Chapter 162 Uncertain Steps
The bitter taste in her mouth, mixed with the lingering scent of smoke, which she despised the most, accompanied Eileen as she was led into the examination room.
As she lay on the mechanical bed, Zachary, with a face as captivating as a woman’s, leaned in and said. “It’s been a while, Eileen.”
“Why is it you!” Eileen immediately sat up, resisting the examination.
The man’s smile held a mischievous hint. “Eileen, are you afraid of what I might find?”
What do you think, creep?
“I don’t want to do this anymore.”
Zachary burst into laughter, covering his mouth with his fist, his eyes squinting in amusement. “Don’t worry,” he rea*sured, “I won’t be the one conducting your examination this time. I promise, I won’t even sneak a peek!”
“Miss, don’t be shy. In medicine, there’s no distinction between men and women. I’ll be the one conducting your examination,” a woman in her forties interjected. “Zack, don’t scare the poor girl. You can leave now!”
Upon realizing it was a woman, Eileen finally relaxed.
After Zachary left, Eileen’s cheeks blushed slightly, feeling slightly embarra*sed. She propped up her knees and a blue cloth covered the area between her legs. Sensing something unusual, Eileen shifted uncomfortably.
When the head of the gynecology department noticed the hymen, she slapped her forehead. in realization. “Look at me, I’ve examined so many people today that I forgot you’re still a young lady. Hold on a second. Let’s perform another test instead.”
After undergoing the ultrasound, Eileen patiently awaited the results.
Outside the ward, in the smoking area, the air was filled with smoke and discarded cigarette butts littered the ground.
Zachary, with his hands in the pockets of his Blake lab coat and a stethoscope around his neck, commented, “I’ve told you before, no matter how many times we check, the result will still be the same. The most effective solution now is to remove the uterus. I warned you from the start not to show any weakness. Look, you’ve become soft-hearted so quickly!”
Eric gave him a cold glance. “You talk too much!”
Zachary chuckled dismissively. “Not to criticize you, but I always thought you had a taste for mature, spicy older women. I never expected you to have such a unique preference, liking girls much younger than yourself. Are you a beast? She didn’t even graduate from high school; you’re absolutely monstrous for taking advantage of her! Hey, enlighten me, what’s it like to be with a young lady?”
Eric gave him another cold look. “If you don’t want to be silenced, then shut up!”
“Dr. Xenos, guardian of the young lady, could you please come over?”
The men quickly discarded their cigarette butts and entered the office.
Eileen, having adjusted her clothes, stepped out from behind the curtain.
The gynecologist examined the photos with a serious expression. “There’s no other option but to perform surgery. Even traditional medicine won’t be effective in this case, so you all should start considering your options as soon as possible. Mr. Anderson has an available slot for the surgery next week.”
Eric asked, “After the uterus is removed, is it possible to transplant a new one?”
Watching the interaction from the sidelines, Zachary responded as if he had heard a great joke, saying, “I think you’ve truly lost your mind! Firstly, our level of medical advancement is nowhere near capable of conducting a uterus transplant. Secondly, even if such a procedure were possible, achieving pregnancy would still be unattainable. A normal uterine environment is essential for conception. Even in the current landscape of uterus transplant surgeries, no one would willingly remove their own uterus to transplant it to someone else.”
“Even if uterus transplant surgeries are available now, no one would willingly remove their own uterus to transplant it to someone else.”
The gynecologist nodded in agreement. “Zack is right. The uterus is a unique symbol of femininity and an essential part of a girl’s journey to becoming a mother.”
She then addressed Eileen, “Don’t be disheartened, young lady. Even without a uterus, science and technology are advancing, and in the future, if you get married, you can consider egg retrieval and in-vitro fertilization, followed by surrogate pregnancy. This way, you won’t have to experience the hardships of childbirth. Alternatively, you can also consider adoption.”
News like this was nothing new to Eileen; her heart had long since become numb.
She curved her l*ps into a faint smile. “It’s okay, I’ve come to terms with it. Doctor, could you please schedule my surgery for next week?”
The gynecologist asked, “Well, what do you think, sir?”
tric’s gaze landed on Eileen. At this moment, he would rather have her be unreasonable and throw a tantrum at him than act as if nothing was wrong, as she was doing now.
“Let her be!” With these words, annoyed and confused, Eric turned around and left.
Zachary’s eyes held a wistful gaze as he silently observed the departing figure, who left in a huff, with a smile.
I warned him he would regret it. After all, she inherited the beauty of Hulbury’s most exquisite woman. Having such beauty by one’s side would tempt anyone, especially considering it’s Eric we’re talking about. But it’s surprising: after all these years, he still hasn’t succeeded!
As Eileen and Eric left the hospital, the day gradually turned into dusk.
The
cup of milk brought out at noon had already found its way into the trash bin, a method of drugging Eileen that she was now all too familiar with. In this lifetime, she reckoned she would never consume anything related to milk again.
The journey back was marked by Eric’s persistent silence, creating a heavy atmosphere within the car. In an attempt to alleviate the tension, Eileen opened the car window, allowing a breath of fresh air.
The breeze was short-lived as Eric promptly closed the window. “The weather is cold. Don’t catch a chill; you might easily catch a cold.”
Eileen, fixated on her glossy fingernails, tapped them intermittently. “Will you keep it a secret from my father?” she asked. “It’s not a big deal, really. I don’t plan on getting married again. Living alone for the rest of my life and doing what I want sounds pretty good to me. When I’m old and unable to move around, I’ll move into a nursing home. There will be people to help take care of me until the end…”
Suddenly, Eric slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a halt. “So, you hate me? Eileen… what right do you have to hate?”
All you Swans deserve nothing but death!
Eileen’s eyes remained calm and undisturbed as she quietly looked at him. “So, what do you expect from me?” she asked. “I’ve already died once. If you still hold hatred in your heart, Eric, I truly don’t know what to do anymore.”
Eric found himself in a state of unprecedented chaos, unsure why he was so disoriented. Annoyed, he restarted the car and quickly drove back to Undella Mansion.
They arrived home just in time for dinner.
When Will asked. Eric covered for Eileen, attributing her demeanor to an old hand injury. Fortunately, Will didn’t have any doubts, and the family quietly enjoyed their dinner.
At seven in the evening. Eileen finished her bath and checked for any new messages.
Aside from a few regular greetings from Jasper, there was also one from Elm.
He signed up and went to winter camp.
This time, they were headed to Remdik.
Elm had sent over a bunch of photos, but the resolution on Eileen’s phone was too blurry, making some of them hard to make out. However, she could tell at a glance that it was…
