No Strings Attached

Chapter 20

Leonora didn’t have a shred of sympathy as she vented her frustration over the phone, “Is this all my fault? Would I have argued with your father if he hadn’t been such a ladies‘ man? lan, let me tell you, I’ve made up my mind about Clara. I will not let that woman stay by your side, not even as a mistress!”

With that, she coldly ended the call.

lan, fuming with anger, shook a cigarette out of the pack and lit it, inhaling deeply as he leaned back in his

chair.

A few days later.

After Clara had helped her father with lunch, she received an unexpected call from the hospital’s OB/GYN department. Following her recent miscarriage, she had undergone a comprehensive gynecological exam, and it seemed the results were in.

She stepped out of the hospital room and answered the phone.

“Ms. Clara, there’s an issue with your test results. It would be best if you came in right away”

A sinking feeling told Clara this wasn’t good news. She hung up, gave her father a few instructions, and made an excuse to leave.

The doctor furrowed his brow and scanned the report. He then fixed his gaze on Clara. “Do you frequently use emergency contraceptives?”

Clara nodded.

lan’s urges were unpredictable, and sometimes, in the heat of the moment, they wouldn’t have protection, leaving her no choice but to take the morning–after pill. Her last pregnancy was a result of lan’s vigorous love–making. She had fallen ill with a high fever and forgot to take her pill.

The doctor looked at her with a sympathetic eye. “Your uterus is tilted, and the inner lining is thin. On top of that, the frequent use of emergency contraceptives is showing early signs of ovarian aging. Getting pregnant is going to be difficult for you. It was already a miracle you conceived, but you didn’t take care, and the miscarriage and subsequent bleeding did significant harm to your body. According to the report, your chances of conceiving again are quite low, no more than twenty percent.”

The words struck Clara like a knife to the heart, making it hard to breathe. Her cold, trembling hands clutched

the fabric of her dress.

Clara remembered her relative, who had a forty percent chance of pregnancy and, after five years of marriage, still hadn’t conceived. Clara wondered if she’d ever experience motherhood as she had a twenty percent chance

of pregnancy.

Clara’s voice was hoarse with emotion as she asked, “Doctor, isn’t there anything that can be done?”

The doctor shook his head helplessly. “I can prescribe some remedies to help balance your system, which might increase the odds. But I must warn you, no more emergency pills. For a woman to lose the ability to become a mother is something you might regret for a lifetime. If a man truly loves you,

there are many ways to practice contraception. He wouldn’t just think of his own pleasure at the expense of your health.”

Clara offered a bleak smile.

Indeed. If lan truly loved her, how could he let her bear all this?

Clutching the prescription, Clara staggered out of the office. As she reached the door, the next patient came in. She was too distraught to recognize the face, brushing past in her hurry.

Just a few steps out, she heard a familiar voice. “Doctor, I’d like to have a pre–pregnancy check-up. I’m planning to have children right after getting married.”

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23

Clara froze in place. After what felt like an eternity, she slowly turned around.

There stood Heidi, her face aglow with happiness.

lan was unwilling to marry Clara but was willing to have children with Heidi. He even had Clara consume countless emergency contraceptives to prevent pregnancy, reducing her chances to a mere twenty percent. Yet, he was ready to marry his true love, Heidi, and start a family.

It was true comparisons bring injuries to the heart.

Clara had never felt more heartache than she did at that moment. Rigid with shock, she made her way toward

the exit.

Only a few steps out, she stumbled into a familiar embrace. Before she could regain her composure, lan’s cold voice came from above her head.

“Are you pregnant?”