Baby boy

Livy stared blankly at the street, losing strength. She felt her legs were glued tightly, on the other hand her body wanted to just fall down, but she was trying hard to stand up. Everything Matthew had said kept ringing in her head. She wanted to believe Arthur, but the wounds Matthew had suffered were real.

And about his father-in-law who committed suicide ... Matthew even showed her a photo where the old man's wrist was bandaged.

Then her aunt.

Since a year ago, didn't her aunt go to another city?

Impossible. Arthur couldn't hurt her aunt just because she's looking for trouble in the past.

'You must also have heard that my brother is a mafia gang leader. He harbors many inmates who just came out of prison to get hired. As to what kind of work they do, that's certainly not a good thing.'

Livy remembered this sentence as well.

Even though she had come to the Eternuz base, she wanted to deny it. But she also partially confirmed Matthew's sentence, that some of the workers there were ex-convicts and thugs. That's why they look scary.

At this moment, Matthew who followed Livy behind her folded his arms in satisfaction. "Sister-in-law, do you want me to walk you home?"

Livy didn't hear or heed him. He immediately approached and held her shoulder.

"Your face is so pale. Are you all right?" He said.

Her lower stomach suddenly cramped, she held the pillar nearby to keep from falling, biting her lip to hold back a groan.

Not knowing what exactly she was going through in her head, the information Matthew gave, overwhelmed her. She wanted to believe in Arthur, on the other hand there were still many things she didn't know about him. These bad thoughts might affect the baby.

"Uh."

Her body was currently powerless, her forehead was glistening with sweat and her lips were moaning weakly. She wanted to slump down and close her eyes for a moment. Forget everything. But before she could actually do so, Matthew's hand on her arm went violently away, it was replaced by another warm hand, and she was pulled into the chest of someone familiar.

Livy tried to look up, the sunlight made her vision blurry and she was getting dizzy.

"Don't touch her!" said an angry voice so close.

"Oho, Brother, you came? Don't worry. I just want to help sister-in-law anyway."

Arthur? Is that Arthur?

Unexpectedly Livy felt relieved hearing her husband's voice, she felt her cheek gently cupped by his warm hand.

"Livy, what happened? Are you all right?" Arthur asked worriedly.

Livy didn't answer, another jolt of pain in her lower belly, stronger in intensity and she whimpered in pain. "A-Arthur, my b-belly ... my belly hurts so bad ... ungh."

Arthur frowned. He saw his little wife almost passed out and was very pale, her lips kept moaning in pain. He held her belly, but she immediately cried out in pain.

"Ungh. I-It hurts. I-It hurts ... Please, please t-take me to the hospital. M-Maybe something happened ... uh ... with the baby."

Wasting no time, he immediately picked her up. In the process he saw Matthew and remembered his half brother was still there, he was furious.

Impossible. There's no way Matthew would have got her!

"If something happens to my wife and I find out it was your doing. See how I will finish you later!"

A while ago, Arthur was happy to meet his little wife for lunch together. Unfortunately he got stuck in traffic. Suddenly his bodyguard contacted that a suspicious man had taken her to a restaurant in front of their house. He was shocked.

No matter how fast he tried, he still arrived late.

Once he headed to the restaurant in question and this is what he saw. The suspicious man turned out to be Matthew and was holding Livy who was almost fainted.

His blood boiled.

Matthew didn't miss a hint of trembling in Arthur's voice, he replied joyfully "Whoa, hold on. Why are you accusing me? Sister-in-law looks unwell. But that has nothing to do with me tho."

Arthur's jaw tightened. Seeing Livy continuing to whimper in pain, he immediately picked her up and carried her to the car.

Just a few steps, Matthew prevented him. "Wait! You can do anything to me and I can't? Brother, you sure are a cruel person, right?!"

Arthur's patience ran out as he turned his head. He wanted to talk to Matthew, but he also couldn't let Livy stay in this state.

"You come with me." Arthur said, his face dark and he got into the car.

The two bodyguards who had been standing not far away immediately guarded Matthew.

"Hey! No need to hold me like a criminal." Matthew raised his hand high. Smile sweetly. "I will follow him like a good brother anyway."

