1 After a natural birth, the doctor was concerned about the baby having hemolytic disease. They paid special attention to his blood type. My mother-in-law, Eleanor, exploded. “Your father-in-law, your husband, and you are all O-negative! How could you give birth to an A-positive child?” Her voice rose to a shriek. “You hussy! Have you been seeing someone else?” My husband, Mark, beat me, punching and kicking, demanding to know who the other man was. But I had never done anything wrong; I refused to confess to something I was innocent of. My baby and I burned alive in a raging inferno. Mark collected a hefty insurance payout, remarried, and lived a life of luxury with his parents. Meanwhile, the relentless gossip from our neighbors caused my own father to suffer a heart attack and be hospitalized. My mother, tending to Dad, uncovered the truth: Mark was actually A-positive! And with my father-in-law, Thomas, being O-negative, it was Eleanor who had been unfaithful! My parents, consumed by rage, took the paternity report to confront Mark’s family. But they were pushed from the 22nd floor, both dying instantly! Standing in line at the Gates of Oblivion, seething with anger, I somehow reincarnated! It was the day of Leo’s birth. I felt as if every bone in my body was shattered from the agony. I was like a drowned rat, pulled from a muddy lake. The day and night of torture finally ended, and I was wheeled out of the delivery room into a recovery ward. Mark’s face was grim, his voice simmering with irritation. “Couldn’t you have just pulled the curtain when they gave you that Pitocin shot? Male nurses and doctors kept coming and going! You were exposed to everyone, completely disregarding my trauma!” As my mind cleared, I looked around. I was certain. I had been reborn. Eleanor, always sharp-tongued and critical, chimed in. “Exactly! Who gives birth as dramatically as you? Back in our day, we had our babies at home and were back doing chores the next day. You’re nothing but trouble! You hired a postpartum nurse for six thousand bucks, and you don’t even earn money! You bought so much formula, too! You don’t know the value of a dollar until you run a household! And you spread your legs and let all those men look! You’ve disgraced the Johnson name!” I forced myself to prop up my weak body. “Mark, give me my phone back. I need to call my parents. I’m going home for my postpartum recovery.” “Hmph, finally, you’re being sensible. It’s settled then. If I give you your phone, you have to get money from your parents to go home for your recovery. Otherwise, our family won’t be able to hold our heads up.” Mark gloated, a smug look on his face. “Seeing as you delivered a son, I’ll tolerate you a bit longer. Just make sure your parents send you back with some of their homemade treats for nourishment!” Whether in my past life or this one, he remained utterly shameless. The day I gave birth, his true colors emerged. All his pretense of being a devoted husband vanished. The family in the next bed couldn’t stand it. “To be fair, your family just has a twisted mindset!” the woman’s husband spoke up. “Your wife just went through hell to give birth, and you all were playing cards outside the delivery room door! I’ve never seen a family treat their daughter-in-law so disrespectfully.” He shook his head. “It’s like you have a throne to inherit! When a human life is at stake, what does gender matter? Whoever ensures the mother and baby are safe, they’re the good doctors and nurses!” The woman in the bed opposite me, a fierce glint in her eye, also chimed in, outraged. “Exactly! You, as a mother-in-law, instead of going home to cook something nice for your daughter-in-law, you’re sitting there discussing…” She trailed off, not finishing her sentence, but I felt an unsettling wave of nausea wash over me. Eleanor, embarrassed, scoffed, “Who hasn’t given birth? She’s just being dramatic!” I scanned the room. “Where’s the postpartum nurse I hired?” Mark stammered, avoiding my gaze, pretending not to know. His shifty-eyed look infuriated me. In my previous life, Eleanor had goaded him into firing the nurse. She’d then feigned kindness, offering to take care of me herself. But she’d secretly given the organic eggs my mother had specially prepared for me to my sister-in-law for her pregnancy. And my Goldie, my Golden Retriever, my beloved companion of seven years? She’d had him slaughtered, cooked into soup, and presented to me. She’d claimed the dog had germs and would prevent her precious grandson from growing big. They’d feasted on my Goldie. And that wasn’t even the end of it. Once she learned I’d given birth to an A-positive child, she’d immediately blown up, instigating Mark to divorce me. My entire postpartum recovery had been a nightmare. The house was freezing, and they wouldn’t even let me turn on the heating. My newborn cried uncontrollably, shivering under the blankets. To torture me further, they even cut the power during the day. I had no hot water for formula. They deliberately made it so difficult that my breast milk dried up. I tried to call my parents for help, but they kept me under strict control, even snatching my phone away. This time, I had to get my phone and send out a cry for help before the doctor came for rounds! “Hurry up! I need to post a picture of the baby on social media!” Mark wasn’t yet thinking of confiscating my phone. He mumbled, “My mom’s right. Giving birth is just something women do. Back then, they had nothing, but they could still recover eating just corn cakes.” 