gerald knew would only cause trouble if he refused and insisted on staying.

When the door was opened, Gerald saw the heart surgeon enter the operating room. “Please, save Ariana,” he whispered, receiving a nod in response from the man.

Gerald was then led to the waiting room where Amber, Axel, and Rosaline were sitting. All three of them looked at Gerald and inquired about Ariana. Instead of answering, he sat down heavily, bowed his head, and covered his face with his hands.

Amber and Rosaline could only remain silent in their places. A few minutes later, the baby trolley was wheeled out by a nurse who promptly called Gerald’s name to confirm their baby’s condition. The baby had been tagged with the same bracelet as her mother before being taken to the special baby care unit.

“I’m sure your wife will be fine,” the nurse reassured Gerald as she took the baby from his arms and placed the newborn back on the baby trolley. “I’ll take her to the perinatology department.” She informed Gerald and his family before leaving.

It took a long time before the door opened again, and the obstetrician who had been attending to Ariana reappeared. “It’s under control,” she said calmly. “We’ve located the source of the bleeding and managed it. It took eight units of blood to stabilize Mrs. Ariana. As for her heart, we still need to monitor it. But for now, everything is okay,” she said, a statement met with relief from everyone present.

Ariana was then transferred to the ICCU (Intensive Coronary Care Unit) after her surgery. When Gerald entered the room, his wife looked incredibly pale and thin in a short span of time. There were dark circles under her eyes, making a stark contrast.

Gerald continued to sit by her side, holding his wife’s slightly cold hand and kissing it repeatedly. He was truly afraid. Losing Ariana would be his worst nightmare. Even though he understood that humans have their destinies, he couldn’t easily accept it if God took away the woman he loved most.

Ariana woke up two hours later. She immediately looked at her husband and tried to muster a smile. “Thirsty?” Gerald asked, to which Ariana nodded. Gerald opened a bottle and put a straw in it. “Sip by sip, okay?” Gerald instructed, a direction Ariana agreed to with a nod.

“How’s the baby?” she inquired.

Gerald smiled and gently brushed his wife’s cheek with his fingers. “Beautiful, just like her mother,” Gerald said, his voice filled with emotion. “Her cries are strong too. It seems she’ll be as spirited as her mother.” He said, making Ariana grimace because she couldn’t laugh like Gerald. “What hurts?” Gerald asked in panic.

Ariana shook her head. She only felt numbness in her legs, but she knew it was the lingering effect of the anesthesia. “I’m okay,” Ariana reassured. “When can I see her?” she asked, eager to hold her baby. However, she understood that her current condition didn’t allow her to meet her precious little one just yet.

“As soon as you leave this room,” Gerald said, a statement Ariana accepted with resignation, nodding in agreement.