The Husband I Loved for Eight Years Never Loved Me-Chapter 47: About to Give Birth
Chapter 47: Labor Imminent
When Florence Preston returned with a bowl of bird’s nest porridge for Rachel Royce, she opened the door to see Rachel’s deathly pale face. The bowl slipped from her hands, shattering on the floor.
"Rachel!"
Florence Preston rushed forward, throwing back the covers to find the sheets stained with blood.
She scrambled to get the doctor.
A moment later, lights flashed on throughout the entire villa.
Tristan Sterling was not home tonight.
The doctor immediately contacted the hospital and requested an ambulance. After examining Rachel, the doctor determined she was already five centimeters dilated. Given her condition, she had to get to the hospital immediately.
Florence Preston paced anxiously nearby. ’How could she suddenly start bleeding when she was perfectly fine just a moment ago?’
She quickly called Wendy Royce.
Lisa Lawson hesitated, wondering if she should contact Tristan Sterling. ’But it’s already so late,’ she thought. ’The doctors and nurses are here. It’s just childbirth, what could possibly go wrong?’ So, she decided not to call him. She also didn’t notify the main Sterling residence, not wanting to disturb Madam Sterling’s rest.
When the ambulance arrived, Rachel Royce was rushed to the hospital.
Wendy Royce and Peter Preston both hurried to the hospital.
"But she wasn’t due for a few more days, was she?" Wendy Royce asked.
"I don’t know what happened," Florence Preston said, fraught with worry. "Let’s just wait to see what the doctor says!"
Only Peter Preston wore an exceptionally grim expression.
「By early morning.」
Rachel Royce’s condition had stabilized. She was now dilated to six centimeters and could go into active labor at any moment.
News of Tristan Sterling’s affair was being suppressed online, but the late-night PR response wasn’t fast enough. While most casual internet users were left in the dark, the story had already spread among those in the know.
Screenshots of last night’s posts, filled with angry comments and scandalous revelations, had already circulated throughout the financial world. Messages flew wildly in various group chats, with notifications quickly hitting 99+.
Most people still couldn’t believe the news that Tristan Sterling was married.
The scandal was supposed to be about him cheating. Instead, public opinion had bizarrely shifted. Rather than condemning him for the affair, people were attacking his wife, claiming that Tristan Sterling and the woman in the photos were a much better match.
Meanwhile, employees at Rowan received an internal memo forbidding any discussion about Tristan Sterling and his wife. Anyone caught violating this rule would be fired on the spot.
A second notice announced that Joanna Sutton’s annual bonus had been revoked.
No one understood why, but no one dared to ask questions.
「In the CEO’s office at Cedarwood.」
Tristan Sterling had just sat down when he received a call from Madam Sterling. She had already heard about what happened last night. "Tristan, what is going on with you? Who on earth leaked this?"
’Tristan has another woman, and we’ve had to turn a blind eye. But now someone just had to expose it.’
’If a sex scandal like this isn’t handled properly, it will have a devastating impact on his reputation and that of the Sterling family.’
"I’m already having it investigated," Tristan Sterling said. "We should have some answers by the end of the day."
Madam Sterling sighed. "I told you to be more discreet. Lisa Lawson said Rachel Royce suddenly started bleeding last night. She’s in the hospital now and will probably give birth today."
Upon hearing this, Tristan Sterling’s handsome face remained impassive. He merely grunted, "Mm."
Hearing his detached tone, as if the matter didn’t concern him at all, Madam Sterling didn’t press the issue.
He hung up the phone.
Tristan Sterling set his phone down. Just then, Mark Chapman knocked and entered to give his work report. He also had news about the person behind the leak.
The culprit was an investment firm that had signed a high-stakes performance agreement with them last year. The firm ended up losing the bet, forfeiting most of its assets, and was ultimately acquired by Cedarwood.
The firm had hired a private investigator, paying a hefty price to tail Tristan Sterling. But Tristan’s movements were hard to track. The P.I. spent over half a year on the case before finally confirming that Tristan was married. After that, it was a matter of staking him out to get the scandalous photos.
The firm had been ecstatic, thinking they could ruin Tristan Sterling’s reputation. They never expected public opinion to take such a bizarre turn.
By the time Cedarwood’s PR team mobilized, the firm’s owner had already missed the optimal window to strike back.
The man behind it was now abroad, however.
The detective who took the photos was now in police custody. He had taken numerous photos of Tristan and Claire Ainsworth, and even some of Rachel Royce.
Clearly, the detective was a formidable professional.
Just then, his phone vibrated again. It was a call from Suzanne Sullivan. She asked about the news that broke online last night, noting that the incident seemed to have no negative impact on Claire Ainsworth or Tristan. Instead, it was his wife, Rachel, who had become the target of public outrage.
Tristan Sterling said, "We’ve found the person. Charles Donovan from Dawnstar."
Suzanne Sullivan said, "As long as you found him, that’s good. But I’m afraid the secret of your marriage is out for good this time."
In reality, the situation had escalated because of comments that amounted to kicking someone while they were down. This had triggered a flame war, and the narrative had spiraled out of control.
If Cedarwood were to issue a statement claiming Tristan Sterling was unmarried, it would only fuel more suspicion and ignite another media frenzy.
The best strategy now was to not comment on his marital status at all. With time, the whole affair would eventually be forgotten.
And in the end, Rachel Royce was the only one left to suffer from a public shaming that should have had nothing to do with her.
Tristan Sterling said, "If you’re worried about Claire, you’re worrying for nothing."
Suzanne Sullivan sighed softly. "Tristan, your wife is carrying your child, after all. You really don’t have to be so cold-blooded."
Tristan Sterling said, "I suppose I can’t be as sentimental as you."
Suzanne Sullivan pondered for a moment. "Actually, I’d rather your relationship with Claire be a normal one. I don’t want her to become the other woman."
Tristan Sterling said, "She is not the other woman."
Once he had made up his mind, it was nearly impossible for anyone to change it.
Suzanne Sullivan changed the subject. "By the way, I’m returning to Portington tomorrow. How is that matter I asked for your help with coming along?"
Tristan Sterling’s gaze darkened. "They’re safe and sound. You don’t need to worry. I’ll find a way to provide them with resources without them realizing it. I’ll make sure their lives are secure."
Suzanne Sullivan took Tristan Sterling at his word, having no reason to doubt him. "Good. Your word is enough for me." She didn’t press for more details.
"You really don’t want to see for yourself how they’re doing now?" Tristan Sterling asked.
Suzanne Sullivan said, "Meeting them now would only cause more trouble. The time isn’t right."
Tristan Sterling knew what she was planning. He didn’t ask any more questions, simply replying with an "Mm."
"I’ll come to your office around noon. I want to talk more about the WR collaboration."
"Okay."
The call ended.
Tristan Sterling leaned back in his chair, his handsome face inscrutable. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking.
After a moment, he took out his phone and made a call.
The person who answered was the live-in doctor.
"President Sterling."
He asked, "What happened last night?"
The doctor replied, "Your wife has been having trouble sleeping lately due to her condition. It seems some kind of shock or stress affected the baby. For now, her condition has stabilized while we wait for labor to progress. We will do everything in our power to ensure the safety of both mother and child."
After hearing the doctor’s report, Tristan Sterling asked no further questions.
