The Price of My Placenta

Jack was checking up on Sandra. He was once a caring and gentle man with me, too, but that was eons ago. In the end, he became my murderer.

"I hear premature babies won't grow up as smart."

Sandra buried her head in Jack's arms. Jack could not see her expression, but I could see it well. There was not an ounce of guilt on her face. On the contrary, she looked smug.

Jack snickered. "She's an evil woman. How exceptional would her child be? Besides, we don't know if the child is mine! You're too kind, Sandra. That evil woman has hurt you, yet you still look out for her. Don't worry. Once she's out, I'll make her make it up to you."

Sandra looked at Jack with feigned innocence and naivety. "If I want to be Mrs. Lacroix, will she make way for me?"

I looked at Jack. Even though I knew he would agree to that, I still hoped otherwise. After all, we had once loved each other.

Jack looked a little hesitant—a rare look on him. He patted Sandra's back in silence, not replying to her.

Sandra pressed further before Jack finally replied, "Sandra, I can't divorce Whitney."

My floating soul-self looked at him closely, but what he said next made my heart sink.

"My dad is still alive. If he found out that Whitney and I got a divorce, he would never let me be the heir to the company."

I touched my face, but I had forgotten that I was dead. How could the dead cry?

I grew up with the Lacroix family. My father had sacrificed his life to save Jack's father, Albert. My mother loved my father deeply, so she passed not long after him, leaving me all alone in the world.

Albert was the one who brought me into the Lacroix family and raised me like one of his own. He instructed Jack to protect me for the rest of my life.

Jack, who was as young as I was back then, nodded and promised his father. He had done well.

When other boys teased me for being an adopted child, Jack threw bricks at them to chase them away.

When I was called an orphan who brought bad luck, Jack stood up for me and got into a fight with them.

Jack would often hug me and tell me not to be afraid. He said that he would always protect me. I trusted him.

When did it all start to change?

"Jack, my stomach hurts again!" When Sandra heard Jack's refusal, she yelped in pain and gritted her teeth.

Jack panicked. He carefully picked Sandra up and took her to the bed as if period pain was some terminal illness.

"It's my fault. I'm sorry." Jack blamed himself, but Sandra placed her hand on his mouth.

"Don't say that. How is it your fault? I was too naive to trust Whitney. I shouldn't have gone to look for her. If I hadn't looked for her, I wouldn't have been beaten up by those thugs," Sandra said with a trembling tone.

Then, she said, "I'm sorry, Jack! I'm not good enough for you!"

Jack took a jagged breath when Sandra brought up the past again. "Sandra, I promise you. I'll make Whitney make it up to you."

One of Jack's subordinates knocked on the door. When he saw Jack and Sandra hugging, he hesitated before asking, "Sir, should we get a doctor to check up on Mrs. Lacroix?"