Behind a Wound, There is a Crown

Urvy sat on the edge of the bed, watching Lukas, who was busy preparing a suitcase for his business trip. Occasionally, the sound of the suitcase zipper broke the room's silence. The cold morning air sneaked in through the slightly open window, making Urvy's body shiver.

"How long will you be gone this time?" she asked softly, her eyes staring at Lukas unblinkingly.

Urvy stood up slowly, walked over to her husband, and hugged him from behind.

Lukas stopped what he was doing, turned around, and returned the hug gently. His strong hands wrapped around Urvy's body.

"Maybe two or three days," Lukas replied calmly.

"That long?" Urvy's voice was almost a whisper, but she could not hide her disappointment.

Lukas nodded and cupped her face with both hands. "Honey, I know this is hard. I don't want to leave you either, especially in your current state." He looked down at Urvy's seven-month-old belly and then rubbed it gently. "But this is important. This project is for our future, for the little one."

Urvy looked down with an understanding heart. But still, a feeling of emptiness invaded her every time Lukas left. "I'm sorry, dear. I feel guilty for not being able to accompany you like I used to. I'm just a burden..."

Lukas hugged her tighter, his voice warm and full of love. "Don't ever think like that. You and our baby are my top priority. I work hard for you, not for myself. You were never a burden."

He kissed Urvy's forehead gently, soothing her heart. The tears pooling in her eyes slowly receded. She felt safe in Lukas's arms despite this rigid separation.

"I understand," Urvy said with a long sigh. "I'm just worried that you're too tired from all this. But I believe you can take care of yourself."

Lukas smiled a little, touching her cheek gently. "I promise I'll be home as soon as possible. Take care of yourself and our baby, okay?"

Urvy nodded, hugging him tighter as if she didn't want to let go.

"Alright," she whispered, her voice almost emotionless as she slowly let go of Lukas's embrace. "Be careful on the road."

Lukas smiled slightly, relief evident on his face as he heard the calmness in his wife's tone. "Yeah, I'm leaving first. Take care of yourself at home, okay? See you at our birthday party next week."

Urvy nodded slowly, a faint smile gracing her face. "Okay," she replied briefly, trying to smile lovingly at Lukas, even though her chest felt heavy.

The two walked hand in hand out of the room and down the stairs. Urvy drove Lukas to the front of the house, where his luxury car was parked.

Lukas stopped in front of the car, turning his head once again. "Oh, one more thing," he said. "Call me immediately if anything happens, okay?"

"Yes, dear, I'll take good care of myself and our son; I'll also call you if anything happens," Urvy replied reassuringly.

Lukas was relieved and got into the car, slowly driving away from Urvy and leaving the Hector Family residence.

Urvy took a deep breath, trying to calm her heart. However, when she had just turned around and walked up the stairs to her room, a loud voice called out her name, making her jump.

"URVY!"

A loud voice startled her. She recognized the voice of her mother-in-law, Sammy, who always made a fuss whenever she spoke to her.

Soon, heavy and rough steps echoed throughout the room, followed by Sammy, standing in front of her with a glare.

"You are so useless! Do you think this house is yours to laze around in?" Sammy said sharply, without giving Urvy a chance to reply.

Before Urvy could defend herself, Sandra, her sister-in-law's voice, chimed in. "Mom, she doesn't know herself. If it weren't for Lukas, she wouldn't have a place here!" Sandra said with a smile, clearly enjoying putting Urvy down.

Urvy remained silent, though her chest felt tight. This kind of humiliation and intimidation was nothing new to her. Sammy and Sandra had always treated her arbitrarily all this time, not even hesitating to be rude.

The minor, almost invisible wounds on her body were clear evidence of how badly they treated her.

"Sorry, ma'am, I'm not feeling well; I want to go back to the room," she said briefly, trying to avoid further conflict.

Sammy smiled sarcastically, her eyes narrowed to stare at Urvy hatefully. "Oh, now you think you're too important to talk to us, huh? Don't think just because you're pregnant, you can act like a queen in this house!"

Sandra chuckled, her voice full of mockery. "Pregnant? We don't even know if that child is Lukas's. Maybe..." Sandra paused for a moment, deliberately stopping to hurt her more. "Maybe it's someone else's child."

Urvy was stunned; those words were like daggers stuck in her chest. However, she tried to remain calm, holding back the tears that were about to fall.

Sammy stepped closer, now only inches away from Urvy. "Don't just shut up, answer me! Do you consider yourself worthy of being part of this family? You're just embarrassing Lukas! If it weren't for my son, you'd be nothing more than a country bumpkin, a lowlife with no pride and nothing!"

Sandra, who was standing by her mother's side, grinned with satisfaction. "Yes, Mom, she's just a burden. I would have kicked her out long ago if I were Brother Lukas."

Urvy swallowed, trying to calm her emotional turmoil. "I never meant to trouble anyone. I just wanted to look after my son and Lukas," she replied quietly, her voice trembling.

However, that answer only made Sammy angrier. "How dare you talk like that! Do you think we don't know your intentions? You only depend on Lukas for money!" Sammy exclaimed in a high tone.

Urvy tried to back away, but Sammy suddenly pushed her shoulder roughly. "You don't belong in this house!" she snapped again.

The push made Urvy lose her balance. She fell hard to the floor, and pain shot through her stomach. Her breathing was labored, and she began to feel something was wrong.

"Ouch..." she sighed, reflexively clutching her aching stomach. Immediately, she saw blood begin to flow beneath her.

Sandra, who had been enjoying the sight, now looked panicked. "Mom, she's bleeding!"

But Sammy just folded her arms across her chest, seemingly unconcerned. "It's her fault! Who told her to be weak like that? If she were strong, she wouldn't have fallen just because of a little push."

Urvy tried to speak, but the worsening pain cut off her words. Tears started streaming down her face, not from humiliation or emotional hurt but from fear. She thought of her baby.

Panting, she reached for the cell phone to call for help. However, her hands were shaking, and she dropped the phone. Her vision began to blur, but before everything went dark, she could only whisper, "Help... my baby..."