Chapter 98 — What if she leaves me?

"From a marriage bond. What else is awaited besides the offspring, namely children, Lyyana? You and Petra must have discussed it, right, even though you're not married yet? Surely Petra has already planned how many children to have and when the time is right."

As Lyyana was about to respond to Berli's statement, Garret suddenly got down from her lap and ran to the living room within Berli's ward. "Mom, Garret's playing with Lego here, okay?" he shouted as he sat on the sofa.

Lyyana nodded and smiled sweetly in response to her foster child's words and request. "Well, Petra has discussed it, but that doesn't mean children are the main focus for Berli."

"Then what else?"

Lyyana took a deep breath, leaning closer to Berli and said, "There are many things to think about and aim for together in a marriage. For now, Petra and my goal remains the same. We want to raise Garret as best as we can so he never lacks love. You and Denzel surely have your own goals, right?"

Berli fell silent for a while, contemplating what goals they had ever discussed. "It seems like we don't have any goals, Lyyana."

Lyyana furrowed her brow, looking at Berli who was still lost in thought, staring at the hospital room's ceiling. "You know, we met under conditions that weren't ideal for either of us. At that time, we just talked about how if we felt compatible, Denzel could match my moves in bed and vice versa. And yes, we decided to get married," Berli explained, turning to look at Lyyana who was watching her.

"So, because you both satisfied each other?" Lyyana asked, to which Berli nodded. "Did Denzel ever discuss how many children he wanted? Or when he would have children? Or anything else related to children?"

Berli seemed to ponder, recalling their moments together, both in bed and elsewhere. "It seems like we never talked about children. Denzel was just happy when I told him I was pregnant."

Lyyana smiled knowingly, saying, "Well, that's clear then, Berli. Children aren't your goal. So, you don't need to worry about whether Denzel will divorce you."

Berli fell silent, a thin smile beginning to appear on her face. "Besides, I know what kind of person Denzel is. If he's found the right woman, he'll never leave her. He's the faithful type; he just got lost before," Lyyana added, reassuring Berli not to dwell too much on this incident.

"It seems like he got lost with me too, Lyy."

Lyyana chuckled softly at Berli's words. "You both got lost together, so your main goal is to find the right path to the happiness you create for yourselves."

"I create it myself? Isn't happiness something you find?" Berli asked innocently.

"We create our own happiness because each individual's happiness is different. Some might be happy just getting a blue candy, which might be ordinary for others. Some might feel happy just getting food that suits their taste. The yardstick of happiness for each individual cannot be standardized. My happiness and your happiness are surely different, right?"

Berli nodded, looking at Lyyana admiringly. "We have quite a big age gap, don't we? But why are you so much more mature than me? Is it because of our different living environments? Or because I'm too busy seeking pleasure?"

Lyyana smiled thinly. "I'm not that mature. It's just our perspectives that differ. Eventually, you'll find your own view on happiness too."

Berli nodded, and they resumed their conversation. Lyyana was adept at finding topics to talk about to distract Berli from dwelling on the past. Elsewhere, Petra was also seen chatting with Denzel in the hospital cafeteria.

Denzel was still restless and worried. "Don't worry, Lyyana knows what she's doing. Let's just wait for her to –"

"But I'm her husband, Petra! I have to be by her side! What if Berli thinks I don't care about her anymore? What if she leaves me?"

Petra smirked. "Where did that foolish thought come from, Denzel? And since when are you afraid of losing a woman?"

"Since... I met her. I feel like my world revolves around her. Every day I just want to be near her, to accompany her, to spend time together, especially time together in... bed."

Petra shuddered in horror at the last word that came out of Denzel's mouth. "Is it polite to say that in front of someone who isn't married, Denzel?" Petra sarcastically remarked, annoyed that Denzel seemed to be intentionally provoking her.

"Hahaha!" Denzel laughed dryly. "You know, I'm truly obsessed with her. If there were 100 sexy women in front of me right now, I wouldn't be tempted. Berli has fulfilled all my fantasies and desires."

Petra sighed, realizing it would be very difficult to have a normal conversation with a man with such high desires as Denzel. "Although I'm sad about losing my child, I'm not too worried. Consider me cruel for not thinking too much about it. You know, yesterday I had to make a tough decision," she said, becoming serious.

Denzel's face suddenly became serious as he stared straight ahead. "Yesterday, when I found Berli lying on the bathroom floor, my world seemed to shatter into pieces. I immediately took her to the hospital. And you know, the doctor informed me that Berli's uterus isn't as healthy as it should be. The doctor said it's all because of the medication she's been taking and her unhealthy lifestyle."

Petra remained silent, listening carefully to what Denzel was saying. "The doctor gave me a choice, between saving the fetus but most likely losing Berli during childbirth or saving her mother and sacrificing the unhealthy fetus."

Denzel turned to look at Petra, who was staring at him seriously. The next moment, Denzel lowered his head and said, "I might have chosen my baby. But can I take care of my baby properly? Of course not. Will my world be okay without Berli? The answer is no. Maybe I can live, but only to spend the rest of my life."

Denzel took a deep breath, leaning back in his chair, taking a drag of the cigarette between his fingers. "But, will my life be okay without my child? Maybe yes, maybe no. But at least I'm not torturing Berli by selfishly insisting on keeping the fetus when I know her condition isn't healthy."

"Why did the operation take so long? I heard it took almost 3 hours?" Petra asked after staying silent, listening to Denzel's story.

"Because one of Berli's ovaries had to be removed."

Petra was shocked to hear this, she couldn't believe what Denzel was saying. "Her left ovary wasn't functioning properly. Almost half of her left ovary was rotting and filled with blood. This is a very difficult decision." Denzel lowered his head into his strong hands.

The two adult men exchanged glances, Petra couldn't believe how heavy the trial Denzel was facing. He had to lose his potential child and also make a decision for Berli's safety. "Have you informed her parents?"

Denzel nodded. "They flew in this morning, probably arriving late afternoon or evening." Petra nodded and fell silent again.

Silence engulfed them once more. "Does Berli know about this?"

Denzel shook his head weakly. "I'm not ready to tell her."

"Anyway, Berli deserves to know her condition. I'm sure she'll accept everything."

Denzel sighed heavily. "I can't bear to see her sadness. I can't bear to see her happy face turn sad and gloomy."

Petra smiled thinly, understanding Denzel's concern, but she couldn't condone his decision. "Whatever it is, Berli deserves to know, Denzel. Break it to her gently, accompany and embrace her. Everything will be alright."

Denzel nodded, then took another drag of his cigarette and exhaled smoke from his lips and nostrils. "Is Lyyana still around?" Denzel asked eagerly, wanting to return to Berli as soon as possible.

Before Petra could respond, her phone buzzed briefly. She checked her phone and found a message from Lyyana informing that Berli wanted to meet Denzel. "Berli is waiting for you."