Replaced, Betrayed, Reborn

I was locked away in a side courtyard.

Afraid Jennifer might feel lonely, Scott hired the best opera troupe in Kingsham. Their high, lilting voices carried across three courtyards, clear as day.

Over here, all I had was the dry scrape of fallen leaves skittering across the stone steps.

A maid shoved a bowl of cold oatmeal through the crack in the door, her tone impatient. "Lady Holden, just make do."

I carried the bowl over and sat on the threshold. A thin film had formed on top, the oats so sparse that I could count them.

Somewhere in the distance, a burst of applause rang out. That must've been the best part of the show.

It reminded me of when I was a kid, hiding up in the attic, listening to the warmth of someone else's family downstairs.

What a pointless life. I really wanted to go back.

I found a length of rope in the corner of the room and tied it to the beam overhead, planning to loop it around my neck and swing for a bit.

The second I kicked the stool away, a sharp pain twisted through my lower abdomen.

"Lillian!"

Scott had come to check on me. The moment he saw what I was doing, his pupils shrank, and he rushed forward, slashing the rope in half with his sword.

I collapsed into his arms, clutching my stomach, murmuring, "My stomach…hurts…"

He immediately called for a doctor. After checking my pulse, the doctor cupped his hands and smiled.

"Congratulations, General Holden. Lady Holden is pregnant."

My heart dropped.

Every time we shared a bed, I made sure to take contraceptive herbal tea without fail. How did this still happen?

Ancient medicine was seriously unreliable.

Scott's hand trembled slightly as he held mine.

He was about to say something when noise suddenly broke out outside.

Jennifer rushed in, supported by a maid, her face pale as she threw herself into Scott's arms.

"Scott… My cycle's been late for a long time…"

The doctor checked her pulse too, then bowed again.

"Congratulations, General Holden. Ms. Cross is also pregnant."

Jennifer tilted her face up, tears sliding down.

"But I'm suffering from the Aphrodisiac Curse… The doctor said once the baby is born, I might not survive… Scott, this baby is the only thing I can leave you…"

Scott pulled her tighter against him. "Don't say that. I'll find a way to cure it."

Then he glanced at me, something complicated in his eyes.

"Lillian, focus on recovering."

And just like that, I was forgotten.

From then on, the entire household revolved around Jennifer. Her tonics piled up like a mountain, while I couldn't even get a bowl of hot soup.

The maids' whispers drifted in through the window.

"So what if Lady Holden's pregnant? General Holden doesn't even come to see her."

"Ms. Cross has it so rough, carrying a child while suffering from that curse… Lady Holden's perfectly fine in comparison."

Eventually, Scott remembered I existed and had me join them for dinner.

But at the table, he had an arm around Jennifer the whole time, piling food onto her plate, leaving me completely ignored.

Even the servants couldn't help whispering and snickering.

"Look at Lady Holden's face. She's about to cause a scene again. No way the general's going to listen to her."

Seeing that I hadn't touched my food, Scott looked up, a slight frown on his face.

"Lillian, eat before it gets cold."

I burst into tears and applause at the same time.

"This is so moving. I'm obsessed with you two. It's fine. I'll do everything I can to make sure Jennifer lives."

Under everyone's stunned stares, I got up and went back to my courtyard.

Then I pulled out paper and started sketching a large bathtub, ordering the servants to find a craftsman to build it.

Dripping blood little by little would take forever.

I figured I might as well just cut my wrist in the tub and fill it all at once. That should be enough for a full transfusion.