Chapter 7 Strength In Suffering

• "Enough!" Rishima's tears had been falling for who knows how long.
• From the moment they met, to the day they mated, and now with their bond shattered, Rishima never knew Zvonimir could be so cruel, constantly stepping on her pain, over and over again.
• Rishima quickly wiped away her tears, not wanting to lose her dignity in front of him. She spoke slowly, each word clear, "Zvonimir, even if I were to die, I would never beg you!"
• "You!" Zvonimir flared up again.
• Whether in the past or now, Rishima always had the ability to drive him mad. There were times when Zvonimir genuinely wanted to strangle her, just to relieve his pent-up anger.
• While the tension between them escalated, Farah could no longer hold back. She rushed over, wrapping her arms around Zvonimir’s arm, and softly pleaded, "Zvonimir, what are you and Rishima talking about? You've been talking for so long."
• Neither Zvonimir nor Rishima responded. They simply stared at each other like enemies.
• Farah, sensing the tension, asked again, "Zvonimir, did you tell Rishima about our mate-bonding ceremony? Oh my, I forgot to mention it to her earlier."
• She then turned to Rishima with a sweet smile, "Rishima, today Zvonimir and I came here for our pre-mating health check. Our mate-bonding ceremony will take place on the 5th of next month. I hope you’ll come to wish us well."
• Rishima shifted her gaze from Zvonimir to Farah's innocent face and smiled faintly, "Is that so? Then I wish the two of you a long and happy life together, and may you have many wolf cubs!"
• Rishima’s decisive attitude left Farah stunned.
• After a long pause, Farah suddenly grasped Rishima's hand, her face full of guilt, and said, "Rishima, are you feeling upset? I’m sorry, I was so happy that I forgot you and Zvonimir bond had just been severed. If you're feeling sad, go ahead and cry. Zvonimir and I won't laugh at you."
• Rishima let out a mocking laugh, shook off Farah’s hand, and walked briskly toward the parking lot without saying another word.
• She knew that Zvonimir and Farah were watching her from behind. They wanted to see her humiliated, wanted to see her fall, wanted to see her break down in front of them.
• Never!
• Rishima clenched her fists tightly, straightened her back, and despite the pain coursing through her body, she walked step by step toward her car.
• But as soon as she reached the car door, a wave of nausea hit her, and she vomited up her entire breakfast.
• She could no longer hold on; her legs buckled, and she collapsed to the ground, her entire body trembling uncontrollably.
• Several passersby rushed over, concerned. "Miss, are you okay?"
• Rishima shook her head, indicating she was fine, but her stomach churned once more, causing her to retch again.
• Someone hesitated and asked, "Could she be pregnant?"
• A male wolf nearby sniffed the air lightly and said, "Most likely. My mate gave off the same scent when she was pregnant."
• Rishima shut her eyes tightly, leaning weakly against her car, thinking to herself: My womb is damaged, how could I possibly be pregnant?
• Rishima was brought home by the staff from the Female wolf Protection Association.
• Luckily, she only had a mild fever and nothing more. After two days of rest, her body fully recovered.
• She had planned to go back to work but then remembered that she was a designer at the jewelry company owned by the Ashcroft Group. After her bond with Zvonimir was severed, her mood was affected, and she didn’t feel like going back, so she decisively resigned.
• For some reason, a few days after returning from the hospital, every morning when she woke up, Rishima experienced bouts of dry heaving, but nothing ever came out.
• After struggling for more than a week, Rishima grew concerned that something was wrong with her stomach, so she booked an appointment with a specialist in female wolf health online. The very next morning, she went to the hospital.
• She thought the issue was with her stomach, but after hearing her description, the doctor ordered a series of tests: an ultrasound, blood tests, and a urine test.
• Puzzled, Rishima asked, "Doctor, my stomach feels uncomfortable, don’t I need an endoscopy?"
• "No need, go pay the fees," the doctor quickly called for the next patient.
• Following the doctor’s instructions, Rishima went for the tests.
• Three hours later, holding the results, Rishima found the doctor and pointed at the ultrasound report. "Doctor, it says here that I’m pregnant. Could there be a mistake?"
• "Let me take a look." The doctor took her results, reviewed the ultrasound images, then checked the blood and urine test results.
• Finally, the doctor smiled and said, "There’s no mistake. Congratulations, you're expecting twins."
• "What?" Rishima was stunned, her face full of confusion. "Doctor, you must be mistaken. My uterus is damaged, how could I possibly be pregnant?"
• And twins, no less. This lie was a bit too much.
• Annoyed by her doubt, the doctor retorted, "I’ve been a doctor for over twenty years. How could I make a mistake? Looking at your ultrasound, your uterus is perfectly normal. Plus, both the urine and blood tests confirm that you're two months pregnant."
• "How..." Rishima frowned, still in disbelief. "Could it be that the nurse mixed up my results with someone else’s?"
• The doctor, now more thoughtful, asked, "Are you sure your uterus is damaged?"
• Rishima nodded, "Yes, three years ago I was injured, and I was told I couldn't conceive. Every time I went for a check-up, the result was always that my uterus was damaged."
• "But from what you've described, these are classic pregnancy symptoms," the doctor insisted. "Well, if you don't believe me, you can take the tests again."
• Rishima went to another hospital for a second opinion.
• This time, a young female wolf doctor gently told her, "Miss, congratulations, you're expecting two lovely babies."
• Both doctors said the same thing…
• In that moment, Rishima's heart raced, and her voice trembled slightly, "Are you certain?"
• "I’m sure." The young doctor smiled, "Miss, don’t get too emotional. You need to stay calm during pregnancy, so both you and your babies can stay healthy."