2 “The baby will need a lot of money in the future, so the postpartum nurse won’t be coming. My mom will take care of you instead!” I nodded, my voice firm. “Just give me the phone already!” Mark thought this was my surrender. But the moment I had my phone, I fired off a barrage of messages. To my parents. To my best friend, Pathy. And to the postpartum care agency, asking for my nurse to return. Mark’s and his mother’s incessant nagging simply faded into the background. With all the messages sent, a strange sense of unreality settled over me. I dragged my utterly exhausted body to look at my baby. The pregnant woman in the bed opposite looked at me with profound sympathy. She offered a small smile, but there was also a hint of unspeakable disdain on her plain face. I gave a bitter laugh. Facing a family of wolves, if I were to lash out now, if I made too much of a scene, I would lose even this tiny chance to get help. Later that evening, before the end of their shift, the attending physician, a cultured man named Dr. Peterson, came specifically to check on me. He held the baby’s test report and asked about my blood type. “Mrs. Johnson, we’re about to examine the baby. We’ve noted that you are O-negative and the baby is A-positive, which carries a risk of hemolytic jaundice.” Mark’s eyes widened, and he shrieked, “What’s the baby’s blood type?!” He lunged forward, grabbing Dr. Peterson’s lab coat. “You effing tell me that again?!” he snarled. “What is that child’s blood type?!” Everyone in the room instantly recoiled. Dr. Peterson, composed and unfazed, used a subtle, almost effortless counter-move, like a smooth Tai Chi motion, to loosen Mark’s clumsy grip. “The report shows the baby is A-positive. This situation carries a higher risk of hemolytic jaundice. Please, as family members, monitor the baby’s condition and contact the on-duty doctor or nurse if you have any concerns.” Eleanor interjected, “How is that possible? How can the baby’s blood type be different from his mother’s? And my son and his wife are both O-negative! How could they have an A-positive child? Are you saying you swapped our grandson, giving us a sick child to fool us?” Her shrill voice startled the baby in my arms, making him whimper. Everyone in the room exchanged awkward glances, and even the family in the next bed looked at us with a mixture of pity and discomfort. It was as if I were a poor, unlucky bug, overturned in a grimy gutter. Dr. Peterson maintained his professional composure, patiently explaining, “It’s a normal physiological phenomenon for a pregnant woman and a child to have different blood types. Every step in our hospital is strictly managed. Weren’t you right there when the baby was delivered? All examinations after birth were conducted in the presence of family members. There’s no possibility of such a major medical error.” “Enough, Mom!” Mark suppressed his fury, his clenched fists white at the knuckles. “Don’t make a scene so everyone knows! Aren’t you embarrassed enough?” I held my son, who had peacefully fallen asleep, feeling a profound sense of security. The little guy was a soft, warm bundle; he looked a bit… homely, but I felt an overwhelming surge of love. My gaze, drawn by Mark’s clenched fist, hardened. A tough battle lay ahead. “Dr. Peterson,” I said softly, my voice calm. “My mother-in-law and husband seem to have a lot of concerns about me and the baby. Since everyone is here, perhaps we should just re-test everyone’s blood types?” Dr. Peterson nodded. “That’s certainly an option.” Eleanor’s face instantly darkened. “What nonsense are you talking about? My son has been O-negative his whole life! How could it be anything else? It’s you, you hussy, who’s been seeing someone else!” She looked at me with venom. “I won’t pursue who your lover is in public, but don’t think you’ll get off easy!” She then turned to Mark. “Son, hurry and process her discharge papers! We’ll take her home and teach her a good lesson!” Mark remained silent, gritting his teeth, raising his hand as if to slap me. But the family from the next bed intervened. “Your wife has a point,” the husband said. “If you have doubts, just get it tested here at the hospital and clear it up. The mother and baby both need more rest right now. If you want to argue, take it outside! Don’t disturb my wife’s rest!” Tears welled up in my eyes. Only after giving birth did I truly understand if I had married a man or a devil. The family in the opposite bed was a picture of harmonious support, with both the husband’s and wife’s families taking turns caring for her. Her bedside table was piled high with various tonics and snacks, all to ensure she ate well during her hospital stay. I, on the other hand, sat alone with nothing. My parents had wanted to visit, but Mark, behind my back, had canceled their train tickets. Before I entered the delivery room, he was still playing video games. I’d asked him to buy me a packet of medical-grade maternity pads, which were about eighty dollars, but he complained they were too expensive. He turned around and bought me a ten-dollar pack of cheap toilet paper instead, saving the money to buy himself some gaming skins! I was furious before going into labor, and it was the woman in the next bed who shared two packs of pads with me. I swallowed the bitterness that filled me, insisting, “You suspect I’ve done something to betray you? Then please, show me proof! My prenatal report clearly states I am O-negative. You’ve always thought you were O-negative, but have you ever been tested? Just one test, and we’ll have the report.” 