As Kira came down from Carina's room, she saw Orion smoking in the hallway. The moment he saw her, he quickly put out the cigarette.
Ever since Kira got sick with a persistent cough back in college, she had developed chronic pharyngitis. She couldn't stand the smell of smoke or any irritating fumes, and her throat would often start to swell and ache even before the rest of her body felt unwell.
She walked forward with her head down, and Orion followed behind her.
They walked in silence for a while, neither saying a word, until Kira finally broke the silence, "When do you have time to go to the court and handle the paperwork?"
"Sweetie, are you asking for a divorce?" She could hear the tremble in Orion's voice. "I searched for you for two whole days after that night, and the first thing you say to me is that you want a divorce?"
"You cheated, Orion, do you even realize you cheated?" Kira's chest tightened with anger, and she raised her voice slightly. "You slept with someone else. You fell in love with someone else. So what's the point of keeping you around?"
"Sweetie, those are two different things." Orion frowned slightly, his eyes carefully darting to Kira's belly. His body leaned slightly toward her, and he reached out a hand in her direction, ready to catch her in case she got too emotional and suddenly stumbled.
He pressed his lips together, thinking for a long time as if searching for a way to make Kira understand. "Sleeping with her and loving her are two different things."
He paused for a moment, then added, "Besides, how could I ever love her? She's not as beautiful as you, and she hasn't been with me for twelve years... Sweetie, you have to believe me, even if I slept with someone else, you're still the one I love the most."
"So, Orion, should I be thanking you? Thank you for choosing a mistress who isn't rich or pretty enough, who doesn't have any ulterior motives, and who won't threaten my position?" Kira breathed heavily, feeling like her head was a jumbled mess, yet her thoughts seemed crystal clear. "Orion, you love me so much that even when you cheat, you carefully select who to cheat with."
"Are you not thinking straight, Orion? We've known each other for twelve years—do you really not know what I think? Do you really not understand my bottom line on this? Or do you think that because I'm pregnant and you're successful now, your subconscious is telling you that Kira won't divorce you, that she won't find anyone better after leaving you?"
"So, Orion, what was going through your mind when you sought her out? Were you just looking for something fresh, a thrill? You always say you love me—did you think about the fact that the person you claim to love is me when you booked that room?"
Kira didn't wait for Orion's explanation. Suddenly, everything went black. The last thing she remembered before losing consciousness was Orion frantically catching her as she fell.
When she woke up, she was in the hospital. The doctor explained that she had fainted due to an accelerated heart rate caused by extreme emotional distress, which led to insufficient blood flow to her brain.
The doctor frowned and scolded her, "Your pregnancy was already unstable, and you're still not taking care of yourself. The blood test results just came back, showing mild anemia and a lack of trace elements. You need to be more mindful of your diet, supplement your nutrition, and keep a positive mood. Avoid extreme emotions."
Then the tone towards Orion became harsher: "You are her family. You should be more careful. It's such an age now, and yet you could still let the pregnant woman become malnourished..."
Orion quickly nodded in agreement and, after seeing the doctor out of the room, came over to Kira's side and asked in a low voice, "Sweetie, why didn't you tell me about the instability of the pregnancy?"
"I thought you were very busy during that time, always traveling. The doctor said to be careful, so I didn't think it was a big deal. It just meant more check-ups and taking medication to stabilize the pregnancy."
"You've worked so hard," Orion said softly.
Kira didn't say anything more, and the atmosphere fell into a strange silence.
