I Slapped My Fiancé—Then Married His Billionaire Nemesis novel Chapter 378

**TITLE: The Attention 378**

I chose to ignore his words, pretending they had never reached my ears. He had uttered that same phrase every time I found myself in pain, and deep down, I understood that his intentions were far from sincere.

Yet, in that moment, something felt different. Perhaps the babies sensed the tension in the air, the unspoken threat that lingered just beneath the surface. Almost instantaneously, they fell silent, as if responding to an invisible cue.

“Huh?” I thought, bracing myself for yet another wave of discomfort. But to my astonishment, the pain simply ceased.

“These two little ones are surprisingly well-behaved this time,” I murmured, still battling the queasy sensation that threatened to overwhelm me.

It wasn’t true nausea at this point; rather, the relentless kicking of the babies had jostled everything inside me, pressing against my stomach until I felt as if I might be sick.

“They’d better behave every time,” Ashton replied, his expression darkening with concern.

He poured a glass of warm water, the steam rising gently into the air. I took the glass from him, drinking directly from his hand, feeling the warmth seep into me, providing a small measure of relief. Leaning back against him, I took a moment to catch my breath, feeling the tension in my body ease just a fraction.

“You’re right. Two kids are enough,” I admitted, a hint of a smile creeping onto my lips.

Ashton bent down, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead. His gaze conveyed a multitude of emotions—love, worry, and a touch of helplessness.

I grasped his hand, a weak smile flickering across my face as I closed my eyes. Almost instantly, I felt myself drifting into a brief respite, surrendering to the exhaustion that had been my constant companion.

The unpredictable sleep schedule of the babies meant that my own rest was a mere fantasy. They had kept me awake through the night, and as a result, I was utterly drained throughout the day. Now, with their renewed activity, I felt completely spent.

***

The day of the birth arrived, and I found myself in the sterile confines of the delivery room.

Clenching a wad of gauze between my teeth, I felt my fingernails digging painfully into my palms, as if I could claw my way through the searing pain that engulfed me. It was an agony that felt like it was tearing my very being apart.

Just then, Ashton burst into the room, his presence a sudden jolt of energy amidst the chaos.

No one attempted to stop him. He marched straight to my side, grasping my hand firmly. “Does it hurt?” he asked, concern etched across his features.

It wasn’t merely hurting; it was a visceral pain that felt as though it was ripping me inside out.

Hearing his voice ignited a spark of fury within me, a raw emotion that surged up from deep within. I spat the gauze from my mouth and turned to him, my voice sharp and filled with venom, “Bastard.”

“Yes, I’m a bastard,” he replied, a hint of amusement mingling with the gravity of the situation.

Before I could utter another word, another wave of pain crashed over me like a relentless tide. I screamed, the sound echoing through the room.

“Ma’am, you can’t scream like that,” the midwife interjected, rushing to my side. “You’ll damage your throat, and you need to conserve your strength.”

Ashton’s gaze followed hers to the gauze. Without hesitation, he picked it up and attempted to place it back in my mouth for me to bite down on.

The midwife flinched at his tone, clearly taken aback. “Mr. Laurent, natural deliveries take time, and every mother’s body is different. Mrs. Laurent’s cervix isn’t fully dilated yet. She can’t push for now.”

“What?” I cried out, despair cracking my voice.

I was already in excruciating pain, and the thought of being far from the finish line was almost unbearable.

“Don’t tell me there’s nothing you can do,” Ashton said, a cold smile creeping onto his lips, his eyes darkening with a sense of threat.

The midwife flinched again, then rushed to explain, “I’ll give Mrs. Laurent an oxytocin injection to speed things up, and then we’ll help her walk around. That can make the process smoother. But since it’s her first birth and she’s carrying twins, even then it will still take several hours at the fastest.”

Just then, another nurse rushed in from the next delivery room, urgency in her voice. “Dr. Levi, the woman in Bed 47’s been in labor for twenty-four hours. The baby’s head is too large and stuck. She’s gone into shock. Should we prep her for surgery?”

“Take her to the operating theater immediately,” Dr. Levi commanded, his voice brisk. “Have Dr. Mendez handle the procedure. I can’t leave this room.”

“Yes, Doctor.” The nurse dashed away, the sound of her footsteps fading quickly.

As the reality of the situation sunk in—the woman next door had been laboring for twenty-four hours and was in shock—I felt a surge of fear grip my chest.

Ashton’s face had turned an ashen shade, his worry palpable.

He grasped my hand tightly. “We’re not doing this. Let’s go for a C-section.”