3 The woman in the bed opposite me couldn’t stand it any longer. “I advise you to get tested, seriously. Don’t just jump to conclusions about your wife! Childbirth isn’t easy for women. Who would risk their reputation at a time like this? Your mother, on the other hand, she looks a bit… off. While your wife was giving birth in there, she was out here researching how to prepare some truly abhorrent ‘remedy’… Even if you wanted to consume something vile, it shouldn’t be so disgusting, should it? I’ve seen enough of your family’s antics for one day.” A wave of sickening disgust washed over me, numbing half my body. I looked at Eleanor with eyes that had turned utterly ruthless. No wonder the family in the next bed looked at me with such pity! But I was in a wolf’s den now. Even if I wanted to run away with my child, there were too many obstacles. Sooner or later, I’d make them pay. At the other woman’s words, Thomas, who had been silent, finally spoke up. “Go get tested. Don’t let outsiders laugh at us!” “How can he? Mark has been O-negative since he was a child! How could it be different?” Eleanor shrieked, her face dark. “You can’t just accuse me based on a few words from strangers!” I retorted coldly, “Are you speaking from a guilty conscience, crying wolf? I didn’t say you had been seeing someone. I’m simply stating that now the entire family needs to get their blood types tested together!” My voice grew firm. “If you’re still not satisfied, then we’ll get a DNA test! Your husband, Mark, and my son—all three of them.” “You’ve already spent so much money giving birth, and now you want to spend more on tests? What are you trying to stir up?” Mark demanded, clearly displeased. “Just check out! There’s enough trouble here at the hospital!” I understood then. He didn’t care whether the child was his or not. He was just using it as an excuse to torment me, to wear me down until my child and I were dead. Only then could he legitimately claim the insurance money. But I wanted more than just clarification. “I’ll pay for the DNA test. You won’t have to spend a cent.” Seeing my firm stance, Mark said nothing more. Eleanor’s eyes were red, and she whined, “Just tell us honestly, who is the lover? Is it that scholarly male colleague of yours? Why is the child A-positive?” I said coldly, “You’re crying wolf. I’m not afraid of getting tested or of your gossip. But you’re shouting so loudly, you must have a guilty conscience!” Thomas, who had been listening intently, his expression serious, delivered the final word. “Tomorrow, the whole family will go for blood tests!” Eleanor couldn’t bear it. She threw down her dinner, stomped her foot, and stormed off. “Fine, if you want to waste money on tests, I’ll go home and kill your dog to make soup for your recovery! That fat dog will yield a lot of meat. Otherwise, buying groceries for your confinement would cost even more money!” Eleanor looked triumphant. “If you don’t get tested, I’ll keep your fat dog alive.” I ignored her, lowering my head to comfort my baby. I hoped my best friend, Pathy, would come through for me and save Goldie in time. Mark pulled out his phone, looking busy, his attention elsewhere. “Just wait here. We’ll see what the test results say.” In my last life, I meekly went home with them the next day, leading to various health problems from my weakened state. But this time, I wanted to see how Eleanor would try to explain herself after the test results came out. The next day, Eleanor didn’t show up for the agreed-upon tests. I knew she had a guilty conscience. My best friend, Pathy, texted me: “Don’t worry, sis, Goldie is with me. I promise I’ll feed him until he’s a giant! When I got to your place, your mother-in-law was literally holding a cleaver, ready to kill him! Luckily, my boyfriend, a big burly guy, stopped her, otherwise, Goldie would’ve been gone for good.” I thanked Pathy. In the photo she sent, Goldie cowered at her feet, looking pitiful and soft after his narrow escape, bringing tears to my eyes. My parents rushed to the hospital that very night, having rented a car. They cornered my father-in-law, rambling on. “Richard, we know our daughter. Sarah would never do anything to betray her family!” My mother’s voice grew firm. “Your wife has been causing trouble since the young couple got married, and our family has tolerated it. But this DNA test must be done!” Thomas, being someone who cared deeply about appearances, eventually complied. Under my parents’ persistent urging, Mark and Thomas both submitted to the blood type tests. Eleanor still hadn’t shown her face. I deliberately sent her a voice message: “Mom, I’m innocent. This morning, Mark and Dad both took the blood type test. The results will be out in two hours. You want to come by and see?” She didn’t reply for a long time. I was curious. What would their faces look like when the results came back, confirming Eleanor was the one who had been unfaithful?
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