***

On the way, Arthur didn't care whether Matthew went with him or not. Feeling Livy's body slump in his arms, he shivered. He was so scared. He had not felt this feeling of fear in many years.

Right now as if he was facing the death of his mother.

No. Livy's okay. She is fine.

Matthew couldn't have poisoned her!

Arthur kept repeating the thought and in the process he hugged Livy tighter, kissing her sweaty forehead many times. The body in his arms was cold, her lips were pale and and she kept squeezing her belly in pain.

"Livy, hold on. You will be fine. Trust me." Arthur wiped the sweat off Livy's forehead.

"I-It hurts so m-much ... please ... my b-baby ... uh, our baby. A-Arthur, o-our baby ..."

Livy gripped his arm so hard that her fingernails dug into his skin until they bled. She breathed through the pain, one time she even screamed and curled up into a ball. Arthur could imagine how much that must have hurt.

The bodyguard who became the driver at this time saw from the windshield panicked and immediately increased his speed. Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at the nearest hospital. Arthur opened the car hastily, ran with her in his arms.

"Please, help. Help my wife. She might eat something wrong," Arthur said as he put Livy down on the gurney.

The nurse was very hands on. "What did she eat, sir? What were the initial symptoms?"

"I don't know. Only she suddenly felt sick after lunch and kept complaining of pain in her lower belly. She's eight months pregnant."

Arthur really had no idea. He just said according to what the guards reported to him and from what he himself witnessed. His little wife went to a restaurant and ordered food, there was Matthew, maybe something had been added to her food.

Like his mother used to be.

No, no, no.

"Sir, you may not enter. Please wait outside." The nurse stopped him, and closed the door in front of him.

His fists clenched, he clenched so hard his fingers turned white.

Then he thought of Matthew, as soon as he turned around he saw the man behind him, Arthur immediately grabbed him by the collar tightly, pushing him against the wall.

"What did you give her? Do you want to kill her?!"

Unexpectedly Matthew's expression was very calm. "What did I give? What do you mean, Brother?"

Arthur hit the wall behind him hard. His expression was very dark.

"You want to kill her! You want to kill her like your mother killed my mother!" shouted Arthur.

Out of the corner of his eye, Matthew glanced at Arthur's bloody hand on the wall. grin.

"Your problem is with me, why are you taking it out on her?!"

Arthur flinched with rage, his eyes bloodshot. He had never lost himself like this though. This time he felt panicked, angry and also afraid. His feelings were erratic.

The image of his mother dying without saying her last words to him gave him a painful feeling of regret.

And Livy ... what's wrong with Livy?

Suddenly the smile on Matthew's face disappeared. "Well, so you can do whatever you want and I can't? You have crippled me! You have made my life miserable! You are the only vicious bastard here!"

Arthur didn't deny it.

Matthew saw him quiet and let go of his hand easily. Pretend to pat the shoulder to get rid of the dust. Then he whispered in Arthur's ear,

"Remember, Brother, we share the same blood in our bodies. The blood of a loathsome bastard. Even if we deny it, we are his flesh and blood." Matthew smiled bitterly. "What you do to me, I will do it too. This circle will never stop."

Arthur tugged at his collar. "But she has nothing to do with this, dammit!"

He punched Matthew on the cheek until he fell, then pulled him up by the collar again.

"Why are you hurting her? She had nothing to do with all this! Your enemy is me! You can try to kill me! Just kill me!"

Matthew spat his blood, angry. "Then do I have anything to do with all this? The fight between father, mother and your mother in the past? Why should I suffer because of all that?"

Why did Matthew have to mention this past? When asked whether Arthur or Matthew was wrong, Arthur was confused about who to return the question to? None of them are wrong.

They are both victims.

But Livy has nothing to do!

"You have influenced Gwen in the past, you ruined her life. And you even wanted to hurt Livy too!"

Matthew let out a light 'tsk tsk tsk'. "Brother, watching you suffer is my life's goal. You have broken my one and only dream, my skill, my source of income. What difference does it make if I break you through your wife?"

"You ..."

Arthur couldn't stop himself from punching him in the cheek again and again. Matthew staggered backwards, he felt pain and his nose was bleeding, but he laughed. He then punched Arthur as well, and both of them suffer the same injuries.

