She knew her body had visibly changed in recent weeks. Victoria had been through childbirth; she would recognize the signs of pregnancy in an instant.


    Gwh didn''t want her mother to know, so she decided to leave first and exinter.


    The call connected, and she heard Victoria''s voice. "Gwyn, I was just about to head over to see you."


    She had been nning to bring Chris and Celia to visit, worried Victoria might be


    lonely.


    "Mom, Hawthorne already picked me up. We''re on our way back to Greenvale now, so you don''t need toe over."


    Victoria was surprised. Just a short while ago, her daughter had wanted to stay in Starfall City to spend more time with them. What had made her suddenly decide to return to Greenvale? She had many questions but chose not to pry. If the young couple had patched things up, she had no reason to worry.


    "Travel safely, dear. Have a good trip."


    Victoria sounded pleased,pletely missing the note of reluctance in Gwh''s voice.


    The jetnded directly at their vi in Greenvale. Butler Parham, having been informed by Hawthorne of Ms. Everhart''s arrival, was already waiting outside to greet her. As she stepped off the ne, he had her luggage taken up to her room on the second floor.


    Even Butler Parham was taken aback for a moment when he saw her. Gwh''s face was noticeably fuller, and she had a healthy glow. With Ms. Everhart back, he felt a sense of relief.


    Gwh didn''t linger. She picked out a car and drove herself straight to the hospital.


    The hospital in Greenvale wouldn''t ept her medical records from Starfall, so she had to undergo another round of tests: an ultrasound, an EKG, and an abdominal


    scan.


    The results were the same. Two gestational sacs. It was confirmed-she was carrying twins.


    "I don''t want this baby," she told the doctor. "Can you please schedule the procedure for me?"


    It seemed doctors everywhere were trained to say the same thing. The physician in Greenvale looked at her with the same confusion she''d seen before. "Miss Langford, twins are "Missave


    incredibly fare. Are you absolutely certain? Based on your test results, there''s a significant risk that after this procedure, you may never be able to conceive again."


    The words hit her like another bolt of lightning. She couldn''t understand it, couldn''t ept it. "I''ve heard of


    women having multiple abortion et


    and still being able to have childrens Why would one procedure make me infertile?"


    It sounded absurd. If she weren''t in Greenvale, she would have suspected her


    family of bribing the doctor to stop her.


    "Everyone''s body is different. Your


    chart shows that many of your health markers are below average The long-term emotional distress you''ve been under has taken a toll on your body. Carrying this O pregnancy to term, followed by a proper postpartum recovery, could actually help your body heat fromats previous deficits. But if you go against that and have an abortion, I fear your body can''t handle the risk. The consequences could be future ectopic pregnancies or permanent infertility. I strongly urge you to think this through very carefully before making a decision."