Chapter 562

Winnie staggered out of the hospital.

His last look at her was seared into her mind, unshakable.

Her fingers lingered on her wrist, counting her pulse for an extended time. Doubt gnawed at her as she questioned the physical transformations her body had undergone in the past month.

Only on the day her father had an accident did she find out she had gastritis, which caused her to faint during an acute episode.

Subsequently, following a bout of abdominal discomfort triggered by a subpar meal, she sought medical attention. Later that night, she experienced bleeding due to an endocrine imbalance.

Had it been a miscarriage, the bleeding wouldn't have been so slight; it resembled a regular menstrual flow, and the abdominal discomfort was minimal.

A genuine miscarriage typically entails intense pain, significant bleeding, and necessitates medical intervention.

"Driver, could you stop at the hospital for a moment?" Winnie caught a glimpse of the map and instructed the driver to take a detour.

She chose a nearby hospital to have a hysteroscopy done. If she had truly been pregnant and miscarried, there should be some evidence.

Lawrence had given her a death sentence based on the external ultrasound of her abdomen.

However, she had always found his conviction that she was pregnant odd.

After the checkup, she waited a while.

The doctor came out and told her, "Ms. Winnie, your internal health looks good. The appendages are full, which indicates you haven't been pregnant recently, nor are there any signs of a procedure."

Winnie listened to the answer and slowly exhaled. She left the hospital feeling indescribable.

If she had been carrying Lawrence's child, she wouldn't have terminated the pregnancy like he suggested.

She wasn't devoid of compassion.

However, neither would she have been elated.

Conceiving at this juncture would have dealt a fatal blow, plunging her into an abyss from which she couldn't extricate herself.

Winnie realized she wasn't pregnant. Recalling Lawrence's past erratic behavior at the hospital, she wondered if his neurological disorder caused him to imagine a child.

A few minutes after she left the hospital, a shadowy figure appeared at the entrance, sneaking into the hospital.

He placed a call, his voice terse, "Miss, you were correct. Following Winnie and Lawrence's altercation at the hospital, she proceeded to another facility for additional testing. I've been monitoring her movements every step of the way. Rest assured, I have influence over the doctors here."

Winnie couldn't possibly discover that she was actually pregnant, let alone have had the embryo removed.

Meanwhile, Ishara squinted her eyes, standing by the window after hanging up the phone.

Rock had informed her that Lawrence and Winnie had a hysterical argument at the hospital. Rock gave Winnie advice that led Lawrence to believe she had terminated the pregnancy, causing him to despise her.

Rock's call proved to be a lifesaver.

Ishara understood that Winnie, being knowledgeable in medicine, might undertake a comprehensive examination.

With this cunning ploy, the child within Winnie seemed to have disappeared without a trace.

Ishara tenderly stroked her flat abdomen; never in a million years did she think she would be carrying Winnie's child.

It was a secret no one could uncover.

After all, it was the legitimate heir of the Lawrence lineage, bound to be the spitting image of Lawrence

Even though Ishara disliked that the child carried Winnie's genes, she couldn't deny her role in this, a nine-month residence she'd provided.

This child was forever bound to her.

Ishara fancied this child, a golden spoon already in its future, and intended to raise it as her own.

Meanwhile, at the Joy Mansion where Winnie had just arrived home.

Olivia rushed over and said, "Rock said Lawrence barged in early this morning and took you to the hospital by force. I just got back from Melissa's. Are you okay? Did Lawrence hurt you?

"I was blind to think that his media declaration of marriage intentions yesterday meant he'd truly apologize and make amends. I was naïve."

"Ms. Olivia, let Winnie sit down and rest first," Rock interjected, concern etched across his face as he gently took Winnie by the arm, furrowing his brow. "Did he lay a hand on you in the hospital?"

Winnie shook her head calmly. "After a bunch of tests, he got the answer he didn't want and stormed off on his own."

"I suspected as much. How could you possibly be pregnant?" Rock asked as he tenderly stroked her hair. "I wanted to follow, but feared aggravating Lawrence further, possibly causing him to mistreat you. So, I waited here anxiously for you to return."

"Keep him thinking you got rid of the child, Winnie. If he believes that, he might stop bothering you."

"I hope so." Winnie closed her eyes, looking tired.

"What kid, what pregnancy?" Olivia edged closer, clueless about the situation. "Winnie, you're carrying Lawrence's baby?"

Rock's eyes flickered. He had no desire for Olivia to be in on the secret. "Ms. Olivia, Winnie isn't pregnant. It's just some crazy idea Lawrence got into his head; the guy might have a screw loose."

Olivia paused, a sudden memory hitting her; she crouched down in front of Winnie, an odd look on her face. "Hey, Winnie, no offense, but about a month ago, I had this fleeting thought, could you be pregnant?"

Winnie's gaze faltered, momentarily thrown off balance. "What do you mean?"

Olivia scratched her head. "Well, back then, Mr. Jeremy was acting all sorts of strange. He insisted I keep an eye on you, wouldn't let you drink. He even had Sidney watching you covertly, making sure you didn't take any meds. It was Lawrence who had ordered his son, Sidney to do so. You know, just a girl's intuition, I guess, thinking maybe you were pregnant? Perhaps, Lawrence knew but kept it from you.

"That's why I took the chance to have you check on yourself. And you did, saying there was nothing out of the ordinary. So, then I knew you hadn't detected a 'happy pulse,' and I ruled it out. But looking back now, it's possible it was too early to tell if you were pregnant, not even a month along yet."

Winnie's fingers drifted subconsciously to her pulse. What Olivia was saying wasn't entirely without merit. After all, Lawrence had been mumbling resentfully about her belly being almost a month along.

She pulled out the ultrasound report from the hospital, doubts resurfacing. "Impossible, the hospital results can't be wrong."

"There's no way they're incorrect." Rock grabbed the report from her, his expression turning somber as he immediately cut Olivia off, "Ms. Olivia, everything is in black and white here. Don't confuse Winnie further; she's already upset enough. She was never pregnant; Lawrence is framing her."

"Oh, so Lawrence is the one with a problem. Don't overthink it, Winnie, I didn't mean anything by it. You don't owe Lawrence a child, what right does he have to expect that from you? Don't stress yourself out over this; whatever he thinks is his problem, and I don't think you'd forgive him anyway," Olivia consoled her.

Rock squinted, massaging his temples, and addressed Olivia with a gravity that brooked no argument. "Ms. Olivia, Winnie and Lawrence cleared the air this morning. She's definitely not going to forgive him, and while we're at it, I have an announcement to make.

"Winnie had started dating me, and we were planning on taking the walk down the aisle.

"Please, don't bring up people who shouldn't be mentioned around me. It just makes everyone uncomfortable, especially Winnie."

"Am I right?

Olivia was caught off guard by the sudden announcement.