Arthur didn't give up trying to tug at his collar again. "What do you want? What the fvck do you want to stop this cycle of revenge?! I don't want you to involve Livy again. Say it! What do you want me to do? Just fvcking say it now!"

Seeing Arthur say that with angry eyes, Matthew didn't feel satisfied. He just wanted to see Arthur hurt, hurt much worse than this.

But today, Matthew felt that he was also tired. He said, "Hand over Eternuz for me. Hand over all your wealth assets for me and my mother."

Arthur's body froze.

Matthew knows about Eternuz?

"In exchange I won't hurt her and stay as far away from your life as possible. How? Can you do it? Hahahahaha! I'm not sure." Matthew laughed amusedly.

This was a tough choice, he was sure his half-brother wouldn't take such a big risk.

Seeing Arthur dazed like an old man who had lost his way, made Matthew look at him with joy.

"But if you don't want to ... don't expect me to let Livy go either. Try me."

***

In the end Arthur asked his guards chase Matthew away. It was then that the doctor announced that his little wife had not been poisoned at all, but that she had premature contractions due to an infection of the amniotic membranes and had to deliver the baby immediately. With the action of the experts, the operation was finally performed and Livy gave birth to a premature baby boy.

The doctor said that premature babies are very susceptible to illness, after they are born they must be treated intensively and put in an incubator for close supervision.

Livy was still weak from her current condition, she looked at Arthur with tired eyes. "Our baby ... Arthur, I want to see our baby."

Arthur squeezed her hand gently. "You're not strong enough to stand up yet. He's not going anywhere. There are several people guarding him. So you recover first, then we can see him together."

"So our baby is a boy?" Livy's eyes lit up.

Arthur nodded. "He is a healthy and handsome baby."

"He's okay, right?"

"He's fine. Just need an incubator to live in the moment."

Livy was so touched, imagining her cute and very tiny baby she wanted to hold immediately. But then she remembered what Matthew had said and felt sad, tears just came out of her eyes. At first it was just one or two drops, but then she burst into tears.

Arthur got up from the chair and touched her cheek. "What's wrong? Are you in pain? Hold on, I'll call the doctor."

He didn't leave yet, but Livy immediately held his hand. "Arthur, um, my aunt ... I want to tell my aunt about this."

Livy didn't dare to ask directly, at least with this reason she could find out whether her aunt was okay or not. If what Matthew said was true, Arthur probably wouldn't let her contact her aunt.

"Why the rush, huh? I'll call hrr for you later. Now you rest first."

Livy was silent. 'Why later? Did something really happen to auntie? Did Arthur do something to her?'

"A-Arthur, my aunt is fine, isn't she?" Livy ventured to ask. "She's still alive, right?"

Arthur frowned. "What do you mean? Your aunt is fine. Didn't I send her out of town?"

"Then why can't I contact her now? Why later?"

This question was quite strange to him, but he didn't think about it. He was still coaxing his little wife gently, "But you need rest—"

"Arthur, I want to call her now. Now. What happened to her? Can't I get in touch with my aunt? Did you do something to her?"

Her eyes flashed fear and panic as she asked this, her tone even rising. Arthur pulled out his phone.

"Fine, I'll call her now."

Suddenly Livy took his hand.

"My aunt is fine, right?"

Arthur looked at her probingly. "I refrained from asking you this but now I want to know, what did Matthew say to you? Did he say anything about your aunt?"

Livy flinched, she turned her head away.

"Look at me. What did he say? Did he say I did something to your aunt? And you believed him?" Arthur's voice began to suppress her.

She didn't dare look at Arthur, because all he said was what she had heard from Matthew.

So it's not true? So she was conned by Matthew?

Saw her eyes well up with tears again, Arthur sighed. He hugged her gently. "Now, now. Don't cry anymore. You know, I can't see you cry."

"You're mad at me, right?"

"I'm not."

"Matthew said a lot of things to me, and I was influenced by him, don't you think I'm a stupid woman?" Livy sobbed.

"You're not stupid." Arthur's voice was very gentle.

"I believed him and almost accused you again, there's no way you're not mad at me."

"I don't."

Livy pushed Arthur from their embrace. "You're not mad?"