Madam Yun's words struck Charles Yin hard.
Charles Yin was about to object, but Madam Yin spoke up: "Charles, don't say anything. Let your mother-in-law finish what she has to say."
Madam Yun continued, "I don't care what contract you signed before. Cecilia has always been the Yun family's daughter, and her being with you was a mistake from the start. Now that we have a chance to correct that mistake, let's use today to fix it completely! After she gives birth, we'll take Cecilia and leave the country for good. I hope the Yin family will keep their word and never disturb Cecilia's life again! You've ruined the first half of her life, so let her have peace in the second half! As mothers, as women who understand each other's pain, let's sign the papers!"
Inside the operating room, Cecilia quietly listened.
At this moment, tears streamed down her face.
Even if she wanted to keep her memories, it was impossible.
Because these drugs would forcibly destroy all her memory centers.
A marriage without memories would be unfair to Charles Yin.
So, it's better to divorce.
Cecilia gazed longingly at Charles Yin outside; the two of them just looked at each other.
Charles Yin's eyes were red as he fought back tears, but the tears were too stubborn and trickled down his cheeks uncontrollably.
Separated by the window, the two gazed at each other from afar.
Perhaps this glance would be their last.
"Alright, I agree," Mrs. Yin said with difficulty. "The moment the child is born, the two families will divorce!"
Charles Yin bit his lip hard, his eyes blurred with tears as he looked at Cecilia inside.
Cecilia softly said, "Take good care of Miles. Remember to tell him he has a mother."
Charles Yin nodded vigorously.
"Let Miles grow up with our son. He will be a good big brother," Cecilia continued weakly. "After all the choices, Miles is still the best fit for our son. I wouldn’t trust anyone else!"
Charles Yin nodded forcefully. "I promise you."
"Find a good stepmother for the child. Don’t let any other woman hurt my son," Cecilia continued.
Charles Yin shook his head frantically, "There won't be any other women. No one would dare hurt our son!"
Cecilia smiled softly, "Don't say silly things. Once my memory is erased, I'll be nothing but a fool. I won't be jealous or envious anymore."
Charles Yin gently closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his vision was already blurred.
Who says men don't cry?
"As the child's mother, do I have the right to name my son?" Cecilia asked weakly, looking toward the Yin family.
Grandma Yin nodded heavily.
Cecilia smiled again, but her smile was so forced.
"Miles' name has water in it, so my son will be called Ethan Yin. Ethan... Ethan..." Cecilia said softly, her gaze instantly gentle. "Son, do you like this name?"
"Alright, he will be called Ethan Yin," Charles Yin nodded firmly.
Mom... Cecilia looked at Mrs. Yun. "Don't blame Charles, he didn't do anything wrong. It was my fault."
If I hadn't been so greedy and fallen in love with Charles Yin, maybe things wouldn't have been this difficult.
If I had been more content, maybe there wouldn't be this separation of life and death.
Dad, I'm sorry for embarrassing you," Cecilia said softly. "From now on, I'll be nothing but a fool. I can't be as outstanding as my sister, can't make you proud. I can't fulfill my duties as a daughter, can't inherit the Yun family! I'm sorry, really sorry! Please forgive my stubbornness, okay? If I have to kill my child for my own survival, I'd just be a walking corpse. I don't want that life. I'd rather be a fool than let my son be cruelly killed by his own family without ever seeing the world!
Mr. Yun was also in tears, nodding heavily.
Grandma... Mom... I'm sorry, I'm not the Yin family's daughter-in-law anymore... I'm sorry, I'm leaving... Cecilia looked at Grandma Yin and Mrs. Yin, forcing a smile. "The stocks under my name will be transferred to Ethan. This is the last thing I can leave for my child as his mother."
Mrs. Yin quickly said, "Cecilia, don't say that. If you want to give it, then come back and give it properly!"
Cecilia gently shook her head. "Thank you, Mom, but there's no need. I have no future... This is the path I chose, and I don't regret it."
Cecilia looked at Charles Yin again. "Thank you for listening to me this time. Next life, I'll listen to you, okay?"
Charles Yin nodded hard. "Cecilia, even if you forget everything, you'll still be my wife!"
So what if she forgets everything?
His wife could only ever be Cecilia—always Cecilia!
Cecilia shook her head, "No... I don’t want that. Charles, give me one last bit of respect, please. I don’t want to stay by your side as a fool. I’d rather live on in your memories, so you’ll always remember me as I am now. Thank you for always respecting and caring for me, and thank you for loving me so much. I’m luckier than my sister, happier than her. I have nothing to regret—no, I do regret not being able to watch Ethan grow up..."
