Chapter 239
Shepard thought, ‘Absolutely not!”
“Briana, you’re the most important,” Shepard said. “You must live well.”
Briana asked, “So, are you going to abandon our baby?”
“Yes,” Shepard answered.
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“But we’ve already lost one baby. If we lose this one, too.” Briana took a deep breath, paused for a moment, and then said, “We might never have kids again.”
Shepard shot back, “Does it really matter?”
He thought, ‘So what if we end up childless? If it’s meant to be, it’ll happen. A child is their own person, not an extension of Briana’s life.’
Briana absolutely had to keep fighting. She had to live, no matter what, Giving up on treatment or making that kind of sacrifice was simply not an option.
Shepard’s strong hand held Briana’s shoulder tight, anchoring her in the moment.
“Briana, having kids isn’t everything. I’m okay with us being child–free,” Shepard said, gazing into her eyes with unwavering sincerity. “But I can’t go on without you. My life wouldn’t be complete if you weren’t in it.”
Briana shook her head.
Briana whispered, “No, I can’t accept this. I don’t want to lose two babies in a row. Does that make me worthless? I got pregnant once, with twins, and I couldn’t save either of them. I feel so useless.
“And even after the surgery, what if my heart’s still messed up? What if I still don’t have much time left? If I die, the baby won’t even get a chance at life. In the end, I lose everything.”
“Shepard, hear me out,” Briana said, locking eyes with him, her voice steady. “Don’t make the kind of choice where we end up losing everything. Let’s go with the safer option. If we have this baby, at least they’ll really exist in this world.
“This child could actually carry on for me, and stay by your side when I’m gone. Maybe you’ll meet someone who’s a better fit for you, like Camila.”
Shepard finally snapped, his voice low and fierce. “It’s so urgent. At a time like this, Briana, do you even realize what you’re saying?”
“I know exactly what I’m saying, Shepard. I think you’re the one who hasn’t really thought this through. You’re acting on impulse,” Briana said. “Let’s both take a step back and calm down, okay?”
Briana tried her best to persuade Shepard. But there was no way Shepard was going to budge.
He couldn’t bear the thought of just standing by, watching Briana use up the last of her life to bring their child into the world, only for her to fade away, leaving him all alone.
Shepard simply couldn’t accept that. Not ever.
He was determined to search the world for the best doctors, to do everything possible to improve her chances in surgery, and keep her alive.
Every single day she stayed with him was a gift, one more day together. Even if it was only an extra hour, it meant one more hour they could share.
11:04 Sat, Feb 14
Chapter 239
No one could stand there and watch their loved one’s life drain away, bit by bit, until they were gone.
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“We don’t need to calm down, and there’s nothing to talk about,” Shepard said, his tone firm. “Briana, I’d do anything for you, I’d compromise on anything, but not this. No way, and never.”
Briana wanted to say more.
“Briana,” he said, his voice firm and unyielding. “It’s not just about me. Think about it. Would Charles agree? Would your grandma? Would Olivia support you having a baby? You can’t just think about what you want. You have to consider everyone else, too.”
“There are so many people who love you and want you to stay in this world. Yet you’re making this choice on your own, keeping it from everyone, just to have this baby. That’s incredibly selfish,” Shepard couldn’t stop sighing, over and over.
“If Charles hadn’t found out, how long were you going to hide this from me? Were you planning to wait until I found out myself? How could you even think you could hide something this big?” he asked.
“From the moment you learned about your heart problem until now, ten hours of hell, how did you manage to get through it all alone? Why did you have to tough it out by yourself?” Shepard said.
“Briana,” Shepard choked out, his voice trembling, almost sounding like he might cry. “You’ve got me.”
He’d promised to be with her for life, never letting go, never leaving her behind. Yet she always ended up carrying everything on her own. It broke his heart to see her like this.
“After all these twenty years, I still couldn’t change how fiercely independent you are, huh?” Shepard’s voice was thick with emotion, his throat tight.
“Ever since you lost your parents, you’ve become so quiet and closed off. I wish you could shine as you used to,” he added.
As he spoke, Shepard’s voice became increasingly hushed and heavy with emotion. In the end, he fell silent.
Briana had cried until there were no tears left. Her eyes felt scratchy and dry. She started to feel numb.
Briana didn’t want to cry anymore, and couldn’t even if she tried. Her heart didn’t ache as much anymore.
She felt strangely calm now, but it was like she’d slipped into an even darker, deeper pit.
‘What now?‘ Briana thought, lost and adrift.
“Briana, agree to the surgery,” Shepard said, his voice steady but gentle. “I’ll get you the best medical team and arrange a thorough examination for you.”
Briana didn’t respond. She simply remained silent.
“If you don’t say anything, I’ll take it as your consent. And even if you object, your objection won’t count,” Shepard said.
Briana finally spoke up, her voice barely above a whisper. “Why?” But her words sounded hollow, with no fight left in them.
“We could call everyone and have them vote,” Shepard said, his brow furrowed. “Let’s see if anyone would really be on your side about having this baby.”
She’d be the only one. Everyone else loved her too much; they wanted her to live.
“You need to love yourself, Briana,” Shepard said softly.
Briana bit her lip, then suddenly pulled the blanket over her head and flopped onto the bed, hiding her face from the world.
Now that the secret was out, she couldn’t handle things on her own anymore.
11:04 Sat, Feb
Chapter 239
Things were no longer in her hands. Shepard was calling the shots now.
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Briana was powerless to change anything, and accepting it was even harder. All she could do was stew in her frustration, bitter and helpless. She didn’t even get a say about her heart and her child.
“Try to get some sleep,” Shepard said, gently trying to pull the blanket away from her. “Briana, let’s go back to the hospital in the morning.”
Briana refused, her voice muffled under the blanket. “I don’t want to go.”
“Then we’ll wait until I find the best medical team overseas. It won’t be too late,” Shepard said.
He’d move as fast as he could. Because he knew time was precious. Every day they waited, their chances of recovery slipped away a little more.
“I said, I don’t want to go,” Briana repeated, her voice muffled under the blanket. “Shepard, when will you actually start respecting what I want?”
“Briana, when will you ever understand that you’re the most precious person to me? You don’t have to give up anything, not for anyone,” Shepard said softly.
Briana was at a loss for words.
“You don’t have to be a martyr, sacrificing yourself to bring a child into the world,” Shepard’s voice drifted in from outside the blanket. “Nobody expects this from you. You’re not obligated to do it.”
Briana wanted to respond, but in the end, not a single word escaped her lips.
Shepard fell silent, too.
The air under the blanket was stifling, making it hard for her to breathe.
But honestly, she’d rather deal with that than have to face Shepard right now.
Briana meant to keep this secret under wraps, but it got exposed before the night was even over.
11:04 Sat, Feb 14
