1 Stay with Me Tonight
"Mrs. Walker, you're still not pregnant."
The hope in Stela Walker's eyes vanished at once. She bit her lip and murmured, "I see..."
With sympathy, the doctor handed Stela the pregnancy test report, saying, "Mrs. Walker, why not... let it go? You're too weak now. Even if you get pregnant, it will be difficult for you to deliver a full-term baby."
Silent, Stela just bit her lower lip, feeling very chilly at the same time.
Her washed-out eyes worried the doctor.
"Mrs. Walker, are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I'm listening." She replied with a quiver in her voice, and her lips were bloodless and pale.
The doctor let out a deep sigh. "If you receive chemotherapy now, there is still a chance that you can live longer."
"No, I must get pregnant." Stela stood up and made a decision, "Doctor, please give me another injection for ovulation. I want to try again."
The doctor disagreed with her. "You've had these injections for half a year. They are hormones. They will make cancer cells grow faster!"
"But I don't mind. Please..."
"Mrs. Walker, why do you torture yourself like this?"
"Please."
"Alas…" Resignedly, the doctor prescribed the injection and handed over the sheet.
"Go to the second floor and turn left. Do make the best use of the 24 hours following the injection, 'cause it is the golden period of getting pregnant."
Stela took the sheet and said, "Thank you."
…
At 9 p.m, she was still all alone in the villa.
Stela had long been used to such silence and loneliness. Besides, she had no time for grieving any more. As there was not much time left for her, she barely had the time to relax even just for a bit.
Now, she must make full use of the golden 24 hours.
She dialed the familiar number and waited.
Beep, beep, beep–
No one answered.
Rather than giving up, she dialed again. She would keep dialing until he answered the phone.
This time, at the very last second, Cirrus Williams picked up the phone.
His voice was filled with annoyance and impatience. "Stela Walker, what do you want? Is it fun to drag on the divorce like this?"
Drag on?
Stela revealed a self-mockery smile. She had fought to maintain her marriage with Cirrus for four years, but it was time to put it to an end.
"You want a divorce?" she said, "So be it!"
Cirrus paused for a second. "Do you mean it?"
"Yes, but I have one condition. You have to stay with me for one night."
Cirrus sneered. "Stela Walker, is this a new trick?"
"Well, if you say so. Cirrus, I only give you this one chance. If you don't spend tonight with me, you can never divorce me and never marry Florence. Just think about it."
Then, she hung up the phone decisively.
She knew what choice Cirrus would make.
He was always willing to do anything for Florence White, so he would be back tonight.
High in the clear night sky, the perfectly round moon cast its silvery glow onto the ground, and around it were thousands of stars twinkling and sparkling.
Looking at the sky full of stars, Stela couldn’t help thinking of her name Stela, which indicated stars. And her mind started drifting away.
Cirrus, if I disappear from this world one day, will you think of me the second you look up at the stars?
We have a child. He's a good boy and looks like you.
But he's lying immobile in the ICU, with tubes and needles all over his little body. He's waiting for me to save him.
I must get pregnant with a second child. Only in this way can I have the cord blood to save my boy, but I'm running out of time…
***
Beep–
It's the sound of the fingerprint lock. Is he back?
In front of the mirror, Stela hastily applied more lipstick to make herself look better.
"Cirrus..." She strode toward the door.