At that moment, a machine suddenly let out a sharp alarm.
A doctor glanced at it, exchanged looks with the others, and said, "Five minutes left! In five minutes, we’ll induce labor. To shorten the process, we’ll use strong medication. After that, the bleeding will get worse. If the mother loses consciousness quickly, it means the forbidden drug is working fast and her memory loss will be complete."
Hearing there were only five minutes left, Cecilia greedily looked at everyone outside the room.
She wanted to carve every face into her mind, wanted so badly to remember them all...
But... but... she couldn’t anymore...
Charles Yin kept calling Cecilia’s name, "Cecilia! Cecilia! Please, don’t forget me! Don’t forget!"
Cecilia nodded through tears, "I’ll try!"
The doctor pulled the curtain, cutting off their line of sight.
Cecilia and Charles just stared at each other’s face, watching the image slowly fade from view.
Just one door apart, but it was like two separate worlds.
Next time they met, they’d already have forgotten each other.
Scientists and doctors worked together to inject Cecilia with the labor-inducing drug, starting the forced delivery.
Everyone was busy, monitoring every device, keeping close watch on every change in Cecilia’s organs.
Cecilia lay on the bed, and just a few minutes after the injection, she felt a stabbing pain in her belly.
She screamed in pain in the hospital room; the drugs sped up the delivery and shortened the intervals between contractions.
Normally, contractions become more frequent over time.
But for Cecilia, it was agony from start to finish—she didn’t get even a minute or a second to rest!
Cecilia’s cries reached outside the room. Charles Yin leaned against the wall, listening to Cecilia’s muffled groans from the pain of childbirth. His hands shook as he tried to light a cigarette, but he just couldn’t get it lit.
He crushed the cigarette in his hand, letting the pieces fall and tossing them away.
Taking a deep breath, Charles crushed the whole pack of cigarettes in his hand and threw them out.
He was a man—he didn’t have time to be sentimental.
He wasn’t going to let go!
Even if Cecilia really forgot everything, he’d find a way to bring her back to him!
Outside the delivery room, everyone’s face was filled with anxiety.
Inside, everyone was working nonstop.
Cecilia could feel her life force rapidly slipping away.
No, she couldn’t die yet.
She had to deliver the baby safely before dying!
Ethan, my son!
Mommy’s finally going to meet you!
Ethan, bless Mommy, okay?
Ethan, Ethan, Ethan...
Cecilia finally reached her limit. With a muffled cry, she felt the pain peak—and suddenly, her belly felt light!
"He’s born! He’s finally born!" The doctors and nurses quickly cleaned Cecilia and the baby.
"Liver failure is starting!"
"Lung failure is starting!"
"Digestive system failure is starting!"
...
Several doctors’ voices sounded almost at the same time.
Suddenly, Cecilia felt so, so cold.
Her vision blurred.
Was she dying?
What a pity—she hadn’t even gotten to see Ethan...
My son, I’m sorry...
The institute director quickly gave the order: “Prepare the secret elixir, split it into four doses, and inject them all at once!”
“Director, if we inject all four at once, it’ll speed up her coma,” one scientist couldn’t help but say.
“She’s way too weak! If we don’t do it at the same time, even the Yun Family’s secret elixir won’t save her! Her blood loss is faster than what we can transfuse. On my count—three, two, one—all together!” The director’s voice rang in Cecilia’s ears.
Cecilia turned her head and saw a nurse hurrying by, carrying her freshly swaddled baby.
But Cecilia didn’t even have the strength to lift a finger.
She could only look at her son from afar. That was... her... son...
"Ethan... Charles..." Cecilia called out, and as the four doses were injected, her voice faded to a whimper.
Cecilia felt her mind suddenly turn to complete chaos.
So many memories, shattered in an instant.
Whose memories were these?
Why did they seem so familiar, yet so strange?
Who is Ethan? Who is Miles? Who is Charles Yin...?
Who... who am I...?
Cecilia finally couldn’t fight the exhaustion anymore and slowly closed her eyes.
In that moment, as her eyes closed, Cecilia clearly called out one name: “Charles Yin...”
A scientist who hadn’t spoken all this time began in a mechanical voice, “Now beginning the implantation of the preset memory template.”
In her haze, Cecilia found herself in a strange, unfamiliar space.
There was nothing there, just herself.
But... who am I? Where am I supposed to go?